A housing for a ground vehicle-mountable aerial vehicle is provided. The housing includes a base portion defining a cavity and an opening leading into the cavity. The cavity is structured to receive an unmanned aerial vehicle therein. The cavity is configured so as to open upwardly when the housing is mounted on the vehicle. The housing also includes a drafting wall structured to extend from the base portion at a location forward of at least a portion of the cavity when the housing is mounted on the ground vehicle.

An exchange network comprising a plurality of exchange stations, in which each of the exchange stations comprises at least one drone operative to function as a flying crane, a temporary storage space, and at least one designated stopping area for on-road vehicles operative to carry cargo. Each of the exchange stations uses the respective local crane-drones to unload cargo from certain vehicles arriving at one of the respective local designated stopping areas, temporary store the cargo, and then load the cargo onboard certain other vehicles arriving at one of the respective local designated stopping areas, thereby exchanging carriers, and thus generating a transport route for the cargo which is the combination of different parts of transport routes of different carriers. The exchange network may use predetermined routes of many scheduled carriers to plan a routing scheme for the cargo, thereby propagating the cargo between exchange stations in a networked fashion.

A landing zone designator system includes two sets of antennas; the first set of antennas defines a first vertical lobe at a first known orientation to the landing pad and the second set of antennas defines a second vertical lobe at a second known orientation to the landing pad. A VTOL aircraft including two antennas tracks the vertical lobes to align the aircraft to the center of the landing pad. The aircraft antennas can be rotated or repositioned dynamically to accommodate the orientation of the aircraft.

A landing zone designator system includes two sets of antennas; the first set of antennas defines a first vertical lobe at a first known orientation to the landing pad and the second set of antennas defines a second vertical lobe at a second known orientation to the landing pad. A VTOL aircraft including two antennas tracks the vertical lobes to align the aircraft to the center of the landing pad. The aircraft antennas can be rotated or repositioned dynamically to accommodate the orientation of the aircraft.

Multi-rotor hydraulic drone (1) comprising: —a plurality of hydraulic motors (6) each receiving a pressurised fluid, —propellers (5) driven by the hydraulic motors (6), —at least one hydraulic pump (10) driven by at least one motor (11) for pressurising the fluid, —a system for supplying the hydraulic motors (6) with pressurised fluid, —a flight controller (14) for controlling the supply system according to the desired rotation speed for the hydraulic motors (6), the supply system comprising several channels (35; 36; 37; 38) for adjusting the power of at least one portion of the hydraulic motors (6).

To provide a technique for accurately taking off and landing at the takeoff and landing port of an aircraft. The takeoff and landing system according to the present invention includes an aircraft having a takeoff and landing unit 5 with a takeoff and landing area and having a predetermined outer diameter in a side surface view, and a takeoff and landing port 10 wherein, when the takeoff and landing area of the takeoff and landing unit 5 of the aircraft 1 is included in and makes contact with the takeoff and landing surface of the takeoff and landing port 10, a predetermined outer diameter in a side surface view is larger than the length at the outer edge of the takeoff and landing surface.

To provide a technique for accurately taking off and landing at the takeoff and landing port of an aircraft. The takeoff and landing system according to the present invention includes an aircraft having a takeoff and landing unit 5 with a takeoff and landing area and having a predetermined outer diameter in a side surface view, and a takeoff and landing port 10 wherein, when the takeoff and landing area of the takeoff and landing unit 5 of the aircraft 1 is included in and makes contact with the takeoff and landing surface of the takeoff and landing port 10, a predetermined outer diameter in a side surface view is larger than the length at the outer edge of the takeoff and landing surface.

A mobile platform (100) for the aerial delivery of a load by drones comprising a landing plane (110) arranged to define a vertical axis y, at least one position sensor adapted measure a spatial orientation O of the vertical axis y with respect to a predetermined reference system S, a local control unit connected to said or each position sensor, a electric accumulator arranged to provide electric energy to said or each position sensor and to the local control unit. Furthermore, the local control unit is arranged to acquire the spatial orientation O of the vertical axis y, compare the spatial orientation O of the vertical axis y with a predetermined spatial orientation O′, generate a status of correct positioning when between the spatial orientation O and the predetermined spatial orientation O′ there is an angular deviation a lower than a predetermined value α.sub.max.

A mobile platform (100) for the aerial delivery of a load by drones comprising a landing plane (110) arranged to define a vertical axis y, at least one position sensor adapted measure a spatial orientation O of the vertical axis y with respect to a predetermined reference system S, a local control unit connected to said or each position sensor, a electric accumulator arranged to provide electric energy to said or each position sensor and to the local control unit. Furthermore, the local control unit is arranged to acquire the spatial orientation O of the vertical axis y, compare the spatial orientation O of the vertical axis y with a predetermined spatial orientation O′, generate a status of correct positioning when between the spatial orientation O and the predetermined spatial orientation O′ there is an angular deviation a lower than a predetermined value α.sub.max.

A vertiport exchange station has a plurality of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air taxis, a plurality of landing/takeoff pads arranged in a rectangular pattern, a passenger terminal for arrival and departure of passengers, a plurality of electric motor driven chassis each adapted to carry a pod adapted to carry one or more passengers, a transfer path guiding the chassis in a closed loop, and a control system. One or more incoming passengers enter a pod at the passenger terminal, an air taxi is guided to a specific pad, the chassis carrying the pod is transported to a point near the specific pad, is guided to stop on the specific pad, the air taxi is guided to connect to the pod, the pod is detached from the chassis, and the air taxi is guided to ascend and to proceed to a programmed destination.