US Patent 11834163 Aerial vehicle with tape spring arms

An aerial vehicle with a plurality of selectively collapsible arms capable of transitioning between an extended state and a contracted state is described. In the extended position, the distance between the main body of the vehicle and the rotor associated with each arm is maximized. In the contracted state, the distance between the main body of the vehicle and the rotor associated with each arm is minimized. In certain embodiments, each of the arms may include one or more tape springs that are biased to selectively move the associated one or more rotors of each arm between the retracted and extended states.