An unmanned aerial vehicle system is provided including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a fuselage, a tether having a first end secured to a winch system positioned in the UAV and a second end secured to a payload coupling apparatus, a payload coupling apparatus receptacle positioned in the fuselage of the UAV, a payload having a handle, wherein the handle of the payload is positioned within a slot in the payload coupling apparatus. A method of securing a payload to a UAV is also provided.

A payload coupling apparatus is provided that includes a housing having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a side wall positioned between the upper and lower portions, an attachment point on the housing adapted for attachment to a first end of a tether, a slot in the housing that extends downwardly towards a center of the housing thereby forming a hook or lip on the lower portion of the housing beneath the slot, a plurality of holes in the upper portion of the housing; and a plurality of holes in the lower portion of the housing. A method of retracting a payload coupling apparatus during UAV flight is also provided.

An example UAV landing structure includes a landing platform for a UAV, a cavity within the landing platform, and a track that runs along the landing platform and at least a part of the cavity. The UAV may include a winch system that includes a tether that may be coupled to a payload. Furthermore, the cavity may be aligned over a predetermined target location. The cavity may be sized to allow the winch system to pass a tethered payload through the cavity. The track may guide the UAV to a docked position over the cavity as the UAV moves along the landing platform. When the UAV is in the docked position, a payload may be loaded to or unloaded from the UAV through the cavity.

A lifting system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, a thruster device, a first wire, a first reel, a second thruster device, a second wire, a second reel, and a controller. When the unmanned aerial vehicle is in a position separated from the ground, the controller detaches the first thruster device and the second thruster device from the unmanned aerial vehicle, causes the first reel to reel out the first wire, detaches the second thruster device from the first thruster device, and causes the second reel to reel out the second wire.

Unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) selection information identifying a UAV, flight path information, and a relative elevation difference value that is a difference between a first elevation value of a start location and a second elevation value of a drop location are received. Navigation of the UAV is initiated using the UAV selection information and the flight path information. A relative altitude difference value is obtained using a first altitude value of the UAV associated with the start location and a second altitude value of the UAV associated with the drop location. In response to a difference between the relative elevation difference value and the relative altitude difference value being outside a predefined threshold, UAV is caused to adjust the second altitude value such that an updated difference between the relative elevation difference value and an updated relative altitude difference value is within the predefined threshold.

Provided is a method for delivering goods through an unmanned aerial vehicle group including a plurality of aircraft respectively connected to delivery target goods. The method comprises identifying, by a master aircraft of the unmanned aerial vehicle group, an actual load applied to each of the aircraft by the goods while the unmanned aerial vehicle group is flying to deliver the goods, and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle group by the master aircraft to adjust the actual load applied to each of the aircraft.

An aircraft includes an airframe with first and second wings having a fuselage extending therebetween. A propulsion assembly is coupled to the fuselage and includes a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system that is tiltable relative to the fuselage to generate a thrust vector. First and second yaw vanes extend aftwardly from the fuselage. A flight control system is configured to direct the thrust vector of the coaxial rotor system and control movements of the yaw vanes. In a VTOL orientation of the aircraft, differential operation of the yaw vanes and/or differential operations of first and second rotor assemblies of the coaxial rotor system provide yaw authority for the aircraft. In a biplane orientation of the aircraft, collective operation of the yaw vanes provides yaw authority for the aircraft.

An aircraft operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft has an airframe including first and second wings with first and second pylons coupled therebetween. A distributed thrust array is coupled to the airframe including a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the first wing and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the second wing. A cargo pod is coupled between the first and second pylons. The cargo pod is rotatable between a loading configuration, substantially perpendicular to the wings and a transportation and deployment configuration, substantially parallel to the wings. A flight control system is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies and to autonomously deploy a payload from the cargo pod at a desired location.

An unmanned aerial device according to an aspect of the present invention includes an aerial device body capable of flying in an unmanned manner, and a load-lowering device mounted to the aerial device body and configured to lower a load from the aerial device body. The load-lowering device has a linear member holder for holding a linear member having one end portion connectable to the load, the linear member holder holding at least the other end portion of the linear member, and a speed limiting mechanism that limits a speed at which the linear member is pulled out of the linear member holder, under a weight of the load.

An inflatable package enclosure for use on an aerial vehicle including an inflatable exterior chamber, a first inner cavity positioned within the inflatable exterior chamber, an inflation valve positioned on the inflatable exterior chamber, and a handle on the inflatable exterior chamber for securing the inflatable package enclosure to the aerial vehicle, wherein when the inflatable exterior chamber is inflated and when a package is positioned in the first inner cavity, inner surfaces of the inflatable exterior chamber conform to outer surfaces of the package to secure the package within the inflatable exterior chamber.