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.

Launch-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A computer-implemented method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle in a representative embodiment includes detecting at least one parameter of a motion of the UAV as a user releases the UAV for flight. Based at least in part on the at least the one detected parameter, the method can further include establishing a flight path for the UAV, and directing the UAV to fly the flight path.

Methods and apparatus are provided for launching and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including multi-rotor aircrafts. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein utilize positional change of the UAV, visual signal, or other means to effect the launch or landing. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein are user friendly, particularly to amateur UAV users lacking practice of operating a UAV.

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided. The UAV comprises at least one rotor. The method includes receiving a take-off signal; initiating the at least one rotor to operate with a first preset rotation acceleration in response to the take-off signal; detecting a take-off status information of the UAV, the take-off status information at least comprising a current height of the UAV; determining whether the detected current height of the UAV is equal to or greater than a threshold; and sending a hover signal to the at least one rotor to enable the UAV to hover in the current height in response to the determination that the detected current height of the UAV is equal to or greater than the threshold.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) copter for consumer photography or videography can be launched by a user throwing the UAV copter into mid-air. The UAV copter can detect that the UAV copter has been thrown upward while propeller drivers of the UAV copter are inert. In response to detecting that the UAV copter has been thrown upward, the UAV copter can compute power adjustments for propeller drivers of the UAV copter to have the UAV copter reach a predetermined elevation above an operator device. The UAV copter can then supply power to the propeller drivers in accordance with the computed power adjustments.

Various embodiments associated with a composite image are described. In one embodiment, a handheld device comprises a launch component configured to cause a launch of a projectile. The projectile is configured to capture a plurality of images. Individual images of the plurality of images are of different segments of an area. The system also comprises an image stitch component configured to stitch the plurality of images into a composite image. The composite image is of a higher resolution than a resolution of individual images of the plurality of images.

A method for hand launching an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes detecting a first motion state of the UAV via a sensor, and controlling the UAV to enter into a launch mode according to the detected first motion state; and detecting a second motion state of the UAV via the sensor after the UAV enters into the launch mode, and controlling whether or not to activate a flight system of the UAV according to the detected second motion state.

Methods and apparatus are provided for launching and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including multi-rotor aircrafts. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein utilize positional change of the UAV, visual signal, or other means to effect the launch or landing. The methods and apparatus disclosed herein are user friendly, particularly to amateur UAV users lacking practice of operating a UAV.

A method and a device for flying an unmanned aerial vehicle in a handheld manner and an unmanned aerial vehicle are provided. The method includes: judging whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is triggered to enter a flight standby state; determining whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a handheld flat-laying state for a predetermined time period when it enters the flight standby state; and comparing a state parameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle with the state parameter thereof at a previous time instant to judge whether it is released when it is in the handheld flat-laying state, and controlling its rotor wing to rotate for flight when the unmanned aerial vehicle is released. The method is easy to implement, the elimination of the remote control results in a cost saving and the user does not need to operate the remote control.

A method and a device for retrieving an unmanned aerial vehicle by a hand and an unmanned aerial vehicle are provided. The method includes: detecting a state parameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle in real time; determining whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is disturbed by a hand according to the state parameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and controlling a rotor wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle to stop rotation if it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle is disturbed by the hand. The unmanned aerial vehicle is retrieved directly by the hand without using a remote control device.