B64U80/40

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RESCUE AND TRANSPORT
20240350212 · 2024-10-24 ·

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.

Method and system to ascertain location of drone box for stabilized landing and charging of drones

Method and system to ascertain location of drone box (100) for stabilized landing and charging of drones (10), comprising a plurality of drones (10) and at least a drone box (100) having a passive sensing circuit (149) detecting a touchdown signal of all the ground interface (11) of the drone (10, 10-1, 10-2) at a plurality of sensor zones (111) for a minimum prescribed time, a detection of any missing touch down signal for the minimum prescribed time due to an inappropriate landing preventing next take off of the drone (10, 10-1, 10-2), the passive sensing circuit (149) prevents activation of any sensor zone (111) till all the ground interfaces (11) are detected as touched down, the sensor zones (111) differentiates between presence of the ground interface (11) and any other presence including human touch, animal touch, foreign matter and or contamination and a combination thereof.

Pre-flight self test for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

In one embodiment, a controller instructs an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) docked to a landing perch to perform a pre-flight test operation of a pre-flight test routine. The controller receives sensor data associated with the pre-flight test operation from one or more force sensors of the landing perch, in response to the UAV performing the pre-flight test operation. The controller determines whether the sensor data associated with the pre-flight test operation is within an acceptable range. The controller causes the UAV to launch from the landing perch based in part on a determination that UAV has passed the pre-flight test routine.

Midair tethering of an unmanned aerial vehicle with a docking station

Unmanned aerial vehicle docking systems and methods are presented herein. A UAV can hover in a hovering position above a docking pad of the UAV docking system based on positioning measurements. An on-board camera can image a machine-readable code present on the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV above the docking pad can be adjusted based on imaging of the machine-readable code and ranging measurements to the docking pad. A tether can be extended from the UAV towards the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV and extension of the tether can be adjusted such that a mating device present on a distal end of the tether engages with a coupling device of the UAV docking pad. The tether can be reeled in to the UAV to assist in lowering the UAV from the hovering position to a landing position on the docking pad.

Methods and apparatus for reconfigurable power exchange for multiple UAV types

A reconfigurable system capable of autonomously exchanging material from unmanned vehicles of various types and sizes. The system comprises an environmental enclosure, a landing area, a universal mechanical system to load and unload material from the unmanned vehicle, and a central processor that manages the aforementioned tasks. The landing area may comprise a one or more visible or non-visible markers/emitters capable of generating composite images to assist in landing the unmanned vehicle upon the reconfigurable, autonomous system.

UAV facility

Disclosed are transportable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) facilities. The facilities comprise a housing having an ingress port arranged to receive a payload for delivery by a UAV. The UAV facility is arranged to determine whether the payload corresponds to a delivery consignment based upon a comparison of one or more determined physical characteristics of the payload with one or more expected characteristics of the delivery consignment.

Midair Tethering of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with a Docking Station

Unmanned aerial vehicle docking systems and methods are presented herein. A UAV may hover in a hovering position above a docking pad of the UAV docking system based on positioning measurements. An on-board camera may image a machine-readable code present on the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV above the docking pad may be adjusted based on imaging of the machine-readable code and ranging measurements to the docking pad. A tether can be extended from the UAV towards the docking pad. The hovering position of the UAV and extension of the tether can be adjusted such that a mating device present on a distal end of the tether engages with a coupling device of the UAV docking pad. The tether may be reeled in to the UAV to assist in lowering the UAV from the hovering position to a landing position on the docking pad.

Autonomous cleaning system
09828094 · 2017-11-28 · ·

This disclosure describes a plurality of unmanned vehicles configured to complete cleaning tasks with little or no human involvement by identifying objects, operating washing/drying cleaning machine(s) as needed, and transporting objects to and from cleaning machine(s). The unmanned vehicles may also return objects to designated locations after cleaning, or simply arrange objects within rooms based on an ideal room arrangement state.

Methods and apparatus for reconfigurable power exchange for multiple UAV types

A reconfigurable system capable of autonomously exchanging material from unmanned vehicles of various types and sizes. The system comprises an environmental enclosure, a landing area, a universal mechanical system to load and unload material from the unmanned vehicle, and a central processor that manages the aforementioned tasks. The landing area may comprise a one or more visible or non-visible markers/emitters capable of generating composite images to assist in landing the unmanned vehicle upon the reconfigurable, autonomous system.

PRE-FLIGHT SELF TEST FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVS)
20170190423 · 2017-07-06 ·

In one embodiment, a controller instructs an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) docked to a landing perch to perform a pre-flight test operation of a pre-flight test routine. The controller receives sensor data associated with the pre-flight test operation from one or more force sensors of the landing perch, in response to the UAV performing the pre-flight test operation. The controller determines whether the sensor data associated with the pre-flight test operation is within an acceptable range. The controller causes the UAV to launch from the landing perch based in part on a determination that UAV has passed the pre-flight test routine.