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  • Patent number: 9016220
    Abstract: A water vessel having variable geometry is described. The water vessel comprises: a frame; a plurality of hulls coupled to the frame, each one of the plurality of hulls coupled to the frame by a folding mechanism and configured to move, relative to the frame, between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration in which at least one dimension of the water vessel is reduced in respect of the deployed configuration; a plurality of thruster assemblies configured to provide thrust to the water vessel, each one of the plurality of thruster assemblies being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of hulls; and a protective device coupled to a respective one of the plurality of thruster assemblies, the protective device for preventing intake of foreign objects into the respective one of the plurality of thruster assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Clearpath Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Patrick William Martinson, Mark Julian Podbevsek, Matthew Allen Rendall, Todd Willick