A computing device is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. A computing device may include operational processors, configured to execute a set of program instructions, wherein the set of program instructions is configured to cause the operational processors to: receive input signals indicative of input conditions; determine input conditions based input signals; determine output signals based on the determined input conditions; and provide determined output signals. The computing device may further include machine-learning processors, wherein the machine-learning processors are configured to develop machine-learning analyzers, wherein the machine-learning analyzers are configured to: identify operational parameters of the operational processors; determine modifications to the set of program instructions, wherein the modifications satisfy a selected quality metric; and provide the modifications to the operational processors.

An energy harvesting system is disclosed that is especially well-suited for use on aerodynamic systems such as guided projectiles or other aerobodies. A series of piezoelectric cantilevers are arranged to capture vibrations from the ambient environment and transduce the mechanical motion from the vibrations into useful electrical energy. The piezoelectric cantilevers can be arranged along different planes from one another to capture different vibrational modes and directions. A power conditioning circuit is included to receive the electrical energy produced by the piezoelectric cantilevers. A storage element coupled to the power conditioning circuit is configured to store charge based on the electrical energy produced by the plurality of piezoelectric cantilever structures. The stored charge can be used to provide low levels of power to certain electrical components on board the aerodynamic system before it has been launched.

An energy harvesting system is disclosed that is especially well-suited for use on aerodynamic systems such as guided projectiles or other aerobodies. A series of piezoelectric cantilevers are arranged to capture vibrations from the ambient environment and transduce the mechanical motion from the vibrations into useful electrical energy. The piezoelectric cantilevers can be arranged along different planes from one another to capture different vibrational modes and directions. A power conditioning circuit is included to receive the electrical energy produced by the piezoelectric cantilevers. A storage element coupled to the power conditioning circuit is configured to store charge based on the electrical energy produced by the plurality of piezoelectric cantilever structures. The stored charge can be used to provide low levels of power to certain electrical components on board the aerodynamic system before it has been launched.

Aspects relate to an electric aircraft having a two-motor propulsion system and methods for use. An exemplary electric aircraft includes a flight component attached to the electric aircraft, where the flight component is configured to generate thrust, a first electric motor and a second electric motor, where each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor are mechanically connected to the flight component and configured to provide motive power to the flight component, and the second electric motor is able to provide motive power to the flight component if the first electric motor is inoperative.

Aspects relate to an electric aircraft having a two-motor propulsion system and methods for use. An exemplary electric aircraft includes a flight component attached to the electric aircraft, where the flight component is configured to generate thrust, a first electric motor and a second electric motor, where each of the first electric motor and the second electric motor are mechanically connected to the flight component and configured to provide motive power to the flight component, and the second electric motor is able to provide motive power to the flight component if the first electric motor is inoperative.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to an optoelectronic device for detection and identification of individual water droplets, ice crystals, dust particles and volcanic ash particles, the device comprising a source of ultraviolet collimated monochromatic radiation that illuminates an area of air external to the aircraft through which freely pass individual atmospheric particles to create an illuminated sample volume of air; an optical surveillance system for monitoring the clarity of light transmission through the light transmissive window to indicate a need for preventive maintenance; a first optical detection system that is constructed and arranged to collect light scattered from individual particles over an explicit angle ranging from 137° to 173° that defines the illuminated sample volume for measurement of S and P components of return scattered light from the sample volume to photodetectors that provide signals representative of intensity and change in polarization state caused by the interaction of particles with the incident illumination in the sample volume; a second optical detection system for selectively detecting fluorescence emanating from individual ash particles over an explicit angle ranging from 137° to 173° that defines the illuminated sample volume for measurement of fluoresence from the sample volume to a photodetector that provide a signal representative of intensity caused by the interaction of particles with the incident illumination in the sample volume; a signal processor that is constructed and arranged to condition the signals from the photodetectors by removing electronic noise, restoring baseline shifts and analyzing the pulse shapes to provide processed signals; a signal analyzer configured to operate upon the processed signals for extraction of data representing maximum amplitude, width, rise time and fall time of individual pulses in the S and P components, and the magnitude of the fluorescence signal which correlates to the size and/or composition of ash particles present; an information synthesizer that receives the data and produces analytical results allocated to particles by particle type including equivalent optical diameter (EOD), number and mass size distributions, and number and mass concentrations, the particle type being selected as at least one member among the group consisting of individual water droplets, ice crystals, dust particles and volcanic ash particles; and a report generator that creates an information packet utilizing information from the information synthesizer to assist in decision making related to hazard avoidance for aircraft flight, the optoelectronic system being adapted for mounting

