There are approximately 35,000 abandoned and unplugged oil and gas wells in New York with no known location. Unplugged wells emit methane, a strong greenhouse gas, which has the potential to significantly contribute to global climate change and act as a pollutant chemical. A long-range UAV equipped with methane sensors, MagPike (atomic magnetometer), and LiDAR sensors successfully detected unmarked well sites using characteristic magnetic signals generated by vertical metal piping preserved in the ground. The optimal flight altitude and transect spacing was determined for detection driven by the total field strength of the Earth's magnetic field and the height of tree canopies determined by LiDAR. Traditional methods of identifying oil and gas wells are costly and less powerful in acquisition of data such as using large magnetometers attached to helicopters.

There are approximately 35,000 abandoned and unplugged oil and gas wells in New York with no known location. Unplugged wells emit methane, a strong greenhouse gas, which has the potential to significantly contribute to global climate change and act as a pollutant chemical. A long-range UAV equipped with methane sensors, MagPike (atomic magnetometer), and LiDAR sensors successfully detected unmarked well sites using characteristic magnetic signals generated by vertical metal piping preserved in the ground. The optimal flight altitude and transect spacing was determined for detection driven by the total field strength of the Earth's magnetic field and the height of tree canopies determined by LiDAR. Traditional methods of identifying oil and gas wells are costly and less powerful in acquisition of data such as using large magnetometers attached to helicopters.

An aerial vehicle and system for automatically detecting an object (e.g., human, pet, or other animal) approaching the aerial vehicle is described. When an approaching object is detected by an object detection component, a safety profile may be executed to reduce or avoid any potential harm to the object and/or the aerial vehicle. For example, if the object is detected entering a safety perimeter of the aerial vehicle, the rotation of a propeller closest to the object may be stopped to avoid harming the object and rotations of remaining propellers may be modified to maintain control and flight of the aerial vehicle.

A vertical takeoff and landing vehicle which includes an allocation block that receives a set of desired forces or desired moments and a health metric associated with at least one of: (1) a motor controller or (2) a rotor that operates in a vertical takeoff and landing mode at least some of the time. A command signal is determined per a first manner that attempts to satisfy both the set of desired forces or desired moments and the health metric. If the command signal is unable to be determined in the first manner, a second manner is used that prioritizes flight control associated with one or more of a roll axis or a pitch axis over flight control associated with a yaw axis where the axes are mutually orthogonal. The command signal is output to the motor controller that controls the rotor using the command signal.

This automatic takeoff/landing system for a vertical takeoff/landing aircraft comprises: a relative wind information acquisition unit that acquires the direction of relative wind at a moving object; and a control unit that executes takeoff/landing control to cause the vertical takeoff/landing aircraft to takeoff/land at a landing target point provided on the moving object. The control unit, during takeoff/landing of the vertical takeoff/landing aircraft, executes the takeoff/landing control on the basis of the direction of the relative wind acquired by the relative wind information acquisition unit, in a state in which the aircraft heading of the vertical takeoff/landing aircraft is caused to face the direction of the relative wind.

This automatic takeoff/landing system for a vertical takeoff/landing aircraft comprises: a relative wind information acquisition unit that acquires the direction of relative wind at a moving object; and a control unit that executes takeoff/landing control to cause the vertical takeoff/landing aircraft to takeoff/land at a landing target point provided on the moving object. The control unit, during takeoff/landing of the vertical takeoff/landing aircraft, executes the takeoff/landing control on the basis of the direction of the relative wind acquired by the relative wind information acquisition unit, in a state in which the aircraft heading of the vertical takeoff/landing aircraft is caused to face the direction of the relative wind.

A method includes: calculating a first difference between a current actual attitude of a fuselage and a desired attitude and a second difference between an actual depth and a desired depth; inputting the first difference and the second difference into a set terminal sliding mode surface to obtain an output value of the terminal sliding mode surface; using the output value as an input of a preset high-order observer, a radial basis function neural network and a terminal sliding mode control law, respectively, and using an output of the high-order observer and an output of the radial basis function neural network as a compensation input of the terminal sliding mode control law; performing power distribution for each propeller of a propeller assembly on the basis of the virtual force to obtain a propelling force of each propeller; and controlling the propellers of the underwater submersible robot.

A method includes: calculating a first difference between a current actual attitude of a fuselage and a desired attitude and a second difference between an actual depth and a desired depth; inputting the first difference and the second difference into a set terminal sliding mode surface to obtain an output value of the terminal sliding mode surface; using the output value as an input of a preset high-order observer, a radial basis function neural network and a terminal sliding mode control law, respectively, and using an output of the high-order observer and an output of the radial basis function neural network as a compensation input of the terminal sliding mode control law; performing power distribution for each propeller of a propeller assembly on the basis of the virtual force to obtain a propelling force of each propeller; and controlling the propellers of the underwater submersible robot.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.