Aerial vehicles may be equipped with propellers having pivotable blades that are configured to rotate when the propellers are not rotating under power. A pivotable blade may rotate about an axis of a propeller with respect to a hub until the pivotable blade is coaligned with a fixed blade. When the propeller is rotating a lifting force from the blade may cause the blade to rotate to a deployed position that is not coaligned with the fixed blade.

The present invention extends to methods, systems, devices, and apparatus for remotely operated aerial vehicle with reduced cross-section area during forward flight. In one aspect, a remotely operated aerial vehicle is a rotor based Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) having a plurality of rotors. A remotely operated aerial vehicle includes a frame, a power source, a plurality of motors, and a corresponding plurality of fixed rotors. The frame includes a top surface. Each fixed rotor in the plurality of fixed rotors is mounted to a corresponding motor from among the plurality of motors. The corresponding motor controls the rotation of the fixed rotor. Each of the plurality of fixed rotors is mounted at a specified angle relative to the top surface. Mounting the fixed rotors at the specified angle minimizes the cross-sectional area of the frame when the remotely operated aerial vehicle flies in a specified direction.

An aerial vehicle may include a fuselage; and one or more propellers coupled to the fuselage, wherein the aerial vehicle may have at least a taking off or landing state and a cruise state. In response to the aerial vehicle being in the taking off or landing state, an angle between a longitudinal axis of the fuselage and a horizontal plane may be within a first angular range and in response to the aerial vehicle being in the cruise state, an angle between the longitudinal axis of the fuselage and the horizontal plane may be within a second angular range. A maximum value of the second angular range may be less than a minimum value of the first angular range. In response to the aerial vehicle switching between the takeoff or landing state and the cruise state, the fuselage and the propellers may tilt as a whole.

There is provided a flying device that includes a flying mechanism, a frame, and a covering member. The flying mechanism includes a propeller and a drive mechanism that rotatably drives the propeller. The frame surrounds the flying mechanism and supports the covering member. The covering member covers at least an upper face side of the propeller and a lower face side of the propeller.

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprises receiving a position of a target in an image, obtaining a flight height of the UAV relative to a ground, and controlling a flight of the UAV according at least to the position of the target in the image and the flight height.

An unmanned flight vehicle includes a rotor, a motor rotating the rotor, and a control device controlling the motor and the vehicle. The control device has a memory storing identification information enabling identification of a user of a communication service for receiving first control information or airspace information about an airspace in which the flight vehicle flies via a wireless base station by the unmanned flight vehicle. The control device also has a processor controlling the vehicle to communicate with the wireless base station based on the stored identification information. The processor controls i) a flight state of the vehicle based on the first control information or the airspace information received via the wireless base station by using the identification information, and ii) the vehicle based on a quality of a radio wave that the vehicle has received from the wireless base station.

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.

An articulated support includes a base and pitch-roll-yaw assembly having a pitch/roll subassembly and a yaw subassembly. The pitch/roll subassembly includes a central member configured for spring-loaded rotation about a pitch/roll axis, and the yaw subassembly has a U-shaped member configured (a) at end portions to engage under-wing connection lugs of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and (b) at a central portion to mate to the central member of the pitch/roll subassembly in a rotatable manner providing for rotation of the yaw subassembly about a yaw axis. The pitch/roll subassembly and yaw subassembly are further co-configured to define first and second fixed yaw positions in which a fuselage of the UAS is, respectively, parallel to and perpendicular to the pitch/roll axis, permitting roll motion and pitch motion of the UAS when mounted on the articulated support.

Aerial vehicles may be equipped with propellers having pivotable blades that are configured to rotate or fold when the propellers are not rotating under power. A pivotable blade may rotate about an axis of a propeller with respect to a hub in the presence of wind flow until the pivotable blade is coaligned with a fixed blade, in a direction opposite to the wind flow. A pivotable blade may also fold over a hub of a propeller in the presence of wind flow, with the pivotable blade and a fixed blade being oriented in directions opposite to the wind flow. A center of mass of the pivotable blade may be caused to be on the same side of an axis as a center of mass of a fixed blade, even where the axis is not normal to the wind flow, thereby reducing an amount of drag generated by the propeller.

A propulsion system assembly includes a propeller and a motor configured to drive the propeller to rotate. The propeller includes one of a first body and a second body. The motor comprises the other one of the first body and the second body. The propulsion system assembly also includes a locking mechanism configured to detachably connecting the first body and the second body. The locking mechanism includes a locking member and a position limiting lock catch. The locking member is configured to lock the first body and the second body. The locking member includes locking parts located at at least two sides of the locking member. When the locking parts of the locking member rotate to a locking position, the position limiting lock catch is mounted to a side of the locking parts, to restrain the locking member from rotating relative to the first body.