A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle includes receiving a first signal including information relating to a payload of the unmanned aerial vehicle, retrieving a predetermined value from a memory of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the information of the first signal, and generating a second signal for changing a configuration of an arm of the unmanned aerial vehicle to change a distance of at least one of a plurality of propulsion units of the unmanned aerial vehicle corresponding to the arm from a reference point on a central body of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the predetermined value.

A control system is disclosed. The control system comprises a controlling terminal and a controlled device; the controlling terminal comprises a height measuring device and a processing unit; the height measuring device is configured to measure and obtain a height information of the controlling terminal, and send the height information to the processing unit; the processing unit is configured to receive the height information and generate an operation command; the controlled device is configured to receive the operation command and perform a corresponding motion according to the operation command.

A control device includes control circuitry configured to control a heating device to heat an optical member in response to instruction information fulfilling a predetermined condition. The instruction information causes an increase in altitude of a movable object. The movable object includes an imaging device that includes an image sensor, the optical member, and the heating device. The optical member is arranged in front of the image sensor.

Provided is a surveying system including a flying vehicle system which is configured to includes a flying vehicle, a position measuring instrument configured to measure a position of the flying vehicle, and a remote controller configured to control the flying of the flying vehicle and to wirelessly communicate with the flying vehicle system and the position measuring instrument, in which the flying vehicle includes a track ball configured to have a reference position and a reference direction, a shaft configured to extend downward from the track ball and to support such that the shaft becomes tiltable in an arbitrary direction, an infrared sensor configured to project an infrared light to the track ball, and a control device configured to calculate an attitude of the flying vehicle relative to the reference position and the reference direction of the track ball based on the infrared light reflected by the track ball.

An apparatus and methods are provided for an unmanned aerial vehicle that uses artificial intelligence for performing desired tasks without operator intervention. The unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a multi-rotor UAV for aerial navigation and includes internal circuitry that supports an artificial intelligence for using collected data to autonomously perform multiple functions. Cameras, sensors, and speakers coupled with the multi-rotor UAV are configured to provide collected data to the artificial intelligence. The artificial intelligence uses the cameras and sensors to avoid colliding with objects in front of the UAV, route flight paths of the UAV to destination locations based on GPS and GLONASS technology, and change flight paths of the UAV in real-time based on detected obstacles. The artificial intelligence is configured to communicate with other UAVs so as to cooperate and coordinate tasks with the other UAVs.

Disclosed implementations describe systems and methods for stabilizing vertical takeoff and landing (“VTOL”) or hover flight of a degraded canted-hex aerial vehicle so that the degraded canted-hex aerial vehicle can safely navigate to a landing area. For example, upon detection of a motor-out event, the disclosed implementations may cause an opposing propulsion mechanism of the aerial vehicle to terminate operation, the prioritization of the flight controller to change, and for a feedback loop of the flight controller to provide a preferred thrust to counteract yaw torques acting on the canted-hex aerial vehicle.

Physical and logical components of a long line loiter control system address control of a long line loiter maneuver conducted beneath a carrier, such as a fixed-wing aircraft. Control may comprise identifying, predicting, and reacting to estimated states and predicted states of the carrier, a suspended load control system, and a long line. Identifying, predicting, and reacting to estimated states and predicted states may comprise determining characteristics of state conditions over time as well as response time between state conditions. Reacting may comprise controlling a hoist of the carrier, controlling thrusters of the suspended load control system, and or controlling or issuing flight control instructions to the carrier so as not to increase the response time and or to avoid a hazard.

A rotorcraft includes an avionics control unit (ACU) and multiple power distribution units (PDUs) electrically connected to an electrical bus, wherein each PDU of the multiple PDUs is electrically connected to a respective multiple electrical loads, and wherein each PDU of the multiple PDUs is configured to receive commands from the ACU to couple or decouple one or more of its respectively connected multiple electrical loads from the electrical bus. The ACU is configured to send commands to the multiple PDUs to couple or decouple a first set of electrical loads and to couple or decouple a second set of electrical loads from the electrical bus, wherein the coupling or decoupling of the first set and the coupling or decoupling the second set is based on a first priority of the first set and a second priority of the second set, respectively.

The present application provides methods and systems for launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). An exemplary system for launching a UAV includes a detector configured to detect acceleration of the UAV in a launch mode. The exemplary system may also include a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to: obtain a signal configured to notify the UAV to enter the launch mode, determine whether the acceleration of the UAV satisfies a condition corresponding to threshold acceleration in the launch mode, and responsive to the determination that the acceleration of the UAV satisfies the condition, turn on a motor of the UAV.

A system including a system controller configured to transmit a first amount of commands in order to produce a desired effect by a group of actuators acting in combination. A system controller configured to control a group of at least two actuators in order to produce at least one combined effect, wherein the number of actuators is greater than or equal to the number of effects. A system controller configures to independent and variable bandwidths or responses of the desired effects produced by the actuators acting in combination.