Claims
- 1. An airborne vehicle comprising:
a housing; a plurality of micro electromechanical (MEMS) devices attached to the housing, each MEMS device comprising an integral control surface/actuator and having a flap portion adapted to move between a withdrawn position and an extended position; and actuator circuitry connected to the MEMS devices for selectively moving at least one of the flap portions into and out of an air stream passing over the airborne vehicle.
- 2. The airborne vehicle of claim 1, wherein the actuator circuitry further comprises:
a rotation sensor for producing a first signal corresponding to the rotation of the airborne vehicle about an axis of flight; a lateral acceleration sensor for producing a second signal corresponding to acceleration of the airborne vehicle in a direction normal to the axis of flight; control circuitry connected to the rotation sensor and to the lateral acceleration sensor for providing a third signal to the actuators responsive to the first and the second signals.
- 3. The airborne vehicle of claim 2, wherein the plurality of MEMS devices are arranged about the axis of flight, and wherein the third signal is operable to extend selected ones of the flap portions to produce a standing wave of extended flap portions relative to the axis of flight.
- 4. The airborne vehicle of claim 1, wherein the MEMS devices are arranged in a plurality of longitudinal strips.
- 5. The airborne vehicle of claim 4, wherein the plurality of longitudinal strips are disposed about an ogive portion of the airborne vehicle.
- 6. The airborne vehicle of claim 1, wherein the housing has a diameter no more than that of a 50 caliber bullet.
- 7. The airborne vehicle of claim 1, wherein the housing has a diameter no more than that of a 30 caliber bullet.
- 8. The airborne vehicle of claim 1, wherein the MEMS devices each comprise:
a first fixed electrode; the flap portion comprising a second moveable electrode disposed on a rolled layer of tentured material, the layer of tentured material having an end affixed relative to the first electrode; wherein the second electrode is caused to roll toward the first electrode to move the flap portion to the withdrawn position in response to an electrostatic force between the first electrode and the second electrode; and wherein the second electrode is caused by residual stress in the tentured layer of material to roll away from the first electrode to move the flap portion to the withdrawn position.
- 9. An airborne vehicle comprising:
a housing; a plurality of micro electo-mechanical (MEMS) devices disposed about an axis of flight of the airborne vehicle; a rotation sensor for producing a first signal responsive to a rate of rotation of the airborne vehicle about the axis of flight; circuitry connected to the rotation sensor and to the plurality of MEMS devices, the circuitry operable to actuate at least one of the MEMS devices in sequence about the axis of flight at a rate of rotation responsive to the first signal.
- 10. The airborne vehicle of claim 9, further comprising:
a lateral acceleration sensor for producing a second signal responsive to acceleration of the projectile in a direction normal to the axis of flight; the circuitry being connected to the lateral acceleration sensor and operable to control the sequence of actuation of the at least one of the MEMS devices in response to the second signal.
- 11. The airborne vehicle of claim 9, wherein the MEMS devices each comprise:
a first fixed electrode; the flap portion comprising a second moveable electrode disposed on a rolled layer of tentured material, the layer of tentured material having an end affixed relative to the first electrode; wherein the second electrode is caused to roll toward the first electrode to move the flap portion to the withdrawn position in response to an electrostatic force between the first electrode and the second electrode; and wherein the second electrode is caused by residual stress in the tentured layer of material to roll away from the first electrode to move the flap portion to the withdrawn position.
- 12. A method of controlling the trajectory of an airborne vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of micro electromechanical MEMS devices on an airborne vehicle, each MEMS device comprising an integral control surface/actuator and having a flap portion adapted to move between a withdrawn position and an extended position; determining a desired change in trajectory of the airborne vehicle relative to an axis of flight; and actuating a selected portion of the MEMS devices to extend the respective flap portions into and out of an air stream passing over the airborne vehicle to achieve the desired change in trajectory.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
disposing the MEMS devices on the projectile about the axis of flight; sensing rotation of the airborne vehicle about the axis of flight; and actuating the selected portion of the MEMS devices in a sequence responsive to the rotation of the airborne vehicle to form a standing wave of extended flap portions relative to the axis of flight.
- 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of disposing the MEMS devices in a plurality of longitudinal strips.
- 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of disposing the MEMS devices in a plurality of longitudinal strips about an ogive portion of the projectile.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims benefit of the filing date of provisional U.S. patent application 60/170,192 filed Dec. 10, 1999.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60170192 |
Dec 1999 |
US |