IDEA #4V73KN A Flexible, Expandable and Retractable Origami Structure Concept for Aerial Drone and Other Applications

Wing structure for unmanned aerial vehicles (Drones) Space expansion of solar sail, solar panel, or other large structures. Current technology to generate necessary lift for an aerial drone is either through a fixed-wing or a rotary wing. A fixed wing drone can travel faster, more efficient, and suitable for large worksites. A rotary wing drone can hover and is more nimble than a fixed wing design. However, both have fixed mechanical structures that cannot be easily retracted or reduced in volume. A manned carrier-based aircraft may have sectional wing structure to fold up the fixed wing for storage purpose. A helicopter can also unlock the rotors to fold together. However, either approach requires additional sturdy mechanical structure that added to the weight of the vehicle. This invention can allow a flexible, expandable, and retractable wing structure for drones. When fully deployed, the pressurized wing structure can achieve necessary mechanical strength. When deflated, it can be folded into pre-designed configuration along artificial crease lines achieved by the wall thickness. It can be incorporated into a lightweight drone for surveillance, for example, where the wings can be expanded for aerial performance, and retracted to greatly reduce its physical profile, without heavy mechanical subsystems for this transformation process.