Controlling drones and vehicles in package delivery, in one aspect, may include routing a delivery vehicle loaded with packages to a dropoff location based on executing on a hardware processor a spatial clustering of package destinations. A set of drones may be dispatched. A drone-to-package assignment is determined for the drones and the packages in the delivery vehicle. The drone is controlled to travel from the vehicle's dropoff location to transport the assigned package to a destination point and return to the dropoff location to meet the vehicle. The delivery vehicle may be alerted to speed up or slow down to meet the drone at the return location, for example, without the delivery vehicle having to stop and wait at the dropoff location while the drone is making its delivery.

An unmanned aerial vehicle according to certain embodiments generally includes a chassis, a power supply mounted to the chassis, a control system operable to receive power from the power supply, at least one rotor operable to generate lift under control of the control system, and a motor operable to lower a free end of a line. The free end of the line is operable to engage a parcel to be delivered by the unmanned aerial vehicle. The control system is configured to operate the motor to cause the free end of the line to accelerate toward a delivery surface as the free end of the line passes through a first portion of a distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the delivery surface, and to decelerate as the free end of the line passes through a lower portion of the distance.

A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system having an aerial wing, a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, an electrically conductive tether secured to the aerial wing and secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the turbine blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle.

The universal vehicle system is designed with a lifting body which is composed of a plurality of interconnected modules which are configured to form an aerodynamically viable contour of the lifting body which including a front central module, a rear module, and thrust vectoring modules displaceably connected to the front central module and operatively coupled to respective propulsive mechanisms. The thrust vectoring modules are controlled for dynamical displacement relative to the lifting body (in tilting and/or translating fashion) to direct and actuate the propulsive mechanism(s) as needed for safe and stable operation in various modes of operation and transitioning therebetween in air, water and terrain environments.

A method of controlling an unmanned carrier with respect to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes determining, with aid of one or more processors individually or collectively, a state of the UAV; and adjusting a state of the unmanned carrier based on the state of the UAV. The state of the UAV includes at least: (1) a first state wherein the UAV is docked on the unmanned carrier; (2) a second state wherein the UAV is in flight mode and separated from the unmanned carrier; (3) a third state wherein the UAV is ready to dock on the unmanned carrier; or (4) a fourth state wherein the UAV is ready to take off from the unmanned carrier.

Provided is an apparatus including an image capture device mounted on a flying object to support work by a work machine, including an information acquisition unit, an image capture target position calculation unit, an image capture condition setting unit that sets an image capture condition including at least one of an image capture view angle and an image capture direction, a flying object control unit capable of hovering control of the flying object, and a flight control command unit that imparts a control command to the flying object control unit. The flight control command unit makes the image capture condition setting unit change the image capture condition to make the image capture target position contained within the image capture area while maintaining the target flight state when the image capture target position is deviated or predicted to be deviated from the image capture area during the hovering control.

This document describes a system and method through which unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be docked, with a device that can secure the UAVs, and information can be transmitted to and from such UAVs. The UAVs are secured through the use of magnetic fields. The system also includes a means for transmitting information between the docking system itself, the UAV(s) and/or between the docking system and a command center, which may be a notable distance from the docking system, or among the docking system, the UAV(s) and the command center.

A material handling robot including a mobile base, a plurality of drones, and a plurality of docking stations on the mobile base for receiving the drones. The mobile base has motorized wheels for driving the mobile base, and a platform for supporting a load. Each drone has a power source and a drone sensor for monitoring environment around the drone. Each docking station has a power charger for recharging the power source, and a launch mechanism for deploying the drone. The robot also includes a controller for communicating with the mobile base and the drones. The controller has: a material handling mode for transporting loads on the platform of the mobile base; and a security mode where at least one of the drones is deployed to conduct surveillance using the drone sensor.

A system of one or more computers configured to perform particular operations or actions by virtue of having software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them installed on the system that in operation causes or cause the system to perform the actions. One general aspect includes a first computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor such that the first computer is programmed to send parameters describing a target passenger to a mobile drone. The system instructs said drone to circumnavigate an area while searching said area for the target passenger with an image capturing device. The system receives communications from the drone and confirms a match to the target passenger and instructs the drone to guide the target passenger to a destination.

An Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for detecting and communicating safety-related events to a safety server is provided. A network status of a communication network over which devices associated with the vehicle are communicating with the safety server is identified. The UAV receives metadata including at least location data from the devices when the network status of the communication network indicates low or unavailable connectivity that is hindering communication of the metadata to the safety server by the devices. The UAV processes the metadata and detects safety events associated with the vehicle. The UAV communicates the safety events to the safety server based on at least a safety criterion including detachment of the UAV from the vehicle when the UAV is unable to communicate with the safety server in its attached configuration with the vehicle due to network issues.