A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle within a flight operating space. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes one or more sensor arrays on each spar. The method includes determining, using a plurality of sensor arrays, a flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method also includes receiving, by at least one sensor array of the plurality of sensor arrays, sensor data identifying at least one object in the operating space. The sensor data is transmitted over a communications bus connecting components of the UAV. The method further includes determining, by one or more processors onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight path around the at least one object. The method also includes generating, by the one or more onboard processors, a first signal to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate within the operating space around the at least one object.

A motor includes a bottom and a top opposite to the bottom. The bottom is a mounting side of the motor and the bottom is inclined relative to a rotation axis of the motor.

A long-distance drone is disclosed having a canard body style with a main body, a left main wing, a right main wing, a left forewing, and a right forewing. The left forewing is attached to the main body forward of the left main wing, and the right forewing is attached to the main body forward of the right main wing. There is a left linear support connecting the left forewing to the left main wing, and a right linear support connecting the right forewing to the right main wing. A plurality of propellers are disposed on the left and the right linear supports.

Various systems and methodologies may be utilized to determine whether a particular shipment/item is eligible for delivery between a manual delivery vehicle and a final destination location via an autonomous delivery vehicle. To ensure autonomous deliveries are performed in a resource effective manner, shipments/items deemed eligible for autonomous delivery may be vetted by comparing the destination for the autonomous delivery shipment/item against one or more manual delivery destinations (serviced by the manual delivery vehicle operator), and ultimately identifying an optimal launch location for the autonomous delivery vehicle to leave the manual delivery vehicle to complete the autonomous delivery. If the autonomous delivery location does not satisfy applicable autonomous delivery criteria, the autonomous delivery shipment/item may be reclassified for manual delivery by the manual delivery vehicle operator.

The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for improving the interpretation of the surroundings of a vehicle (100), wherein the method comprises: receiving a source image (14) of a surrounding environment (118) of the vehicle, which source image is captured by a sensor unit (12a) of the vehicle; receiving or computing a depth data image (20) comprising depth data based on the source image and at least one more source image; detecting a repetitive pattern (30) in the received source image; and based on the detection of the repetitive pattern, determining that an area (32) of the depth data image, which area (32) corresponds to an area (34) of the detected repetitive pattern in the received source image, contains unreliable depth data.

Provided is a method for controlling flight of a drone and an apparatus supporting the same. More specifically, the drone according to the present invention determines whether or not a specific condition is satisfied to deploy a parachute during the flight, and in a case where the specific condition is satisfied, the drone may stop an operation of one or more propellers to deploy the parachute. Next, the drone deploys the parachute, the parachute is deployed toward an area beside the drone, and the flight of the drone may be controlled by adjusting a rotation speed of each of the one or more propellers.

A propulsion assembly for a rotorcraft includes a blade assembly, a drive shaft coupled to the blade assembly and an electric motor coupled to the drive shaft and operable to provide rotational energy to the drive shaft to rotate the blade assembly. The propulsion assembly includes a landing assistance turbine coupled to the drive shaft and operable to selectively provide rotational energy to the drive shaft during an underpowered descent to rotate the blade assembly and provide upward thrust, thereby reducing a descent rate of the rotorcraft prior to landing.

Provided is a stable flight control method for a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle based on finite-time neurodynamics, comprising the following implementation process: 1) acquiring real-time flight orientation and attitude data through airborne sensors, and analyzing and processing kinematic problems of the aerial vehicle through an airborne processor to establish a dynamics model of the aerial vehicle; 2) designing a finite-time varying-parameter convergence differential neural network solver according to a finite-time varying-parameter convergence differential neurodynamics design method; 3) solving output control parameters of motors of the aerial vehicle through the finite-time varying-parameter convergence differential neural network solver using the acquired real-time orientation and attitude data; and 4) transmitting results to speed regulators of the motors of the aerial vehicle to control the motion of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Based on the finite-time varying-parameter convergence differential neurodynamics method, the invention can approximate the correct solution of the problem in a quick, accurate and real-time way, and can well solve a variety of time-varying problems such as matrix, vector, algebra and optimization.

Provided is a method for an unmanned aerial vehicle to handle goods in cooperation with an autonomous vehicle. The method comprises capturing, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, an image of the autonomous vehicle having a goods storage box, recognizing, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, a marker displayed in the goods storage box by analyzing the captured image, identifying, by the unmanned aerial vehicle, a region occupied by the marker on the captured image, adjusting a relative position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous vehicle, wherein the marker displayed in the goods storage box is covered by a lid of the goods storage box and placed in a state that cannot be captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the marker is exposed in a state that can be captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle only when the lid of the storage box is opened by communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the autonomous vehicle.

Provided is an apparatus for assisting formation flight. The apparatus comprises a formation maintaining member for maintaining formation of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles in flight and having connection points formed at points corresponding to positions of each unmanned aerial vehicle on the formation, and a plurality of fastening members, in which one end is connected to the connection points of the formation maintaining member and the other end is fastened to the unmanned aerial vehicle to connect the formation maintaining member and the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein a movement permitting member for permitting a posture change of the unmanned aerial vehicle within a predetermined range is formed on the other end of the plurality of fastening members.