The present invention addresses the problem of providing a flight vehicle that enables safe and easy test for continuity in structures. The flight vehicle 100 according to the present invention comprises: a flight vehicle body 110; a conductive member 120 for contact with the conductor of a structure; and a movement mechanism 130 capable of moving the conductive member 120 between distal and proximal positions with respect to the flight vehicle body 100. The movement mechanism 130 may be also provided with a support rod 130 that supports the conductive member 120, and a rod movement means 130b capable of moving the support rod 130 in the distal direction.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for ground control point assignment and determination. One of the methods includes receiving information describing a flight plan for the UAV to implement, the flight plan identifying one or more waypoints associated with geographic locations assigned as ground control points. A first waypoint identified in the flight plan is traveled to, and an action to designate a surface at the associated geographic location is designated as a ground control point. Location information associated with the designated surface is stored. The stored location information is provided to an outside system for storage.

The present invention provides the use of a drone, or remotely piloted aircraft, equipped with a system for applying paint or industrial coating with epoxy paint and/or polyurethane.

Coating repair application system using remotely piloted aircraft, characterized by comprising remotely piloted aircraft (9), a portable painting system (2), (5), (7) and (8), linear guide (4), distance sensors (10), camera (11), remote control (12), battery (1), lattice structure (3).

The present invention discloses a positioning and navigation method for automatic inspection of an unmanned aerial vehicle in a water diversion pipeline of a hydropower station, comprising: using a laser radar carried by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to scan the inside of a water diversion pipeline to obtain point cloud data; determining the central axis of the cylinder model; determining the foot point of the current position coordinate of the UAV in the central axis in a body coordinate system; calculating the actual speed of the UAV in a central axis coordinate system according to the distance change of central axes of two frames; and adjusting the attitude of the UAV according to the actual speed and the desired speed of the UAV. The present invention can adapt to pipeline environments with different bending degrees.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a nacelle (14) for a wind turbine generator (10), and a method for transferring components into and out of a wind turbine generator (10). The nacelle (14) comprises a housing (26) surrounding an internal volume (24) of the nacelle (14). The housing (26) has a maintenance opening (50). The nacelle comprises a carriage (54) configured to hold a component (48), the carriage (54) being movable between a first position and a second position to transfer the component (48) through the maintenance opening (50). When the carriage (54) is in the first position, the component (48) is held within the internal volume (24). When the carriage (54) is in the second position, the component (48) is held such that at least a portion of the component (48) is outside the housing (26).

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage grid provided by a framework structure arranged in a building under a ceiling. The framework structure includes a rail system arranged at an upper level of the framework structure. The rail system includes a first set of parallel rails arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel rails arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second sets of rails form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane including a plurality of adjacent access openings/grid cells. The storage grid defines a plurality of storage columns. Each storage column being arranged to store a respective stack of storage containers. The storage columns are located beneath the rail system. Each storage column is located vertically below a respective access opening/grid cell. Container handling vehicles operate on the rail system to collect and return storage containers to and from storage columns. A control system monitors and controls the automated grid storage and retrieval system. A method for monitoring the automated storage and retrieval system includes: launching a flying drone equipped with a camera to an altitude in an airspace located between an upper surface of framework structure and the ceiling or roof obstacle beneath the ceiling, navigating the drone to a suspected location of an anomaly in the system or other aspect of the system in need of inspection, using the drone to locate the anomaly or aspect of the system in need of inspection, and performing a visual inspection of the anomaly or aspect of the system in need of inspection using the camera of the flying drone. The control system includes an exception handler module responsible for identifying and attempting to correct anomalies in the operation of the storage system, and a flight control module responsible for controlling the flight of the drone. The flight control module directs the flight of the drone in response to instructions received from the exception handler module.

A computer-implemented system for construction management. Operations include receiving as input an electronic version of a document; identifying at least one string of data from the electronic version of the document; mapping the identified at least one string of data to a predetermined unitary database including at least one key string of data associated with at least one key event; tagging the mapped and identified at least one string of data with a tag associated with the at least one key string of data associated with the at least one key event; and transmitting a signal based on the tagged, mapped, and identified at least one string of data. Related methods, devices, apparatuses, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Production system for machining workpieces including a transfer comprising receiving and passing on the workpieces for machining from process Station to process Station in a chamber, such as a pressing unit. In the production system, logistical and technological processes are improved by implementing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The UAV is used for process Support monitoring the production process of one of the workpieces or the transfer of the workpieces.

A drone is for installing an object on a power line. The drone has a connection means for connecting the drone to the object, so that the drone may carry the object. A first engagement member is for engaging a second engagement member on the object. A power source is for operating the first engagement member so as to actuate a locking means on the object, via the second engagement member, for securely locking the object to the power line. The drone further has a device for limiting one or more degrees of freedom of the object relative to the power line before engaging the locking means.

A system computes a fluid flow rate of a fluid flowing through a pipe. The system includes a docking station, attached to a portion of the pipe, the portion of the pipe exposed to an air space. The system further includes a drone, that includes a connecting device configured to latch securely onto the docking station, a first ultrasonic transducer that connects to the pipe when the connecting device is latched, a second ultrasonic transducer that connects to the pipe when the connecting device is latched, and a computer configured to perform a computational procedure. The computational procedure includes instructing the first ultrasonic transducer to emit a source signal into the fluid and receiving a propagated signal from the second ultrasonic transducer. The computational procedure further includes computing the fluid flow rate, using a computational model, based on the propagated signal.