An aircraft includes at least one sensor, an altitude actuator, a memory device, and an electronic controller. The at least one sensor is configured to detect altitude of the aircraft, current position of the aircraft and speed of the aircraft. The altitude actuator is configured to change the altitude of the aircraft. The memory device is configured to store predetermined terrain data of an area. The electronic controller is configured to estimate a future position of the aircraft based on a detected current position of the aircraft and a detected speed of the aircraft. The electronic controller is further configured to control the altitude actuator based on the future position, a detected altitude of the aircraft and the predetermined terrain data.

A vehicle controllable by an autonomous mode and an alternate mode is provided. The vehicle includes a body, one or more lights positioned on the body of the vehicle; and a processor. The processor is operable to be in signal communication with the one or more lights and the vehicle. The processor is configured to: receive an initial signal that the vehicle is being controlled by the autonomous mode or the alternate mode; actuate, when the vehicle is in the autonomous mode, one or more lights positioned on the vehicle to a first state; and actuate, when the vehicle is in the alternate mode, the one or more lights to a second state.

Techniques are described for configuring a monitoring system to assist users during a detected emergency condition at a property. In some implementations, sensor data from one or more sensors that are located at the property are obtained by a monitoring system that is configured to monitor the property. A determination that there is an emergency condition at the property is made by the monitoring system based on the sensor data, determining. A location of a person inside the property is determined by the monitoring system based on the sensor data. A first path to the person and a second path to guide the person away from the emergency condition are determined by the monitoring system. The first path to the person and the second path to guide the person away from the emergency condition are navigated by a computing device of the monitoring system.

Autonomous unmanned vehicles (UVs) for responding to situations are described. Embodiments include UVs that launch upon detection of a situation, operate in the area of the situation, and collect and send information about the situation. The UVs may launch from a vehicle involved in the situation, a vehicle responding to the situation, or from a fixed station. In other embodiments, the UVs also provide communications relays to the situation and may facilitate access to the situation by responders. The UVs further may act as decoupled sensors for vehicles. In still other embodiments, the collected information may be used to recreate the situation as it happened.

A replenishment planning device calculates a first route replenishment point on a travel route at which replenishment of a chemical becomes necessary, a second route replenishment point on the travel route which is closer to a replenishment area than the first route replenishment point is, and first and second times necessary for an unmanned helicopter to travel from a travel start point, via the first and the second route replenishment points, to a replenishment area to have the chemical replenished, and to move back to the travel route. Thereafter, a process takes the first and the second route replenishment points as next travel start points, and calculates, for each, next first and second route replenishment points, and first and second times, and is repeated for each replenishment plan pattern until the first route replenishment point reaches a travel end point, such that position information and time information for each replenishment plan pattern are generated.

A ganged servo flight control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided. The flight control system may include a swashplate having first, second, and third connection portions; a first control assembly connected to the first connection portion of the swashplate; a second control assembly connected to the second connection portion of the swashplate; and a third control assembly connected to the third connection portion of the swashplate. The first control assembly may include two or more servo-actuators connected to operate in cooperation with each other.

Embodiments herein describe UAVs that utilize tail boom assemblies from pre-existing aircraft designs as lift generating elements. In one embodiment, a UAV includes a fuselage having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a first tail boom coupler disposed at the first end, and a second tail boom coupler disposed at the second end. Each of the first tail boom coupler and the second tail boom coupler are configured to mechanically couple with a plurality of tail boom assemblies procured from a pre-existing aircraft design.

An aircraft for unmanned firefighting may include a water tank fillable via a scoop operation during flight of the aircraft, and configured to be emptied by a release operation at a target of interest, a communications module configured to employ wireless communication via a ground link and/or a satellite link to provide real time or near real time communication with a remote configuration or monitoring facility, an imaging module configured to obtain image data at the target of interest for identifying updated target information, and a navigation module configured to enable remote or autonomous operation of the aircraft during the scoop operation and the release operation.

A propeller blade is provided including a leading edge and a trailing edge. The trailing edge is arranged opposite the leading edge to form an airfoil there between. At least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge include at least one facet.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a helicopter-mediated system and method for launching and retrieving an aircraft capable of long-distance efficient cruising flight from a small space without the use of a long runway.