A process for controlling a plurality of mobile-radio equipped robots in a talkgroup includes receiving, at a mobile-radio equipped robot via a wireless communications interface comprising one of an infrastructure wireless communication interface for communicating with an infrastructure radio access network (RAN) and an ad-hoc wireless communication interface for communicating with an ad-hoc network, a group voice call containing a voice-command. The mobile-radio equipped robot determines that it is a target of the group voice call, and responsively text-converts the voice-command into an actionable text-based command. The mobile-radio equipped robot subsequently operates a mechanical drive element in accordance with the actionable text-based command.

An example method for predictive take-off rejection (TOR) of an aircraft includes receiving, at a computing device on the aircraft and at a time before the aircraft takes off for a current flight, outputs from a plurality of sensors positioned on the aircraft, comparing the outputs received from the plurality of sensors for the current flight to reference flight data, based on comparing the outputs received from the plurality of sensors for the current flight to the reference flight data the computing device making a determination of whether to initiate a TOR procedure before the aircraft reaches a takeoff speed on a runway, and based on determining to initiate the TOR procedure, the computing device sending a signal to a control device on the aircraft to initiate the TOR procedure.

A rotor-based remote flying vehicle includes one or more sensors. The one or more sensors are configured to generate data corresponding to an impact of at least one rotor of the rotor-based remote flying vehicle. The generated sensor data is accessed by a processing unit of the rotor-based remote flying vehicle. The processing unit is configured to characterize a detected impact by identifying at least one of an object type with which contact is occurring or a severity level of the impact. The processing unit may further be configured to analyze the received sensor data, the determined object type, and/or the determined severity level in order to determine one or more appropriate actions to take in response to the detected impact.

Various vehicular systems may benefit from the appropriate use of detection and avoidance of potentially dangerous scenarios. For example, autonomous aircraft may benefit from systems and methods for weather detection and avoidance. A method can include sensing, by an aircraft, an environmental condition of the aircraft. The method can also include controlling, by the aircraft, flight of the aircraft based on the sensed environmental condition.

An aerial vehicle, configured to transport cargo, and including a propulsion system and a foldable cage is described. The foldable cage is substantially linear while in a folded configuration, and substantially circular while in a deployed configuration. Moreover, the foldable cage includes a rods that form isosceles triangles. The rods are coupled together by flexible joints.

A flying device includes a propulsion unit, a restrictor and a releaser. The propulsion unit flies the flying device in air. The restrictor restricts the propulsion unit in an open state from rotating more than a predetermined angle during flight of the flying device, the propulsion unit in the open state being rotated from a closed state by the predetermined angle. The releaser releases a restriction by the restrictor.

An aerial vehicle including a set of rotors, a processor configured to configured to control the set of rotors for aerial vehicle flight, and a housing defining a plurality of cooling channels, wherein, for each rotor of the set, a projection of the processor and the cooling channels onto the respective rotor plane does not intersect the swept area of the rotor, and a distance from the rotor axis of a first rotor of the set to a cooling channel is less than 75% of a rotor diameter of the first rotor. A method for aerial vehicle operation, including providing an aerial vehicle including a rotor, a processor, and a housing, flying the aerial vehicle, and, while flying the aerial vehicle, actively cooling the processor, including, at the rotor, forcing airflow toward the processor.

Some features pertain to a quad-rotor or other aerial drone having a thermoelectric generator (TEG) for harvesting waste heat from a processor of the drone. The TEG is positioned, in some examples, with its inner metal electrode coating adjacent the drone processor to function as the hot side of the TEG. The outer metal electrode coating of the TEG forms a portion of the outer surface of the housing of the drone to function as the cold side of the TEG. The inner and outer metal coatings of the TEG are coupled to a battery recharger so current generated by the TEG during operation of the drone can help recharge the drone battery to extend flight time. In some examples, an outer perimeter of the TEG extends into an airflow region near the drone rotors so propeller wash serves to cool the perimeter of the TEG.

Some embodiments include a high efficiency, lightweight solar sheet. Some embodiments include a solar sheet configured for installation on a surface of a UAV or on a surface of a component of a UAV. The solar sheet includes a plurality of solar cells and a polymer layer to which the plurality of solar cells are attached. Some embodiments include a kit for supplying solar power in a battery-powered or fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by incorporating flexible solar cells into a component of a UAV, affixing flexible solar cells to a surface of a UAV, or affixing flexible solar cells to a surface of a component of a UAV. The kit also includes a power conditioning system configured to operate the solar cells within a desired power range and configured to provide power having a voltage compatible with an electrical system of the UAV.

A process for controlling a plurality of mobile-radio equipped robots in a talkgroup includes receiving, at a mobile-radio equipped robot via a wireless communications interface comprising one of an infrastructure wireless communication interface for communicating with an infrastructure radio access network (RAN) and an ad-hoc wireless communication interface for communicating with an ad-hoc network, a group voice call containing a voice-command. The mobile-radio equipped robot determines that it is a target of the group voice call, and responsively text-converts the voice-command into an actionable text-based command. The mobile-radio equipped robot subsequently operates a mechanical drive element in accordance with the actionable text-based command.