A method for controlling a rotorcraft, including receiving, by a fly-by-wire (FBW) system of the rotorcraft, a pilot input that initiates an automated descend-to-hover flight mode, scheduling, by the FBW system, a descend plane for bringing the rotorcraft to a hover, and autonomously descending and decelerating the rotorcraft according to the descend plane in response to determining that the rotorcraft has entered the automated descend-to-hover flight mode and until the rotorcraft reaches a hover or the rotorcraft exits the automated descend-to-hover flight mode.

Embodiments include devices and methods for identifying landing zones for landing of a robotic vehicle. In some embodiments, the method may include identifying, by a processor of the robotic vehicle, one or more landing zones for landing while in transit, storing, by the processor, information associated with the one or more landing zones, detecting, by the processor, an emergency event requiring landing of the robotic vehicle while in transit, accessing, by the processor, the one or more stored landing zones in response to the determined emergency event, selecting a landing zone from the one or more stored landing zones for landing the robotic vehicle and controlling, by the processor, the robotic vehicle to land at the selected landing zone.

Aircraft indication systems and processes for calculating an engine-out return altitude for an aircraft are described. In implementations, an aircraft indication system comprises a memory operable to store one or more modules and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to cause the processor to: identify a takeoff event associated with the aircraft; access dynamic aircraft performance data including at least a current altitude of the aircraft; calculate an engine-out return altitude for the aircraft; and provide a return altitude indication to a pilot of the aircraft using the calculated engine-out return altitude.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for controlling an automatic descent of a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: determining whether a descent trigger condition is present; and in response to determining the descent trigger condition is present, performing an automatic descent process. The automatic descent process may include: obtaining clearance data from an on-board system of the vehicle; generating a descent plan based on the clearance data, the descent plan including a supersonic-to-subsonic transition and/or a supersonic-descent to a target altitude; and generating actuator instructions to a control the vehicle to descend to the target altitude based on the descent plan.

An unmanned aerial vehicle and a fail-safe method thereof are provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one actuator, a failure processing circuit, and a flight controller. The actuator is configured to drive the flight behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The failure processing circuit is configured to: define a corresponding relationship between the multiple failure states and the multiple protection measures, wherein each protection measure is respectively defined with a priority level and each protection measure is used to correspondingly change the flight behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle; determine multiple current failure states when the flight behavior takes place; and select, according to the corresponding relationship, the selected protection measure having the highest priority level among the protection measures corresponding to the current failure state. The flight controller is used to change the flight behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the selected protection measures.

Systems and methods for determining, prior to deployment of a landing assist device onboard an aircraft, the positions of potential landing sites for the aircraft. The positions of the potential landing sites are determined by a computer based at least in part on respective landing assist device deployment times and current wind data. The computed positions of potential landing sites are received by another computer or processor onboard that aircraft that is configured to control operation of a cockpit display unit within the field of view of the pilot. The display unit displays a map showing the respective positions of the aircraft at the respective landing assist device deployment times and the corresponding respective positions of the potential landing sites.

A flight control device 10 is device for controlling an unmanned aircraft 20, including: a region detection unit 11 that detects a flight-restricted region 30 in which flight is restricted; a distance calculation unit 12 that calculates a distance d from the flight-restricted region 30 to the unmanned aircraft 20; and a collision determination unit 13 that specifies an altitude and a speed of the unmanned aircraft 20, and determines whether the unmanned aircraft 20 lands in the flight-restricted region 30 in case of a crash, based on the altitude and the speed that have been specified and the calculated distance d.

A method for controlling a rotorcraft, including receiving, by a fly-by-wire (FBW) system of the rotorcraft, a pilot input that initiates an automated descend-to-hover flight mode, scheduling, by the FBW system, a descend plane for bringing the rotorcraft to a hover, and autonomously descending and decelerating the rotorcraft according to the descend plane in response to determining that the rotorcraft has entered the automated descend-to-hover flight mode and until the rotorcraft reaches a hover or the rotorcraft exits the automated descend-to-hover flight mode.

[Object] To provide a structure capable of further improving safety of a device that autonomously moves in an emergency situation. [Solution] Provided is a circuit including: a report unit configured to report action-allowable time information regarding an action-allowable time to a base station; and an action control unit configured to control an action of a moving object on the basis of an action instruction decided on the basis of the reported action-allowable time information and notified of by the base station and to control an action with reference to a map in which a danger level for each place is defined in an emergency situation.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) damage mitigation system includes a drone housing, a processor, a memory, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and associated electronics configured to determine if the drone is experiencing a failure event or is in danger of crashing. If such a failure is indicated, then the drone includes a parachute, alarm, and programming intended to mitigate or minimize damage to people and property on the ground. The UAV damage mitigation system also includes a mobile software application that is notified if the drone is experiencing a catastrophic event, and is notified of all other aerial vehicles in a proximity to the drone housing.