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.

An unmanned aircraft includes one or more sensors. The sensors identify a predefined crash command from an environment about the unmanned aircraft. One or more processors, operable with the one or more sensors, then determine whether a source of the predefined crash command is authorized to crash the unmanned aircraft. Where the source of the predefined crash command is authorized to crash the unmanned aircraft, the one or more processors crash the unmanned aircraft. Where the source of the command requesting the unmanned aircraft to stop flying is unauthorized to crash the unmanned aircraft, the one or more processors can land the unmanned aircraft without crashing.

An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

A method for automatically powering off an aerial vehicle includes detecting an operating state of the aerial vehicle based on altitude information of the aerial vehicle. The attitude information includes at least one of absolute altitude information or relative altitude information. The relative altitude information includes a landing distance to a landing plane. The method further includes determining whether the operating state of the aerial vehicle indicates that the aerial vehicle has landed and, in response to a determination result that the aerial vehicle has landed, shutting down a propulsion output of the aerial vehicle.

A tailsitter aircraft includes an airframe, a thrust array attached to the airframe and a flight control system. The thrust array includes propulsion assemblies configured to transition the airframe from a forward flight orientation to a VTOL orientation at a conversion rate for an approach to a target ground location in a forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase. The flight control system implements an adaptive transition system including a transition parameter monitoring module configured to monitor parameters including a ground speed and a distance to the target ground location. The adaptive transition system includes a transition adjustment determination module configured to adjust the conversion rate of the airframe from the forward flight orientation to the VTOL orientation based on the ground speed and the distance to the target ground location such that the airframe is vertically aligned with the target ground location in the VTOL orientation of the forward flight-to-VTOL transition phase.

A method and device for automatically powering off an aerial vehicle, and an aerial vehicle, are provided. The method comprises detecting an operating state of the aerial vehicle, and shutting down a propulsion output of the aerial vehicle if the operating state of the aerial vehicle is a landed state, to effect automatic powering off of the aerial vehicle after landing.

A method for automatically powering off a movable object includes in response to an operating state of the movable object being a landed state and a triggering condition being satisfied, controlling to shut down a propulsion output of the movable object such that the movable object completes automatic power off after landing, the triggering condition including determining that the propulsion output is currently enabled and an automatic take-off operation is not currently performed.

A system utilizes two ground-based radios; each radio is equipped for two-way timing and ranging. An aerial vehicle receives radio signals from the two ground-based radios and triangulates its location with respect to those two ground-based radios. The aerial vehicle then executes a landing procedure at a landing site with respect to the triangulated location. The aerial vehicle includes a barometer, radar, or laser altimeter for vertical measurement. The aerial vehicle also includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), air data system, and magnetometer. The ground-based radios may supply a ground level altitude measurement. The aerial vehicle may perform an acquisition orbit for improved accuracy. The acquisition orbit provides an expanded range of geometries with respect to the two ground-based radios.

A system utilizes two ground-based radios; each radio is equipped for two-way timing and ranging. An aerial vehicle receives radio signals from the two ground-based radios and triangulates its location with respect to those two ground-based radios. The aerial vehicle then executes a landing procedure at a landing site with respect to the triangulated location. The aerial vehicle includes a barometer, radar, or laser altimeter for vertical measurement. The aerial vehicle also includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), air data system, and magnetometer. The ground-based radios may supply a ground level altitude measurement. The aerial vehicle may perform an acquisition orbit for improved accuracy. The acquisition orbit provides an expanded range of geometries with respect to the two ground-based radios.