Provide is an agricultural chemical spraying drone with improved safety. An acceleration sensor and a contact detection sensor are combined to detect contact of a drone with an obstacle. In a case where the contact is detected, a retreat action such as hovering is taken. In addition, a message may be displayed on a control terminal, a warning sound may be generated, and a warning light may be turned on. Further, a structure capable of minimizing finger insertion accidents and minimizing interference with a rotor even in collision is adopted as a propeller guard.

A system for performing work on electrical power lines and/or splices on electrical power lines comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a power line tool adapted to perch on an electrical power line and/or a splice on an electrical power line, a support frame selectively releasably attached to the UAV, and a plurality of flexible dielectric support lines attaching the power line tool to the support frame. Each of the support lines are attached to a corresponding attachment point on the support frame and a corresponding attachment point on the power line tool.

Particular embodiments described herein provide for modular device assemblies and methods for enabling maintenance and servicing, particularly by an unmanned aerial vehicle. A device assembly comprises a plurality of modules, each module having control circuitry, a communications port and contact points to couple the modules. When the modules are coupled, the communications ports are connected to create a bus for communications between the modules. The modular device structure where modules are removable and replaceable allows for an unmanned aerial vehicle to perform maintenance on the device.

A method of detecting and preventing airspace collision with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes dividing an airspace into a plurality of sectors, positioning a plurality of sensor installations to detect presence of an aircraft at respective boundaries between the sectors, detecting presence of the aircraft at a first of the boundaries based on sensor data collected from a first one of the sensor installations that is positioned to detect presence of the aircraft at the first boundary, and transmitting a signal based on the detection of the presence of the aircraft at the first boundary to a control system of the UAV.

A tool positioning system of an unmanned aerial vehicle that is mountable relative to a power line to monitor a component of the line. The tool positioning system includes a displacement module having a first member mountable to one side of a body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a second member movable vertically relative to the first member on the side of the body, and a tool holder pivotably coupled to the second member and couplable to a tool. The tool holder is movable relative to the body to mount the tool to or around the component.

A system and method for measuring an image distance of power transmission lines with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The system includes: a UAV, a master console, and a plurality of cameras. The cameras are configured to collect 2D image data of a power transmission line corridor. The UAV includes a vehicle body, a lidar device, a rotor assembly, a power unit, a flight control processor, a state detection device, and a wireless communication module. The lidar device is configured to collect 3D point cloud data of the power transmission lines. The master console is configured to receive the 2D image data and the 3D point cloud data, and establish a mapping relationship between the 2D image data and the 3D point cloud data; recognize a target object, determine 3D point coordinates of the target object, and calculate a distance from the target object to the power transmission lines.

The present invention relates to the autonomous application of crop protection products by means of a drone. The present invention relates to a process and to an unmanned aerial vehicle for applying crop protection product taking into consideration drift phenomena. The present invention furthermore relates to a computer program product which can be employed for controlling the process according to the invention.

Various arrangements for autonomous servicing of a network device are presented. A backend server system may receive status data from various devices. The backend server system may determine, based at least in part on the received status data, a triggering event associated with a first device. In response to the determined triggering event, location information associated with the first device may be sent to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV may send security information directly to the first device. The first device may be required to validate the security device, then the UAV may modify a physical component of the first device.

A vehicle and method of control comprising generating a geometric control envelope in a geometric space of operation points defined by a number of control aspects, the envelope having vertices representing maximum values of the control aspects, and determining a desired operation point in the geometric space representing a control input. Further, the method includes if the desired operation point is outside the envelope, scaling up a first one of the control aspects by a first factor, determining an effective operation point in the envelope geometrically closest to the desired operation point, scaling down all of the control aspects by a second factor inverse of the first factor, and instructing the propulsion mechanisms to propel the vehicle according to the effective operation point.

A floating advertisement device includes: an electric unmanned flying object connected to one end of a power supply line that supplies power; a control unit controlling an operation of the electric unmanned flying object; an advertisement medium hung from the electric unmanned flying object, and having, at a lower end surface thereof, a landing guide part that performs positioning at a time of descending; an advertisement display unit capable of displaying advertisement contents in a changeable manner as an outer peripheral surface of the advertisement medium, and formed in a bendable manner; a power source disposed on the ground and connected to the other end of the power supply line; and a support member capable of supporting the advertisement medium by being fitted with the landing guide part when the advertisement medium descends.