The present invention relates to a system (10) for remote and/or autonomous selecting a tree to be harvested and/or to be transported, said system comprising: a remotely and/or autonomously controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (100), UAV, comprising, at least one means for holding (105) and/or harvesting said at least a portion of a tree, means for detecting said a tree to be transported and/or harvested, means for detecting at least one of the group of tree parameters: diameter of said tree, length of said tree, tree species of said tree and/or the weight of said tree, a base station (120) for communication with said means configured for holding (105) and/or harvesting said tree and said UAV (100), and means configured for selecting at least a portion of a tree to be harvested and/or transported depending on at least one of said detected tree parameters.

The invention relates to a system (10) for remote and/or autonomous harvesting at least a portion of a tree, said system (10) comprising: a remotely and/or autonomously controlled means (110) configured for harvesting said at least a portion of a tree, a remotely and/ or autonomously controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (100), UAV, comprising, at least one means for holding (105) said harvested portion of said tree and being configured for transporting said harvested portion of said tree away from the original location of the tree, wherein said system comprising at least one means for detecting said tree to be harvested, and a base station (120) for communication with said means configured for harvesting at least a portion of a tree and/or said UAV. The invention also relates to a method for remotely and/or autonomously harvesting a tree.

The invention relates to a system (10) for remote and/or autonomous harvesting at least a portion of a tree, said system (10) comprising: a remotely and/or autonomously controlled means (110) configured for harvesting said at least a portion of a tree, a remotely and/ or autonomously controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (100), UAV, comprising, at least one means for holding (105) said harvested portion of said tree and being configured for transporting said harvested portion of said tree away from the original location of the tree, wherein said system comprising at least one means for detecting said tree to be harvested, and a base station (120) for communication with said means configured for harvesting at least a portion of a tree and/or said UAV. The invention also relates to a method for remotely and/or autonomously harvesting a tree.

A payload release device, a payload release assembly including a payload release device, and methods for arming a payload release device. A payload release device includes a member and a button. The member has a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion. The middle portion has an aperture defining a bottom edge, a first upwardly sloping edge, and a second upwardly sloping edge, wherein each upwardly sloping edge is upwardly sloping with respect to the bottom edge. The button has a top surface and is at least partially disposed in the aperture, wherein the button is depressed toward the first upwardly sloping edge when force is applied thereto, wherein the button raises toward the second upwardly sloping edge when at least a portion of the force applied to the button is released, and wherein the second upwardly sloping edge is parallel with the top surface of the button.

A refueling system has a vehicle having a fuel tank connected to a deployable fuel hose, an end effector having controlled flight, the fuel hose connected at an end away from the first vehicle, through the end effector to a fuel connector under the end effector, a second vehicle having a fuel tank coupled through a pumping apparatus to a fueling port on an acquisition apparatus adapted to acquire the end effector and connect the fueling port and the fuel connector of the end effector, and control circuitry enabling controlled flight of the end effector, wherein the end effector is controlled to be acquired by the acquisition apparatus to couple the fuel connector with the fueling port and fuel is provided from the fuel tank of one of the vehicles to the fuel tank of the other of the vehicles through the pumping apparatus.

A refueling system has a vehicle having a fuel tank connected to a deployable fuel hose, an end effector having controlled flight, the fuel hose connected at an end away from the first vehicle, through the end effector to a fuel connector under the end effector, a second vehicle having a fuel tank coupled through a pumping apparatus to a fueling port on an acquisition apparatus adapted to acquire the end effector and connect the fueling port and the fuel connector of the end effector, and control circuitry enabling controlled flight of the end effector, wherein the end effector is controlled to be acquired by the acquisition apparatus to couple the fuel connector with the fueling port and fuel is provided from the fuel tank of one of the vehicles to the fuel tank of the other of the vehicles through the pumping apparatus.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is disclosed that includes a retractable payload delivery system. The payload delivery system can lower a payload to the ground using a delivery device that secures the payload during descent and releases the payload upon reaching the ground. The location of the delivery device can be determined as it is lowered to the ground using image tracking. The UAV can include an imaging system that captures image data of the suspended delivery device and identifies image coordinates of the delivery device, and the image coordinates can then be mapped to a location. The UAV may also be configured to account for any deviations from a planned path of descent in real time to effect accurate delivery locations of released payloads.

An end-effector for a hoist includes a drive and an articulating arm. The articulating arm includes support disks, control cables extending through the support disks, and a hoist cable extending through the support disks. The drive includes an actuator connected to one of the control cables. The actuator deploys and retracts the control cables, thereby displacing the articulating arm from an end-effector axis. The drive also includes a stabilizer mounted on a drive housing, the stabilizer generates a stabilizing moment in response to the articulating arm displacing from the end-effector axis.

An end-effector for a hoist includes a drive and an articulating arm. The articulating arm includes support disks, control cables extending through the support disks, and a hoist cable extending through the support disks. The drive includes an actuator connected to one of the control cables. The actuator deploys and retracts the control cables, thereby displacing the articulating arm from an end-effector axis. The drive also includes a stabilizer mounted on a drive housing, the stabilizer generates a stabilizing moment in response to the articulating arm displacing from the end-effector axis.

A rotorcraft (1) having: a lift rotor (5); a wing (10) extending from a first end (11) carrying a first propulsive propeller (21) to a second end (12) carrying a second propeller (22); landing gear (30); and a tail (40). The rotorcraft (1) is provided with two fuselages (51, 52) secured to said wing (10) between said first and second propulsive propellers (21, 22) in such a manner as to present an inter-fuselage space (60) having no propeller between said fuselages (51, 52), each fuselage (51, 52) including at least one undercarriage of said landing gear (30).