Patent ID: 8167234

Claim:
An insect-like micro air vehicle (MAV) and supporting mission apparatus, comprising: a central, dangling, three part body comprised of upper, middle and lower sections; left and right rotor tilt actuators positioned on either side of the body, capable of independent or coordinated motion; left and right rotor arms extending from and capable of being positioned by the rotor tilt actuators; left and right rotor teeter actuators attached to the left and right rotor arms, capable of independent or coordinated motion; left and right propulsion motors, capable of independent or coordinated operation, attached to and capable of being positioned by the left and right teeter actuators; left and right propulsion motor controllers and regenerators, connected to the left and right propulsion motors, capable of independent or coordinated operation; left and right rotors having a plurality of fixed or adjustable blades and a circumferential rim, shroud, or other similar circumferential features capable of serving as a wheel contact surface, attached to and driven in the same or opposing directions by the left and right propulsion motors; left and right elevator actuators, attached to either side of the body, capable of independent or coordinated motion; left and right elevators, having conformal solar panels and winglets, attached to and capable of being positioned by the left and right elevator actuators; left and right perch hangers capable of coordinated or independent motion, attached to the body or rotor arms, having the ability to be positioned by the tilt actuators; left and right perch hanger grapples of a plurality of designs, attached to the perch hangers, individually capable of mechanically and electrically engaging various perches, individually capable of motion relative to the perch hangers; a plurality of landing tail skids, repositionable whips, antennas, and electromagnetic energy scavenging nodes; microprocessor based circuitry for implementing control of vectored thrust and body position and reaction, stabilization for flight and perching, and management of surveillance, energy scavenging, and energy replenishment; control and stabilization sensors and circuitry; GPS and navigational circuitry and devices; audio and video sensors, circuitry, transmitters, and surveillance relaying devices; an expellable, offensive payload; spark gap or solid state power line and electromagnetic energy scavenging circuitry and devices; corona based virtual ground circuitry and devices; solar energy scavenging circuitry and devices; long term energy storage that is capable of being replenished through energy scavenging capabilities; integrated strengthening features, including rings and cooling fins, deliberately visible and capable of deception and camouflage in order to mimic a power distribution apparatus; and a single or plurality of operator possessed and manipulated control transmitters and surveillance receivers, not carried onboard the MAV.