A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium that detects trajectories of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) approaching a protected site is described. Airborne defense agents (ADAs) located at a fixed radius from the protected and equidistant from one another detect acoustic signals emitted by an approaching UAV. Circuitry included in each ADA use the detected acoustic signals to determine a direction and a distance of each UAV. A base station having a control center (BS-CC) located in the protected site communicates with the ADAs to aggregate direction and distance data from the ADAs. Using the aggregated direction and distance data, the BS-CC predicts routes towards the protected site of the approaching UAV and alerts the protected site of the predicted route of the approaching UAV.

Provided is an aerial vehicle having a structure in which a rotating body has been excluded from a portion that can be touched by a user during flight. An aerial vehicle includes: a balloon unit; a control unit provided at the bottom of the balloon unit; and a plurality of micro-mechanisms (micro blowers), each of which blows out air. The micro blowers have a structure in which a vibrating member is vibrated in a space in communication with a plurality of openings, thereby blowing out, through a second opening, the air that has flowed into the space through a first opening. The control unit controls the micro blowers to change the position or the attitude of the aerial vehicle.

A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles wherein the spokes flex and vary in length to produce the slope of said airship's surface. In one embodiment, the exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling the airship's operation from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and/or remotely piloted operation. An improved means is also provided for landing and unloading cargo, and through use of unmanned aerial vehicles in another embodiment, the airship is configured for remote pickup, transport, delivery and return of payloads such as packages. In yet another embodiment, the airship provides a communications platform for beam form transmission and satellite signal relay, including in combination with the foregoing disclosed attributes.

Systems and methods for visual inspection of a container such as an oil tank via a lighter-than-air aircraft are presented. According to one aspect, the aircraft includes a gondola attached to a balloon filled with lighter-than-air gas. Rigidly attached to the gondola is a suite of sensors, including a camera sensor, an inertial measurement unit and a range sensor. Navigation of the aircraft is based on information sensed by the suite of sensors and processed by control electronics arranged in the gondola. Embedded in the control electronics is an extended Kalman filter that calculates pose estimates of the aircraft based on the information sensed by the inertial measurement unit and updated by the camera sensor. The extended Kalman filter uses the information sensed by the range sensor to reduce uncertainty in the calculated pose estimate. Images captured by the camera sensor can be used to evaluate state of the container.

A valve assembly for use with an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided and includes an inlet tube, a shuttle, a base plate, a screw assembly, and a spacer block. The shuttle is partially disposed within the inlet tube and is configured to be placed in a first position where the shuttle abuts the inlet tube and a second position where the outer surface is disposed in spaced relation to the inlet tube. The base plate extends between a first end portion that defines a cavity therein and a second end portion. The screw assembly is disposed within the cavity of the base plate and is coupled to a portion of the shuttle. The spacer block is interposed between the second end portion of the inlet tube and the first end portion of the base plate and is configured to maintain the inlet tube and the base plate in spaced relation.

A gaseous matter capture system and method comprising an aerial unit configured to capture gaseous matter directly from the atmosphere and further comprising storage means configured to transfer said gaseous matter for further processing in a non-aerial unit for the purposes of climate change mitigation and further use of captured gases.

Provided is a transportation system comprising (a) a ground-based powered tug vehicle, (b) an airborne vehicle, and (c) a towline with end links connecting the ground-based vehicle and the airborne vehicle. Also provided are methods of transportation utilizing the transportation system. Additionally provided is a transportation system comprising a hybrid vehicle that is propelled on a highway by a linear induction electric motor comprising a stationary motor element (“stator”) and a moving motor element (“rotor”), where the stator is incorporated into a groove in the highway and the rotor is incorporated into the hybrid vehicle and protrudes into the groove in the highway; and where the hybrid vehicle further comprises at least one wing that elevates the hybrid vehicle when propelled to a take-off speed on the highway. Methods of transportation utilizing this hybrid vehicle transportation system are further provided.

An imaging system that includes a camera mounted on an aerial platform, for example a balloon, allows a user to increase the longevity of the camera's battery by remote control. A user may capture imagery at a time scale of interest and desired power consumption by adjusting parameters for image capture by the camera. A user may adjust a time to capture an image, a time to capture a video, or a number of cycles per time period to capture one or more images as the aerial platform moves in a region of interest to change power consumption for imaging. The system also provides imaging alignment to account for unwanted movement of the aerial platform when moved in the region of interest. Additionally, a mounting device is provided that is simple and inexpensive, and that allows a camera to remain positioned in a desired position relative to the ground.

An aircraft includes; a plurality of rotor units each of which includes a propeller and a motor which drives the propeller, and generates thrust for flight of the aircraft; a controller which controls rotation of the propellers included in the plurality of rotor units; a balloon which laterally covers the plurality of rotor units; and a detector which detects a state of the aircraft, wherein the controller decreases a rotational speed of the propeller included in at least one rotor unit among the plurality of rotor units, according to a result of detection by the detector.

An airborne device for surveillance of an enclosed area, comprising a platform having illuminating imaging devices, and an attached lighter than air balloon. A vertically aligned rotor provides additional lift, a rotor directed along the length of the platform provides forward and backward motion, and additional rotors aligned sideways steer and rotate the device. The rotors are driven by electric motors powered by an on-board battery. A vertically directed distance sensor measures and controls the hovering distance of the device from the roof. A reel of optical fiber is installed at the rear end of the platform, and the optical fiber unwinds from the reel and deploys behind the device as it moves forward. This optical fiber carries image data back to a monitor. The length of fiber deployed, combined with directional and accelerometer readings can be used to determine the absolute position of the device.