A flight vehicle includes a drone with a pair of shaped protrusions mechanically coupled to the drone. One of the shapes is a hollow lift-producing shape, such as being a balloon filed with a lighter-than-air gas, and the other of the shapes is below the drone. The shape below the drone may be a hollow shape that does not produce lift, for example being a balloon filled with air. The shapes may be similar in size and shape, so as to provide similar drag characteristics. The shapes may be opposite ends of a support, such as a stick, rod, or other (relatively) slender structure. The vehicle includes a payload, such as radar calibration equipment or an antenna. The drone may be used to counteract wind forces on the flight vehicle, and/or to otherwise position the flight vehicle.

The technology described here relates to LTA vehicle launch configuration and in-flight optimization. A method for automated ballast dropping by an LTA vehicle in flight may include receiving, by an in-flight ballast model, an initial lift gas fill amount and an initial ballast amount, generating altitude ranges based on a remaining lift gas amount and a current system mass of the LTA vehicle to determine whether the remaining lift gas amount is within a ballast drop lift gas range, determining whether a convergence criterion for the remaining lift gas amount is met, the convergence criterion indicating a convergence between a remaining lift gas estimate and a remaining lift gas model, determining that dropping a ballast increment will not decrease an overall ballast amount below a target ballast amount corresponding to the remaining lift gas amount, and causing the LTA vehicle to drop the ballast increment.

Provided is a system for point to point wireless power transmission including: a plurality of autonomous and semi-autonomous unmanned systems configured as a mobile transmitting and/or receiving power station, through which unmanned systems can navigate, maneuver, beam ride, and recharge from point to point. Provided is a method of adapting unmanned systems to receive and transmit power point-to-point amongst themselves. The method includes controlling a swarm formed from a plurality of autonomous synchronized unmanned systems to form a larger transmitter and receiver for a mobile power station.

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.

Aspects of the technology relate to a braking assembly for a lateral propulsion system of a high altitude platform (HAP) configured to operate in the stratosphere. Power is supplied to a propeller assembly as needed during lateral propulsion so that the HAP can move to a desired location or remain on station. When lateral propulsion is not needed, power is no longer supplied to the propeller assembly and it may slowly cease rotating. However, in certain situations, it may be necessary to cause the propeller assembly to stop rotating as soon as possible. This can include an unplanned descent. Rapid braking can avoid the propeller blades from entangling in the envelope, parachute or other parts of the HAP. A reusable brake is employed to prevent uncontrolled rotation of the propeller on descent, or otherwise to prevent the propeller from spinning freely when not being used to propel the HAP laterally.

Disclosed is a method for controlling an elongated lighter-than-air aircraft formed of a thin shell. The method includes providing a first stiffener on the outer surface of the shell of the aircraft on a first side of a gas tank, and a second stiffener on the outer surface of the shell of the aircraft on a second side of the gas tank, fitting control members with adjustable length through the shell of the aircraft in a gas tank space defined by the inner surface of the shell so the control members extend between the first and second stiffener, adjusting the distance between the first stiffener and the second stiffener when controlling the aircraft by means of the control members by moving the first stiffener and second stiffener in a first and a second direction opposite to each other. Further, disclosed is an aircraft.

One or more embodiments of a device and a method are disclosed for sharing a payload. The device comprises an interior shell receiving therein a vehicle and comprising at least one payload receiving unit suitable for receiving a corresponding payload; an outside shell surrounding the interior shell and comprising at least one opening for transferring a payload between inside and outside of the outside shell; a securing member located for securing the outside shell with a mating member located on another device; a controllable biasing member connected to the interior shell and to the outside shell and operable between a biasing state and a free state wherein the interior shell is moveable with respect to the outside shell and wherein a transfer of is achieved by operating the biasing member in the free state, moving the interior shell with respect to the outside shell and transferring the payload.

An aero wind power generation device may include a drone unit including drone wings configured to make the aero wind power generation device move and hover and a sensor unit configured to detect information for controlling the aero wind power generation device; a buoyancy generation unit including a side cover configured to open or close, a balloon disposed inside the side cover and configured to receive gas therein or release the gas therefrom, and a wire configured to surround the balloon; and a power generation unit including a rotating unit with a plurality of blades, a blade control unit of adjusting a state of the blades, and a motor unit of converting kinetic energy transferred from the rotating unit into electrical energy.

An aero wind power generation device may include a drone unit including drone wings configured to make the aero wind power generation device move and hover and a sensor unit configured to detect information for controlling the aero wind power generation device; a buoyancy generation unit including a side cover configured to open or close, a balloon disposed inside the side cover and configured to receive gas therein or release the gas therefrom, and a wire configured to surround the balloon; and a power generation unit including a rotating unit with a plurality of blades, a blade control unit of adjusting a state of the blades, and a motor unit of converting kinetic energy transferred from the rotating unit into electrical energy.

A method of controlling an aero wind power generation device, includes take-off preparation process of preparing for take-off of the aero wind power generation device; a gas injection process of injecting gas into a buoyancy generation unit of the aero wind power generation device; a take-off process of taking off the aero wind power generation device using a drone unit and the buoyancy generation unit of the aero wind power generation device; and a charging process of charging a battery connected to the aero wind power generation device using the aero wind power generation device.