The present invention relates to unmanned aerial vehicle for agricultural field assessment. It is described to fly (210) the unmanned aerial vehicle to a location in a field containing a crop. A body of the unmanned aerial vehicle is positioned (220) in a substantially stationary aspect above the crop at the location. A camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle is moved (230) vertically with respect to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is closer to the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle than the second position. The camera acquires (240) at least one image relating to the crop when the camera is not in the first position.

A monitoring system, a base station, and a control method thereof are provided. The monitoring system includes a drone and a base station. The drone includes a main body and at least two leg holders extending from the main body. The base station includes a platform and a positioning mechanism. The platform has a horizontal plate, and the drone is placed on the platform. The positioning mechanism includes at least two movement members. The movement members are movably disposed on the platform and movable between a first position and a second position. When the movement members are located at the second position, the movement members hold and fix the leg holders of the drone, each of the leg holders forms an inclined angle with respect to the horizontal plate, and the inclined angle is less than 90 degrees.

An aircraft has an airframe with a two-dimensional distributed thrust array attached thereto having a plurality of propulsion assemblies that are independently controlled by a flight control system. Each propulsion assembly includes a housing with a gimbal coupled thereto that is operable to tilt about first and second axes responsive to first and second actuators. A propulsion system is coupled to and operable to tilt with the gimbal. The propulsion system includes an electric motor having an output drive and a rotor assembly having a plurality of rotor blades that rotate in a rotational plane to generate thrust having a thrust vector. Responsive to a thrust vector error of a first propulsion assembly, the flight control system commands at least a second propulsion assembly, that is symmetrically disposed relative to the first propulsion assembly, to counteract the thrust vector error, thereby providing redundant directional control for the aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (200, 300, 400, 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500) can include a central body (202, 302, 402, 702, 802, 1002, 1202, 1502), a plurality of rotors, and a plurality of arms (204, 306, 406, 706, 806, 1006, 1206, 1506) extending from the central body (202, 302, 402, 702, 802, 1002, 1202, 1502), where each arm of the plurality of arms (204, 306, 406, 706, 806, 1006, 1206, 1506) is configured to support one or more of the plurality of rotors. The UAV may include at least one sensor (208, 318, 418, 718, 818, 822, 1022, 1218, 1222, 1518) located on the UAV (200, 300, 400, 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500) outside of a keep-out zone, where the keep-out zone is defined at least in part by (1) a plurality of rotor disks, a rotor disk of the plurality of rotor disks for each of the plurality of rotors, each rotor disk corresponding to an area that is swept by one or more rotor blades (206, 308, 408, 708, 808, 1008, 1208, 1508) of a corresponding rotor when the rotor blades (206, 308, 408, 708, 808, 1008, 1208, 1508) are spun, and (2) a shape that is formed by adjoining respective centers of adjacent rotor disks.

Systems, devices, and methods for an extruded wing protection and control surface comprising: a channel proximate a leading edge of the control surface, a knuckle disposed about the channel, a leading void, a trailing void, and a separator dividing the leading void and the trailing void; and a plurality of notches disposed in the extruded control surface proximate the leading edge of the control surface.

The present disclosure describes a system and method for the use of unmanned aircraft systems to detect, locate, and identify objects in, on, or near the water that may provide useful information to people in a different location, such as on a nearby vessel for purposes of ultimately locating fish. The vessel can then take action based on data collected by the unmanned aircraft system, such as move to a new location to catch fish as detected by the unmanned aircraft system.

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular, to an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least a first dual-polarized antenna and a second dual-polarized antenna, wherein the first dual-polarized antenna is provided in a horizontal direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the second dual-polarized antenna is provided in a vertical direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle. As the antenna designed in this structure is applied to the unmanned aerial vehicle of the present application, a weak signal in a vertical polarization direction is compensated by a strong electromagnetic signal in a horizontal polarization direction, and therefore an image transmission height of the unmanned aerial vehicle is increased in the vertical direction.

Systems, apparatuses and methods for landing an unmanned aircraft on a mobile structure are presented. Sensors on the aircraft identify a predetermined landing area on a mobile structure. The aircraft monitors the sensor data to maintain its position hovering over the landing area. The aircraft estimates a future attitude of the surface of the landing area and determines a landing time that corresponds to a desired attitude of the surface of the landing area. The unmanned aircraft executes a landing maneuver to bring the aircraft into contact with the surface of the landing area at the determined landing time.

Apparatuses for securing drones during transport and methods of use are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a structural panel of a vehicle having a compartment configured to receive and retain a drone, a retractable cover member configured to at least partially cover the compartment to create an enclosure around the drone, and a drone securement assembly that retains the drone within the enclosure so as to prevent the drone from displacement during vehicle operation.

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.