An aircraft control system includes a target instruction value calculation unit configured to acquire a target instruction value to set an aircraft in a target state, a reference velocity calculation unit configured to input, to a reference model in which a reference velocity corresponding to a reference value of an aircraft velocity is set uniquely as an output value according to an input value, a value based on the target instruction value as the input value. A relative velocity calculation unit is configured to calculate a relative velocity of the aircraft to a target position. An estimated disturbance quantity calculation unit is configured to calculate an estimated disturbance quantity acting on the aircraft, based on a difference between the relative and reference velocities, and a correction target instruction value calculation unit is configured to correct the target instruction value, based on the estimated disturbance quantity calculated at a previous time.

A control system for controlling movement, position, or force for a mechanically connected object comprising a plurality of marine vessels. The control system includes at least one processor configured to: receive a movement, position or force command for the mechanically connected object; and generate at least one first command for a first marine vessel of the plurality of marine vessels and at least one second command for a second marine vessel of the plurality of marine vessels, to control movement, position, or force of the mechanically connected object in response to the movement, position or force command for the mechanically connected object.

A control system for controlling movement, position, or force for a mechanically connected object comprising a plurality of marine vessels. The control system includes at least one processor configured to: receive a movement, position or force command for the mechanically connected object; and generate at least one first command for a first marine vessel of the plurality of marine vessels and at least one second command for a second marine vessel of the plurality of marine vessels, to control movement, position, or force of the mechanically connected object in response to the movement, position or force command for the mechanically connected object.

A navigation system for an aircraft includes a light source, a light sensor, one or more processors, and a computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the navigation system to perform functions. The functions include illuminating a surface using the light source to cause light to be reflected from the surface and detecting the light and generating data representing the light using the light sensor. The data maps intensities of the light to respective positions on the surface. The functions further include identifying within the data a subset of the data that corresponds to a border and causing navigation of the aircraft based on a position of the border indicated by the subset of the data.

A system includes one or more cameras configured to attach to an aircraft and capture a plurality of images. The plurality of images includes a first image including a runway and a subsequently captured second image including the runway. The system includes an aircraft computing system configured to identify common features in the first and second images, determine changes in locations of the common features between the first and second images, and determine a predicted landing location of the aircraft in the second image based on the changes in locations of the common features. The aircraft computing system is configured to abort landing on the runway based on the predicted landing location relative to the runway.

A method for harnessing wave energy includes providing a vehicle to a body of water, the vehicle. The method includes submerging the vehicle to a depth in the body of water. The method includes operating the motor-generator of the vehicle in the first quadrant of the motor-generator. The method includes detecting a phase of a wave in the body of water based information from the processor of the detected phase. The method includes orienting the vehicle to lag the phase of the wave based on the detected phase of the wave. The method includes synchronizing an inertial acceleration of the vehicle to movement of the wave. The method includes switching the motor-generator to the second quadrant for generation mode to convert energy from the movement of the wave to electrical energy. The method includes storing the energy from the wave in the rechargeable battery source.

Drone-based inventory management method and systems. One embodiment provides a drone-based inventory management system including one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a central management system having an electronic processor, and a transceiver configured to communicate with the one or more UAVs. The electronic processor is configured to determine a discrepancy in inventory and select a UAV for verification. The electronic processor is also configured to determine whether weather permits UAV operation and operate the UAV in a pre-determined route when the weather permits UAV operation. The electronic processor is further configured to capture images using the UAV and determine new inventory based on captured images. The electronic processor is also configured to update inventory based on the new inventory.

A system and a method include a control unit including one or more processors configured to receive first data associated with expected movement of a vehicle system and second data associated with actual movement of the vehicle system. The control unit is configured to compare the first and second data to determine one or more differences between the first and second data. A responsive action is initiated by the control unit responsive to determining that the one or more differences are outside a designated threshold.

Various embodiments of a vision-guided unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system to identify and collect foreign objects from the surface of a body of water are disclosed herein. A vision system and methodology has been developed to reduce reflections and glare from a water surface to better identify an object for removal. A linearized polarization filter and a specularity-removal algorithm is used to eliminate excessive reflection and glare. A contour-based detection algorithm is implemented for detecting the targeted objects on water surface. Further, the system includes a boundary layer sliding mode control (BLSMC) methodology to reduce and minimize position and velocity errors between the UAV and object in the presence of modeling and parameter uncertainties due to variation in a moving water surface.

An unmanned device for a marine environment comprises a location sensor configured to gather location data corresponding to the unmanned device; at least one propulsion system; a transmitter and memory including computer program code. The computer program code is configured to, when executed, cause the processor to cause the propulsion system to propel the unmanned device in a pattern along the body of water, cause the sonar transducer to emit the one or more sonar beams into the body of water, receive sonar return data corresponding to sonar returns, and generate a sonar image corresponding to the sonar return data. Further, the computer program code is configured to cause the processor to detect an object within the sonar image, assign a score to the object indicating the likelihood that the object is a desired object type, and send an alert to the remote electronics device upon assignment of the score.