Methods and systems are provided for assisting operation of a vehicle using speech recognition. One method involves analyzing a transcription of an audio communication with respect to the vehicle to characterize a nonstandard pattern within the transcription of the audio communication, obtaining a ground truth for the transcription of the audio communication, determining one or more performance metrics associated with the nonstandard pattern within the transcription based on a relationship between the transcription of the audio communication and the ground truth for the transcription, updating a speech recognition vocabulary for the vehicle to include the nonstandard pattern based at least in part on the one or more performance metrics and determining an updated speech recognition model for the vehicle using the updated speech recognition vocabulary and the audio communication.

An EMI filter arrangement includes a noise source, an input filter connected to the input of the noise source, and an output filter connected to the output of the noise source, the noise source, input filter and output filter provided in an electrically conductive electronics box, and an input filter capacitor electrically connecting the input filter to the electrically conductive electronics box and an output filter capacitor electrically connecting the output filter to the electrically conductive electronics box; the arrangement characterised by further comprising an intermediate reference plane provided in the electrically conductive electronics box, and an intermediate capacitor provided in the electrically conductive electronics box electrically connected between the intermediate reference plane and the electrically conductive electronics box, the input filter capacitor and the output filter capacitor being electrically connected to the box via the intermediate reference plane and the intermediate capacitor.

An EMI filter arrangement includes a noise source, an input filter connected to the input of the noise source, and an output filter connected to the output of the noise source, the noise source, input filter and output filter provided in an electrically conductive electronics box, and an input filter capacitor electrically connecting the input filter to the electrically conductive electronics box and an output filter capacitor electrically connecting the output filter to the electrically conductive electronics box; the arrangement characterised by further comprising an intermediate reference plane provided in the electrically conductive electronics box, and an intermediate capacitor provided in the electrically conductive electronics box electrically connected between the intermediate reference plane and the electrically conductive electronics box, the input filter capacitor and the output filter capacitor being electrically connected to the box via the intermediate reference plane and the intermediate capacitor.

A multi-fiber optical sensor system includes a light source configured to generate light energy, a transmitter fiber configured to receive the light energy from the light source and to project light energy out of a projecting end of the transmitter fiber over a transmitter fiber field of view, and a plurality of receiver fibers. Each of the plurality of receiver fibers has a receiving end aligned proximate and substantially parallel to the projecting end of the transmitter fiber and is configured to receive a received portion of the projected light energy reflected from a target within a receiver field of view. The multi-fiber optical sensor system also includes a lenslet array configured to shape the transmitter fiber field of view and give the transmitter field of view a finite cross-sectional area. The lenslet array has a plurality of lens corresponding to the transmitter fiber and each of the plurality of receiver fibers and is further configured to shape the receiver fiber field of view, tilt the center of the field of view with respect to the axis of the projected light energy for each of the plurality of receiver fibers and give the receiver fiber field of view for each of the plurality of receiver fibers a finite cross-sectional area. The multi-fiber optical sensor system also includes a detector configured to detect the portion of the projected light energy received by each of the plurality of receiver fibers. The receiver fiber field of view for each of the plurality of receiver fibers crosses the transmitter fiber field of view between a first crossing point at a distance R.sub.min from a lens axis and a last crossing point at a distance R.sub.max from the lens axis. There is a center crossing point R.sub.mid at a point where a centerline of the receiver fiber field of view for each of the plurality of receiver fibers crosses a centerline of the transmitter fiber field of view. The range between R.sub.min and R.sub.max for each of the plurality of receiver fibers defines a detection zone such that each of the plurality of receiver fibers has a unique detection zone. Targets include a hard target and/or constituents of a cloud atmosphere.