An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) landing method includes detecting, via one or more sensors on-board the UAV, a positional change of the UAV while the UAV is airborne; and generating, with aid of one or more processors on-board the UAV and in response to the detected positional change, one or more command signals to decelerate one or more rotor blades of the UAV, thereby causing the UAV to land autonomously.

An aerial vehicle landing method includes controlling to decelerate, with aid of one or more processors and in response to at least two of a plurality of conditions being satisfied, the aerial vehicle to cause the aerial vehicle to land autonomously. The plurality of conditions includes determining that an external signal related to a human is detected via one or more sensors; determining that a location/orientation change of the aerial vehicle is detected while the aerial vehicle is airborne; and determining that an external contact from an external object is exerted upon the aerial vehicle, the external object being an object that is not part of the aerial vehicle.

In one possible embodiment, a UAV payload module retraction mechanism is provided including a payload pivotally attached to a housing. A biasing member is mounted to bias the payload out of the housing and a winch is attached to the payload. An elongated flexible drawing member is coupled between the housing and the winch, the elongated drawing flexible member being capable of being drawn by the winch to retract the payload within the housing.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more motors configured to drive one or more propellers of the UAV, a motion sensor configured to determine a motion parameter of the UAV, a memory storing instructions, and a processor coupled to the one or more motors, the motion sensor, and the memory. The processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the UAV to determine whether a hand thrown mode is selected for the UAV and whether the one or more motors are turned off; responsive to a determination that the hand thrown mode is selected, receive a motion parameter from the motion sensor; and activate the one or more motors when the motion parameter is greater than a threshold value.

This invention relates to the use of a retracting hand launching and landing pole for drones having small or short landing legs that are difficult to grasp when hand launching and landing in windy conditions and on moving platforms or irregular ground, and will not interfere with normal flat surface landings.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions. When executed by the one or more processors, the instructions cause the UAV to perform operations including: recognizing a first gesture of a hand; responsive to a recognition of the first gesture, moving the unmanned aerial vehicle to hover above the hand; detecting a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the hand; responsive to a determination that the distance falls in a range, monitoring the hand to recognize a second gesture of the hand; and responsive to a recognition of the second gesture, landing the unmanned aerial vehicle on the hand.

In one possible embodiment, a UAV payload module retraction mechanism is provided including a payload pivotally attached to a housing. A biasing member is mounted to bias the payload out of the housing and a winch is attached to the payload. An elongated flexible drawing member is coupled between the housing and the winch, the elongated drawing flexible member being capable of being drawn by the winch to retract the payload within the housing.

Unmanned aerial systems including an unmanned aerial vehicle and a command device. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a propulsion system, a vehicle power source, a vehicle electronic controller, and a vehicle coupling mechanism. The command device includes a command power source, a command electronic controller, and a command coupling mechanism. The vehicle electronic controller is without power from the vehicle power source when the vehicle coupling mechanism is connected to the command coupling mechanism. The command electronic controller is without power from the command power source when the vehicle coupling mechanism is connected to the command coupling mechanism. The vehicle electronic controller receives power from the vehicle power source when the vehicle coupling mechanism is separate from the command coupling mechanism. The command electronic controller receives power from the command power source when the vehicle coupling mechanism is separate from the command coupling mechanism.

A unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a body with plurality of motors, a motor controlling circuit, a microprocessor for controlling the flight state of the UAV, a plurality of motion sensors, and a capacitive touch sensor incorporated into a battery. When the user grasps the UAV by the battery, the touch sensor is activated and the microprocessor alters the flight state of the UAV.

The present disclosure provides an operation method of a movable device. The operation method includes sensing, by the movable device, whether the movable device is thrown out by a thrower; in response to a sensing of being thrown out, controlling the movable device to hover in air; and after controlling to hover, performing, by the movable device, an aerial operation of the movable device. The disclosed operation method incorporates a throw operation such that a flat ground, or even a ground with any surface condition, is not required for the movable device to take off. Therefore, energy may be saved. Moreover, after the movable device is self-controlled to hover in the air, the movable device may be able to perform subsequent aerial operations such as capturing images.