A method and system including: an aerial vehicle including: a first camera comprising a first sensor having at least red, green, and blue color channels, where the blue color channel is sensitive to near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths; a first optical filter disposed in front of the first sensor, wherein the first optical filter is configured to block wavelengths below green, between red and NIR, and longer wavelength NIR; a processor having addressable memory in communication with the first camera, where the processor is configured to: capture at least one image of vegetation from the first camera; provide red, green, and NIR color channels from the captured image from the first camera; and determine at least one vegetative index based on the provided red, green, and NIR color channels.

A drone with extendable and rotatable wings and a multiple accessory securing panel is provided. The extendable wings help increase the lift of the drone and reduce the air drag on the drone. The multiple accessory securing panel allows various tools and objects to be temporarily and selectively secured to the drone. The multiple accessories may be secured to the drone by a ground based rotating delivery unit. The drone may have a removable front nose and legs which receive power from a power unit.

An unmanned aircraft includes: at least two generators generating forces to fly the unmanned aircraft, each including a rotor blade generating an airflow; a sensor detecting a tilt of the unmanned aircraft; and a processor controlling the generators to control flight of the unmanned aircraft. The processor: obtains an output force adjustment trigger for the generators; obtaining the trigger, causes each generator to individually operate at least until the tilt of the unmanned aircraft detected by the sensor satisfies a predetermined condition; determines a reference value related to an output force of each generator from a value related to the output force of each generator when the tilt of the unmanned aircraft satisfies the predetermined condition and a positional relationship between the generators; and controls the flight of the unmanned aircraft, using the reference values determined.

A self-leveling recovery platform for a landing operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a method for an unmanned aerial vehicle on a self-leveling recovery platform are described. The platform includes landing includes a base, a landing pad, first to sixth motors, first to sixth arms, an accelerometer, a gyroscope/inertial measurement unit, and a controller. The base is for fixedly mounting to a moving body. The landing pad has a landing surface on which an aerial vehicle can land. The first to sixth motors are attached to the base. The first to sixth arms control the first to sixth motors to the platform. The accelerometer and gyroscope/inertial measurement unit sense motion of the platform and output sensing signals. The controller is responsive to the sensing signals to control each of the motors to adjust the arms such that the landing surface is maintained in a substantially stable plane relative to a predetermined surface.

A method and system including: an aerial vehicle including: a first camera comprising a first sensor having at least red, green, and blue color channels, where the blue color channel is sensitive to near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths; a first optical filter disposed in front of the first sensor, wherein the first optical filter is configured to block wavelengths below green, between red and NIR, and longer wavelength NIR; a processor having addressable memory in communication with the first camera, where the processor is configured to: capture at least one image of vegetation from the first camera; provide red, green, and NIR color channels from the captured image from the first camera; and determine at least one vegetative index based on the provided red, green, and NIR color channels.

A method of controlling forward thrust of an aircraft includes receiving a first pitch angle command; generating a second pitch angle command and a forward thrust engine throttle command based on a bounded pitch angle for the aircraft; comparing a determined bounded pitch angle for the aircraft to the pitch angle corresponding to the first pitch angle command; generating a reduced pitch angle command so the resultant aircraft pitch angle does not exceed the bounded pitch angle; and generating the forward thrust engine throttle command based on the reduced pitch angle command.

Systems, devices, and methods for receiving image data; transferring the captured image data to a server having a processor and addressable memory via a network-connected computing device; storing the captured image data on the server; generating captured image metadata based on the stored captured image data; providing access to the captured image data and captured image metadata via an image management component; displaying, by the image management component, the captured image data; and filtering, by the image management component, the captured image data based on the generated captured image metadata.

Vehicle docking systems, payload transfer systems, and related methods. A vehicle docking system includes a vehicle with a plurality of docking insert units and a docking platform with a plurality of docking receptor units. Each docking receptor unit is configured to transition between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. A method of utilizing a vehicle docking system includes bringing a vehicle to a docked position on a docking platform and securing the vehicle in the docked position. The docking platform includes a plurality of docking receptor units and the vehicle includes a plurality of docking insert units, each docking receptor unit configured to receive a corresponding docking insert unit. The securing the vehicle in the docked position includes transitioning each docking receptor unit from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration. A payload transfer system includes a payload engagement system and a vehicle docking system.

Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to a convertible rotor aircraft CRA able to convert between airplane and helicopter flight modes during flight, comprising a tillable proprotor assembly TPA comprising a proprotor. Optionally, the CRA comprises a flight control module FCM configured to control the TPA to reverse direction of thrust generated by the proprotor relative to the TPA when the TPA transitions between a first orientation for helicopter flight and a second orientation for airplane flight. Optionally, the CRA comprises a deployable guard for the proprotors, configured to have a stowed state and a deployed state, wherein: the guard in the deployed state is controlled to be configured as a partially air-permeable barrier.

A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation, including: receiving from a customer a first data request, the first data request having: a first geographic coverage area; and a refresh rate for the first geographic coverage area; planning a first plurality of flight missions to accomplish the first data request; uploading flight missions data representing the first plurality of flight missions into a UAV pod; and deploying the UAV pod.