A wind prediction system is provided that can be implemented in an air-traffic decision tool or a wind turbine system. An air-traffic decision tool may incorporate a wind prediction system to generate prevailing wind direction predictions and determine a time at which to re-configure runway directions. A wind turbine system may incorporate a wind prediction system to predict power output of a wind turbine.

A system for determining the position of a transmitting unit has an arrangement of at least four transmitting units. A first transmitting unit is designed to emit a first transmission signal to each of the three remaining units, each of which is designed to receive the first transmission signal and, thereafter, to return a first response signal to the first unit. The three remaining units each have stored position data relating to desired positions of the arrangement. The first unit is designed to: determine its relative position data relative to the three remaining units based on the returned first response signals, obtain the stored position data relating to the desired positions from the three remaining units, and assign the determined relative position data to the obtained position data relating to a single desired position to determine the position of the first unit within the arrangement based on the assignment.

Techniques for allowing a vehicle equipped with at least one radar to take-off and land using radar return images of a landing site. The at least one radar generates radar return image(s) of the landing site, specifically of reflective symbols attached to the landing site, allowing the vehicle to orient itself to the landing site and providing information specific to the landing site. Position and velocity in relation to a landing site can be determined using at least one radar and a guidance and landing system. Using the position and velocity information, the guidance and landing system can guide the vehicle to and from the landing site and/or determine whether an obstacle requires the use of an alternate landing site.

A portable unmanned aerial vehicle approach and departure zone protection platform comprises a base, an active monitoring sensor connected to the base, a processor connected to the base, and a communication device connected to the base. The processor is configured to determine whether an object is present within an approach funnel.

A flight control method of an agricultural unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes controlling a rotation device to rotate continuously to drive a radar detection device to rotate continuously, obtaining detection information at a plurality of rotation directions during continuous rotation of the radar detection device, and controlling take-off and landing of the agricultural UAV according to the detection information.

An aircraft enhanced vision system includes an electromagnetic sensor comprising at least one group of transmitters and at least one group of receivers. The electromagnetic sensor includes a waveform generation assembly powering each transmitter in order to generate the transmitted signal and a signal capture assembly to capture the signal received by each receiver after reflection off of the ground. The transmitters are distinct and spaced apart from the receivers, being arranged so as to form at least one virtual transmitter/receiver network extending in an elongation direction perpendicular to the observation direction from each transmitter/receiver combination between the group of transmitters and the group of receivers.

A method comprises at least: a first radar processing for locating and estimating the trajectory of a target on the basis of measurements of radial distances, of Doppler frequency and of angle of azimuth and of elevation of the target arising from a radar signal emitted towards the target; a second radar processing of location and of trajectory of the target along a vertical axis, by applying the principle of the inverse synthetic antenna; the disparity between the given trajectory and the trajectory estimated by the first processing, projected on a horizontal plane, and the disparity between the given trajectory and the trajectory estimated by the second processing according to the vertical axis being used to control the direction of displacement of the target.

The present disclosure is directed to autonomous control systems and methods for navigating an aircraft relative to a movable object. The autonomous control system may comprise: a first one or more sensors to track the movable object in a local coordinate frame; a second one or more sensors to track the aircraft in the local coordinate frame; and a flight control system having a processor that is operatively coupled with the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors, the flight control system configured to provide pitch, roll, and yaw commands to the aircraft. The processor may be configured to identify a perch point at a predetermined distance relative to the movable object in the local coordinate frame. The perch point may be fixed relative to the movable object. The processor may be configured to navigate, via the flight control system, the aircraft to the perch point as a function of the speed, the position, or the heading of the movable object.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for sending a flight plan for execution by a drone, where the flight plan is adapted to a flight controller of the drone. Receiving flight data from the drone while the drone is executing the flight plan. Determining a modification to the flight plan based on the flight data received from the drone. Sending the modification to the flight plan to the drone while the drone is executing the flight plan, such that the drone executes the flight plan as modified by the modification.

An enhanced vision method or a weather radar system can be used with an aircraft and includes an antenna and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to provide radar beams via the antenna toward external surroundings and is configured to receive radar returns. The control circuit is configured to process a collection of radar measurements from the radar returns, wherein each of the radar measurements is associated with a location determined using an antenna position, an antenna attitude, a beam sharpening angle, and a range. The radar measurements are processed to determine power density per grid cell associated with the power and location of the radar measurements, and the power density per grid cell is used to provide an image associated with the power and location of the radar measurements.