An unmanned aerial vehicle including a body, a platform, a rotor, a tether cable, and an actuation system. The platform is coupled to the body such that the platform is rotatable relative to the body about a first horizontal axis of rotation. The rotor is rigidly coupled to the platform such that the rotor and the platform rotate together about the first horizontal axis of rotation. The tether cable extends away from the body and is coupled to the body such that the tether cable is rotatable relative to the body about a second horizontal axis of rotation. The first and second horizontal axes of rotation are normal to a vertical plane. The actuation system is configured to rotate the platform in a clockwise direction about the first horizontal axis of rotation when the tether cable rotates in a counter-clockwise direction about the second horizontal axis of rotation.

A collision avoidance system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) receives physical space data for a flight area and creates a virtual world model to represent the flight area by mapping the physical space data with a physics engine. The automatic collision avoidance system creates a virtual UAV model to represent the UAV in the virtual world model. The automatic collision avoidance system receives flight data for the UAV and determines a current position of the virtual UAV model within the virtual world model. The automatic collision avoidance system determines a predicted trajectory of the virtual UAV model within the virtual world model, and determines whether the predicted trajectory will result in a collision of the virtual UAV model with the virtual world model. The automatic collision avoidance system performs evasive actions by the UAV, in response to determining that the predicted trajectory will result in a collision.

A device for controlling the orientation and magnitude of cyclorotor thrust and for providing mechanical power to that cyclorotor including a system of linear actuators to position a cam or eccentric around a geared shaft. The invention includes a frame which supports the main cyclorotor shaft, provides mounting for the linear actuators, and contains the mechanical gearing system.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a body, at least two rotors rotatably disposed at the body, and at least one processor. Each rotor is configured to provide a first thrust in a first direction when rotating in a forward direction and a second thrust in a second direction opposite to the first direction when rotating in a reverse direction. The at least one processor is configured to, in response to the body being in a to-be-rescued attitude, determine whether the at least two rotors are capable of conducting rescue, and in response to determining that only one or more first rotors being capable of conducting rescue, control to perform a rescue operation by controlling the one or more first rotors to provide the second thrust and controlling one or more second rotors other than the one or more first rotors to stop rotating.

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a body, at least two rotors rotatably disposed at the body, and at least one processor. Each rotor is configured to provide a first thrust in a first direction when rotating in a forward direction and a second thrust in a second direction opposite to the first direction when rotating in a reverse direction. The at least one processor is configured to, in response to the body being in a to-be-rescued attitude, determine whether the at least two rotors are capable of conducting rescue, and in response to determining that only one or more first rotors being capable of conducting rescue, control to perform a rescue operation by controlling the one or more first rotors to provide the second thrust and controlling one or more second rotors other than the one or more first rotors to stop rotating.

Disclosed is a system and method for calibrating a magnetometer. The method comprises responsive to a determination that a magnetic inclination is less than a threshold, measuring first magnetic field data by detecting a magnetic field with the magnetometer through a first rotation path, measuring second magnetic field data by detecting the magnetic field with the magnetometer through a second rotation path, and determining calibration values for the magnetometer based on the measured first magnetic field data and the measured second magnetic field data.

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.

Sounds are generated by an aerial vehicle during operation. For example, the motors and propellers of an aerial vehicle generate sounds during operation. Systems, methods, and apparatus may actively adjust the position and/or configuration of one or more propeller blades of a propulsion mechanism to generate different sounds and/or lifting forces from the propulsion mechanism.

An environment information collecting system collects environment information on a surface of the earth or a surface layer of the earth. The environment information collecting system includes a sensor element which is scattered in a target region where the environment information is collected, of which at least one of reflection properties, transmission properties, absorption properties, or luminescence properties with respective to an electromagnetic wave with a specific wavelength, or light emitting properties changes in accordance with an environment, and an aircraft configured to receive the electromagnetic wave obtained from the sensor element and configured to collect the environment information in the target region.