A method and a system for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm control is provided. The system includes a plurality of UAVs including a leader UAV and a plurality of follower UAVs communicably coupled with the leader UAV. The system further includes a Ground Control Station (GCS). The GCS determines a geo-location of the leader UAV and determines formation information based on the geo-location. The formation information indicates a relative position for each follower UAV with respect to the leader UAV. The GCS further transmits the formation information directly to each of the leader UAV and the plurality of follower UAVs. Each follower UAV receives the formation information and adjusts a position based on the formation information.

Vehicle control systems and modules are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a vehicle control module includes a first module connector configured to connect to a vehicle in place of a vehicle input device configured to control an operational part of the vehicle, a second module connector configured to connect to the vehicle input device, and an electronic controller configured to (i) receive an input command regarding the operational part of the vehicle from the vehicle input device connected via the second module connector, (ii) modify the input command, and (iii) transmit the modified input command to the vehicle via the first module connector to cause the vehicle to operate the operational part in accordance with the modified input command.

A method may include determining time-variable risk profiles for plural separate vehicle systems that are remotely controlled by operators that are located off-board the separate vehicle systems. The time-variable risk profiles represent one or more risks to travel of the separate vehicle systems. The method may include assigning the operators to remotely monitor or control the separate vehicle systems during the trips based on the time-variable risk profiles. The operator assigned changes with respect to time while the one or more separate vehicle systems is moving along one or more routes during the trip. A system may include one or more processors that may determine time-variable risk profiles for plural separate vehicle systems that are remotely controlled and assign the operators to remotely monitor or control the separate vehicle systems during the trips based on the time-variable risk profiles.

An intelligent vehicle charging system for charging a fleet of autonomous vehicles throughout a network of charging stations dispersed throughout a geographic area. The intelligent vehicle charging system includes a remote control system that is in operative communication with each of the autonomous vehicles in the fleet and each of the charging stations in the network. When an autonomous vehicle is in need of a power charge, or as directed by the remote control system, the remote control system will identify an available charging station, guide the autonomous vehicle to the charging station, verify that the autonomous vehicle has arrived at the charging station, initiate the power charging process, account and bill appropriate fees for the charging process, and log all associated activity. The remote control system is also capable of remotely and instantaneously terminating the power charging process to dynamically return a vehicle back to service.

Systems and methods for flight mission planning are provided. One embodiment of a method includes defining a mission to be performed by a plurality of assets, where defining the mission includes defining an area for the mission and a target for the mission, determining, available assets for completing the mission, and determining a capability for the available assets. Some embodiments include defining operations to complete the mission, based on the capability of the available assets and assigning each of the operations to respective assets of the available assets to complete the mission, where assigning each of the operations incudes communicating customized instructions to each of the respective assets being utilized.

A system for delivering articles (34) from a start point (54) to a destination point (56), having at least one drone (20), which a) has a flight control unit (22) configured for autonomous flying, b) has at least one flight motor realized as an electric motor (24), c) has a battery (28) that supplies the flight motor with voltage, d) has a programmable control (30) unit, and e) on its underside has a coupling (34) for electrical, and preferably also mechanical, connection, having a control center (50), which is wirelessly connected to the control unit (30) of the drone (20), having a mobility network consisting of a fleet of vehicles (44), in particular road vehicles, each vehicle having a drone carrier (40), which has a mating coupling (38) that acts in combination with the coupling (36), and having a digital mobility platform (46), which is wirelessly connected to the fleet of vehicles (44) and which is informed about their travel schedules, drone carriers (40) and current locations of the vehicles (44), and is connected to the control center (50).

An electronic control system is configured to control operation of a platoon including a plurality of vehicles. The electronic control system may be configured one or more of operate each of the vehicles to provide operation emulating the lowest non-platooning vehicle performance capability among the plurality of vehicles of the platoon, operate an individualized predictive cruise control (IPCC) process for each of the vehicles and a corresponding supervisory safety process for the platoon, and operate a cooperative predictive cruise control (CPCC) process for each of the vehicles and a corresponding supervisory safety process for the platoon.

Disclosed herein is a mobile device including a communication section that performs communication with a controller which selectively transmits control signals to a plurality of mobile devices, and a data processing section that performs movement control of the own device. The data processing section confirms whether or not an own-device selection signal which indicates that the own device is selected as a control target device has been received from the controller and, upon confirming reception of the own-device selection signal, performs movement control to cause the own device to move in accordance with a selected-device identification track which indicates that the own device is selected as the control target device.

A computer-implemented method for effective agriculture and environment monitoring. The method may comprise measuring a desired variable over an area of interest using a remote inspection platform according to an inspection plan, predicting an occlusion of the remote inspection platform, and in response to the predicted occlusion, determining whether to invoke a local inspection platform to complete the inspection plan. The occlusion in some embodiments interrupts the inspection plan for the remote inspection platform.

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates to robot systems configured to operate on a cell tower to inspect, install, reconfigure, and repair cellular equipment. The present disclosure provides a robot for performing audit tasks of cell towers. The robot includes a body portion configured to hold various electronic components of the robot including monitoring equipment disposed thereon, one or more arms extending from the body portion adapted to manipulate components of a cell tower and to facilitate movement of the robot on the cell tower, embedded systems for flight, and wireless interfaces adapted to allow wireless control of the robot. The robot is configured to be controlled by one of a user in a remote location, a user at the cell tower site, and autonomously via direct programing.