Disclosed is a drone station which allows the center of resonance of a drone to be always accurately aligned regardless of the initial landing position of the drone. The disclosed drone station includes a landing guidance instrument and a wireless charging instrument which is formed on the landing guidance instrument and wirelessly transmits the power to a drone positioned thereon, the landing guidance instrument having an inclined surface which moves the landed drone onto the top of the wireless charging instrument.

An emergency or medical package comprising has: a body; attachment fittings, for attachment to complementary fittings of a UAV; and a plurality of compartments for housing medical or emergency supplies, including a compartment for a headset, providing two-way communication between a user of a headset and a person remote from the package, wherein the headset includes at least one camera, providing a video feed, that is sent to a remote person. A method of delivering these supplies and providing control over the use of the supplies provides two-way audio and visual communication between a remote person and the user wearing the headset, whereby the remote person can provide instructions and directions to the user. A method of planning a route for the delivery of a medical or emergency package by UAV, and a method for providing for a delivery of a priority package are also provided.

A threat response system includes a response and alert generator to, based on one or more data feeds with event type data and event location data related to a surveilled area, classify an event, determine a total score of the event compared to a predetermined threat threshold, and output one or more response operations based on the event classification and the total score of the event. A response plan database is included to store and/or predict one or more predetermined action plans operable to direct one or more unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) to respond to the event. An event database is included to store a project of event types predetermined as suitable for a UAV response. A controller of the system can receive data from one or more data feeds associated with the surveilled area to determine a match between event data and one or more event types in the event database.

A threat response system includes a response and alert generator to, based on one or more data feeds with event type data and event location data related to a surveilled area, classify an event, determine a total score of the event compared to a predetermined threat threshold, and output one or more response operations based on the event classification and the total score of the event. A response plan database is included to store and/or predict one or more predetermined action plans operable to direct one or more unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) to respond to the event. An event database is included to store a project of event types predetermined as suitable for a UAV response. A controller of the system can receive data from one or more data feeds associated with the surveilled area to determine a match between event data and one or more event types in the event database.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a stand for launching, landing, testing, refueling and recharging a UAV, and methods for testing, landing and launching the UAV are disclosed. Further, embodiments may include transferring a payload onto or off of the UAV, and loading flight planning and diagnostic maintenance information to the UAV.

In one embodiment, a system includes an unmanned, multirotor helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft. The multirotor helicopter may couple to the fixed-wing aircraft to support and hold the fixed-wing aircraft. The multirotor helicopter may then elevate the fixed-wing aircraft from a launch site to a release altitude. The multirotor helicopter may also accelerate the fixed-wing aircraft to a release speed and upon reaching the release speed, release the fixed-wing aircraft. The unmanned, multirotor helicopter may then return to the launch site.

In an aspect there are disclosed examples systems (10, 110) for the landing and handling of a drone (1), the system (10, 100) may include a moveable platform (16, 116) on which the drone (1) is supportable in a landed state; a space (14, 114) dimensioned to receive the platform (16, 116) and drone (1) in the landed state, a first closable barrier (17, 117) arranged between the drone (1) in the landed state and an external environment; a second closable barrier (18, 118) arranged between the drone (1) in the landed state and a passenger zone adjacent the space (22, 122); and a control arrangement (205) configured to selectively operate the platform (16, 116), the first closable barrier (17, 117) and the second closable barrier (18, 118) between: a first condition, in which the first closable barrier (17, 117) is in an open condition, the second closable barrier (18, 118) is in a closed condition and the drone (1) is landable on the platform (16, 116), and a second condition, in which the platform (16, 116) and drone (1) in the landed state are receivable by the space (22, 122), the first closable barrier (17, 117) is movable to a closed condition, and the second closable barrier (18, 118) is moveable to an open condition.

Example landing platform systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a landing platform includes a top plate configured to support an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), where the top plate has a plurality of slots therethrough. A rotating plate is located adjacent the top plate and includes multiple centering pins extending therefrom and extending through the plurality of slots in the top plate. A motor is capable of rotating the rotating plate, which causes the multiple centering pins to center the UAV on the top plate.

A pipeline in a controller may be configured to interface between sensors and actuators. The pipeline may include elements such as drivers, filters, a combine, estimators, controllers, a mixer, and actuator controllers. The drivers may receive sensor data and pre-process the received sensor data. The filters may filter the pre-processed sensor data to generate filtered sensor data. The combine may package the filtered sensor data to generate packaged sensor data. The estimators may determine estimates of a position of a vehicle based on the packaged sensor data. The controllers may generate control signals based on the determined estimates. The mixer may modify the generated control signals based on limitations of the vehicle. The actuator controllers may generate actuator control signals based on the modified control signals to drive the actuators.

The location detection unit detects a destination location for delivery of an item by a drone. The release determination unit determines whether the drone transporting the item can release and place the item at the destination. Upon determination that the release and placement is not possible, a standby airspace determination unit determines a standby airspace within which the drone waits. The wait-time determination unit determines a wait-time for the drone in the determined standby airspace. The wait-time determination unit determines a wait-time by which the drone can arrive at a next destination by a scheduled arrival time following departure of the drone departs after standby. The standby instruction unit issues to the drone an instruction related to the standby.