The disclosure pertains to a harness for battery-powered personal flying apparatus. The harness comprises a pair torso struts hingedly coupled to a pair of leg braces which allow the legs to move independently of each other. The harness further includes extension rods coupled at a first end to the torso struts. The extension rods are coupled at a second end thereof to skis. The extension rods and skis being moveable between a standing position and an in-flight position. Said extension rods and skis configured to allow the harness to be independently supported in such a way that a user could step into or out of the harness from a generally upright position.

A hybrid VTOL vehicle having an envelope configured to provide hydrostatic buoyancy, a fuselage attached to the envelope and having at least one pair of wings extending from opposing sides thereof to produce dynamic lift through movement, and a thrust generation device on each wing and configured to rotate with each wing about an axis that is lateral to a longitudinal axis of the envelope to provide vertical takeoff or landing capabilities. Ideally, the envelope provides negative hydrostatic lift to enhance low-speed and on-the-ground stability. A vehicle comprising a first lift device capable of providing hydrostatic lift; a second lift device capable of providing dynamic lift through movement; and a system structured to generate thrust coupled to the second lift device, the second lift device and the thrust generation system capable of rotating together about an axis that is lateral to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle at angles at least in the range of 90 degrees to and including 180 degrees.

A charging system for drones has a base structure connected to a power grid, a connector extendable from the base structure and ending in a charging interface compatible with a charging port of a drone, and a computerized controller at the base structure enabled to communicate with a drone and to initiate, control and stop charging power. As a drone approaches the charging-system, the controller directs the drone into position for charging, manages connection of the charging interface to the charging port of the drone, initiates charging power, monitors progress of charging, and upon completion of charging, disconnects the charging interface from the charging port of the drone.

In some examples, a system for instructing an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided. The system may include a delivery management service for processing orders for items available in connection with an electronic marketplace. The delivery management service may also determine a landing location for delivery of an item to a customer of the electronic marketplace. The landing location may correspond the customer's address. Determination of the landing location may be based on a first digital elevation dataset, a second digital elevation dataset, and parcel data corresponding to a region in which the customer's address is located. The unmanned aerial vehicle may access the landing location as part of delivering the item to the customer.

A method for accessing and navigating an aerial vehicle on a three-dimensional map of transportation skyways comprises requesting, from an aerial-vehicle-transportation database, a driving map based on a three-dimensional representation of one or more transportation skyways, the three-dimensional representation comprising information regarding an x-axis and a y-axis representing movement in a first plane and information regarding a z-axis representing movement in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane; receiving the driving map generated based on the information on the x-axis and the y-axis of movement, the driving map being determined based on the three-dimensional representation; receiving information on altitude-transition zones associated with the z-axis of movement of the aerial vehicle along the second plane; and storing, in a navigation system of the aerial vehicle, navigation information comprising the driving map and the altitude-transition zones.

Systems and methods using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to perform physical functions on a cell tower at a cell site include flying the UAV at or near the cell site, wherein the UAV comprises one or more manipulable members; moving the one or more manipulable members when proximate to a location at the cell tower where the physical functions are performed to effectuate the physical functions; and utilizing one or more counterbalancing techniques during the moving ensuring a weight distribution of the UAV remains substantially the same.

In some embodiments, a passenger pod assembly transportation system includes a transportation services provider computing system and a plurality of flying frame flight control systems, wherein the system is configured to receive, at the transportation services provider computing system, a request for transportation of a passenger pod assembly having a current location and a destination; upload a flight plan to a flight control system of a flying frame including an airframe and a propulsion system; dispatch the flying frame to the current location of the passenger pod assembly; couple the flying frame to the passenger pod assembly at the current location of the passenger pod assembly; transport the passenger pod assembly by air from the current location of the passenger pod assembly to the destination of the passenger pod assembly; and decouple the passenger pod assembly from the flying frame at the destination of the passenger pod assembly.

In some embodiment, an aircraft includes a flying frame having an airframe, a distributed propulsion system attached to the airframe, the distributed propulsion system including a plurality of propulsion assemblies and a flight control system operably associated with the distributed propulsion system. The flying frame has a vertical takeoff and landing mode and a forward flight mode. The flight control system is operable to independently control the propulsion assemblies. The flight control system is also operable to detect faults in individual propulsion assemblies and to perform corrective action responsive to detected faults at a distributed propulsion system level.

A heavier-than-air aircraft is attached to at least one VTOL aircraft by tethers: the tethers are attached to the heavier-than-air aircraft at points spaced laterally from the center of gravity of the heavier-than-air aircraft. the tethers comprising winches, and a control system programmed to control the direction of flight of the heavier-than-air aircraft by controlling the winches.

A method for manufacturing a propulsion unit having a rim foil, which significantly reduces drag during forward flight while protecting a rotor blade from surrounding obstacles, the method including a plate member formation step in which an airfoil-type plate member is formed to have an outline forming an airfoil shape in side view, a rim foil formation step in which a through-hole is formed in the airfoil type plate member to form a rim foil member having an outline forming at least a portion of an airfoil shape in side view, and a rotor blade installation step in which a rotor blade is installed in the through-hole.