An unmanned aerial vehicle that delivers a package includes a plurality of rotary wings, a plurality of first motors, a main body, a connector, a movable block, and a processor. When the connector is connected to a rail, the processor sets a rotation rate of the plurality of first motors to a rotation rate that is lower than a minimum rotation rate necessary for floating and higher than a minimum rotation rate necessary for propulsion along the rail. Furthermore, the processor causes the movable block to increase the angle formed by the normal direction of an imaginary plane containing the plurality of rotary wings relative to a support direction of the connector.

A payload loading system is disclosed. The payload loading system includes a UAV and a loading structure. A retractable tether is coupled to a payload coupling apparatus at a distal end and the UAV at a proximate end. A payload is loaded to the UAV by coupling the payload to the payload coupling apparatus. The loading structure of the payload loading system includes a landing platform and a tether guide. The tether guide is coupled to the landing platform and directs the tether as the UAV approaches and travels across at least a portion of the landing platform such that the payload coupling apparatus arrives at a target location. The payload is loaded to the payload coupling apparatus while the payload coupling apparatus is within the target location.

The present invention has an object of providing an unmanned aircraft system, control device and control method which can more easily anchor a package to a linear member. An unmanned aircraft system (1) of an embodiment of the present invention includes: an unmanned aircraft (2) including a hoisting mechanism capable of feeding out and hoisting a linear member (31); a flight control unit (61) which causes the unmanned aircraft (2) to take off in a state in which a package (T) anchored to the linear member (31) is arranged on a ground surface; and a hoisting control unit (62) which causes the linear member (31) to be hoisted by the hoisting mechanism (3), after the unmanned aircraft (2) has taken off, in a case of a hoisting condition indicating a state enabling hoisting of the linear member (31) being satisfied.

A lifting system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, a thruster device, a first wire, a first reel, a second thruster device, a second wire, a second reel, and a controller. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a position separated from the ground, the controller detaches the first thruster device and the second thruster device from the unmanned aerial vehicle, causes the first reel to reel out the first wire, detaches the second thruster device from the first thruster device, and causes the second reel to reel out the second wire.

A delivery device that travels along rails and delivers a package is provided. The rails include at least first and second rails. The delivery device includes: a main body; a connector that is configured to be connected to the rails, with the main body hanging from the connector, and with the rails being spaced apart from a ground surface; at least one actuator that drives the connector; a lift motor that is capable of taking up a wire for unloading the package; and a control circuit. When the delivery device is slidably hung from the first rail, the control circuit: switches from the first rail to the second rail by controlling the actuator; and lets out the wire and lowers the package by controlling the lift motor.

An unmanned aerial vehicle executes: a movement control process that moves the unmanned aerial vehicle to a delivery area including a delivery address to which a package is to be delivered, the delivery area including delivery destination candidates, and each of the delivery destination candidates including an identification information indicator located at a position where the identification information indicator is readable from outside; an identification information acquiring process that acquires identification information associated with each delivery destination candidate by reading a corresponding identification information indicator; a delivery destination identifying process that identifies, as a delivery destination, a delivery destination candidate in which the acquired identification information matches the delivery address; a position identifying process that identifies a receiving position of the package based on a position of the identified delivery destination; and a placing process that places the package at the identified receiving position.

A UAV for transporting a payload comprising a vehicle body; a retractable rail exposed on an underside of the vehicle body; a retraction mechanism coupling the rail to the vehicle body for causing the rail to raise and lower relative to the vehicle body; and a barrier located on the vehicle body so as to confront the rail when the rail is in its raised position to block the removal from the rail of a payload slidably engaged with the rail. A mechanism for advancing a payload onto and along the rail and pushing it off.

A multiple hoist system is used with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for delivering parcels. An example of the multiple hoist system comprises two or more hoists that are independently operable, meaning that a first hoist can lower or raise a first line independently of using a second hoist to raise or lower a second line. The hoists can independently raise and lower their associated lines to allow the UAV to deliver multiple parcels to multiple delivery locations, or the hoists can synchronously raise and lower the associated lines together so that larger parcels can be delivered using the UAV. The hoists can be comprised within a body of the multiple hoist system. The body can further include a securing device for releasably securing the multiple hoist system to the UAV.

Example implementations relate to a method of dynamically updating a transport task of a UAV. The method includes receiving, at a transport-provider computing system, an item provider request for transportation of a plurality of packages from a loading location at a given future time. The method also includes assigning, by the transport-provider computing system, a respective transport task to each of a plurality of UAVs, where the respective transport task comprises an instruction to deploy to the loading location to pick up one or more of the plurality of packages. Further, the method includes identifying, by the transport-provider system, a first package while or after a first UAV picks up the first package. Yet further, the method includes based on the identifying of the first package, providing, by the transport-provider system, a task update to the first UAV to update the respective transport task of the first UAV.

A drone having at least one thrust device and being provided with a loop coupled to the drone. The loop is configured for fastening a rope to the drone and is provided with a rope connector for establishing a releasable connection with the rope in operational use of the drone. The loop is configured for guiding the rope connector from a first position under the drone along a predefined path to a second position over the drone i) by rotation of the loop itself or ii) by translation of the rope connector along the loop, or iii) by a combination of said rotation and said translation, wherein the predefined path is configured for ensuring a minimum distance between the rope connector and the least one thrust device of the drone.