An airship comprising an envelope having a shape, a volume, and a frontal area. A lifting gas within the envelope. A propulsion system. A volume change mechanism arranged to change the shape of the envelope, wherein the change in shape of the envelope changes the volume of the envelope, the change in volume of the envelope causes a change in the buoyancy of the airship, and the change in shape of the envelope causes the frontal area of the envelope to change proportionally to the change in volume of the envelope.

Provided are: an aircraft that can fly stably even when water is discharged from a hose installed on the airframe thereof; and an aircraft system that uses the aircraft. This aircraft system comprises: a master aircraft 10; three slave aircrafts 20; and a remote control device 30 that is for making the aircraft fly as a unit. Each slave aircraft 20 has: four rotary blade portions that have propellers 221; and a suspending means 23 that is for suspending a prescribed part of a hose 50 that is for discharging water. The master aircraft has: four first rotary blade portions that have first propellers 121 that have been arranged to rotate in a horizontal plane; four second rotary blade portions that have second propellers 131 that have been arranged to rotate in a vertical plane; and a nozzle 15 on which a tip end part of the hose 50 is installed. The direction of the center axis of the nozzle 15 is parallel to the direction of the rotational axes of the second propellers 131.

A lift nacelle may comprise an airflow generator; a sidewall system coupled to the airflow generator and spanning in a first direction, wherein the sidewall system defines a nacelle interior space, wherein the airflow generator defines one of a forward boundary or an aft boundary of the nacelle interior space; and a lift body disposed in the nacelle interior space and spanning substantially perpendicular to the first direction and substantially perpendicular to an upward lift direction. The airflow generator may be configured to accelerate airflow in an aft direction into the nacelle interior space through the forward boundary of the nacelle interior space. The airflow may contact and/or interact with the lift body creating lift in response.

An emergency response drone having a multidirectional propulsion system and data capturing equipment and operatively associated computer system for providing information and situational awareness for emergency areas and related targets.

An emergency response drone having a multidirectional propulsion system and data capturing equipment and operatively associated computer system for providing information and situational awareness for emergency areas and related targets.

Provided is a method for an unmanned aerial vehicle to handle goods in cooperation with an autonomous vehicle. The method performed by the unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least: capturing an image of the autonomous vehicle having a goods storage box; recognizing a marker displayed in the goods storage box by analyzing the captured image; identifying a region occupied by the marker on the captured image; adjusting a relative position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous vehicle. The marker displayed in the goods storage box is covered by a lid of the goods storage box and placed in a state that cannot be captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle. The marker is exposed in a state that can be captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle only when the lid of the storage box is opened by communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous vehicle.

A robot including a hybrid fan-based and fluid-based propulsion system to provide thrust, such as deceleration during fall to create a smooth landing or to provide a quick reduction in velocity, and to provide actuation/controlled motion, such as to hover after quick deceleration and to control orientation or pose. The hybrid propulsion system uses discharging of pressurized fluid and exhausted gas (or fluid in some cases) from ducted fans (or propellers, impellers, and the like) to provide controlled thrust and/or lift forces. The hybrid propulsion system uses of pressurized fluid for generating larger or primary thrust and quick changes in velocity. The hybrid propulsion system includes a fan-based propulsion assembly with ducted fans that use environmental air (or fluids) to provide lower or secondary thrust. Both types of propulsion can be integrated into a robot or robotic figure to move the robot during flight (e.g., during falling or hovering).

Provided is a method for an unmanned aerial vehicle to handle goods in cooperation with an autonomous vehicle. The method comprises capturing, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, an image of the autonomous vehicle having a goods storage box, recognizing, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, a marker displayed in the goods storage box by analyzing the captured image, identifying, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, a region occupied by the marker on the captured image, adjusting a relative position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous vehicle, wherein the marker displayed in the goods storage box is covered by a lid of the goods storage box and placed in a state that cannot be captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the marker is exposed in a state that can be captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle only when the lid of the storage box is opened by communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous vehicle.

A first embodiment includes a circuit based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including at least one enclosed air duct vertical z-force circuit, at least one enclosed air duct lateral y-force circuit, and at least one enclosed air duct longitudinal x-force circuit whereby each circuit includes a plurality of fans within respective fan tunnels and a plurality of rotational cylinders within archways. The UAV utilizes a magnus effect at strategic points along each respective circuit to apply navigational force thereon. A second embodiment includes a circuit based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a first and second air duct circuit joined at a medial trunk. Each circuit includes a plurality of fans within respective fan tunnels and a plurality of rotational cylinders within archways. The second embodiment also utilizes the magnus effect at strategic points along each respective circuit to apply navigational force thereon.

A motor (more-broadly, induction device) is based around stacked rotor and stator boards rather than coils. The advance is analogous to using circuit boards rather than wires. Distinct advantages exist when the circuit board motor embodiment is combined with a novel open-burner combustor to form a hybrid electric-fuel jet engine (a culmination of three embodiments). The preferred application of the hybrid fuel-electric engine is in highly efficient (high lift-to-drag) aircraft utilizing towed platforms having high surfaces areas for both generating lift and collecting solar energy. The final combination yields advantages for an aerial platform towed via a front hinge joint that enables both vertical takeoff/landing and advantageous failsafe landing options. The aircraft is preferably powered by the hybrid electric-fuel jet engine.