Disclosed is a method for the physical, in particular optical, detection of at least one usage object. The method includes the step of carrying out at least one physical detection process, for example by a user and/or an implementation device, in particular of at least one photograph, of the usage object, so that the usage object may be detected in such a way that an image of the usage object as detected during the detection process is shown at the same time as the database object shown on the screen in an identical manner or in a manner identical to scale, wherein as a result of the detection process, the usage object is associated with at least one usage object class, for example a vehicle type, by the processing unit and/or the CPU and/or the user.

A method for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle using a smart device. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a smart device and an unmanned plane, the smart device operating to control the flight of the unmanned plane via wireless communication signal, the smart device comprising in-built central processing unit, touch screen, wireless communication system, battery, and volume key, and an application for controlling the unmanned plane being installed in the smart device. The unmanned plane includes a power system, a flight control system, and a sensor. The method includes: 1) allowing the wireless communication system of the smart device to communicate with the unmanned plane; 2) allowing the application installed in the smart device to manipulate the unmanned plane; 3) allowing the wireless communication system to control the transmission of the commands of the unmanned plane, and to send the flight parameters of the unmanned plane back to the smart device; and 4) defining the volume key of the smart device to synchronously adjust the flight height of the unmanned plane. The volume key of the smart device is defined to synchronously adjust the flight height of the unmanned plane, so that the height of the unmanned plane is controlled conveniently.

Aerial vehicles may include one or more directional sensors embedded into wings, rudders, ailerons, flaps or other control surfaces. When the aerial vehicles are operating in modes that do not require the use of such surfaces, a surface having a directional sensor embedded therein may be repositioned or reoriented to align the directional sensor toward an area or axis of interest, and information may be gathered from the area or axis of interest using the directional sensor. One or more safety lights, running lights or other illuminators may cast light of a desired color, frequency or wavelength toward the area or axis of interest. The directional sensors may include cameras, radar or laser sensors, or any other reorientable sensors.

A hand-held radio transmit controller for remotely controlling an aircraft, and a method for controlling a remote control aircraft offering ground vehicle-like control.

A method for locating external surface impacts on a body. The steps are: modeling the body in a control unit first database to obtain a virtual body model in a virtual system of reference axes; modeling, in a second database, a plurality of clouds of points in the virtual system, each cloud defining an inspection zone representing an external surface portion; selecting an inspection zone; transferring the coordinates of each point of the first and second databases to a geographic system of reference axes; determining geographic coordinates of an initial position of a range finder equipped flying drone communicating with the processing unit; calculating a drone flight plan to scan the selected inspection zone; creating a 3D meshing of the scanned inspection zone; detecting the impacts by comparing the 3D meshing and the virtual aircraft model and calculating the coordinates of each impact in the geographic and virtual systems.

Deflection of a rotor of a motor, such as a brushless motor, of an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) during operation may cause the magnets coupled to the interior surface of the rotor to move or walk down the surface, imbalancing the motor and potentially creating an unsafe flying condition for the UAV. The described methods and apparatus monitor rotor deflection of the motor during operation and alter one or more flight characteristics of the UAV if the deflection exceeds a tolerance range. By altering flight characteristics, external forces acting on the motor may be reduced, thereby reducing the deflection of the rotor.

An UAV 1 performs a detachment control to detach a cargo supported by a support portion 117 or connected a connecting portion 118, and thereafter, performs a load detection process of detecting a mechanical load applied to the support portion 117 or the connecting portion 118. And then An UAV 1 performs different control according to the mechanical load, with respect to a movement of the UAV 1 after the detection of the mechanical load.

A central command system may determine a mission plan for resilient execution by a swarm of drones comprising one or more sensors to capture data in accordance with the mission plan. The mission plan may specify requirements for fault tolerance or parallelism and a redundancy structure for the swarm. The mission plan may be transmitted to a remote drone swarm controller device that determines a swarm configuration based on the mission plan and available drones. The controller may transmit instructions regarding the swarm configuration to dispatch a resilient swarm of drones. During execution of the mission plan, drones in the resilient swarm may be monitored by other drones in the swarm, by the remote drone swarm controller, and/or by the central command system. The redundancy structure provides for failover options for one or more drones in the resilient swarm.

A method and an apparatus for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to land on a landing platform are provided. The method includes: receiving a landing preparatory signal instructing the UAV to enter into a landing preparatory state; monitoring the landing platform to generate a monitoring signal in response to the landing preparatory signal; and determining whether to control the UAV to enter into a landing mode based on the monitoring signal.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage grid provided by a framework structure arranged in a building under a ceiling. The framework structure includes a rail system arranged at an upper level of the framework structure. The rail system includes a first set of parallel rails arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel rails arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second sets of rails form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane including a plurality of adjacent access openings/grid cells. The storage grid defines a plurality of storage columns. Each storage column being arranged to store a respective stack of storage containers. The storage columns are located beneath the rail system. Each storage column is located vertically below a respective access opening/grid cell. Container handling vehicles operate on the rail system to collect and return storage containers to and from storage columns. A control system monitors and controls the automated grid storage and retrieval system. A method for monitoring the automated storage and retrieval system includes: launching a flying drone equipped with a camera to an altitude in an airspace located between an upper surface of framework structure and the ceiling or roof obstacle beneath the ceiling, navigating the drone to a suspected location of an anomaly in the system or other aspect of the system in need of inspection, using the drone to locate the anomaly or aspect of the system in need of inspection, and performing a visual inspection of the anomaly or aspect of the system in need of inspection using the camera of the flying drone. The control system includes an exception handler module responsible for identifying and attempting to correct anomalies in the operation of the storage system, and a flight control module responsible for controlling the flight of the drone. The flight control module directs the flight of the drone in response to instructions received from the exception handler module.