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.

A quick release propeller for model airplanes is disclosed including two or more blades mounted to a hub. For each blade, the hub includes a slot and a shoulder. Each blade includes a base portion having pins which slide into the slot in the hub. The slots are curved which prevents the blades from being removed unless they are rotated at predefined threshold angle with respect to the hub.

A method for updating firmware on a control module of a modular assembly system is provided. Information related to noise sampled from the control module is obtained. A first encryption key is calculated based on the information. Firmware to be updated on the control module is received from a host of the modular assembly system. The firmware is encrypted based on at least a second encryption key. In response to determining that the received firmware can be decrypted, the decrypted firmware is loaded into the control module. At least one of the obtaining, calculating, receiving, determining, and loading is performed by the control module.

A propeller assembly with at least two propeller blades that are interconnected by associated connection means, the associated connection means defining a common pitch axis for the at least two propeller blades in operation, each one of the at least two propeller blades comprising associated leading and trailing edges that define a respective chord and quarter chord line thereof, wherein the common pitch axis is arranged with a predetermined offset relative to the quarter chord line of each one of the at least two propeller blades, and wherein the associated connection means is adapted to enable, at least in operation in a non-axial inflow field, a passive pitch adjustment of the at least two propeller blades around the common pitch axis.

The present invention relates to an object controller capable of controlling a movement and a rotation of an object. The present invention provides an object controller capable of controlling a motion of an object, the object controller including: a main body; an operating unit which is in non-contact with the main body; and a control unit which controls a motion of the object based on a relative position of the operating unit to the main body.

Aspects may augment a robotic vehicle with one or more virtual features. In some implementations, streaming video including a first-person view (FPV) of a robotic vehicle is presented on a display of a controller as the robotic vehicle traverses a course. A virtual object may be presented on the display of the vehicle controller, and a virtual contact between the robotic vehicle and the virtual object may be detected. If the virtual object is a virtual obstacle, the robotic vehicle may be penalized for making virtual contact with the virtual obstacle. If the virtual object is a virtual reward, the robotic vehicle may be rewarded for making virtual contact with the virtual reward.

Aspects may define a race course using a plurality of gates each including a fiducial marker that encodes a location, an ordering, and a pose of the corresponding gate. Each of the gates may include an opening through which robotic vehicles participating in a race may traverse, and a flight path may be defined through the opening of the gates. Each fiducial marker may be displayed around a perimeter of the opening of a corresponding gate, and may include a unique pattern that conveys the location, ordering, and pose of the corresponding gate to video cameras provided on the robotic vehicles. A pilot may use the fiducial markers presented on the gates to navigate the robotic vehicle through the race course, for example, so that the pilot may not need to rely solely upon the first-person view provided by the streaming video transmitted from the robotic vehicle.

Aspects may provide navigation assistance to guide a robotic vehicle through a course defined by a plurality of gates each including a fiducial marker that encodes a location, an ordering, and a pose of the corresponding gate. In some implementations, an optimal trajectory may be generated through the course and used to determine whether to provide navigation assistance to the robotic vehicle. The optimal trajectory may include a reference path that extends through openings formed in center portions of the gates, and may be used to create a virtual tunnel indicating a maximum distance that the robotic vehicle may deviate from various points along the reference path. If the robotic vehicle deviates from the optimal trajectory by more than the distance while traversing the course, navigation assistance may be provided to the robotic vehicle.

This disclosure is generally directed to an Unmanned Aerial Device (UAV) that uses a removable computing device for command and control. The UAV may include an airframe with rotors and an adjustable cradle to attach a computing device. The computing device, such as a smart phone, tablet, MP3 player, or the like, may provide the necessary avionics and computing equipment to control the UAV autonomously. For example, the adjustable cradle may be extended to fit a tablet or other large computing device, or retracted to fit a smart phone or other small computing device. Thus, the adjustable cradle may provide for the attachment and use of a plurality of different computing devices in conjunction with a single airframe. Additionally the UAV may comprise adjustable arms to assist in balancing the load of the different computing devices and/or additional equipment attached to the airframe.

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with improved reliability. According to one aspect of the invention, interference experienced by onboard sensors from onboard electrical components is reduced. According to another aspect of the invention, user-configuration or assembly of electrical components is minimized to reduce user errors.