Abstract
An airship-type 1-ton crane robot (hereafter called CraneRobo) is a new concept of a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off & Landing) vehicle driven by cycloidal propeller systems and has safe and excellent hovering characteristics compared to helicopters. The cycloidal propeller system, one of horizontal rotary wings, offers very good thrust vs. input power ratios, and a unique ability to change thrust vectors almost instantaneously. A trial design of a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) CraneRobo by cycloidal propellers presented high enhancement of the vehicle's kinematics. The proposed CraneRobo is aiming at transport of 1-ton payload by total power of 320kW. The propeller radius, wing chord, wing span and number of blades were chosen respectively as 1m, 0.4m, 2m and 7units. Four assemblies of the propeller are mounted on a gondola under the vehicle hull. The vehicle will be 23m long with 12m max. diameter.
