Systems, methods, and computer program products for controlling a drone using a tether. A drone is coupled to a distal end of the tether, and a force sensor measures one or more force parameters exerted on the drone by the tether. The force parameters are in turn used to generate control parameters, and the control parameters provided to a flight controller. The flight controller generates one or more propulsion parameters based on the control parameters, and provides the propulsion parameters to respective propulsion units of the drone. The drone can thereby be controlled by manipulating a proximate end of the tether, which changes the force parameters measured by the force sensor.

A system for inspecting an aircraft includes a drone, a base station, and a controller. The drone includes one or more cameras. The base station has a storage compartment configured to store the autonomous drone therein. The controller has a processor and a memory. The memory has instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor, cause the base station to drive to a first predetermined location relative to the aircraft, and cause the drone to fly from the storage compartment of the base station to a first predetermined position relative to the aircraft so that the drone can record image data of at least portions of the aircraft with the one or more cameras.

A control system for a tethered aerostat is provided, where at least one rotational and at least one translational degree of freedom are controlled to setpoints through the variation of tether lengths by an actuator system. The term tether includes a single tether, a tether group or a sub section of tether controlled by an individual actuator. Accurate rotational and translational control is essential for the successful operation of an aerostat under several applications, including surveillance, weather monitoring, communications, and power generation. For a given use case, the controller can be constructed and arranged to manage the tradeoff between several key performance characteristics, such as transient performance, steady-state pointing accuracy, tether tension regulation, and power generation.

Upon detection of boarding of a person in a vehicle compartment of a vehicle by a vehicle information detector, a controller controls an aircraft such that the aircraft takes off from the vehicle, a photographing unit photographs a periphery of the vehicle, and a video captured by the photographing unit is transmitted to a communication unit.

An on-vehicle aircraft control system includes a winding device provided on a landing platform, a connecting member connecting the winding device and an aircraft and wound up or drawn out by the winding device, and a controller controlling the winding device and the aircraft. Upon receipt of a landing request to land the aircraft on the landing platform, the controller winds up the connecting member by the winding device and controls an attitude of the aircraft so as to land the aircraft with a photographing unit provided on the aircraft facing in a specified photographing direction determined in advance.

In an aspect, in general, a spooling apparatus includes a filament feeding mechanism for deploying and retracting filament from the spooling apparatus to an aerial vehicle, an exit geometry sensor for sensing an exit geometry of the filament from the spooling apparatus, and a controller for controlling the feeding mechanism to feed and retract the filament based on the exit geometry.

An apparatus for permitting a flying vehicle to land on or take off therefrom whilst the apparatus is airborne, the apparatus including: a surface for supporting the flying vehicle during landing or when taking off; at least one propulsion device for sustaining flight of the apparatus and for positioning the surface in a desired landing or taking off orientation; and a link which is connectable at one end to a land- or sea-going vehicle, for tethering the apparatus relative thereto.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus (100) for recovering an unmanned vehicle (20), comprising: a container (103) for storing at least one unmanned vehicle (20), the container (103) having an opening (105) for receiving an unmanned vehicle (20) an extendable tether (102), a first end of the tether (102) being coupled to the inside of the container (103), a second end of the tether being arranged to pass through the opening (105); and at least one light source (106) affixed to the second end of the tether (102). The present disclosure also provides an aircraft (10) having the apparatus (100), an unmanned vehicle (20) to be recovered and methods of recovering an unmanned vehicle.

A power recharging system may include an electrical conductor connected to a first aircraft and configured to connect to a second aircraft while the aircrafts are in flight. An AC signal may be induced in the electrical conductor it is in proximity to a changing magnetic field. The system may include a first rectifier circuit at the first aircraft that converts the AC signal into a DC signal for charging the first aircraft and a second rectifier circuit at the second aircraft that converts the AC signal into a second DC signal for charging the second aircraft. The electrical conductor may be part of a communication line. A communication system at the first aircraft may send and receive data communications via the communication line.

Systems and methods are provided for powering and controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicles can be used in a networked system under common control and operation and can be used for a variety of applications. Selected embodiments can operate while tethered to a portable control system. A high speed tether management system can be used to facilitate both mobile and static tethered operation. Modular components provide for both tethered and fully autonomous flight operations.