A collapsible flying device is provided having a housing including first and second housing sections forming an enclosure, and a motorized assembly that includes a drive motor and a drive shaft driven by the drive motor. The drive shaft matingly receives the first housing section and is coupled to the second housing section, wherein operation of the drive motor drives the drive shaft to move the first housing section from a closed position adjacent the second housing section to an open position spaced from the second housing section. A rotor hub is rotatingly driven by the drive motor. At least two rotor blades are coupled thereto and positioned within the enclosure in a collapsed position when the first housing section is in the closed position, and extend beyond the enclosure in an expanded position when the first housing section is in the open position.

According to one aspect, the present description relates to a drone designed for viewing a distant scene, comprising a flying platform and at least one first camera mechanically secured to the platform. The first camera comprises an image sensor with a detection surface, an electro-optical system for forming images of the scene on the detection surface of the image sensor, able to give the camera a dimensional angular field of view of less than 47. According to the first aspect, the electro-optical system comprises at least one first optical group, which is fixed, comprising a plurality of optical diopters, an electro-optical device with variable optical power able to adjust the focusing of the image on the detection surface, and a control unit controlling the electro-optical device.

An apparatus includes a quadcopter simulator coupled to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) controller. The quadcopter controller is configured to receive quadcopter flight control commands and to generate simulated sensor output and simulated camera output for a plurality of stereoscopic cameras of a simulated quadcopter. The AI controller is configured to receive the simulated sensor and camera output from the quadcopter simulator, determine a flight path for the simulated quadcopter according to the simulated sensor and camera output, generate the quadcopter flight control commands according to the flight path, and provide the quadcopter flight control commands to the quadcopter simulator.

Using a trick flight control process, a pilot may fly an aircraft while having control over two axes of orientation while the aircraft may be rotating automatically about a third axis of orientation. The pilot may continue to fly the aircraft during an automated trick rather than relinquishing control completely to the aircraft's electronics.

The present invention provides a new system that allows a safer operation of a moving object. The present invention provides a moving object operation system (1) including: a moving object (11); a plurality of operation signal transmitters (12A, 12B) for the moving object; and a synchronization unit (13). The moving object (11) includes: a signal receipt unit (111) that receives operation signals from the operation signal transmitters (12A, 12B). The operation signal transmitters (12A, 12B) include signal transmission units (121A, 121B) that transmit the operation signals to the moving object (11), respectively. The synchronization unit (13) is a unit that synchronizes the operation signal transmitters (12A, 12B).

A remote controller includes a remote controller body including a control device configured to receive a remote-control command. The remote controller further includes an antenna and a holding mechanism movably connected to two opposite sides of the remote controller body, respectively. The holding mechanism is configured to hold a mobile terminal. The remote controller further includes a connecting mechanism connected between the remote controller body and the holding mechanism and configured to enable the holding mechanism to move relative to the remote controller body to be in an extended state or in a contracted state.

Techniques are described for tracking and determining a three dimensional path travelled by controlled unmanned aircraft (i.e. drones) or other moving objects. By monitoring the strength of communication signals transmitted by an object, the strength of control signals received by the object, and altitude data generated by the object, its three dimensional path is determined. For example, these techniques can be applied to racing drones to determine their positions on a course. An end gate structure for such a course that can automatically transmit disable signals to the drones upon completing the course is also described.

An aeronautical vehicle that rights itself from an inverted state to an upright state has a self-righting frame assembly has a protrusion extending upwardly from a central vertical axis. The protrusion provides an initial instability to begin a self-righting process when the aeronautical vehicle is inverted on a surface. A propulsion system, such as rotor driven by a motor can be mounted in a central void of the self-righting frame assembly and oriented to provide a lifting force. A power supply is mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame assembly and operationally connected to the at least one rotor for rotatably powering the rotor. An electronics assembly is also mounted in the central void of the self-righting frame for receiving remote control commands and is communicatively interconnected to the power supply for remotely controlling the aeronautical vehicle to take off, to fly, and to land on a surface.

An aerial show system that includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), show systems onboard the UAVs, non-UAV or ground show systems, and a global ground control system. The control system is configured to actively track a UAV's operations during a show performance and to react to make the UAV truly a part of the larger show performance. The system achieves dynamic show participation of the UAV with the distributed show systems, which may include other UAVs and non-UAV show systems on the ground but launch or provide effects in the airspace through which the UAV flies. For example, the control system may track a UAV with a show effect element to determine whether the UAV properly hits its cue or mark with respect to position and orientation in the show space and with respect to timing and, in response to location tracking, trigger show effects early, late, or on time.

An aerial show system for leveraging downwash and other forces to use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as a creative element in a show. UAVs in the aerial show system each include a propulsion and lift mechanism, which generates downwash as it moves the UAV about a show's airspace. The aerial show system also includes one-to-many show effect devices adapted to make use of the downwash to activate or animate one or more movable components to generate a desired show effect, e.g., a spinning propeller or fan on an object carried or tethered beneath the UAV chassis/body. The movable component would otherwise be static or passive and relies on the potential and/or kinetic energy created by the UAV in airspace for actuation or animation.