Some embodiments relate to a system for communicating with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicles. An example system comprises: a central server system comprising: a central server system wireless communication system; at least one central server system processor; and central server system memory. The central server system memory stores program instructions accessible by the at least one central server system processor, and is configured to cause the at least one central server system processor to wirelessly transmit wireless information to one or more VTOL aerial vehicles using the central server system wireless communication system. The wireless information comprises an object state estimate and an object state estimate confidence metric. The object state estimate is indicative of a state of an object that is within a region; and the object state estimate confidence metric is indicative of an error associated with the object state estimate.

Methods and apparatus for allocating control effector commands to reduce vehicle deviations from a commanded trajectory. An example apparatus includes interface circuitry, machine readable instructions, and programmable circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to receive control force or moment command input associated with an over-actuated vehicle, the over-actuated vehicle including a first actuator and a second actuator, apply a rate or position limit based on actuator capability, and reassign control from the first actuator to the second actuator based on a lagged command position of the first actuator to preserve a control trajectory of the vehicle.

Provided are computer-implemented methods for autonomously controlling an aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capabilities and folding wings that includes controlling a plurality of thrust producing components of an aircraft to cause the aircraft to rise vertically when wings of the aircraft are in a first folded configuration, where when the wings of the aircraft are in the first folded configuration, a leading edge of each wing is oriented in a vertical direction setting motor controller gains based on the wings of the aircraft being in the first folded configuration, and causing the aircraft to align with a direction of airflow when the wings of the aircraft are in the first folded configuration, and controlling thrust producing components and control surfaces and internal articulation mechanisms of the aircraft to cause the aircraft to transition from folded wing configuration to unfolded wing configuration. Systems and computer program products are also provided.

Disclosed are methods and systems for facilitating takeoff and landing of an aircraft. For instance, the method may include obtaining aircraft information and retrieving vertiport information for a desired landing or takeoff location area. The method may further include determining an aircraft path including a vertical path portion and a cruise path portion; determining a dynamic switchover point between the vertical path portion and the cruise path portion along the aircraft path; and transmitting control information including a vertical control portion and a cruise control portion to aircraft propulsion systems. Wherein the aircraft propulsion systems will operate under one of the vertical control portion or the cruise control portion until the aircraft reaches the dynamic switchover point, and wherein the aircraft propulsion systems will operate under the other of the vertical control portion or the cruise control portion after the aircraft reaches the dynamic switchover point.

A monolithic attitude control motor frame includes a monolithic structure including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. Adjacent cavities of the plurality of cavities share a side wall or side wall portion therebetween. Each of the cavities is configured to receive an attitude control motor. A monolithic attitude control motor system includes a monolithic frame including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. The system further includes a plurality of attitude control motors corresponding to the plurality of cavities, such that an attitude control motor of the plurality of attitude control motors is disposed in each cavity of the plurality of cavities.

A system for initiating a command of an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft includes a flight controller configured to receive a topographical datum, receive a sensor datum from a sensor, identify an air position as a function of the sensor datum and the topographical datum, determine a command, including an actuator command, as a function of the identified air position and the determining of the command includes identifying at least one flight component of the eVTOL aircraft to be adjusted to perform the determined command, and initiate the command to adjust the identified flight component.

Provided is a crewless aircraft capable of accurately estimating its own position even inside a manhole, as well as a crewless aircraft control method. A crewless aircraft according to the present invention is a crewless aircraft used to inspect an interior of a manhole, and includes: a camera sensor that captures an image of a manhole opening; a plurality of rangefinders that measure a distance to a ground surface or a predetermined surface in the interior; and a control unit that estimates an own position on the basis of recognition information of the manhole opening obtained by performing recognition on image information obtained from the camera sensor, and distance information of the distance to the ground surface or the predetermined surface obtained from the rangefinders.

The embodiment of this present disclosure provides a control method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hovering in tunnel, which comprises the following steps: acquiring hovering information of hovering position of UAV; acquiring the position information of the current position of the UAV; determining flight parameters based on hovering information and position information. The flight parameters are used to control the UAV to move from the current position to the hovering position.

A system can include a stator and a rotor. The system can include one or more components coupled with at least one of the stator or the rotor. The one or more components can mitigate or dampen a misalignment (e.g., displacement) between the stator and the rotor. The one or more components can include at least one component between the stator and a vehicle body. The one or more components can include one or more of a spring, a mass, a damper, or an elastomer.

Techniques to control flight of an aircraft are disclosed. In various embodiments, a set of inputs associated with a requested set of forces and moments to be applied to the aircraft is received. An optimal mix of actuators and associated actuator parameters to achieve to an extent practical the requested forces and moments is determined.