A system and method for autonomous flight control with mode selection an electric aircraft is illustrated. The system comprises an altitude-related sensor and a computing device. The altitude-related sensor is coupled to the electric aircraft and is configured to detect an altitude value. The computing device is communicatively connected to the altitude-related sensor and is configured to receive the altitude value from the altitude-related sensor, to determine a flight mode as a function of the altitude value and an altitude threshold, to determine an aircraft adjustment as a function of a determine flight mode, and to generate an autonomous function configured to enact the determined flight mode and an aircraft adjustment automatically.

A flapping-wing aerial robot formation control method includes: determining a trailing vortex generation mechanism, an energy saving principle and a trailing vortex attenuation mechanism of the formation flight of a group of wild geese in accordance with the pattern of the formation flight of the group of wild geese; determining the formation flight of a group of flapping-wing aerial robots and a formation switching solution in accordance with the trailing vortex generation mechanism, energy saving principle and trailing vortex attenuation mechanism of the formation flight of the group of wild geese in conjunction with the flapping characteristic of a flapping-wing aerial robot from the perspective of energy consumption equalization and energy saving; and carrying out formation keeping control and formation reconfiguration control in accordance with the formation flight of the group of flapping-wing aerial robots and the formation switching solution by controlling positions of the group of flapping-wing aerial robots.

A method is provided. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is operated. A position of the UAV is determined while in flight, and a nonce is generated. A Merkel root is generated based at least in part on a timestamp and the position of the UAV. A current block is calculated based at least in part on a previous block, the Merkel root, and the nonce, and the current block, the timestamp, the nonce, the prior block, and the position of the UAV are transmitted.

A helicopter autopilot system includes an inner loop for attitude hold for the flight of the helicopter including a given level of redundancy applied to the inner loop. An outer loop is configured for providing a navigation function with respect to the flight of the helicopter including a different level of redundancy than the inner loop. An actuator provides a braking force on a linkage that serves to stabilize the flight of the helicopter during a power failure. The actuator is electromechanical and receives electrical drive signals to provide automatic flight control of the helicopter without requiring a hydraulic assistance system in the helicopter. The autopilot can operate the helicopter in a failed mode of the hydraulic assistance system. A number of flight modes are described with associated sensor inputs including rate based and true attitude modes.

A response system may be provided. The response system may include a security system and an autonomous drone. The security system includes a security sensor and a controller. The drone includes a processor, a memory in communication with the processor, and a drone sensor. The processor may be programmed to receive the deployment request from the security system, navigate to the one or more zones of the coverage area included in the deployment request, collect drone sensor data of the one or more zones of the coverage area using the at least one drone sensor, determine that an incident has occurred, and/or transmit the collected drone sensor data and incident verification to the security system, wherein, in response to receiving the collected drone sensor data and incident verification, the security system is configured to generate a command for responding to the incident.

In an embodiment, an optical sensor includes (i) a first lens array including a plurality of first lenses, (ii) a photodetector array including a plurality of photodetectors each aligned with a respective one of the plurality of first lenses, and (iii) a plurality of signal-modifying elements each aligned with a respective one of the plurality of first lenses. The plurality of signal-modifying elements includes (a) a first signal-modifying optical element having a first spatially-dependent transmission function, and (b) a second signal-modifying optical element having a second spatially-dependent transmission function differing from the first spatially-dependent transmission function.

Presently disclosed is a system, apparatus, and method for navigating and orienting roadway vehicles by use of a network of embedded navigation beacons within a roadway. A plurality of primary navigation beacons are embedded into a roadway surface with sensors, and communicate with a car and a smaller subset of secondary beacons with connection to the internet. Further disclosed is a landing pad for a drone delivery system, the landing pad acting as a navigational beacon and safe landing location indicator for the aerial drone.

A method for navigating an airborne device relative to a target comprises detecting, at an optical detector on the airborne device, an optical signal generated by one or more LEDs on the target. The method also comprises comparing, by a processor on the airborne device, the detected optical signal with a previously-detected optical signal. The method further comprises determining, by the processor based on the comparison, a change in location of at least one of the airborne device or the target. The method also comprises adjusting a position of the airborne device based on the determined change in location. The method also comprises predicting, by the processor, a movement of the target based on information indicative of at least one of a position, a rotation, an orientation, an acceleration, a velocity, or an altitude of the target, wherein the position of the airborne device is adjusted based on the predicted movement of the target. The method also comprises detecting an obstacle in a flight path associated with the airborne device and adjusting a position of the airborne device is further based, at least in part, on detected obstacle information.

Systems and methods for obstacle detection and state information determination are provided. In some embodiments, a movable object may carry one or more imaging devices. The imaging devices may be arranged on the movable object so as to have a field of view oriented vertically relative to the movable object. The arrangement of the imaging device may complement or supplant existing arrangement schemes and provide efficient, multi-functional and cost-effective means of arranging imaging devices on movable objects.

A flock of drones provide a drone-assisted mesh network for first responders. Network modules attached to the drones interconnect with other network modules and provide network access points for first responder devices, allowing the first responder devices to communicate with each other via the drone-assisted mesh network. The drones may autonomously reposition themselves to create a desired network coverages area, including adjusting the network coverage area as instructed via a drone controller. The network modules may communicate with a gateway to an external network, allowing first responder devices to communicate with the external network via the drone-assisted mesh network. Network modules may be selected for field-attachment to the drones based on characteristics of the first responder devices.