An apparatus for launch and recovery of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a method for launching a UAV, a method for recovering a UAV and a kit of parts for launch and recovery of a UAV. The apparatus comprises a boom having a center member for receiving the UAV, and first and second arm members extending outwardly and upwardly from the center member, wherein the boom is configured to be lifted to a predetermined height into the air from a reference point; and wherein the boom is movable in the air to an operating position forward of the reference point.

In some embodiments, methods and systems of facilitating movement of product-containing pallets include at least one forklift unit configured to lift and move the product-containing pallets, at least one motorized transport unit configured to mechanically engage and disengage a respective forklift unit, and a central computer system in communication with the at least one motorized transport unit. The central computer system is configured to transmit at least one signal to the at least one motorized transport unit. The signal is configured to cause the at least one motorized transport unit to control the at least one forklift unit to move at least one of the product-containing pallets.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising one or more motors, one or more non-destructive testing data collectors, and an electro-magnet, may be used to inspect a structure to which it can magnetically attach by having the UAV approach the structure and activating the electro-magnet when the UAV is a predetermined distance to the structure to be inspected. Once maneuvered close enough to the structure to allow the electro-magnet to magnetically attach to the structure to be inspected, the UAV may be secured against the structure using the electro-magnet proximate an area to be inspected such that the non-destructive testing data collector is disposed proximate the area to be inspected. Data may then be collected using the non-destructive testing data collector.

Apparatuses for securing drones during transport and methods of use are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a structural panel of a vehicle having a compartment configured to receive and retain a drone, a retractable cover member configured to at least partially cover the compartment to create an enclosure around the drone, and a drone securement assembly that retains the drone within the enclosure so as to prevent the drone from displacement during vehicle operation.

This disclosure provides egress and ingress for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from a fulfillment center (FC) to perform deliveries of products and return to the FC from such deliveries while providing minimal exposure of an interior of the FC. The UAV may be used to deliver the cargo from the FC to a destination, and then return to the FC to retrieve other cargo for another transport to another destination. In some embodiments, departing UAVs may be launched from the FC through a launch bay and returning UAVs may land upon a conveyance system to await being transported back into the FC. A flight coordinator may also provide assignments to the UAV based upon a current state of the UAV and other nearby UAVs and also based on a current order backlog of the FC and/or other considerations.

Precision docking is one of the most important tasks for drones and surface robots to charge themselves and load/unload packages. Without accurate docking, surface robots and drones will miss their charging pad or charging contacts and cannot automatically charge themselves for later tasks. Described is a system using coded light to guide the precision docking process for drones and ground robots. More specifically, the system uses projectors to project temporal identifiers for space partitioned by pixel projections. Different space partition gets a different identifier. By using a simple light sensor on a drone or a ground robot, the drone or the ground robot can know its precise location in the space and therefore knows where to move for a precise docking. Depending on docking precision requirement, the coded light precision may be adjusted by using projectors with different resolutions.

A system for the automated landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle includes an unmanned aerial vehicle having a control module, a first remote control device located at a remote location and controllable by a pilot, the first remote control device being configured to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a second remote control system device located at a landing area and controllable by an observer, the second remote control device being configured to communicate with the unmanned aerial vehicle. The first remote control device and the second remote control device are configured for continuous communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle for landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle at a landmark at the landing area.

A sensor wall placing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) comprising: a UAV frame; a plurality of motors; a mounting mechanism configured to detachably attach a sensor casing comprising at least one sensor, during flight of the sensor wall placing UAV, the mounting mechanism being connected to a top part of the sensor wall placing UAV so that the mounting mechanism is facing upwards from the top part of the sensor wall placing UAV, and upon detachably attaching the sensor casing to the mounting mechanism, a face of the sensor casing faces away from the sensor wall placing UAV thereby enabling the sensor wall placing UAV to perform a maneuver that results in direct contact between the face of the sensor casing and a target wall.

An aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing comprises a fuselage, at least one processor carried by the fuselage and a pair of aerodynamic, lift-generating wings extending from the fuselage. A plurality of vectoring rotors are rotatably carried by the fuselage so as to be rotatable between a substantially vertical configuration relative to the fuselage for vertical take-off and landing and a substantially horizontal configuration relative to the fuselage for horizontal flight. The vectoring rotors are unsupported by the first pair of wings. The wings may be modular and removably connected to the fuselage and configured to be interchangeable with an alternate pair of wings. A cargo container may be secured to the underside of the fuselage, and the cargo container may be modular and interchangeable with an alternate cargo container.

A technique is introduced for autonomous landing by an aerial vehicle. In some embodiments, the introduced technique includes processing a sensor data such as images captured by onboard cameras to generate a ground map comprising multiple cells. A suitable footprint, comprising a subset of the multiple cells in the ground map that satisfy one or more landing criteria, is selected and control commands are generated to cause the aerial vehicle to autonomously land on an area corresponding to the footprint. In some embodiments, the introduced technique involves a geometric smart landing process to select a relatively flat area on the ground for landing. In some embodiments, the introduced technique involves a semantic smart landing process where semantic information regarding detected objects is incorporated into the ground map.