Various techniques are provided for an energy absorbing fluid bladder. In one example, the fluid bladder includes a bladder body and a perforated baffle structure. The perforated baffle structure can be disposed within the bladder body and configured to mitigate a pulse of fluid (e.g., fuel) moving within the bladder body before the pulse reaches the bladder body. Related methods are also disclosed.

One aspect of the present invention includes artificial vision system. The system includes an image system comprising a video source that is configured to capture sequential frames of image data of non-visible light and at least one processor configured as an image processing system. The image processing system includes a wavelet enhancement component configured to normalize each pixel of each of the sequential frames of image data and to decompose the normalized image data into a plurality of wavelet frequency bands. The image processing system also includes a video processor configured to convert the plurality of wavelet frequency bands in the sequential frames into respective visible color images. The system also includes a video display system configured to display the visible color images.

A passenger compartment which has a first connection device, by which the passenger compartment can be coupled to an aircraft, and a second connection device, by which the passenger compartment can be coupled to a land vehicle. The passenger compartment has an electrical circuit with an electrical energy storage. The electrical circuit of the passenger compartment has a coupling device by which electrical energy can be input from the electrical energy storage into an electrical circuit of the aircraft. The electrical circuit of the passenger compartment has a further coupling device by which electrical energy can be input from the electrical energy storage into an electrical circuit of the land vehicle.

A voltage controlled aircraft electric propulsion system includes an electric propulsion system. The voltage controlled aircraft electric propulsion system may include electric propulsors providing thrust for the aircraft. In hybrid systems, a gas turbine engine may also be included. The electric propulsion system may include at least one electric generator power source, at least one propulsor motor load, and at least one stored energy power source, such as a battery. The propulsor motor load may be supplied power from a power supply bus. The voltage of the power supply bus may be adjusted according to an altitude of the aircraft while maintaining a substantially constant current flow to the propulsor motor load. Due to the adjustment to lower voltages at increased altitude, insulations levels may be lower.

A self-contained, compact camera wash system 1000 for a drone 800 or as an automotive aftermarket kit 1101 uses a pressurized container 1002 similar to a common aerosol can to supply washer fluid to a washer nozzle 1020 via actuable valving. The fluid supply container is small for use with drone cameras (e.g., 15 ml in volume) and is readily packaged in a compact assembly. For the automotive aftermarket kit 1101 a larger volume container volume is provided and configured to be easily replaced as needed.

An active vibration control system for an aircraft includes a gearbox operably coupling a power source and a component rotatable about an axis. The gearbox includes a flexible region which allows flexure between a first stage and a second stage. At least one active vibration control actuator is arranged in vibrational communication with the flexible region to counteract vibrations transmitted between the power source and the rotatable component.

A system method for detecting taillight signals of a vehicle using a convolutional neural network is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: receiving a plurality of images from one or more image-generating devices; generating a frame for each of the plurality of images; generating a ground truth, wherein the ground truth includes a labeled image with one of the following taillight status conditions for a right or left taillight signal of the vehicle: (1) an invisible right or left taillight signal, (2) a visible but not illuminated right or left taillight signal, and (3) a visible and illuminated right or left taillight signal; creating a first dataset including the labeled images corresponding to the plurality of images, the labeled images including one or more of the taillight status conditions of the right or left taillight signal; and creating a second dataset including at least one pair of portions of the plurality of images, wherein the at least one pair of portions of the plurality of the images are in temporal succession.

A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.

A system method for detecting taillight signals of a vehicle using a convolutional neural network is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: receiving a plurality of images from one or more image-generating devices; generating a frame for each of the plurality of images; generating a ground truth, wherein the ground truth includes a labeled image with one of the following taillight status conditions for a right or left taillight signal of the vehicle: (1) an invisible right or left taillight signal, (2) a visible but not illuminated right or left taillight signal, and (3) a visible and illuminated right or left taillight signal; creating a first dataset including the labeled images corresponding to the plurality of images, the labeled images including one or more of the taillight status conditions of the right or left taillight signal; and creating a second dataset including at least one pair of portions of the plurality of images, wherein the at least one pair of portions of the plurality of the images are in temporal succession.

Provided are embodiments for a direct drive wiper system. The system includes a motor that is operably coupled to a wiper system to drive one or more wiper arms of the wiper system, and a gearbox, wherein an input to the gearbox is coupled to the motor and an output of the gearbox is coupled to the wiper assembly, wherein the gearbox is configured to convert an input from the motor to an output to drive the wiper system. The system also includes a brake and stopper mechanism that is coupled to the gearbox and the wiper system. Also provided are embodiments for a method for operating the direct drive wiper system.