Methods, systems, and apparatus for drone landing ground station. A method includes determining that a drone is landing on a ground station, based on determining that the drone is landing on the ground station, determining a magnetic field to generate at a first magnetic component at a first position in the ground station and an opposing magnetic polar at a second magnetic component at a second position in the ground station, and generating the magnetic field at the first magnetic component and the opposing magnetic field at the second magnetic component.

A payload loading system is disclosed. The payload loading system includes a UAV and a loading structure. A retractable tether is coupled to a payload coupling apparatus at a distal end and the UAV at a proximate end. A payload is loaded to the UAV by coupling the payload to the payload coupling apparatus. The loading structure of the payload loading system includes a landing platform and a tether guide. The tether guide is coupled to the landing platform and directs the tether as the UAV approaches and travels across at least a portion of the landing platform such that the payload coupling apparatus arrives at a target location. The payload is loaded to the payload coupling apparatus while the payload coupling apparatus is within the target location.

In one aspect, an example system includes: (i) a base including a bottom surface and a first coupling-point; (ii) a vertically-oriented elongate structure comprising a lower end, an upper end, and an inner channel, wherein the inner channel comprises an upper access-point disposed proximate the upper end, wherein the base is coupled to the elongate structure proximate the lower end; (iii) a deployable cushioning-device coupled to the elongate structure; and (iv) a tether comprising a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion, wherein the first portion is coupled to the first coupling-point, the second portion is coupled to a second coupling-point of the UAV, the third portion extends through the inner channel, the fourth portion extends from the upper access-point to the second coupling-point, and the fourth portion has a length that is less than a distance between the upper access-point and the bottom surface.

In one aspect, an example system includes: (i) a base including a bottom surface and a first coupling-point; (ii) a vertically-oriented elongate structure comprising a lower end, an upper end, and an inner channel, wherein the inner channel comprises an upper access-point disposed proximate the upper end, wherein the base is coupled to the elongate structure proximate the lower end; (iii) a deployable cushioning-device coupled to the elongate structure; and (iv) a tether comprising a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion, wherein the first portion is coupled to the first coupling-point, the second portion is coupled to a second coupling-point of the UAV, the third portion extends through the inner channel, the fourth portion extends from the upper access-point to the second coupling-point, and the fourth portion has a length that is less than a distance between the upper access-point and the bottom surface.

A takeoff and landing platform, a UAV, a takeoff and landing system, a storage device and a takeoff and landing control method are provided. The takeoff and landing platform includes: a bracket, one end of the bracket is fixed on a base, and another end thereof extends in a direction away from the base, and the bracket is provided with a vertical guide rail. Multiple UAVs may be vertically stacked on the bracket along the guide rail and take off from the bracket. Hence, the manpower investment and site investment are reduced for multiple UAVs to perform collaborative operations. It can not only reduce the cost of multiple UAV collaborative operations, but also improve the efficiency of multiple UAV collaborative operations.

A takeoff and landing platform, a UAV, a takeoff and landing system, a storage device and a takeoff and landing control method are provided. The takeoff and landing platform includes: a bracket, one end of the bracket is fixed on a base, and another end thereof extends in a direction away from the base, and the bracket is provided with a vertical guide rail. Multiple UAVs may be vertically stacked on the bracket along the guide rail and take off from the bracket. Hence, the manpower investment and site investment are reduced for multiple UAVs to perform collaborative operations. It can not only reduce the cost of multiple UAV collaborative operations, but also improve the efficiency of multiple UAV collaborative operations.

Described herein are systems for roof scan using an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, some methods include capturing, using an unmanned aerial vehicle, an overview image of a roof of a building from above the roof; presenting a suggested bounding polygon overlaid on the overview image to a user; determining a bounding polygon based on the suggested bounding polygon and user edits; based on the bounding polygon, determining a flight path including a sequence of poses of the unmanned aerial vehicle with respective fields of view at a fixed height that collectively cover the bounding polygon; fly the unmanned aerial vehicle to a sequence of scan poses with horizontal positions matching respective poses of the flight path and vertical positions determined to maintain a consistent distance above the roof; and scanning the roof from the sequence of scan poses to generate a three-dimensional map of the roof.

A drone station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a roof allowing a drone to land thereon; a side wall formed to be erected around all sides of the roof from the lower side of the roof; a nozzle which is formed at an edge at which the roof and the side wall meet each other, and sprays an air current upward; a grill formed on the side wall to allow external air to be introduced thereinto; a guide panel disposed inside the grill to guide fluid flow so that fluid flows from the grill to the nozzle; and a rotor disposed inside the guide panel to move fluid from the grill side to the nozzle side through a rotating operation.

An enclosure for a UAS includes a housing having a base and a plurality of sidewalls coupled to the base, a motive apparatus coupled to the housing, a platform coupled to the motive apparatus, and a plurality of lids pivotably coupled to the sidewalls and the platform. The platform and the plurality of lids move collectively under control of the motive apparatus (e.g., a linear actuator). Driving the motive apparatus in a first direction causes the platform to raise from a stowed position toward a deployed position and causes each of the plurality of lids to pivot from a closed position toward an open position. Conversely, driving the motive apparatus in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the platform to lower from the deployed position toward the stowed position and causes each of the plurality of lids to pivot from the open position toward the closed position.

A landing platform for an unmanned aerial vehicle, including a plurality of substantially funnel-shaped centering housings configured to cooperate with a corresponding plurality of projections of the aerial vehicle for reaching a predetermined landing position. The platform can include a mechanism for recharging the battery of the aerial vehicle and/or with an arrangement for serial data transfer.