Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to systems and methods for drone-based systems and methods for capturing a multi- media representation of an entity. In some embodiments, the multi-media representation is digital, or multi-view, or interactive, and/or the combinations thereof. According to particular embodiments, a drone having a camera to is controlled or operated to obtain a plurality of images having location information. The plurality of images, including at least a portion of overlapping subject matter, are fused to form multi-view interactive digital media representations.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a rotorcraft-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft into and from free flight. The launch and retrieval system includes a modular multicopter, a storage and launch system, an anchor system, a flexible capture member, and an aircraft-landing structure. The multicopter is attachable to the fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launching the fixed-wing aircraft into free, wing-borne flight. The storage and launch system is usable to store the multicopter (when disassembled) and to act as a launch mount for the fixed-wing aircraft by retaining the fixed-wing aircraft in a desired launch orientation. The anchor system is usable with the multicopter, the flexible capture member, and the aircraft-landing structure to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from free, wing-borne flight.

A flying vehicle with a fuselage having a longitudinal axis, a cockpit extending substantially from the center of the fuselage, a left front wing extending from the fuselage, a right front wing extending from the fuselage, a left rear wing extending from the fuselage, a right rear wing extending from the fuselage. Each wing contains a rotor rotatably mounted and a direct drive brushless motor providing directional control of the vehicle. A centrally located ducted fan encompasses the cockpit and provides VTOL capabilities. The central location of the cockpit and central ducted fan aid in balance and stability. The central ducted fan is itself a brushless motor with the stator windings encapsulated in the ducted fan housing and rotor magnets within the fan. All motors and rotatable mounts are controlled by a fly-by-wire system integrated into a central computer with avionics allowing for autonomous flight.

A multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a central body, a plurality of branch members connected to the central body, each branch member configured to support a corresponding actuator assembly, a communication module disposed within the central body and configured to establish a communication channel between the UAV and a remote device, and an indicator light disposed on one of the plurality of branch members. The indicator light is configured to indicate whether the communication channel is established.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided, which includes a main body; a plurality of frames each extending from the main body; and a plurality of thrust generating devices respectively mounted on the plurality of frames, each of the thrust generating devices including a propeller. The propeller includes a hub that provides a rotation axis of the propeller, and rotates according to an operation of the thrust generating device, and a pair of blades, each of which is pivotably mounted on the hub, and generates a thrust or lift while rotating around the rotation axis as the hub is rotated. The blades are pivotably interlocked with each other such that the blades are aligned to a folded position in which the blades are parallel with each other on the hub in a first arrangement or aligned to an expanded position in a diametric direction of a rotating region of the propeller in a second arrangement.

A power conversion unit may include two or more power modules for providing high-voltage direct current power to electrical loads, such as one or more propulsion motors aboard an aerial vehicle. Each of the power modules may be controlled by hysteresis, and may include one or more pairs of transistors that are switched by a gate driver with respect to differences between a reference current and a sensed current passing through a boost inductor. The number, size and shape of the power modules may be selected to accommodate the electrical loads, and may be switched on or off, as necessary. The power conversion unit may feature at least one more power module than is required to meet all anticipated electrical loads, thereby ensuring that the power conversion unit may continue to provide power even in the event that one of the power modules experiences a fault of any kind.

An aircraft having a warning device for generating a whistling sound has a fuselage and a warning device. The warning device has a sound-generating element which is designed to generate a whistling sound if the aircraft is in an uncontrolled dive in the direction of the surface of the earth and there is a flow of fluid against the sound-generating element. The warning device is at least partially arranged on the fuselage of the aircraft.

A mobile electronic device according to an aspect is connected to a flight device. The mobile electronic device includes a communication unit that communicates with the flight device, and a controller that executes a predetermined function. When connected to the flight device, the controller changes the predetermined function when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a UAV comprising a fuselage, a rotor, and a patch antenna element. The patch antenna element, which is provided from a patch antenna stack-up, is conformally disposed on an outer surface of the UAV's fuselage. The patch antenna comprises a first substrate, patch conductor, intermediate substrate, bottom substrate, and ground plane. The patch conductor is disposed on a top surface of the first substrate. A first surface of the intermediate substrate, which is a magneto-dielectric material, is disposed on a bottom surface of the first substrate. A top surface of the bottom substrate is disposed on a second surface of the intermediate substrate. A ground plane conductor is disposed on a bottom surface of the bottom substrate.

An image-aided GPS navigation deployed on a vehicle may include a GPS receiver configured to estimate the position of the vehicle based on signals received from one or more GPS satellites. The navigation system may also include an imager configured to capture image frames associated with an environment through which the vehicle travels and estimate the relative motion of the vehicle through the environment based at least in part on the image frames. The navigation system may also include a navigation processor configured to receive the position estimation from the GPS and the relative motion estimation, and determine an updated position estimation based at least in part on the relative motion estimation.