Radio-controlled flying craft and method

Abstract

A homeostatic flying hovercraft preferably utilizes at least two pairs of counter-rotating ducted fans to generate lift like a hovercraft and utilizes a homeostatic hover control system to create a flying craft that is easily controlled. The homeostatic hover control system provides true homeostasis of the craft with a true fly-by-wire flight control and control-by-wire system control.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A radio-controlled (RC) flying hovercraft controlled by a handheld RC controller separate and remote from the RC flying hovercraft, the RC flying hovercraft comprising:
 a set of thrusters, each thruster including at least one blade driven by an electrically powered motor, that provide aerodynamic lift for the RC flying hovercraft;   a battery system positioned in the flying hovercraft and electrically coupled to the set of thrusters;   a homeostatic control system positioned in the RC flying hovercraft and operably connected to the thrusters that automatically controls a thrust produced by each thruster in order to automatically maintain a desired orientation of the RC flying hovercraft, the homeostatic control system including at least a three dimensional, three-axis sensor system and associated control circuitry that dynamically determines a gravitational reference other than by dead reckoning for use by the homeostatic control system in automatic control of said thrusters to maintain homeostatic stabilization in the desired orientation; and   a radio frequency (RF) receiver positioned in the RC flying hovercraft and adapted to receive communications from the RC controller, the communications including the desired orientation of the RC flying hovercraft used by the homeostatic control system to automatically control the thrusters to maintain the desired orientation, wherein the desired orientation communicated by the RC controller is determined based on a handheld structure housing a sensor system in the RC controller that senses at least a two dimensional, two-axis sensed orientation of the handheld structure as a result of a user remote from the RC flying hovercraft selectively orienting the handheld structure,   whereby an actual moment-to-moment orientation of the RC flying hovercraft mimics a corresponding moment-to-moment positioning of the RC controller based on the two dimensional, two-axis sensed orientation of the RC controller.   
     
     
         2 . The RC flying hovercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the flying hovercraft further comprises a foam body housing the thrusters within a perimeter of the body. 
     
     
         3 . The RC flying hovercraft of  claim 2 , wherein the foam body includes structure defining a set of ducts, each duct corresponding to one of the set of thrusters. 
     
     
         4 . The RC flying hovercraft of  claim 3 , wherein the set of ducts further comprise a screen cover disposed on an upper surface of the foam body corresponding to the set of ducts such that air flows through the screen cover into each duct and the at least one blade of each thruster are protected by the screen cover. 
     
     
         5 . The RC flying hovercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the communications include the desired orientation of the flying hovercraft and an intended motion in which the flying hovercraft is to be directed without any additional communications being required for control of moment-to-moment balance and stabilization of the RC flying hovercraft. 
     
     
         6 . The RC flying hovercraft of  claim 1 , wherein the communications selectively include software updates for the homeostatic control system from the web via an Internet connection. 
     
     
         7 . A method for operating a radio-controlled (RC) flying hovercraft using an RC controller separate and remote from the RC flying hovercraft, the method comprising:
 providing an RC flying hovercraft having a set of generally downwardly directed thrusters, each thruster including at least one blade driven by a battery powered motor to provide aerodynamic lift for the RC flying hovercraft under control of a control system in the RC flying hovercraft that is responsive to radio frequency (RF) communications from the RC controller;   causing an RF receiver in the control system in the RC flying hovercraft to receive communications from the RC controller, the communications including a desired orientation of the RC flying hovercraft, wherein the desired orientation communicated by the RC controller is determined based on a handheld structure housing a sensor system in the RC controller that senses at least a two dimensional, two-axis sensed orientation of the handheld structure as a result of a user remote from the RC flying hovercraft selectively orienting the handheld structure,   causing a sensor system in the control system of the RC flying hovercraft to dynamically determine an actual orientation of the RC flying hovercraft, the sensor system including at least a three-dimensional, three-axis sensor; and   causing the control system in the RC flying hovercraft to automatically and dynamically control a thrust produced by each of said thrusters to achieve and selectively maintain the actual orientation of the RC flying hovercraft in response to the desired orientation communicated to the RC flying hovercraft by the RC controller and the actual orientation determined by the sensor system in the RC flying hovercraft without any additional communications being required for control of moment-to-moment balance and stabilization of the RC flying hovercraft.