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An aerial vehicle is includes a wing, first and second rotors, and a movement sensor. The first and second multicopter rotors are rotatably coupled to the wing, the first multicopter rotor is rotatable relative to the wing about a first lateral axis, and the second multicopter rotor is rotatable rel

An aerial vehicle is includes a wing, first and second rotors, and a movement sensor. The first and second multicopter rotors are rotatably coupled to the wing, the first multicopter rotor is rotatable relative to the wing about a first lateral axis, and the second multicopter rotor is rotatable relative to the wing about a second lateral axis. Each multicopter rotor is coupled to each other multicopter rotor, wherein the multicopter rotors are restricted to collective synchronous rotation relative to the wing between a multicopter configuration and a fixed-wing configuration. The movement sensor is coupled to the multicopter rotors, wherein the movement sensor is positioned to rotate relative to the wing when the multicopter rotors rotate relative to the wing between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An aerial vehicle comprising: a wing;a multicopter linkage having first and second rotor mounts, each rotor mount rotatably coupled to the wing,first and second multicopter rotors rotatably coupled to the wing by the multicopter linkage, the first multicopter rotor mounted to the first rotor moun

1. An aerial vehicle comprising: a wing;a multicopter linkage having first and second rotor mounts, each rotor mount rotatably coupled to the wing,first and second multicopter rotors rotatably coupled to the wing by the multicopter linkage, the first multicopter rotor mounted to the first rotor mount and freely rotatable relative to the wing about a first lateral axis, and the second multicopter rotor mounted to the second rotor mount and freely rotatable relative to the wing about a second lateral axis,wherein the multicopter linkage comprises a first axle extending along the first lateral axis and connected to the first rotor mount,a second axle extending along the second lateral axis and connected to the second rotor mount, anda transmission connected to the first and second axles, the transmission restricting the first and second rotor mounts and multicopter rotors to collective synchronous rotation relative to the wing mount between a multicopter configuration and a fixed-wing configuration. 2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a movement sensor coupled to the multicopter rotors, wherein the movement sensor is positioned to rotate relative to the wing when the multicopter rotors rotate relative to the wing between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 3. The aerial vehicle of claim 2, further comprising: a hardware controller communicatively coupled to the movement sensor to receive movement sensor readings, and communicatively coupled to the first and second multicopter rotors to send control signals to the first and second multicopter rotors based at least in part on the movement sensor readings. 4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a configuration lock selectively connectable to the multicopter linkage to inhibit rotation of the multicopter rotors relative to the wing between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 5. An aerial vehicle kit comprising: a multicopter linkage having a wing mount, a first rotor mount rotatably coupled to the wing mount to rotate about a first lateral axis, a second rotor mount rotatably coupled to the wing mount to rotate about a second lateral axis longitudinally spaced apart from the first lateral axis, a first axle extending along the first lateral axis and connected to the first rotor mount, a second axle extending along the second lateral axis and connected to the second rotor mount, and a transmission connected to the first and second axles, the transmission restricting the first and second rotor mounts to collective synchronous rotation relative to the wing mount between a multicopter configuration and a fixed-wing configuration,a wing connectable to the wing mount,wherein the first and second multicopter rotor mounts are freely rotatably coupled to the wing mount about the respective first and second axles. 6. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, wherein: the transmission comprises a first rotor arm and a second rotor arm,each of the first and second rotor arms is rotatably coupled to the wing mount to rotate between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations,the first rotor mount is provided on the first rotor arm, and the second rotor mount is provided on the second rotor arm. 7. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 6, wherein: the transmission further comprises a connector arm rotatably coupled to the first and second rotor arms such that the wing mount, the first and second rotor arms, and the connector arm form a four bar linkage. 8. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, wherein: the multicopter linkage further comprises a sensor mount rotatably connected to the wing mount, andthe sensor mount rotates relative to the wing mount when the first and second rotor mounts move between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 9. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 7, wherein: the multicopter linkage further comprises a sensor mount rotatably connected to the wing mount and rotatably coupled to the connector arm, andthe sensor mount rotates relative to the wing mount when the first and second rotor mounts rotate relative to the wing mount between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 10. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, further comprising: a configuration lock connectable to the multicopter linkage to inhibit the first and second rotor mounts from rotating relative to the wing mount between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 11. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of multicopter rotors connectable to the first and second rotor mounts. 12. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, further comprising: a movement sensor connectable to the multicopter linkage at a position that moves relative to the wing mount when the first and second rotor mounts rotate relative to the wing mount between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 13. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, wherein: the transmission comprises a drive shaft having gear connections to the first and second axles. 14. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, wherein: the transmission comprises a drive belt having pulley connections to the first and second axles. 15. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 5, wherein: the transmission comprises a cable wound around the first and second axles. 16. A method of making an aerial vehicle, the method comprising: providing a multicopter linkage having a wing mount, a first rotor mount rotatably coupled to the wing mount to rotate about a first lateral axis, a second rotor mount rotatably coupled to the wing mount to rotate about a second lateral axis longitudinally spaced apart from the first lateral axis, a first axle extending along the first lateral axis and connected to the first rotor mount, a second axle extending along the second lateral axis and connected to the second rotor mount, and a transmission connected to the first and second axles, the transmission restricting the first and second rotor mounts to collective synchronous rotation relative to the wing mount between a multicopter configuration and a fixed-wing configuration,mounting a wing to the wing mount; andmounting a multicopter rotor to each of the rotor mounts,wherein the first and second multicopter rotors are freely rotatably coupled to the wing about the respective first and second axles. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: mounting a movement sensor to the multicopter linkage at a position that moves relative to the wing when the rotor mounts rotate between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: coupling a hardware controller to the multicopter linkage, the hardware controller communicatively coupled to the movement sensor to receive movement sensor readings, and communicatively coupled to the multicopter rotors to send control signals to the multicopter rotors based at least in part on the movement sensor readings. 19. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the first and second multicopter rotors are rotatable relative to the wing between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations by modulating thrust of the first and second multicopter rotors to torque the first and second multicopter rotors about the first and second axes respectively. 20. The aerial vehicle kit of claim 11, wherein: when the plurality of multicopter rotors are connected to the first and second rotor mounts, the multicopter rotors are rotatable relative to the wing mount between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations by modulating thrust of the plurality of multicopter rotors to torque the plurality of multicopter rotors about the first and second axes respectively. 21. The aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the transmission includes one of a four-bar linkage, a drive shaft, a drive belt, and a drive cable. 22. The method of claim 16, wherein: the transmission includes one of a four-bar linkage, a drive shaft, a drive belt, and a drive cable.