An insulation application assembly for applying insulation to a power line employs an open-ended enclosure to partly surround a segment of the power line. The assembly employs an insulation material conveying mechanism to move insulation material from insulation storage to the insulation material applicator connected to the interior surface of the open-ended enclosure.

An insulation application assembly for applying insulation to a power line employs an open-ended enclosure to partly surround a segment of the power line. The assembly employs an insulation material conveying mechanism to move insulation material from insulation storage to the insulation material applicator connected to the interior surface of the open-ended enclosure.

A container for housing and launching sonar buoys of class G (sonobuoy) including a casing partitioned into two portions and automatic and simplified valve means to sequentially eject the buoys from the container.

A novel and useful system and method of air delivery of payloads incorporating a zero or near zero velocity deployment maneuver that enables aircraft to smoothly deploy payloads without dropping them and without requiring the aircraft to land. A multicopter fitted with the mechanism lowers the payload to smoothly touchdown in a matter of seconds without the need to hover above the destination. In operation, the payload hangs from a tether, pendulum, or robotic arm and is extended prior to arrival to the target destination. The hanging payload begins swinging in a controlled and coordinated manner with the trajectory of the autonomous air vehicle such that the payload arrives at the delivery point at zero or near zero velocity relative to it, while the vehicle maintains its forward movement. The payload is released from the tether at the exact moment the payload touches or is about to touch the ground.

A novel and useful system and method of air delivery of payloads incorporating a zero or near zero velocity deployment maneuver that enables aircraft to smoothly deploy payloads without dropping them and without requiring the aircraft to land. A multicopter fitted with the mechanism lowers the payload to smoothly touchdown in a matter of seconds without the need to hover above the destination. In operation, the payload hangs from a tether, pendulum, or robotic arm and is extended prior to arrival to the target destination. The hanging payload begins swinging in a controlled and coordinated manner with the trajectory of the autonomous air vehicle such that the payload arrives at the delivery point at zero or near zero velocity relative to it, while the vehicle maintains its forward movement. The payload is released from the tether at the exact moment the payload touches or is about to touch the ground.

Provided is a parachute device capable of reliably opening a parachute. A parachute device includes a parachute, a parachute accommodation section formed in a tubular shape including an opening at one end and a bottom at another end, the parachute accommodation section being configured to accommodate the parachute inside the parachute accommodation section, at least one flying body formed in a tubular shape including an opening at one end and a bottom at another end, the flying body being connected to the parachute, a tubular ejection section fixed at the parachute accommodation section, and configured to hold the flying body and eject the held flying body, a gas generating device fixed at the parachute accommodation section, and configured to generate gas, and a gas introduction path configured to introduce the gas generated from the gas generating device to an interior of the ejection section, wherein at the ejection section, one open end portion of the ejection section is inserted into the flying body, and another open end portion of the ejection section communicates with the gas introduction path.

Provided is a parachute device capable of reliably opening a parachute. A parachute device includes a parachute, a parachute accommodation section formed in a tubular shape including an opening at one end and a bottom at another end, the parachute accommodation section being configured to accommodate the parachute inside the parachute accommodation section, at least one flying body formed in a tubular shape including an opening at one end and a bottom at another end, the flying body being connected to the parachute, a tubular ejection section fixed at the parachute accommodation section, and configured to hold the flying body and eject the held flying body, a gas generating device fixed at the parachute accommodation section, and configured to generate gas, and a gas introduction path configured to introduce the gas generated from the gas generating device to an interior of the ejection section, wherein at the ejection section, one open end portion of the ejection section is inserted into the flying body, and another open end portion of the ejection section communicates with the gas introduction path.

An aerially controlled sludge level detection system is for determining a sludge level in a wastewater reservoir. The system may have a drone and a sludge level detection tool suspended from the drone. The drone may be operable to lower the sludge level detection tool into the wastewater reservoir and raise the sludge level detection tool out of the wastewater reservoir. The sludge level detection tool may have a longitudinally extending gauge. At least a portion of the gauge at a distal end may be hollow to allow a volume of a fluid and a volume of the sludge from within the wastewater reservoir to enter the gauge when lowered into the wastewater reservoir. The sludge level detection tool may also have an analyzer connected to the gauge for analyzing the volume of the fluid and the volume of the sludge within the gauge.

An aerially controlled sludge level detection system is for determining a sludge level in a wastewater reservoir. The system may have a drone and a sludge level detection tool suspended from the drone. The drone may be operable to lower the sludge level detection tool into the wastewater reservoir and raise the sludge level detection tool out of the wastewater reservoir. The sludge level detection tool may have a longitudinally extending gauge. At least a portion of the gauge at a distal end may be hollow to allow a volume of a fluid and a volume of the sludge from within the wastewater reservoir to enter the gauge when lowered into the wastewater reservoir. The sludge level detection tool may also have an analyzer connected to the gauge for analyzing the volume of the fluid and the volume of the sludge within the gauge.

A method of inspection or maintenance of a curved ferromagnetic surface using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a releasable crawler is provided. The method includes: flying the UAV from an initial position to a pre-perching position in a vicinity of the ferromagnetic surface; autonomously perching the UAV on the ferromagnetic surface; maintaining magnetic attachment of the perched UAV to the ferromagnetic surface; releasing the crawler from the magnetically attached UAV onto the ferromagnetic surface; moving the crawler over the curved ferromagnetic surface while maintaining magnetic attachment of the released crawler to the ferromagnetic surface; inspecting or maintaining the ferromagnetic surface using the magnetically attached crawler; and re-docking the released crawler with the perched UAV.