This disclosure is directed to monitoring exposure levels for individual cameras of a stereo camera system to reduce unwanted lens flaring which may disrupt stereo vision capabilities of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV may identify lens flaring by monitoring histogram data received from the cameras and then mitigate the lens flaring by performing aerial maneuvers with respect to the light source and/or moving camera componentry such as deploying a lens hood. The UAV may also identify lens flaring patterns that on a camera's sensor and determine a location of a peripheral light source based on these patterns. The UAV may then deploy a visor between the location of the peripheral light source and the cameras.

Provided are an unmanned aerial vehicle and a method that enable mounting work for a package and a battery to be efficiently performed. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a package-chamber tray, a package-chamber cover attached to the package-chamber tray from above, a battery provided on an upper surface of the package-chamber cover, and a body capable of flying, the body being attachable and detachable to and from a package chamber formed by the package-chamber tray and the package-chamber cover. First, packages are placed on the package-chamber tray. Next, the package-chamber cover is attached to the package-chamber tray. Next, the battery is placed on the package-chamber cover. At this time, the mounting position of the battery is adjusted in accordance with the center of gravity position of the entirety of the packages. Then, the body is attached to the package chamber.

Provided are an unmanned aerial vehicle and a method that enable mounting work for a package and a battery to be efficiently performed. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a package-chamber tray, a package-chamber cover attached to the package-chamber tray from above, a battery provided on an upper surface of the package-chamber cover, and a body capable of flying, the body being attachable and detachable to and from a package chamber formed by the package-chamber tray and the package-chamber cover. First, packages are placed on the package-chamber tray. Next, the package-chamber cover is attached to the package-chamber tray. Next, the battery is placed on the package-chamber cover. At this time, the mounting position of the battery is adjusted in accordance with the center of gravity position of the entirety of the packages. Then, the body is attached to the package chamber.

Methods and devices for optimizing the climb of an aircraft or drone are provided. After an optimal continuous climb strategy has been determined, a lateral path is determined, in particular in terms of speeds and turn radii, based on vertical predictions computed in the previous step. Subsequently, computation results are displayed on one or more human-machine interfaces and the climb strategy is actually flown. Embodiments describe the use of altitude and speed constraints and/or settings in respect of speed and/or thrust and/or level-flight avoidance and/or gradient-variation minimization, and iteratively fitting parameters in order to make the profile of the current path coincide with the constrained profile in real time depending on the selected flight dynamics (e.g. energy sharing, constraint on climb gradient, constraint on the vertical climb rate). System (e.g. FMS) and software aspects are described.

A technique for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged includes charging a plurality of the UAVs on charging pads disposed in a staging array at the terminal area. Merchant facilities for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed about a periphery of the staging array. The UAVs are relocated under their own propulsion from interior charging pads to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads become available and the UAVs are deemed sufficiently charged and ready for delivery missions.

A Geo-containment system includes at least one unmanned aircraft and a control system that is configured to limit flight of the unmanned aircraft based, at least in part, on predefined Geo-spatial operational boundaries. These boundaries may include a primary boundary and at least one secondary boundary that is spaced apart from the primary boundary a minimum safe distance. The minimum safe distance is determined while the unmanned aircraft is in flight utilizing state information of the unmanned aircraft and dynamics and dynamics coefficients of the unmanned aircraft. The state information includes at least position and velocity of the unmanned aircraft. The control system is configured to alter or terminate operation of the unmanned aircraft if the unmanned aircraft violates the primary Geo-spatial operational boundary or the secondary Geo-spatial boundary.

A deployable device mountable on a carrier vehicle and configured to collect situation awareness data. The deployable device includes at least one recorder device configured to collect situation awareness data. The deployable device is capable of being ejected from the carrier vehicle and can be configured to operate as a vehicle and/or be towed by the carrier vehicle. The deployable device can continue collection of situation awareness data after being ejected.

A deployable device mountable on a carrier vehicle and configured to collect situation awareness data. The deployable device includes at least one recorder device configured to collect situation awareness data. The deployable device is capable of being ejected from the carrier vehicle and can be configured to operate as a vehicle and/or be towed by the carrier vehicle. The deployable device can continue collection of situation awareness data after being ejected.

Apparatus, method and storage medium associated with UAV assisted emergency responses are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an UAV may comprise a flight controller to control at least one or more engines of the UAV to navigate the UAV to condition road traffic for an emergency vehicle on emergency en route to a destination, wherein to condition road traffic, the flight controller is to receive navigation data of the emergency vehicle, and in response, control at least the one or more engines to navigate the UAV in advance of the emergency vehicle, to alert road traffics ahead of the emergency vehicle of pending transit of the emergency vehicle. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for gas transport is disclosed. The UAV includes a fuselage enclosing a volume, and a gas reservoir enclosed within the fuselage, filling at least a majority of the volume. The gas reservoir is configured to receive and store a gas at a pressure no greater than 100 bar. The UAV also includes a propulsion system having at least one engine, each of the at least one engine coupled to a prop that is driven by the at least one engine using energy derived from the gas stored in the gas reservoir. The UAV also includes a control system communicatively coupled to the propulsion system and configured to operate the unmanned aerial vehicle to autonomously transport the gas. The UAV may have a footprint while on the ground, and the footprint of the UAV may be no larger than three standard parking spaces.