A system for delivering articles (34) from a start point (54) to a destination point (56), having at least one drone (20), which a) has a flight control unit (22) configured for autonomous flying, b) has at least one flight motor realized as an electric motor (24), c) has a battery (28) that supplies the flight motor with voltage, d) has a programmable control (30) unit, and e) on its underside has a coupling (34) for electrical, and preferably also mechanical, connection, having a control center (50), which is wirelessly connected to the control unit (30) of the drone (20), having a mobility network consisting of a fleet of vehicles (44), in particular road vehicles, each vehicle having a drone carrier (40), which has a mating coupling (38) that acts in combination with the coupling (36), and having a digital mobility platform (46), which is wirelessly connected to the fleet of vehicles (44) and which is informed about their travel schedules, drone carriers (40) and current locations of the vehicles (44), and is connected to the control center (50).

Systems for landing and facilitating power flow or data transfer between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a charging mat using a boom are described. The system includes a mat with a conductive mesh on the top and a conductive surface on the other bottom of the mat. The conductive mesh and bottom conductive surface are separated (electrically isolated) by an isolation core. The outer portion of the boom contacts part of the conductive mesh of the mat to create an electrical pathway. An inner portion of the boom penetrates through the top layer conductive mesh, through the isolating core, and contacts the bottom conductive surface of the mat to create another electrical pathway.

In one aspect, an example system includes: (i) a base including a bottom surface and a first coupling-point; (ii) a vertically-oriented elongate structure comprising a lower end, an upper end, and an inner channel, wherein the inner channel comprises an upper access-point disposed proximate the upper end, wherein the base is coupled to the elongate structure proximate the lower end; (iii) a deployable cushioning-device coupled to the elongate structure; and (iv) a tether comprising a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion, wherein the first portion is coupled to the first coupling-point, the second portion is coupled to a second coupling-point of the UAV, the third portion extends through the inner channel, the fourth portion extends from the upper access-point to the second coupling-point, and the fourth portion has a length that is less than a distance between the upper access-point and the bottom surface.

Systems and methods are provided for autonomous robotic surgery which is preferably integrated with autonomous-assisted intraoperative real-time single modality and/or multi-modality fusion imaging/electrophysiological diagnostics. The robotic surgery systems and methods can be integrated with autonomous-assisted intraoperative body/limb positioning, and integrated with autonomous-assisted land and unmanned aerial vehicular patient transportation.

Systems, devices, and methods for a safety system including: selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command on a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory; presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of the controller for the selected UAV command, wherein the second activator is a slider; and sending the UAV command to a UAV if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory.

A system has a drone session server to collect drone session information. A drone user machine is in a client relationship with the drone session server. A drone control machine is in a client relationship with the drone session server and a peer-to-peer relationship with the drone user machine. The drone control machine is configured to relay video data from a drone to the drone user machine via a peer-to-peer connection. The drone control machine evaluates user commands collected by the drone user machine that are relayed to the drone control machine via the peer-to-peer connection to produce enforced limits commands to maintain the drone within a three-dimensional geographical fence. The drone control machine sends autopilot commands to the drone to transport the drone from the three-dimensional geographical fence to a land site to complete a drone session.

There are provided systems and methods for a drone physical and data interface for enhanced distance coverage. An unmanned aerial vehicle or a drone may be unable to operate over a distance due to range limitations. The drone may utilize onboard systems and communications with other devices and servers to detect another vehicle operating over at least a portion of the distance, where connecting to the vehicle and using the vehicles resources for travel over the portion of the distance decreases the flight time of the drone. The drone may utilize a camera and communications with the vehicle or server to determine a connection point to the vehicle, and may connect to the vehicle to travel the portion of the distance. If the drone has not yet arrived at the destination and still requires further assistance reaching it, the drone may locate another vehicle to further use.

A communication system is described. The system includes: at least one gateway able to provide broadband connectivity, a set of ground terminals, and a set of high altitude platforms (HAPs), where at least one aerial platform is able to communicate with at least one gateway using radio frequencies, each HAP is able to communicate with ground terminals using radio frequencies, and each HAP is able to communicate with each other HAP using radio frequencies. Ways to handoff a ground terminal/gateway from one HAP beam to another HAP beam are described. Ways to handoff a ground terminal/gateway from one HAP to another HAP are described. Ways that keep the communications payload radios active when there is data traffic and put the radios in sleep mode otherwise, thereby adjusting the communications payload power consumption to the data traffic requirements as a function of time and coverage area, are described.

A docking station for an aircraft includes a base portion and an alignment system disposed on the base portion configured to orient the aircraft relative to the base portion. The alignment system can include a plurality of protrusions extending away from the base portion in a vertical direction. The plurality of protrusions can extend away from the base portion in both the vertical direction and a horizontal direction such that the protrusions can extend from the base portion at an angle.

Systems, devices, and methods for a safety system including: selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command on a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory; presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of the controller for the selected UAV command, wherein the second activator is a slider; and sending the UAV command to a UAV if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory.