- Number
- 10723454
- Published
- 2020-07-28
- Filed
- 2019-08-09
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Hovey; Pehr L, Zupan; Madeline R
- CPC
- A63H27/12; A63J5/02; A63J99/00; B64D1/18; B64D5/00
- Verdict
- High Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Drone (UAV) energy used to animate a physical show element.
Abstract
An aerial show system for leveraging downwash and other forces to use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as a creative element in a show. UAVs in the aerial show system each include a propulsion and lift mechanism, which generates downwash as it moves the UAV about a show's airspace. The aerial show system also includes one-to-many show effect devices adapted to make use of the downwash to activate or animate one or more movable components to generate a desired show effect, e.g., a spinning propeller or fan on an object carried or tethered beneath the UAV chassis/body. The movable component would otherwise be static or passive and relies on the potential and/or kinetic energy created by the UAV in airspace for actuation or animation.
Background
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Description(1) The present description relates, in general, to aerial shows or displays, and, more particularly, the description relates to a new aerial show system (and related operational method) adapted for utilizing energy of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to activate and/or animate creative show effect devices or show elements to produce dynamic show effects as the UAV flies through a show's airspace.2. Relevant Background(2) There is a strong demand for new ways to provide shows or displays in the sky. These shows and displays may be provided, for example, to crowds of people visiting a theme or amusement park or enjoying their time on a cruise ship. In other cases, an airborne display or show is provided to sports fans before or after a sporting event or even at halftime or another break.(3) Many of these sky-based or airborne shows or displays have relied wholly on show systems positioned on the ground. For example, a fireworks or other pyrotechnic show may involve launching show components in a choreographed manner with, in some cases, synchronization with a soundtrack (e.g., operation of a ground-based sound system). As another example, a show or display may involve a light and/or laser show that illuminates the overhead sky and/or screens and/or other objects on the ground or in the sky above the viewers. In other cases, the shows or displays have used fountains to project water in a dynamic manner, which can be choreographed and synchro
Claims
1. A system adapted for providing an aerial show with animated show elements, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a chassis and lift and propulsion mechanisms moving the chassis to one or more heights above the ground; and a show effect device including an actuatable component, wherein the show effect device is coupled to the chassis to move with the UAV through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is actuated by conversion of kinetic or potential energy imparted to the show effect device by the moving of the chassis of the UAV in the airspace, wherein the lift and propulsion mechanisms generate downwash during the moving of the chassis of the UAV through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is aerodynamically coupled to the downwash and is fully or further actuated by the downwash, wherein the show effect device is supported by the chassis, wherein the actuatable component comprises a plurality of particles released from show effect device, and wherein the downwash induces movement of the plurality of particles to achieve a show effect.
11. A system for providing an aerial show with dynamic show elements, comprising: an aircraft comprising a body and a lift and propulsion mechanism operable to move the body through an airspace; and a show effect device supported on or below the body and including an actuatable component, wherein the lift and propulsion mechanism generates downwash when moving of the body through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is actuated to move when the downwash contacts one or more surfaces of the actuatable component, wherein the actuatable component comprises a plurality of particles released from the show effect device, and wherein the downwash induces movement of the plurality of particles to achieve a show effect.
15. A system for providing an aerial show with animated show elements, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a chassis and lift and propulsion mechanisms moving the chassis to one or more heights above the ground; and a show effect device including an actuatable component, wherein the flight propulsion mechanisms generate downwash during the moving of the chassis of the UAV through the airspace, and wherein the actuatable component is aerodynamically coupled to the downwash and is actuated by the downwash.
18. A system adapted for providing an aerial show with animated show elements, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a chassis and lift and propulsion mechanisms moving the chassis to one or more heights above the ground; and a show effect device including an actuatable component, wherein the show effect device is coupled to the chassis to move with the UAV through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is actuated by conversion of kinetic or potential energy imparted to the show effect device by the moving of the chassis of the UAV in the airspace, wherein the show effect device includes a portion positioned on the ground, and wherein the UAV traverses above the actuatable component during the moving through the airspace to direct downwash from the lift and propulsion mechanisms onto surfaces of the actuatable component to actuate movement of the actuatable component.
20. A system adapted for providing an aerial show with animated show elements, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a chassis and lift and propulsion mechanisms moving the chassis to one or more heights above the ground; and a show effect device including an actuatable component, wherein the show effect device is coupled to the chassis to move with the UAV through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is actuated by conversion of kinetic or potential energy imparted to the show effect device by the moving of the chassis of the UAV in the airspace, wherein the show effect device is coupled to the chassis, wherein the actuatable component comprises an object operable to perform acrobatic maneuvers after release in the airspace from the show effect device, and wherein at least one of the moving of the UAV and the height of the UAV in the airspace upon the release provides launching conditions for completion of the acrobatic maneuvers.
22. A system adapted for providing an aerial show with animated show elements, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a chassis and lift and propulsion mechanisms moving the chassis to one or more heights above the ground; and a show effect device including an actuatable component, wherein the show effect device is coupled to the chassis to move with the UAV through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is actuated by conversion of kinetic or potential energy imparted to the show effect device by the moving of the chassis of the UAV in the airspace, wherein the show effect device includes a portion positioned on the ground, and wherein the actuatable component is tethered to the chassis and is adapted to use the kinetic energy to obtain lift, launch, or pendulum movement in the airspace.
24. A system for providing an aerial show with dynamic show elements, comprising: an aircraft comprising a body and a lift and propulsion mechanism operable to move the body through an airspace; and a show effect device supported on or below the body and including an actuatable component, wherein the lift and propulsion mechanism generates downwash when moving of the body through the airspace, wherein the actuatable component is actuated to move when the downwash contacts one or more surfaces of the actuatable component, wherein the actuatable component comprises an object operable to perform acrobatic maneuvers after release in the airspace from the show effect device, and wherein at least one of moving of the UAV through the airspace and the height of the UAV in the airspace upon the release provides launching conditions for completion of the acrobatic maneuvers.