A control device (200) includes a ground vehicle controller (230) that causes a ground vehicle to travel at a target area, an acquirer (210) that acquires state information expressing a state of a surface of the target area while the ground vehicle travels the target area, and a determiner (240) that determines, based on the acquired state information, whether or not an aircraft is landable at the target area.

A system used to facilitate the landing of unmanned aerial vehicles on any desired coordinates, and docking and retake-off of them includes a motor operating the platform, a LED lighting employed for an operation of the system under low light conditions, electromagnetic magnets used for fixing the unmanned aerial vehicle on the platform, a transformer box used to supply electrical energy needed by the electromagnetic magnets and the LED lighting, a control cards box hosting control cards employed to control operations of junction boxes, the motor and the electromagnetic magnets, and a cable box through which connection cables of the system pass.

A drone docking/landing system includes: a docking portion having a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone and being capable of docking a drone; and a landing portion mounted at a lower portion of the drone, having a lower portion that is open, into which the docking portion is inserted, and having an empty inner space, wherein the landing portion has a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone, wherein the shape corresponds to the shape of the docking portion so that the docking portion is inserted into the landing portion.

Electric aircraft charging system including charging cable configured to carry electricity and energy source, wherein the energy source is electrically connected to the charging cable. The system also including a cable reel module, the cable reel module including a reel, wherein the reel is rotatably mounted to the cable reel module, wherein the reel is configured to rotate in a forward direction and a reverse direction, and the charging cable, in a stowed configuration, is wound around the reel. The cable reel module further including a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the reel in reverse, and a cable reel module door having a closed position and an open position, wherein the closed position prevents access to the reel and the open position allows access to the reel. The system additionally including a controller communicatively connected to the rotation mechanism and configured to send a retraction signal to the rotation mechanism.

A ground station for aerial vehicles including a protective casing, at least one charging mechanism, and an extendable landing pad. The extended landing pad is operable to transition between a closed configuration having dimensions suitable to be contained within said protective casing, and an open configuration having dimensions suitable to land the aerial vehicle.

The present disclosure provides a versatile drone and nest launching system. A hybrid UAV drone having fixed wings in addition to vertical take-off and landing capabilities is used to enable the launching nest to remain compact and of simple design with few moving parts, while also housing a drone capable of travelling long distances. The entire system is configured function autonomously, utilising a solar-powered charging pad installed on the nest to repeatedly recharge and relaunch depleted drones. Novel mounting systems for situating the nest in a variety of terrains are also disclosed.

Many different types of systems are utilized or tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of unmanned vehicles, or drones, that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more unmanned vehicles can be integrated with a dedicated marine electronic device of a marine vessel for autonomous control and operation. Additionally or alternatively, the unmanned vehicle can be manually remote operated during use in the marine environment. Such unmanned vehicles can be utilized in many different marine environment systems or tasks, including, for example, navigation, sonar, radar, search and rescue, video streaming, alert functionality, among many others. However, as contemplated by the present invention, the marine environment provides many unique challenges that may be accounted for with operation and control of an unmanned vehicle.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation system includes a portable, ground-based landing pad comprising having a first antenna configured to transmit a data packet; a UAV comprising a second antenna configured to receive the data packet; and second processing circuitry configured to determine a signal strength between the first antenna and the second antenna; determine, based on the signal strength, an orientation of the vehicle relative to the landing pad; and determine, based on a time of flight of the data packet, a distance between the vehicle and the landing pad.

A smart landing pad comprises a flexible display that shows images or patterns, and a protective layer over the display. The protective layer allows a UAV to land without damaging the display. Locator and range finder devices, coupled to the display, communicate with the UAV. The display is operative for wireless communications with a computer or mobile device that provides on-demand user functions, allowing for dynamically changing or customizing the images/patterns shown on the display. The images/patterns comprise a background area showing changeable images that match an environment where the landing pad is placed, and a target landing area surrounded by the background area. The target landing area includes a changeable insensitive, contrast portion, and changeable marker pattern portions having changeable colors/shapes. The images/patterns also include changeable QR codes on the target landing area. The display is IoT enabled so that data from the landing pad is remotely cloud accessible.

A VTOL aircraft system includes a first unit having a cockpit, at least one propeller, at least two landing legs and at least two locking mechanisms. A second unit has a housing with a base portion, a first unit engaging portion, and at least two lock mechanism-engaging structure, each corresponding to one of the at least two locking mechanisms of the first unit. The housing of the second unit defines at least one interior cavity with at least one cargo area, a central passage providing access between the first and second unit, and a fuel cell configured around the central passage.