An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a stand for launching, landing, testing, refueling and recharging a UAV, and methods for testing, landing and launching the UAV are disclosed. Further, embodiments may include transferring a payload onto or off of the UAV, and loading flight planning and diagnostic maintenance information to the UAV.

An aerial system, preferably including one or more proximity sensors, such as sensors arranged in opposing directions. A method for aerial system operation, preferably including: determining a set of sensors; sampling measurements at the set of sensors; localizing the aerial system based on the measurements, such as to determine one or more obstacle clearances; and controlling system flight, such as based on the clearances.

A method for controlling an aerial system with a rotor enclosed by a housing, including: operating the rotor in a flight mode, detecting a grab event indicative of the aerial system being grabbed, and automatically operating the rotor in a standby mode. A method for controlling an aerial system including a central axis extending normal to a lateral plane of the aerial system, including: generating a first aerodynamic force with a set of rotors enclosed by a housing, detecting that an acute angle between the central axis and a gravity vector is greater than a threshold angle, and operating each rotor of the set of rotors to cooperatively generate a second aerodynamic force less than the first aerodynamic force with the set of rotors.

An unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a memory, a sensor unit, a camera, a moving unit, and a processor. The sensor unit is configured to sense the unmanned aerial vehicle or a surrounding object. The camera configured to take an image. The moving unit configured to generate power to move the unmanned aerial vehicle. The processor is configured to determine whether a user makes contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle. The processor is also configured to control the moving unit to allow the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover at a second location when the unmanned aerial vehicle is moved from a first location to the second location by an external force of a predetermined magnitude or greater while the contact is maintained.

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.

An autonomous remote device for deployment in an area, comprising: a mechanism for launching the device airborne from a first of a plurality of locations; a mechanism for navigating the device when airborne to a second of the plurality of locations; and a mechanism for landing the device at the second of the plurality of locations.

According to one implementation, a rotorcraft includes rotors, a fuselage, at least three rods, at least one load sensor and a control device. The rotors obtain lift. The fuselage is coupled to the rotors. The at least three rods support the fuselage. The at least one load sensor detects loads applied on the at least three rods. The control device automatically controls the rotors so that measured values of the loads detected by the at least one load sensor are brought to targeted values of the loads.

Systems and methods may include a lift drone and a carrier drone to convey a payload. The lift drone may vertically lift the payload, alone or with the carrier drone, to a transfer location. The carrier drone may receive control of the payload at the transfer location, such as by receiving physical transfer of the payload, taking over conveyance of the payload from the lift drone, or the like. The lift drone may remain coupled with the payload or the carrier drone or may decouple after transfer.

Systems, apparatuses and methods for landing an unmanned aircraft on a mobile structure are presented. Sensors on the aircraft identify a predetermined landing area on a mobile structure. The aircraft monitors the sensor data to maintain its position hovering over the landing area. The aircraft estimates a future attitude of the surface of the landing area and determines a landing time that corresponds to a desired attitude of the surface of the landing area. The unmanned aircraft executes a landing maneuver to bring the aircraft into contact with the surface of the landing area at the determined landing time.

Autonomous flight is performed in an open loop mode over a first range of altitudes, wherein a plurality altitude-related data from a plurality of altitude-related sensors is ignored while performing the autonomous flight in the open loop mode. The autonomous flight is performed in a closed loop mode over a second range of altitudes, wherein: the plurality of altitude-related data from the plurality of altitude-related sensors is used while performing the autonomous flight in the closed loop mode, and the first range of altitudes is a non-overlapping, lower range of altitudes compared to the second range of altitudes.