A system may include sensor modules configured to generate sensor signals representative of an environment surrounding a vehicle, and a sensor configured to be coupled to the frame of the vehicle at a location spaced from a first sensor module and configured to generate sensor signals representative of movement of the first sensor module relative to a portion of the frame. The system may also include a sensor processor configured to receive the sensor signals representative of movement of the first sensor module and estimate relative motion of the first sensor module relative to the portion of the frame of the vehicle. The sensor processor may also be configured to calculate, based at least in part on the relative motion estimation, a position, orientation, and/or velocity of the vehicle, and a position of objects in the surrounding environment and/or movement of the objects in the surrounding environment.

A control assembly and an aircraft include a bearing board, a central board, a flight control board, a shock absorbing unit, and a communication connection cable. The flight control board is mounted on the central board. The central board is connected to the bearing board via the shock absorbing unit. Therefore, the flight control board and the central board form a whole for shock absorption through the shock absorbing unit.

Systems, devices, and methods for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle having a first GPS antenna and a second GPS antenna, where the second GPS antenna is disposed distal from the first GPS antenna; and an aerial vehicle flight controller, where the flight controller is configured to: utilize a GPS antenna signal via the GPS antenna switch from the first GPS antenna or the second GPS antenna; receive a pitch level of the aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicle sensors in vertical flight or horizontal flight; determine if the received pitch level is at a set rotation from vertical or horizontal; and utilize the GPS signal not being utilized via the GPS antenna switch if the determined pitch level is at or above the set rotation.

In some embodiments, methods and systems are provided that provide for creating and monitoring predefined mission routes along air rails and non-overlapping buffer zones surrounding unmanned vehicles during travel of the unmanned vehicles along the predefined mission routes. The buffer zone may be thought of as a projected movement variation area being associated by the system to the UAV and containing four dimensions, the three positional dimensions, X, Y, and Z, along with a temporal one, time. Generally, the buffer zone will change as ambient conditions, location, and orientation of an unmanned vehicle change during travel of the unmanned vehicle along its predefined mission route.

An aerial vehicle landing method includes controlling to decelerate, with aid of one or more processors and in response to at least two of a plurality of conditions being satisfied, the aerial vehicle to cause the aerial vehicle to land autonomously. The plurality of conditions includes determining that an external signal related to a human is detected via one or more sensors; determining that a location/orientation change of the aerial vehicle is detected while the aerial vehicle is airborne; and determining that an external contact from an external object is exerted upon the aerial vehicle, the external object being an object that is not part of the aerial vehicle.

Embodiments include devices and methods for processing an image captured by an image sensor of an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV). A processor of the UAV may determine a body coordinate matrix of the UAV. The processor may determine an estimated rotation of the image sensor of the UAV. The processor may determine an estimated rotation of the UAV. The processor may transform an image captured by the image sensor based on the body coordinate matrix, the estimated rotation of the image sensor, and the estimated rotation of the UAV.

Various systems and methods for operating a drone are described herein. A system for operating a drone includes a trusted execution environment (TEE) circuit to: store a firmware of the drone; and determine whether the firmware is valid; and a processor subsystem to: access a flight plan authorization when the firmware is determined to be valid; and navigate the drone according to the flight path authorization.

A modular fuselage for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a battery module, an avionics module, and a mission payload module. The battery module houses a battery to power the UAV. The avionics module houses flight control circuitry of the UAV. The mission payload module houses equipment associated with a mission of the UAV. The battery module, the avionics module, and the mission payload module are detachable from each other and mechanically securable to each other to contiguously form at least a portion of the modular fuselage of the UAV.

Systems, devices, and methods for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle having a first GPS antenna and a second GPS antenna, where the second GPS antenna is disposed distal from the first GPS antenna; and an aerial vehicle flight controller, where the flight controller is configured to: utilize a GPS antenna signal via the GPS antenna switch from the first GPS antenna or the second GPS antenna; receive a pitch level of the aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicle sensors in vertical flight or horizontal flight; determine if the received pitch level is at a set rotation from vertical or horizontal; and utilize the GPS signal not being utilized via the GPS antenna switch if the determined pitch level is at or above the set rotation.

A main body of an unmanned vehicle is provided. The main body comprises a propulsion-receiving module having a mount point for removably mounting a propulsion source, a payload-receiving module having a mount point for removably mounting a payload, and a damper interposed between the payload-receiving module and the propulsion-receiving module to inhibit transmission of vibrations from the propulsion-receiving module to the payload-receiving module when the payload-receiving module and the propulsion-receiving module are in mechanical communication.