An unmanned aircraft system includes a testing and calibration system that enables automated testing of movable parts of an unmanned aircraft. The testing and calibration system uses a camera-based technique to determine the position and angle of movable parts, in order to establish whether or not those parts are moving in a manner consistent with correct function.

A multi-level structure conveying system and method for assisting UAV landing are provided. The system includes conveying units and modular bottom plates. The modular bottom plate provides line connection between a power supply and a controller for the conveying unit. The conveying unit drives a UAV to move through driving a conveyor to move. Placement of the conveying units in different directions is used to control a movement direction of the UAV. The conveying units are connected through side plate modules to be arranged into conveying modules with different trajectories. The UAV moves on the conveying modules under driving of each conveying unit to reach a target position. A side plate bump of each conveying unit is sleeved opposite to a side plate recess of the adjacent conveying unit. A hollow channel formed by side plate holes of the adjacent conveying units is fixed by adopting a connecting shaft.

A modular flat-packable drone kit includes a plurality of components that can be assembled into a drone. Components of the drone kit include elements that may be cut from a flat sheet of material, thereby enabling low cost manufacturing and compact packaging and may be assembled without specialized tools. A set of drones may operate in a standalone mode or may be coupled together and operated in a group configuration.

A drone docking ports (DDP) mounted on a pole top in close proximity to an accident scene with an openable and closable enclosure, a docking plate having integrated battery wired or wireless recharging pads, and a control module (CM) is disclosed. The CM is adapted to autonomously control all functions of the DDP including actuation of the enclosure and relay of video, audio, and flight control information between the CM and a central monitoring center and/or emergency personnel. A drone with a top and bottom profile design allowing numerous drones to be stacked upon one another and store in the DDP. When the DDP enclosure is in an open position, a drone or stack of drones may initiate a flight from the DDP and to re-dock the drone or stack of drones when the flight is completed, the enclosure may be closed to protect the drone or stack of drones.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) having an envelope and a drone body capable of delivering packages is disclosed. Methods for utilizing UAVs to deliver packages and systems for housing UAVs are also disclosed. In one aspect, a UAV includes a dual cavity envelope having an ellipsoid shape with a first internal cavity and a second internal cavity, the first internal cavity configured to hold a lighter than air gas, the second internal cavity configured to hold a heated gas, and a drone body attached to and located below the dual cavity vertical envelope.

A multi-level structure conveying system and method for assisting UAV landing are provided. The system includes conveying units and modular bottom plates. The modular bottom plate provides line connection between a power supply and a controller for the conveying unit. The conveying unit drives a UAV to move through driving a conveyor to move. Placement of the conveying units in different directions is used to control a movement direction of the UAV. The conveying units are connected through side plate modules to be arranged into conveying modules with different trajectories. The UAV moves on the conveying modules under driving of each conveying unit to reach a target position. A side plate bump of each conveying unit is sleeved opposite to a side plate recess of the adjacent conveying unit. A hollow channel formed by side plate holes of the adjacent conveying units is fixed by adopting a connecting shaft.

Systems and methods relating to automated handline of aerial vehicles are disclosed. The described systems and methods can include a plurality of robots operating on a continuous, closed-loop track. A plurality of aerial vehicle handling stations can be disposed along the continuous, closed-loop track, and each of the plurality of robots can engage an aerial vehicles and transport it to the aerial vehicle handling station, as needed, in accordance with a workflow associated with the aerial vehicle. The described systems and methods can provide a fully automated system for the ground handling of multiple aerial vehicles simultaneously.

An unmanned aerial vehicle airport, an unmanned aerial vehicle system, a tour inspection system and an unmanned aerial vehicle cruise system. The unmanned aerial vehicle airport comprises a support base, a parking apron, a protective cover and a protective cover opening and closing driving device. The parking apron is installed on the top of the support base; the protective cover covers the top of the apron; the protective cover opening and closing driving device is installed between the support base and the protective cover, and the protective cover opening and closing driving device is configured to cause a bar linkage mechanism to drive the protective cover to switch between an open position and a closed position. The unmanned aerial vehicle airport is provided with the protective cover for the parking apron. If the protective cover is open, the unmanned aerial vehicle is parked on the parking apron, and takes off from the parking apron.

A system for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle has an unmanned aerial vehicle and a ground-based platform. A guide structure for receiving the unmanned aerial vehicle is mounted on the ground base platform. The guide structure has an inner diameter greater than a smallest outer diameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle landing gear and less than the largest outer diameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle landing gear.

A system includes a storage facility configured to store drones. The system may also include at least one robotic element configured to move the drones to and from the storage facility and a conveyor configured to move the drones to a launching area. The at least one robotic element may include an articulating arm configured to move a first drone from the storage facility to the conveyor, in response to identifying that the first drone is selected for a flight.