A fly-by-wire aircraft and method of flying a fly-by-wire aircraft is disclosed. The aircraft includes a control system for flying the aircraft in one of a proportional ground control mode and a model following controls mode. A control device at a control interface of the aircraft selectively activates a trim follow up function in the control system. When flying the aircraft in a proportional ground control mode, trim follow up function can be activated. The control system can then transition into the model following controls mode with the trim follow up function activated to reduce transient behavior.

The present disclosure provides an UAV control method. The method includes collecting status information of an UAV during a launch process, the launch process including at least a first time period during which the UAV has not been launched and is under constraint, and a second time period during which the UAV has been launched and is free of constraint; identifying one or more launch actions based on the status information; and controlling movements of the UAV in the second time period based on the identified launch actions.

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.

According to an aspect of the invention, a method of flight initiation proximity warning for an autonomous vehicle is provided. A flight initiation request is detected at a processing system of the autonomous vehicle. A preflight proximity scan is performed for any obstacles within a predetermined distance from the autonomous vehicle based on the flight initiation request. An alert is sent to a control station based on detecting at least one obstacle within the predetermined distance. Flight initiation of the autonomous vehicle is inhibited until an acknowledgement of the alert is received at the processing system of the autonomous vehicle.

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.

A control method includes determining whether an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is being thrown off, determining whether the UAV is detached from a user in response to the UAV being thrown off, determining whether the UAV has a safe distance from the user in response to the UAV being detached from the user, and controlling the UAV to fly in response to the UAV having the safe distance from the user.

The present disclosure provides an aerial system, comprising: a body; a lift mechanism coupled to the body; an optical system coupled to the body; and a computer system having at least one processor and at least one memory comprising first program instructions. When the first program instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the at least one processor may be configured to: receive a target operation, the target operation associated with a flight trajectory and a predefined action performed by the optical system and execute the target operation.

Embodiments provide an electric aircraft with a plurality of lift fan assemblies that are configured to provide vertical lift, and one or more pusher propellers that are configured to provide forward thrust. The lift fan assemblies may be coupled to the wings of the aircraft via one or more support structures, and the wings may be coupled to an upper region of the fuselage. The pusher propeller(s) may be coupled to a tailing end of the fuselage. The lift fan assemblies and the pusher propeller(s) may provide thrust and movement in directions that are orthogonal to one another. A control system coupled to the aircraft may control the lift fan assemblies and the one or more pusher propellers to activate, increase in power, and decrease in power. The lift fan assemblies and the one or more pusher propellers may be operated separately, and may be active at different times.

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.

Systems, devices, and methods that may include: determining one or more take-off variables for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle; increasing an altitude of the VTOL aerial vehicle to a first altitude, where increasing the altitude comprises substantially vertical flight of the VTOL aerial vehicle; performing a first pre-rotation check of the VTOL aerial vehicle; adjusting a pitch of the VTOL aerial vehicle to a first pitch angle via motor control; adjusting the pitch of the VTOL aerial vehicle to a second pitch angle via at least one of: motor control and one or more effectors; and adjusting the pitch of the VTOL aerial vehicle to a third pitch angle via the one or more effectors, where the third pitch angle is substantially perpendicular to a vertical plane.