Disclosed is a system and method for reducing the total latency for transferring a frame from the low latency camera system mounted on an aerial vehicle to the display of the remote controller. The method includes reducing the latency through each of the modules of the system, i.e. through a camera module, an encoder module, a wireless interface transmission, wireless interface receiver module, a decoder module and a display module. To reduce the latency across the modules, methods such as overclocking the image processor, pipelining the frame, squashing the processed frame, using a fast hardware encoder that can perform slice based encoding, tuning the wireless medium using queue sizing, queue flushing, bitrate feedback, physical medium rate feedback, dynamic encoder parameter tuning and wireless radio parameter adjustment, using a fast hardware decoder that can perform slice based decoding and overclocking the display module are used.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

A search and rescue drone system includes a buoyant body member, a frame attached to the buoyant body member for carrying a motor and propeller, and an electronic array including a camera, GPS, an EPIRB radio distress beacon, and a transmitter/receiver for remote control flying the drone and communicating with an operator. The search and rescue drone may be flown manually, or may have some autonomous flight and locator capabilities. For example, in one embodiment, the search and rescue drone may be programmed to simply fly to the location of an electronic wearable device, like a bracelet, that is worn by a man overboard. In another embodiment, the search and rescue drone includes a basket, harness, or other means for actually recovering a swimmer in distress, and flying that person back to safety on a ship or on shore.

A search and rescue drone system includes a buoyant body member, a frame attached to the buoyant body member for carrying a motor and propeller, and an electronic array including a camera, GPS, an EPIRB radio distress beacon, and a transmitter/receiver for remote control flying the drone and communicating with an operator. A laser guidance system may provide coordinates for landing near a swimmer in distress. The search and rescue drone may also be programmed to simply fly to the location of an electronic wearable device, like a bracelet, that is worn by a man overboard. In another embodiment, the search and rescue drone includes pivoting motor mounts, so that it can take off and land vertically with propellers rotating in a horizontal plane, and then the propellers may pivot to rotate in a vertical plane for propulsion across water similar to a fan boat with rescued people aboard.

The Lopsided Payload Carriage Gimbal in al its embodiments allow Aerial Vehicles and Water-borne vehicles to carry payloads far from the vehicle Geometric Center without significant travel of the vehicle's overall Center of Gravity. Large travel of the CG limits vehicle's performance or renders it inoperable. The embodiments rely on the interaction of the payload and the counter balancing weight through the payload link 18, balancing link 10 main link 14 and battery pylon 8 to substantially reduce the torque generated by the payload in a lopsided position. The embodiments also allow the vehicle carrying the payload to change thrust direction agilely. Finally, the embodiment acts as a mechanical stabilization device for the payload as well. This invention is adaptable to all forms of hover-capable aerial vehicles as well as water-borne vehicles.

Method and apparatus for unmanned aerial maritime float vehicle that sense and report relevant data from physical and operational environment. The apparatus is comprised of an unmanned aerial vehicle and cabled unmanned underwater vehicle. The method wherein a end-user's controller is coupled wirelessly to the unmanned aerial vehicle transceiver to allow relevant live data to be collected from sky and ground, Upon landing on a water's surface the cable is repelled and control signals and data are transmitted to the cabled unmanned underwater vehicle transceiver, thus high speed feedback and sensor signals can be transmitted from the cabled UUV back to the UAV then both the UUV and UAV high speed feedback and sensor signals are wirelessly sent back to the user's controller through the UAV.

A search and rescue drone system includes a buoyant body member, a frame attached to the buoyant body member for carrying a motor and propeller, and an electronic array including a camera, GPS, an EPIRB radio distress beacon, and a transmitter/receiver for remote control flying the drone and communicating with an operator. A laser guidance system may provide coordinates for landing near a swimmer in distress. The search and rescue drone may also be programmed to simply fly to the location of an electronic wearable device, like a bracelet, that is worn by a man overboard. In another embodiment, the search and rescue drone includes pivoting motor mounts, so that it can take off and land vertically with propellers rotating in a horizontal plane, and then the propellers may pivot to rotate in a vertical plane for propulsion across water similar to a fan boat with rescued people aboard.

A helicopter includes a propulsion system, gimbal assembly, and a controller. The propulsion system includes a first and second rotor assembly, wherein the first rotor assembly comprises a first motor coupled to a first rotor, the first rotor comprising a plurality of first fixed-pitch blades and the second rotor assembly comprises a second motor coupled to a second rotor, the second rotor comprising a plurality of second fixed-pitch blades. The second rotor is coaxial to the first rotor and is configured to be counter-rotating to the first rotor. The controller is communicably coupled to the gimbal assembly and is configured to provide instructions to at least one of the first or second gimbal motors in order to orient the plurality of first and second fixed-pitch blades into a position that permits wind to rotate the first and second fixed-pitch blades and thereby charge the power source.

A vehicle data collection method is disclosed. The method comprises receiving vehicle data, determining that an internet connection is not available, storing the vehicle data, determining that an internet connection has become available, and transmitting the vehicle data based at least in part on the determination that an internet connection has become available.

Autonomous craft capable of extended duration operations as lighter-than-air craft, having the ability to alight on the surface of a body of water and generate hydrogen gas for lift via electrolysis using power derived from a photovoltaic system, as well as methods of launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a deployable envelope from a surface of a body of water.