Systems and methods are presented including solar cells or solar sheets having textured coversheets that provide increased light collection efficiency. Some embodiments include a textured solar sheet configured for installation on a surface of a UAV or on a surface of a component of a UAV. The textured solar sheet includes a plurality of solar cells and a polymer layer to which the plurality of solar cells are attached. Some embodiments include a kit for supplying solar power in a battery-powered or fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by incorporating flexible, textured solar cells into a component of a UAV, affixing flexible, textured solar cells to a surface of a UAV, or affixing flexible, textured solar cells to a surface of a component of a UAV. The kit also includes a power conditioning system configured to operate the solar cells within a desired power range and configured to provide power having a voltage compatible with an electrical system of the UAV.

Systems and methods are presented including solar cells or solar sheets having textured coversheets that provide increased light collection efficiency. Some embodiments include a textured solar sheet configured for installation on a surface of a UAV or on a surface of a component of a UAV. The textured solar sheet includes a plurality of solar cells and a polymer layer to which the plurality of solar cells are attached. Some embodiments include a kit for supplying solar power in a battery-powered or fuel cell powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by incorporating flexible, textured solar cells into a component of a UAV, affixing flexible, textured solar cells to a surface of a UAV, or affixing flexible, textured solar cells to a surface of a component of a UAV. The kit also includes a power conditioning system configured to operate the solar cells within a desired power range and configured to provide power having a voltage compatible with an electrical system of the UAV.

This disclosure is generally directed to an Unmanned Aerial Device (UAV) that uses a removable computing device for command and control. The UAV may include an airframe with rotors and an adjustable cradle to attach a computing device. The computing device, such as a smart phone, tablet, MP3 player, or the like, may provide the necessary avionics and computing equipment to control the UAV autonomously. For example, the adjustable cradle may be extended to fit a tablet or other large computing device, or retracted to fit a smart phone or other small computing device. Thus, the adjustable cradle may provide for the attachment and use of a plurality of different computing devices in conjunction with a single airframe. Additionally the UAV may comprise adjustable arms to assist in balancing the load of the different computing devices and/or additional equipment attached to the airframe.

The technology relates to managing nighttime power for solar-powered vehicles. A system may include a sunrise estimator for estimating a time until a next sunrise, a battery state estimator for estimating a battery state, a critical battery estimator for determining a battery threshold, below which subsystems may be powered off, and an alert monitor to determine, and communicate to the solar-powered vehicle, a charge threshold and a restart charge threshold. A method may include operating a vehicle in an operational power mode, estimating a time until a next sunrise, estimating a battery state, determining a preservation battery threshold based on the estimated time until the next sunrise and the estimated battery state, determining a minimum charge threshold based on the preservation battery threshold, monitoring a battery charge level of the vehicle throughout the night, and if the battery charge level drops below the minimum charge threshold, implementing a preservation power mode.

The present invention relates to a multipurpose and long endurance Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HUAV) with the combined functions of a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) and a fixed wing operation. The HUAV may take-off and land vertically on both land and water, and perform a mid-air transition from a VTOL mode to a fixed wing mode. The HUAV includes an airframe, a fixed wing unit having at least one forward thrust motor, one or more VTOL units mounted on a tail boom, and a fuselage of the airframe. Each of the one or more VTOL units includes at least one VTOL motor, and a control unit configured to control on-board transition of the HUAV between the VTOL mode and the fixed wing mode by controlling at least one forward thrust motor and at least one VTOL motor.

The present invention relates to a multipurpose and long endurance Hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HUAV) with the combined functions of a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) and a fixed wing operation. The HUAV may take-off and land vertically on both land and water, and perform a mid-air transition from a VTOL mode to a fixed wing mode. The HUAV includes an airframe, a fixed wing unit having at least one forward thrust motor, one or more VTOL units mounted on a tail boom, and a fuselage of the airframe. Each of the one or more VTOL units includes at least one VTOL motor, and a control unit configured to control on-board transition of the HUAV between the VTOL mode and the fixed wing mode by controlling at least one forward thrust motor and at least one VTOL motor.

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.

In a method of controlling a flying object 1, from the flying object 1 that includes a flying object propulsion apparatus 16 and an energy storage apparatus 7, 8 having a plurality of energy storage devices 6 and configured to supply electricity to the flying object propulsion apparatus 16, one or a plurality of the energy storage devices 6 are separated.

In a method of controlling a flying object 1, from the flying object 1 that includes a flying object propulsion apparatus 16 and an energy storage apparatus 7, 8 having a plurality of energy storage devices 6 and configured to supply electricity to the flying object propulsion apparatus 16, one or a plurality of the energy storage devices 6 are separated.

A method of controlling a flying object 1 including a generator 5, which includes solar cells, and an energy storage apparatus 7 is configured such in a case where, during flying of the flying object 1, a voltage of an energy storage device 6 in the energy storage apparatus 7 reaches a lower limit voltage of a voltage range in which charge and discharge of electricity can be reversibly repeated, the flying object 1 is made to keep flying and/or descend while making the energy storage device 6 discharge electricity within a voltage range lower than the lower limit voltage.