An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a housing forming a central body of the UAV and including an internal compartment, one or more electrical components disposed within the internal compartment and configured to affect operation of the UAV, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) disposed in an external compartment external to the central body. The IMU is isolated from the internal compartment such that a barometric pressure in the external compartment is independent of a barometric pressure in the internal compartment.

A functionality utilizing a centrally controlled strategy for continuous communication to specific autonomous vehicles, or drones, that are designed for extreme conditions and assigned specific missions with the ability to be replaced during the mission. This functionality is an improvement on existing swarm and leader-follower tactics as it retains control of the drones at a central command center, allowing the drones to both receive individual commands from the hub but also operate independently of it with direct pilot control. This direct communication allows for real time process of ordered substitution to replace any drone during the mission.

A functionality utilizing a centrally controlled strategy for continuous communication to specific autonomous vehicles, or drones, that are designed for extreme conditions and assigned specific missions with the ability to be replaced during the mission. This functionality is an improvement on existing swarm and leader-follower tactics as it retains control of the drones at a central command center, allowing the drones to both receive individual commands from the hub but also operate independently of it with direct pilot control. This direct communication allows for real time process of ordered substitution to replace any drone during the mission.

An autonomous package delivery aircraft is operable to transition between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a forward flight orientation. The aircraft includes an airframe with a distributed thrust array coupled thereto. A flight control system is operably associated with the distributed thrust array and is configured to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies of the distributed thrust array. A package delivery module is coupled to the airframe. In the VTOL orientation, a first pair of propulsion assemblies is forward of the package delivery module while a second pair of propulsion assemblies is aft of the package delivery module. In a forward flight orientation, the first pair of propulsion assemblies is below the package delivery module and the second pair of propulsion assemblies is above the package delivery module.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a vehicle body and an arm assembly. The vehicle body includes a distribution board. The arm assembly includes an arm body, a lampshade, and an electric speed control (ESC) light control board. The arm body includes an accommodation space. The lampshade is mounted at the arm body. The ESC light control board is arranged in the accommodation space and electrically connected to the distribution board through a wire. The ESC light control board includes an illuminator corresponding to the lampshade and is configured to emit light out of the arm assembly through the lampshade.

A multi-stage spherical motor includes an inner stator, an outer stator, a rotor, and magnets. The inner stator has a plurality of inner stator windings wound thereon. The outer stator is spaced apart from and at least partially surrounds the inner stator, and has a plurality of outer stator windings wound thereon. The rotor is disposed between the inner stator and the outer stator and is configured to rotate about a plurality of perpendicular axes. The rotor has an inner surface and an outer surface. An inner array of magnets is coupled to the inner surface of the rotor, and an outer array of magnets coupled to the outer surface of the rotor. In some embodiments, a multi-stage spherical motor includes an inner rotor, an outer rotor, a stator, inner stator coils, and outer stator coils.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a rotorcraft-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft into and from free flight. The launch and retrieval system includes a modular multicopter, a storage and launch system, an anchor system, a flexible capture member, and an aircraft-landing structure. The multicopter is attachable to the fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launching the fixed-wing aircraft into free, wing-borne flight. The storage and launch system is usable to store the multicopter (when disassembled) and to act as a launch mount for the fixed-wing aircraft by retaining the fixed-wing aircraft in a desired launch orientation. The anchor system is usable with the multicopter, the flexible capture member, and the aircraft-landing structure to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from free, wing-borne flight.

Aerial vehicles may be equipped with propellers having pivotable blades that are configured to rotate when the propellers are not rotating under power. A pivotable blade may rotate about an axis of a propeller with respect to a hub until the pivotable blade is coaligned with a fixed blade. When the propeller is rotating, a lifting force from the blade may cause the blade to rotate to a deployed position that is not coaligned with the fixed blade.

A motor mounted on a drone includes a rotor including a propeller mounting portion with a propeller detachably attached, the rotor being rotatable about a central axis, a stator radially facing the rotor with a gap therebetween, and an auto-balancer capable of automatically correcting dynamic balance of the rotor.

Arms and an associated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are disclosed, which include a connecting component, a frame and arms. Each arm includes a longitudinal tube having an inverted teardrop shape-cross section with a hollow interior. The upper end of the longitudinal tube is a first curved surface. The lower end of the longitudinal tube is a second curved surface. The arc length of the first curved surface is greater than the arc length of the second curved surface. The connecting component connects the arm to the frame, and comprises an installing component and a mounting component. The installing component and the mounting component are mounted on two respective ends of the arm. The frame of UAV and the driving assembly are connected through the arm. Compared to circular shape, the raindrop/half lemniscate shape is more streamlined than those having a circular cross-sectional shape, resulting in substantially improved air fluidities.