A modular flying car includes a ground vehicle and a flight vehicle. The ground vehicle includes a chassis, a first cabin and a landing platform for landing the flight vehicle. The flight vehicle includes a second cabin and a flight driving device. The flight vehicle is capable of landing and taking off vertically on the landing platform and connected with the ground vehicle by interlocking. Users can choose to travel by the ground vehicle or the flight vehicle, and can transfer between the ground vehicle and the flight vehicle, to solve the traffic jam problem and make the realization of the flying car more feasible. A flying car system and a flying car sharing method are also disclosed.

Adapter assemblies for aircraft and launchers for deploying aircraft are described herein. An example adapter assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a first adapter to be removeably coupled to a first side of a fuselage of the UAV. The first adapter includes first and second posts to interface with a carriage of a launcher. The adapter assembly also includes second adapter to be removeably coupled to a second side of the fuselage of the UAV. The second adapter includes third and fourth posts to interface with the carriage of the launcher.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a parasail-assisted system for launching a fixed-wing aircraft into free flight and for retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft from free flight.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a parasail-assisted system for launching a fixed-wing aircraft into free flight and for retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft from free flight.

A container device of a UAV is provided. The container device is configured to receive a cargo and be connected to a UAV. The container device includes an outer housing, an inner housing, and a power supply. The outer housing is connected to the UAV. The inner housing is detachably connected to the outer housing, and configured to receive the cargo. The power supply is disposed in the inner housing. When the outer housing is connected to the UAV and the inner housing is connected to the outer housing, the power supply is electrically connected to a battery of the UAV. A transport system of a UAV is also provided.

A container device of a UAV is provided. The container device is configured to receive a cargo and be connected to a UAV. The container device includes an outer housing, an inner housing, and a power supply. The outer housing is connected to the UAV. The inner housing is detachably connected to the outer housing, and configured to receive the cargo. The power supply is disposed in the inner housing. When the outer housing is connected to the UAV and the inner housing is connected to the outer housing, the power supply is electrically connected to a battery of the UAV. A transport system of a UAV is also provided.

Provided are multi-tread vehicles and methods of operating such vehicles to access small interior spaces. A multi-tread vehicle may include two or more tread sections such that each pair of adjacent tread sections is interconnected by a connector section. Furthermore, each pair may have one or more degrees of articulations, such as being pivotable with respect to each other around one or more axis and/or being bendable with respect to each other around one or more axis. These articulation degrees may be provided by the connector section and/or by couplings between the connector section and each tread section. In some embodiments, each tread section may include two portions detachably coupled to each other. This detachable coupling may be used for disassembly of the multi-tread vehicle after or even during its use, for example, when only a portion of the vehicle needs to be retrieved from an interior space.

An apparatus for launching an aircraft secured to a balloon by a tether includes a support member and a launch arm connected to the support member and rotatable relative to the support member about an axis. At least one mechanism releasably connects the aircraft to the launch arm and has a first condition securing the aircraft to the launch arm when the aircraft has a first orientation relative to the launch arm. The release mechanism has a second condition automatically releasing the aircraft from the launch arm when the aircraft has a second orientation relative to the launch arm different from the first orientation.

An apparatus for launching an aircraft secured to a balloon by a tether includes a support member and a launch arm connected to the support member and rotatable relative to the support member about an axis. At least one mechanism releasably connects the aircraft to the launch arm and has a first condition securing the aircraft to the launch arm when the aircraft has a first orientation relative to the launch arm. The release mechanism has a second condition automatically releasing the aircraft from the launch arm when the aircraft has a second orientation relative to the launch arm different from the first orientation.

A system for autonomously replacing batteries or fuel cells on small aerial vehicles such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or radio-controlled aircraft (RC) is described. At the core of this system is a “universal battery receptacle” that can be added to a variety of unmanned aircraft platforms and provides a uniform interface for battery or fuel cell replacement in the form of a commensurately designed “universal fuel cell”.

Additionally, a system is described through which an aerial vehicle can be accepted, manipulated, the batteries replaced, and the vehicle re-launched, all without direct user intervention. Such systems can be deployed across a geographic area to increase the range of aerial vehicles without extensive ground support personnel.