The present disclosure provides a deployment mechanism for arms of a drone. This mechanism is particularly of relevance to a drone that is housed in a container and is configured to be launched therefrom, and therefore is required to have an efficient deployment mechanism for its arms to be deployed immediately after the launch. The deployment mechanism is biased to its deployed state and is retained in its non-deployed state by external forces, such as the normal forces that are applied by the walls of the container on the arms while the drone is housed within the container. After the launch from the container, the above-mentioned forces are no longer applied to the arms of the drone and the deployment mechanism, causing a transition of the arms from their non-deployed state to their deployed state, in which they are in a position suitable for flying, i.e. activation of the rotors mounted on the arms.

A system for landing an unmanned aerial vehicle has an unmanned aerial vehicle and a ground-based platform. A guide structure for receiving the unmanned aerial vehicle is mounted on the ground base platform. The guide structure has an inner diameter greater than a smallest outer diameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle landing gear and less than the largest outer diameter of the unmanned aerial vehicle landing gear.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a winch mounted to the chassis. The winch includes a reel and a motor. The reel has a line wound thereon, the line having a free end. The reel includes a circumferential channel in which a wound portion of the line is wound onto the reel. The circumferential channel includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a passage connecting the inner portion and the outer portion. The motor is operable to rotate the reel under control of the control system to thereby cause the line to wind onto and off of the reel, thereby causing the free end of the line to raise and lower.

Flying machines may be docked during charging or other processes. A tray having multiple docking areas is configured to accommodate flying machines for transport and docking. The docking areas may, but need not, include passageways which may accommodate charging stations. For example, a storage enclosure may be configured to house one or more trays, configured to interface to corresponding charging surfaces. Protective layers and vibration dampening features may be used to soften impacts during storage and transport. A charging station may include electrical terminals, recesses, and locating features for docking a flying machine.

A system comprises a drone having autonomous drive capability and an assist vehicle (AV) for transporting the drone in an assisted drive mode in which the drone is held at, and transported by, the assist vehicle. Control hardware and software are programmed to determine drone travel over a route having a first route section in which the drone travels autonomously and a second route section in which the drone travels in the assisted drive mode.

The present disclosure provides a launching mechanism for a drone that is housed within a container. The launching mechanism is also housed within the container and is disposed at the bottom portion of the container such that the effect of its activation causes the drone to move along a container axis defined by the longitudinal axis of the container, at a direction towards a top cover of the container and eject therethrough during the launching process. The launching mechanism includes two elements, each has a receptacle portion, wherein the receptacle portion of one of the elements is received within the receptacle portion of the second element. The two receptacle portions, when one is received within the other, confine an inner space. One of the elements is a static element that is fixed to the container, and the other element is a dynamic element that upon application of force along the container axis in the direction of the top cover is free to move in the force direction and to push the drone that is disposed between it and the top cover of the container. A pressure generator of the launching mechanism is configured for controllably causing an abrupt increase of pressure in the inner space, thus generating a propelling force along the container axis in the direction of the top cover that pushes the drone and causing its launching out of the container. The dynamic element is detachably attached to the static element such that when the propelling force exceeds a certain value, the two elements detach one from the other and the dynamic element continues to move along the container axis.

Provided is a system including a platform to receive unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) thereon for launching and retrieving the UAVs. The system can include a pair of gantry arms that move to any location along the platform to position a UAV as desired. The platform includes a door that can open to expose a storage area in the system to receive and store UAVs, as well as to re-charge power in the UAVs. The storage area can include a plurality of cells that can be adjusted to receive a UAV of any size for storage therein.

Embodiments describe a remote deployable transient sensory kit comprising a shipping container having a remote deployable transient sensory system. The sensory system includes a controller, a set of batteries configured according to a flight plan optimization associated with a building energy modeling mission, and a mobile device for wireless communication with the remote deployable transient sensory system. The mobile device includes a processor, a computer-readable memory comprising an application executable via the processor for collecting energy usage data and building characteristics via the remote deployable transient sensory system, and a transceiver configured for wireless communication with the remote deployable transient sensory system.

An aircraft is described with both VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) capabilities and convention airplane capabilities. A preferred embodiment comprises a fuselage and fixed wing, with one boom on either side of the fuselage. Each boom comprises a tilt rotor on a fore end and a fixed rotor on the aft end. Both rotors can be directed vertically for VTOL capability. During cruise the tilt rotors can be directed forward for thrust and the fixed rotors can be stopped and directed along the boom axis, minimizing drag. The described embodiments have advantages in weight savings and maneuverability compared to other VTOL aircraft.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage and launch system, including: a UAV pod having an interior; and a telescoping UAV landing surface disposed in the interior of the UAV pod; where the telescoping UAV landing surface may translate up toward a top opening of the UAV pod, translate down into an interior of the UAV pod, or rotate relative to the UAV pod.