Patents
AVFL researchers have patented 7 novel technologies since the lab’s founding in 2014.
To license a patent, please contact Dr. Moble Benedict (benedict@tamu.edu) and the TEES Commercialization Office (link).
- Cycloidal Rotor Micro Air Vehicle, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/441,719 (full patent filed, 2018)
Lead Inventor: Moble Benedict; Co-inventors: Carl Runco, David Coleman
(Technology licensed by Jaska Tech LLC.) - Hybrid Aerial/Ground Transformer Robot Capable of Multi-Modal Locomotion, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/508,640 (full patent filed, 2018)
Lead Inventor: Moble Benedict; Co-inventors: Hunter Denton, Vikram Hrishikeshavan - Hover-Capable Flapping-Wing Aircraft, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/608,528 (full patent filed, 2018)
Lead Inventor: Moble Benedict; Co-inventor: David Coleman - Hover-Capable Aircraft, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/685,323 (full patent filed, 2019)
Lead Inventor: Moble Benedict; Co-inventors: David Coleman, Carl Runco, Atanu Halder, Bochan Lee, Andrew Riha, Farid Saemi, Vishaal Subramanian, Eric Greenwood, Vinod Lakshminarayan
(Technology licensed by Harmony Aeronautics LLC.) - Air Launched Hover-Capable Rotary-Wing Aircraft, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/852,906 (provisional patent filed, 2019)
Lead Inventor: Moble Benedict; Co-inventors: Hunter Denton, Hao Kang, Vikram Hrishikeshavan - Vertical Flight Aircraft Autonomous Landing Using a Visual Cue, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/978,458 (provisional patent filed, 2020)
Lead Inventor: Bochan Lee; Co-inventors: Moble Benedict - A Non-Contact, Gas-Driven Bearing Using a Continuous Gas Curtain and Supersonic Flow for Levitation at Millimetric Heights, U.S. Patent Application No. 62/394,626 (patent granted, 2019)
Lead Inventor: Adonios Karpetis; Co-inventors: Dean Ellis, Moble Benedict, Yogesh Babbar
(Technology licensed by Levitation Transport Technologies LLC.)
Spin-offs
Dr. Benedict and 6 AVFL students founded Harmony Aeronautics LLC in June 2018 as a direct spin-off from their efforts in the Boeing GoFly Prize to develop and commercialize a personal flying vehicle. The ultimate goal is to foster development of safe, quiet, ultra-compact, vertical take-off and landing capable personal flying vehicles, which could be used for a wide range of applications both in commercial as well as military sectors. The company has raised significant funds. With this funding, the company has already started developing early stage prototypes based on the licensed technology.