An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and laser generator may be used to measure structural displacements. The system may measure relative movement of the UAV and the structure, as well as individual movement of the UAV. The individual movement of the UAV may then be subtracted from the relative movement of the UAV and the structure, in order to accurately calculate structural displacements.

A guidance camera deployed on a vehicle may be equipped with a zoom lens configured to change a zoom level of the guidance camera. The zoom level may be changed in response to a scenario performed by a vehicle equipped with the guidance camera, vehicle controls issued by a vehicle controller, and/or based on identification of objects in imagery captured by the guidance camera. The zoom lens may be implemented as a lens array that includes different lenses, as a wheel lens array that includes different lenses, or by a light direction device that guides light from a specific lens of different lenses into the guidance camera. Stereo cameras may be configured with the zoom lenses, and may be repositioned to ensure suitable overlap in a field of view to enable calculation of a distance of objects captured in the imagery of the stereo camera.

A flying device includes a device body, plural propellers disposed at a front, rear, left, and right of the device body, plural propeller motors fixed to the device body and configured to rotate the plural propellers about an axis perpendicular to the device body, a disc disposed at a central portion of the device body, and a disc motor fixed to the device body and configured to rotate the disc about an axis perpendicular to the device body.

An unmanned helicopter platform includes a fuselage, a tail coupled with the fuselage, a payload rail coupled with and extending along the fuselage and a main rotor assembly coupled with the fuselage. The tail includes a tail rotor and a tail rotor motor. The main rotor assembly includes a main rotor having an axis of rotation and a main rotor motor. The payload rail allows mechanical connection of payloads to the fuselage and positioning of the payloads such that a center of gravity of the payloads is alignable with the axis of rotation. A system for controlling the unmanned helicopter includes a processor and a memory for providing instructions to the processor. The processor can receive a task, dynamically determine a route for the task and autonomously perform the task including flying along at least part of the route. The route is based on the task, geography and terrain.

In order to reduce the weight of a hybrid propulsion system for a multi-rotor rotary-wing aircraft, the system comprises at least one inverter configured to supply power in parallel to multiple electric motors intended to drive the corresponding propellers of the system.

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device according to one embodiment comprises: a housing; a sensor for sensing a movement of the electronic device; a visible light communication (VLC) output module, disposed on one side of the housing, for outputting a VLC signal; and a processor disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the sensor and the VLC output module, wherein the processor may be configured to generate control information for controlling a movement of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the basis of the detected movement of the electronic device, and to output the VLC signal including the control information to the UAV by using the VLC output module. Other various embodiments as understood from the specification are also possible.

A device for obtaining surveillance information from an aerial vehicle. The device includes a camera configured to obtain image data based on a position of the vehicle, a transceiver configured to receive operator controls and output the obtained image data, a designator unit configured to emit a light source onto a surface of an object of interest to illuminate that surface when a designation command is received from an operator, a gimbal mechanism having a plurality of motors configured to orient the designator unit, a gimbal controller configured to control the motors of the gimbal mechanism, and a controller configured to control the designator unit to continuously emit the light source onto the surface of the object irrespective of the position of the vehicle. The controller compensates for an orientation of the designator unit based on the aerial vehicle's movement such that the designator unit continuously illuminates the object.

The invention provides systems and methods for isolating one or more sensors within an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The method may comprise providing a UAV that includes a housing forming a central body of the UAV. The UAV may also include a first compartment of the central body with one or more electrical components (1) disposed therein, and (2) adapted to affect operation of the UAV. Further, the UAV may include a second compartment of the central body that is isolated from the first compartment such that the barometric pressure in the second compartment is independent of the barometric pressure in the first compartment. Additionally, the method may comprise disposing the one or more sensors within the second compartment of the UAV.

An imaging control method includes receiving a starting instruction including a flight mode of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The imaging control method also includes controlling the UAV to fly autonomously based on the flight mode. The imaging control method also includes obtaining, in the flight mode, location information of a target object, and obtaining orientation information of the target object relative to the UAV based on the target object recognized from an image captured by an imaging device carried by a gimbal mounted on the UAV. The imaging control method further includes controlling a flight path of the UAV based on the location information and the flight mode, controlling an attitude of the gimbal to render the target object to appear in the image, and controlling the imaging device to record a video in the flight mode, and to transmit video data to a terminal.

A method for deploying a drone including transporting a drone from a first location to a second location with a vehicle and supplying electricity from the vehicle to the drone while the drone is being transported. A launch command can be initiated from within the vehicle to direct the drone to ascend and hover above the vehicle. The drone can be transported in a drone port mounted to the vehicle.