A method and apparatus for displaying an image to an aircraft pilot (20). The method comprises: displaying, by a display (24), to the pilot (20), an image comprising guidance symbology (34) for use by the pilot (20) when landing the aircraft (2), the position of the guidance symbology (34) on the display (24) being dependent upon an output of an INS of the aircraft (2); providing, to a processor (26), an indication that the INS output is incorrect; determining, by the processor (26), a further value for the INS output and a specification of further guidance symbology (40); and displaying, by the display (24), to the pilot (20), an image comprising the further guidance symbology (40). The position on the display (24) of the further guidance symbology (40) relative to that of the guidance symbology (34) is dependent upon the difference between the further value and the incorrect INS output.

A vehicle includes a platform disposed on the roof of the vehicle for landing/launching an autonomously free-flying drone where the drone is set up and designed to receive/deliver and transport an object. A first device determines a current position of the platform and/or the vehicle and a communication device directly or indirectly transmits data from the vehicle to the drone. The communication device transmits at least the current position of the platform and/or the vehicle to the drone.

System and methods for providing situational awareness information to an aircrew of an aircraft including projecting into space, from a grid generator at the landing zone, a set of lines defining a relative navigation grid and encoded with grid data and configured to identify predetermined points on the relative navigation grid that provide situational awareness, detecting, with a detector module on the aircraft, a location of the aircraft within the grid and generating and displaying situational awareness information based on detected location.

A method that recommends capturing a stream of images of the landing zone, using a first imaging system to calculate position information for the landing zone on the basis of at least one real image of the stream, using an autopilot system to determine a current position of the landing zone at the current calculation instant, using a second imaging system to verify the presence of a landing zone at the current position in the real image, and generating an alarm if the presence is not found.

An electronic landing platform state module is configured to generate a state estimation of a platform surface at sea includes a plurality of electronic platform state process modules configured to receive an output from a respective spectral sensor. The plurality of electronic platform state process modules are further configured to output a monitored spectral platform state signal in response to applying a spectral process on a respective output. Each spectral process corresponds to a particular spectral modality of the respective spectral sensor. The electronic landing platform state module further includes an electronic platform state estimator module configured to determine a corrected dynamic state of the platform in response to fusing together the individual monitored spectral platform state signals.

A system and method for state estimation of a surface of a platform at sea, includes receiving sensor signals indicative of LIDAR data for the platform; applying a Bayesian filter to the LIDAR data for a plurality of hypotheses; determining vertical planes representing azimuth and elevation angles for the LIDAR data; applying a robust linear estimation algorithm to the vertical planes; and determining candidate points in response to the applying of the robust linear estimation algorithm.

A drone coordination device includes an acquisitor which acquires an action plan from an automated vehicle and a determinator which determines a flight plan of a drone including a section in which the drone will be mounted on the automated vehicle on the basis of the action plan acquired by the acquisitor.

There is provided a drone system in which a drone and a movable body operate in coordination with each other, the movable body being capable of moving with the drone aboard and allowing the drone to make a takeoff and a landing, the drone system includes a demarcating member that demarcates an operation area and detects an intruder into the operation area, the operation area being an area where at least one of the drone and the movable body performs an operation, the movable body includes a movement control section that stops movement of the movable body based on the detection of the intruder by the demarcating member, and the drone includes a landing position determining section that determines a landing position based on a stop position of the movable body.

A delivery robot may provide an approach notification to enable people to understand and interpret actions by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), such as an intention to land or deposit a package at a particular location. The delivery robot may include a display, lights, a speaker, and one or more sensors to enable the robot to provide information, barcodes, and text to the UAV and/or bystanders. The robot can provide final landing authority, and can “wave-off” the UAV, if an obstacle or person exists in the landing zone. The delivery robot can receive packages and (1) store them for retrieval (2) deliver them to the delivery location and/or (3) deliver them to an automated locker system. The delivery robot can temporarily close lanes or streets to enable a package to be delivered by UAV. The system may include a shelter to secure, maintain, and charge the delivery robot.

A system and a method for drone docking are provided. The method includes: setting a moving platform on a vehicle; obtaining, by the moving platform, current environmental data and historical environmental data corresponding to the moving platform; generating, by the moving platform, a recommended flight parameter according to the current environmental data and the historical environmental data, and transmitting the recommended flight parameter to a drone; and adjusting, by the drone, a flight parameter of the drone according to the recommended flight parameter to dock on the moving platform.