Various embodiments of systems, apparatus, and/or methods are described for enhanced responsiveness in responding to an emergency situation using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Drones are fully autonomous in that they are operated without human intervention from a pilot, an operator, or other personnel. The disclosed drone utilizes movable access doors to provide the capability of vertically takeoff and landing. The drone also includes an emergency recovery system including a mechanism to deploy a parachute in an event of a failure of the on-board autopilot. Also disclosed herein is a drone port that provides an IR-based docking mechanism for precision landing of the drone, with a very low margin of error. Additionally, the drone port includes pads that provide automatic charge to the drone's batteries by contact-based charging via the drone's landing gear legs.

The invention provides a composite capable of achieving both excellent followability to an adherend and excellent adhesion. The composite has a support and a plurality of structures fixed to at least one surface of the support, and the structure has a shaft member consisting of a flexible material extending from a proximal end fixed to the support, and an adhesive part arranged at a distal end of the shaft member.

The invention provides a composite capable of achieving both excellent followability to an adherend and excellent adhesion. The composite has a support and a plurality of structures fixed to at least one surface of the support, and the structure has a shaft member consisting of a flexible material extending from a proximal end fixed to the support, and an adhesive part arranged at a distal end of the shaft member.

An unmanned aerial vehicle including a body and a docking mechanism coupled to the body is provided. The docking mechanism secures a magnetic crawler to the body during flight and during landing on a ferromagnetic cylindrical surface. The docking mechanism includes a docking hook that couples to the magnetic crawler and a linear actuator coupling the docking hook to the body. The docking hook includes passive latches that passively release the magnetic crawler from the docking hook onto the cylindrical surface after the landing, receive the magnetic crawler into the docking hook from the cylindrical surface after the releasing, and secure the magnetic crawler to the body during takeoff from the cylindrical surface after the receiving. The linear actuator lowers the docking hook and coupled magnetic crawler from the body to the cylindrical surface, and raises the docking hook and received magnetic crawler from the cylindrical surface to the body.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to land, take off, and magnetically perch on a ferromagnetic cylindrical surface is provided. The UAV includes a body and articulated magnetic legs configured to land and magnetically perch the UAV on the cylindrical surface. Each magnetic leg has a fixed portion coupled to the body and a pivoting portion pivotably coupled to the fixed portion at a pivot axis. The pivoting portion includes a switchable magnet and a single articulation joint that provides the pivoting portion with a single degree of freedom about the pivot axis to passively orient the pivoting portion inward and tangent to the cylindrical surface in response to the pivoting portion contacting the cylindrical surface during the landing, and to passively maintain the inward orientation of the pivoting portion during the takeoff.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to land, take off, and magnetically perch on a ferromagnetic cylindrical surface is provided. The UAV includes a body and articulated magnetic legs configured to land and magnetically perch the UAV on the cylindrical surface. Each magnetic leg has a fixed portion coupled to the body and a pivoting portion pivotably coupled to the fixed portion at a pivot axis. The pivoting portion includes a switchable magnet and a single articulation joint that provides the pivoting portion with a single degree of freedom about the pivot axis to passively orient the pivoting portion inward and tangent to the cylindrical surface in response to the pivoting portion contacting the cylindrical surface during the landing, and to passively maintain the inward orientation of the pivoting portion during the takeoff.

A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) light aircraft comprising: a tilt-wing comprising port and starboard wings; a power train having: an electric motor coupled to a rotor for providing the aircraft with thrust for flight mounted to each of the port and starboard wings; a battery configured to store electric energy to power the electric motors; an electric generator; and a combustion engine configured to drive the generator to produce electric energy for storage in the battery; and a controller configured to autonomously control the tilt-wing and power train to provide VTOL takeoffs and landing having relatively short hover periods.

A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) light aircraft comprising: a tilt-wing comprising port and starboard wings; a power train having: an electric motor coupled to a rotor for providing the aircraft with thrust for flight mounted to each of the port and starboard wings; a battery configured to store electric energy to power the electric motors; an electric generator; and a combustion engine configured to drive the generator to produce electric energy for storage in the battery; and a controller configured to autonomously control the tilt-wing and power train to provide VTOL takeoffs and landing having relatively short hover periods.

A multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a central body, a plurality of branch members connected to the central body, each branch member configured to support a corresponding actuator assembly, a communication module disposed within the central body and configured to establish a communication channel between the UAV and a remote device, and an indicator light disposed on one of the plurality of branch members. The indicator light is configured to indicate whether the communication channel is established.

A multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a central body, a plurality of branch members connected to the central body, each branch member configured to support a corresponding actuator assembly, a communication module disposed within the central body and configured to establish a communication channel between the UAV and a remote device, and an indicator light disposed on one of the plurality of branch members. The indicator light is configured to indicate whether the communication channel is established.