A system and method for autonomously controlling a set of unmanned aerial vehicles is provided. The autonomous ground control system may include a communications module and a fleet configuration module in communication with one or more user interface applications. The autonomous ground control system may receive one or more flight commands and generate fleet configuration instructions and safety information. The autonomous ground control system may provide the fleet configuration instructions to each unmanned aerial vehicle in the set in order to carry out the fleet configuration instructions in real time.

Systems and methods for controlling aerial vehicles are provided. An aerial vehicle includes a single circuit board with a number of processor devices and a memory including instructions to perform autonomy operations. The autonomy operations include obtaining GNSS data from GNSS assemblies electrically connected to the processor devices, APNT data from APNT assemblies electrically connected to the processor devices, and radar data from the radar assemblies electrically connected to the processor devices. Each of the assemblies are disposed on the same circuit board that includes the number of processor devices. The processor devices determine a vehicle location based on the GNSS data, the APNT data, and the radar data, identify airborne objects based on the radar data, generate a motion plan based on the vehicle location and the identified objects, and initiate a motion of the aerial vehicle based on the vehicle location.

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method of managing a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is provided. A fleet management computing system receives telemetry information from a plurality of UAVs. The fleet management computing system generates a map interface having a plurality of UAV icons based on the telemetry information. The fleet management computing system receives a selection of an initial group of UAV icons via the map interface, wherein the initial group of UAV icons includes two or more UAV icons. The fleet management computing system receives a de-selection of one or more UAV icons from the initial group of UAV icons to create a final selected group of UAV icons. The fleet management computing system transmits a command to UAVs associated with the UAV icons of the final selected group of UAV icons.

A method of using robotic units to provide security for a site, the method comprising: creating a digital twin of the site; using a pathing engine to model and determine possible robotic unit paths around the site; and using the digital twin and possible robotic unit paths to create numerous permutations of a security mission plan for the site.

An embodiment method for controlling operation of an aerial vehicle in an aerial vehicle control system includes approving entry of the aerial vehicle into an aerial vehicle operation zone from a take-off and landing facility of a departure location built into the aerial vehicle control system, controlling an operation of the aerial vehicle in the aerial vehicle operation zone, and approving exit of the aerial vehicle from the aerial vehicle operation zone into a take-off and landing facility of a destination location.

A UAV delivery control system is disclosed. Sensors detect operation parameters associated with the UAV as the UAV maneuvers along an airborne delivery route. A UAV operation controller monitors UAV route parameters as the UAV maneuvers along the airborne delivery route. The UAV route parameters are indicative as to a current environment of the airborne delivery route that the UAV is encountering. The UAV operation controller automatically adjusts the operation of the UAV to maintain the operation of the UAV within an operation threshold based on the operation parameters and the UAV route parameters. The operation threshold is the operation of the UAV that is maintained within an overall airborne operation radius of the UAV from a return destination thereby enabling the UAV to execute the delivery of the package along the airborne delivery route and to return to the return destination.

An aircraft and method of operating an aircraft include a flight formation control unit configured to automatically transition the aircraft into an automatic flight formation mode in response to the aircraft being within one or both of a predetermined speed or a predetermined range in relation to at least one other aircraft flying within the automatic flight formation mode. The flight formation control unit can be further configured to automatically transition the aircraft out of the automatic flight formation mode in response to detection of a control signal received from one or more flight controls of the aircraft. The flight formation control unit can be further configured to automatically cycle the aircraft and the at least one other aircraft to different positions during the automatic flight formation mode.

An example system for flying to a target location is provided, comprising a parent aerial vehicle and at least one child vehicle releasably coupled to the parent vehicle. The parent vehicle is configured to transport the at least one child aerial vehicle to a region containing a target location, uncouple from the at least one child aerial vehicle, and transmit information to the at least one child aerial vehicle relevant to operation of the child aerial vehicle. The child aerial vehicle comprises at least one sensor for surveillance at the target location.

A method for optimizing image capture of a scene by a swarm of drones including a root drone and first and second level-1 drones involves the root drone following a predetermined trajectory over the scene, capturing one or more root keyframe images, at a corresponding one or more root drone orientations and root drone-to-scene distances. For each root keyframe image: the root drone generates a ground mask image for that root keyframe image, and applies that ground mask image to the root keyframe image to generate a target image. The root drone then analyzes the target image to generate first and second scanning tasks for the first and second level-1 drones to capture a plurality of images of the scene at a level-1 drone-to-scene distance smaller than the root drone-to-scene distance; and the first and second level-1 drones carry out the first and second scanning tasks respectively.

An assembly is configured for connection to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and comprises a plurality of emulator devices each configured for attachment to the UAV and a plurality of first connection tethers each configured to operably couple a respective one of the plurality of emulator devices to the UAV at a respective spacing from the UAV. The emulator devices each comprise an emulation component configured to provide, to a target detection system, a characteristic associated with a respective type of airborne object. The plurality of respective first connection tethers each comprises material that does not substantially reflect RF energy. During flight of the UAV, when the assembly is connected, each respective emulator device maintains the respective spacing from the UAV and emulates the characteristic to the target detection system, such that the assembly emulates, to the target detection system, a plurality of airborne objects.