A.T.O.M. Stands for Aerial Tilt Object Motion
This is a cool little project I have been working on that utilizes a gimble as a means for control.
The idea here is to make a drone style aircraft that will be able to maneuver through tight spaces with accuracy and stability. The ATOM will also be able to compact flat to be brought out to the field for AP missions.
Instead of using the typical 'flap' control surfaces of normal aircraft. The ATOM will use a counter rotating prop housed in a gimble system with gyros located on 2 axis.
Right now the project is in the prototype stages and includes a stand for the study of the craft.
Future versions will remove the stand creating a sphere object capable of 6 axis linear movements while in flight. Flying characteristics will be along the lines of a UFO and although it is housed as a sphere for the prototype this could be altered. There is potential for adapting to the toy industry for UFO toys and the like.
I have to say that I am pretty excited about this project and look forward to seeing the results.
I think that this could have the potential for making an impact on the way we look at controlled flight in the future.
I would like to thank Blindflight for coming up with the ATOM acronym and for donating 2 gyros to the project! You rock Al

More about Gimbels found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimbal

Stay tuned for updates
Mark

Short video of the first prototype in action
Attached files

 

Mark, that thing is way cool! Imagine the possibilities with this kind of craft once the little bugs have been worked out. I'll certainly be watching your progress on this one!

 

And the wheels keep on turning!
Awesome Mark.
You never cease to amaze me with all the ideas you come up with.

 

Ha, I love it.

I must have one

 

Thanks guys! wow I am really excited about this one I think it just may work!
This is what happens when you grow up without a TV in your house, you wonder about and question everything. One of the best decisions my Dad made for our family growing up.
Thanks again
Mark

 

- - WOW!

Just remember what I said about your brain going POW!

 

:mrgreen:

 

Thank you Kwok for the complement
I was thinking that right now I was not going to control the z, but I thought since each motor for the counter rotating prop would have its own speed control. I could in theory slow on down and speed the other up and vise versa to get the z rotation needed?
What do you think?
Mark

 

Here are the proposed movements of the ATOM.
I think I know what you mean by which would move and from what I found is that as long as the main weight (batt) is on the outer ring that is what the outside ring servo (y) uses to push against. The inside servo(x) pushes against the the outside ring. With the first prototype I found that having the stand to push against with the prop wash column of air holding it in place was not enough to keep it from tilting the entire craft. So I moved the battery down to the lower main structure the support ring and that's what made the difference. This was not shown in the video. Once that was tested I knew there was a possibility of it working without tilting and without the need for the stand or fins.
Kwok its all that gyro talk we had that got me thinking about this from the start
p.s. one of the nice side effects of containing the battery in the lower section of the craft, is that it allows for a self righting ability to occur. This may require the outer ring to take on a slightly different shape to help in pushing into the right direction. Sort of the same concept of a weeble wobble
I will work at that once I know that it is a project worth pursuing. The gyros should be here tomorrow!!!
Thank you again AL
Mark

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Kwok this is a total learning experience for me here with the gyros. I thought about what you said about them being on the outer ring and you are right that is where they should be. On the same platform as what you want to keep level. Makes sense.,
Thank you for the tip
Mark

 

A couple of cheap HH gyros will fix that right up Nice design Mark, kind of begs to be a flying R2D2 in my eyes.

 

You know I picture this (if it works) as the ultimate drone for law enforcement and military. The control would be unlike any aircraft on the market today. I see the ability to move through tight area such as hallways in buildings and through windows with ease. It could be equipped with a light and a camera to send real time feeds back to the controller.
I really think this type of flight has been only science fiction up to this point.
We shall see how well the testing goes. But I may have to build a carbon fiber version and pose the question to the right people
I am really putting some time into this project hoping that if it works out could be well worth it.
Mark

 

mark, you don't have to worry about the war pigs of the world....the electronic stuff the military already have, we have no idea...they got so many secret weapons, more hi-tech stuff than we as civilians have knowledge of...they only let so much info out...man they made the GPS system for war many years ago...not for us to find our way around in our cars, lols. they prolly got fly sized weapons that can kill....man seems to have the military killing down very well....peace, randy.

 

man, i wonder how many gyro's run that thing, i got ten bucks it don't even use them....prolly electronics that civilians don't even know about....man i do kinda like the way it lands, lols...

 

I am hoping that the ATOM is able to fly exactly like this, without all the noise

Randy, maybe instead of gyros it uses a 3 dimensional GPS system that is capable of pinpointing its position/orientation in space and any given time? With something like this you could cut down on weight and electrons and it could be controlled via satellite! I know if I had unlimited time and funds that's the way I would make it.
Too cool guys
Mark