To improve safety during a fall of a flying apparatus, a flying apparatus (1) according to a representative embodiment of the present application includes a body unit (2), a lift-force generating part (3) that is connected to the body unit and generates a lift force, a flight control part (14) that controls the lift-force generating part, an abnormality detecting part (15) that detects an abnormality during flight, a parachute device (4) including a parachute (41, 41A) and a parachute accommodating part (42) that accommodates the parachute, and a fall control part (16) that ejects the parachute from the parachute accommodating part according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part.

By providing propellers for vertical ascent and descent and for horizontal flight, and a blade for horizontal flight, it is possible to obtain an aerial vehicle capable of high-speed horizontal flight and capable of flying a long distance.

A modular unmanned aerial system (UAS) can be configured to detect an anomalous UAS configuration or operating condition, and to notify the user or inhibit further operation of the UAS in response to such a detection. An indication of the actual rotational speed of the motor or of the flight power needed to hold the UAS in a hover state may be compared to a predicted value based upon the expected UAS configuration. A variance between the actual values and the predicted values may indicate that the UAS is in an unauthorized configuration, which may be due to an unauthorized payload. The UAS may be a modular system, and may take into account authorized and attached modules in predicting the thrust required to hold the UAS in a hover state.

An unmanned aerial vehicle is described herein. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage body, a lift mechanism coupled to the fuselage body, and a depth sensing and obstacle avoidance system coupled to the fuselage body. The depth sensing and obstacle avoidance system includes a platform assembly, a pair of stereovision cameras coupled to a platform assembly, and a motor assembly coupled to the fuselage body and to the platform assembly. The platform assembly includes a support member extending between a first end and an opposite second end along a longitudinal axis. The pair of stereovision cameras includes each stereovision camera positioned at an opposite end of the support member. The motor assembly is configured to rotate the platform assembly with respect to the fuselage body about a rotational axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the platform assembly.

The presently disclosed subject matter includes an active proximity system (APS) mountable on an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UxV), the APS comprising: one or more proximity sensors and a processing circuitry; the one or more proximity sensors are configured to sense one or more proximity signals, each of the signals is indicative of the presence of a respective emitter in proximity to the UxV; the processing circuitry is configured, responsive to a sensed proximity signal, to repeatedly: generate maneuvering instructions dedicated for causing the UxV to move and increase the distance between the UxV and the respective emitter; and then generate maneuvering instructions dedicated for causing the UxV to move and decrease the distance between the UxV and the respective emitter; and thereby maintain the UxV within a certain range from the respective emitter defined by the sensed proximity signal.

Various embodiments of a variable geometry quadrotor with a compliant frame are disclosed, which adapts to tight spaces and obstacles by way of passive rotation of its arms.

Described is an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), that includes a plurality of sensors, such as stereo cameras, mounted along a perimeter frame of the aerial vehicle and arranged to generate a scene that surrounds the aerial vehicle. The sensors may be mounted in or on winglets of the perimeter frame. Each of the plurality of sensors has a field of view and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged and/or oriented such that their fields of view overlap with one another throughout a continuous space that surrounds the perimeter frame. The fields of view may also include a portion of the perimeter frame or space that is adjacent to the perimeter frame.

A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.

Example wirelessly powered unmanned aerial vehicles and tracks for providing wireless power are described herein. An example apparatus includes a track section having a transmitter coil to generate an alternating magnetic field and an unmanned aerial vehicle having a receiver coil. The alternating magnetic field induces an alternating current in the receiver coil when the unmanned aerial vehicle is disposed in the alternating magnetic field.

Multi-rotor rotorcraft (10) comprise a fuselage (12), and at least four rotor assemblies (14) operatively supported by and spaced-around the fuselage (12). Each of the at least four rotor assemblies (14) defines a spin volume (24) and a spin diameter (26). Some multi-rotor rotorcraft (10) further comprise at least one rotor guard (50) that is fixed relative to the fuselage (12), that borders the spin volume (24) of at least one of the at least four rotor assemblies (14), and that is configured to provide a visual indication of the spin volume (24) of the at least one of the at least four rotor assemblies (14). Various configurations of rotor guards (50) are disclosed.