A functionality utilizing a centrally controlled strategy for continuous communication to specific autonomous vehicles, or drones, that are designed for extreme conditions and assigned specific missions with the ability to be replaced during the mission. This functionality is an improvement on existing swarm and leader-follower tactics as it retains control of the drones at a central command center, allowing the drones to both receive individual commands from the hub but also operate independently of it with direct pilot control. This direct communication allows for real time process of ordered substitution to replace any drone during the mission.

A functionality utilizing a centrally controlled strategy for continuous communication to specific autonomous vehicles, or drones, that are designed for extreme conditions and assigned specific missions with the ability to be replaced during the mission. This functionality is an improvement on existing swarm and leader-follower tactics as it retains control of the drones at a central command center, allowing the drones to both receive individual commands from the hub but also operate independently of it with direct pilot control. This direct communication allows for real time process of ordered substitution to replace any drone during the mission.

In an embodiment an unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a central body and a plurality of support structures extending outwards from the central body. Each support structure supports a rotor blade assembly and is provided with one or more deformable portions. The rotor blade assembly defines a rotational axis of one or more rotor blades associated with the rotor blade assembly.

A highly-conformal, pliable thin electromagnetic (EM) skin for altering at least one electromagnetic property of a surface includes a pliable thin film, and sub-wavelength elements incorporated into and/or on the pliable thin film which are smaller in scale than the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation they are intended to influence. The electromagnetic skin readily conforms to contours of a surface to which it attaches or otherwise adheres to. Such electromagnetic skin can be used to cover various surface and platforms on equipment, walls, vehicles, and aircraft to change the electromagnetic properties of such surfaces to achieve certain functions that are not achievable with simple ground plane surfaces. The EM skin may be judiciously configured to alter at least one electromagnetic property of the surface by blocking, absorbing, enhancing, and/or bending waves of electromagnetic radiation.

Antennas configuration for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising at least one pair of patch antennas. Each patch antenna having a patch mounted on a ground plane. A UAV body having at least one portion constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by said plurality of antennas. Wherein the at least one pair of Cpatch antennas are mounted within the UAV body and near the inner surface of the UAV body. Each antenna from the pair of patch antennas further installed opposite to one another and each of the patches facing outside from the UAV body.

A transportation network is provided that utilizes autonomous vehicles (e.g., unmanned aerial vehicles) for identifying, acquiring, and transporting items between network locations without requiring human interaction. A travel path for an item through the transportation network may include multiple path segments and corresponding intermediate network locations, with a different autonomous vehicle utilized to transport the item along each path segment. Different possible next network locations for a travel path may selected based on transportation factors such as travel time, cost, safety, etc. (e.g., as may be related to distance, network congestion, inclement weather, etc.). Local processing (e.g., by a control system of an autonomous vehicle) may perform the selection of a next network location for a travel path (e.g., allowing multiple autonomous vehicles to simultaneously engage and depart with items or otherwise travel without having to contact and wait for instructions from centralized system components, etc.).

A falling-resistant and anti-drifting unmanned aerial vehicle has a main body and at least one rotor wing thereon. Both sides of the main body have a wing with an airbag filled with gas lighter than air. Bulges protruding downwards are arranged at the bottoms of the airbag. The two airbags are at the same height symmetrically arranged based on the main body. The airbag can function as an undercarriage when the aircraft lands down, and as a buffer when crash landing and then reduce damage to the main body. If the aircraft falls in water, the aircraft can float on the water to avoid damage caused by sinking. As bulges protruding downwards are arranged at the bottoms of the airbags, in spraying operation, side wing can be relatively well baffled by the bulges in case of side wing blowing in the flying process, resulting in less droplets draft.

Systems and methods are provided for autonomous robotic surgery which is preferably integrated with autonomous-assisted intraoperative real-time single modality and/or multi-modality fusion imaging/electrophysiological diagnostics. The robotic surgery systems and methods can be integrated with autonomous-assisted intraoperative body/limb positioning, and integrated with autonomous-assisted land and unmanned aerial vehicular patient transportation.

A concentric, double hull, damage tolerant airframe vehicle double clad with a lightweight, impact resistant ceramic matrix composite for heat shielding and flame resistance, and fitted with insulation, to provide thermal protection from 35 C. to 1,650 C. of the internal fuselage areas for an extended period of time within an extreme heat environment, that will serve as a semi or fully autonomous vehicle, manned or unmanned, preferably an unmanned aerial vehicle designed as the delivery means to suppress or extinguish flames by repeatedly discharging pressure waves against flames without having to exit the fire environment.

A concentric, double hull, damage tolerant airframe vehicle double clad with a lightweight, impact resistant ceramic matrix composite for heat shielding and flame resistance, and fitted with insulation, to provide thermal protection from 35 C. to 1,650 C. of the internal fuselage areas for an extended period of time within an extreme heat environment, that will serve as a semi or fully autonomous vehicle, manned or unmanned, preferably an unmanned aerial vehicle designed as the delivery means to suppress or extinguish flames by repeatedly discharging pressure waves against flames without having to exit the fire environment.