A lock in a vehicle is automatically controlled based at least in part on a state associated with the vehicle. In response to an attempt to open a hatch using an interior release lever while in a locked state, the automatically-controlled lock in the locked state prevents the hatch from opening. In response to an attempt to open the hatch using an exterior release lever while the automatically-controlled lock is in the locked state, a bypass to the automatically-controlled lock is used to open the hatch.

An in-flight impact protection system for aircraft. An aircraft having a panel, with a sensor disposed on the aircraft and adapted to transmit a signal and receive a reflection of the signal. A controller coupled to the sensor and adapted to receive the reflection from the sensor to determine whether an object is near the aircraft's panel. An inflation device, which includes a tube member, is coupled to the controller and positioned inside the aircraft, proximate the panel. After determining that the object is near the panel, the controller can activate the inflation device so that the tube member inflates, thereby buttressing at least a portion of the panel. The panel can be a windshield, fuselage member, or other suitable component.

A network system for monitoring and storing data of aircraft intelligent windows or windshields to provide useable life of, provide real life performance of, and/or measure characteristics and/or properties of, the windshields forwards the data from sensors mounting the windshield to a window sensing hub having a microprocessor programed to receive and process the data to determine the performance of the windshield and formatting the data in accordance to a preset program, wherein the program includes providing data from the sensors that measures characteristics and properties of the windshield that are active during the period in which the data is taken. An aircraft central maintenance system connected to the window sensing hub receives the formatted information from the window sensing hub and unfiltered or unformatted information, wherein the unfiltered information from the windshield is acted on by the central maintenance system to provide an estimated useable life of the windshield.

The example non-limiting technology herein provides an alternative way to control window heater temperature by delivering to the heater a DC voltage with variable level.

The present disclosure provides a system for an aircraft. The system includes a rail having a bottom surface, and a first and a second sidewall extending from the bottom surface. The first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom surface define a channel. The rail also includes blind holes, located in the bottom surface. The system also includes spacers, each comprising a stem and a top portion, extending substantially perpendicular to the stem. The stem of each of the spacers is configured to be positioned in a respective one of the blind holes such that a longitudinal axis of the top portion of each of the spacers is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the channel. The system also includes a structural component, a portion of which is configured to be positioned into the channel such that the structural component rests on the top portion of each of the spacers.

An aircraft includes a fuselage having an interior cockpit to hold one or more seats; a canopy pivotally attached to the fuselage to provide access to the interior cockpit; wings extending away from the fuselage, each having a motor positioned at a first end; a tilting bar extending through the fuselage and engaging with a pivot point associated with each of the wings, the tilting bar allowing for the fuselage to rotate about the pivot bar and thereby stay in an upright position, regardless of the positioning of each of the wings; one or more landing legs positioned aside the fuselage and to support the fuselage during landing; a computing device to control each motor, each motor can be controlled independently; the cockpit is sized to hold one or more people; and the motor of each of the wings provides lifting force.

The present disclosure provides a method for bonding a structural component to a rail. The method includes (a) positioning a bonding agent in a plurality of blind holes defined in a bottom surface of the rail, (b) positioning a spacer in each of the plurality of blind holes, (c) positioning the structural component into the channel such that the structural component rests on each spacer, wherein a first gap is defined between the structural component and the bottom surface of the rail, a second gap is defined between the structural component and a first sidewall of the rail, and a third gap is defined between the structural component and a second sidewall of the rail, and (d) injecting the bonding agent into the channel such that each of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap includes the bonding agent.

Disclosed is an aircraft having motors operable to actuate an aircraft windshield wiper and an aircraft control surface. The aircraft includes a distributed control system having digital storage and integrated with redundant processors. The aircraft includes controller instructions stored on the digital storage operable upon execution to operate a control surface motor of the motors to actuate the control surface to impact an orientation of the aircraft and operate a windshield wiper motor of the motors to actuate the windshield wipers.

A canopy for an aircraft includes a transparent cover, and a severance cord coupled to the transparent cover. The severance cord includes a fragmenting pattern including a plurality of outer perimeter segments that define an outer perimeter of the fragmenting pattern, and a plurality of inner fragmenting segments that are inside the outer perimeter. The fragmenting pattern is configured to break the transparent cover into numerous fragments when the severance cord is detonated.

A metamaterial optical filter including: a transparent substrate; and a photosensitive polymer layer provided to the transparent substrate, wherein the photosensitive polymer layer is treated using a laser to form a non-conformal holographically patterned subwavelength grating, the holographic grating configured to block a predetermined wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. A system and method for manufacturing holographically patterned subwavelength grating onto the photosensitive polymer layer including: applying a photosensitive polymer layer to a transparent substrate; placing the photosensitive polymer layer between a laser and a mirror; scanning the laser over the photosensitive polymer layer such that a holographic grating is created within the photosensitive polymer layer by interaction between the laser light and light reflected from the mirror; and stacking two or more holographically patterned subwavelength grating layers to form complex metamaterial optical filter stacks.