A system and method for distributing power to racing aircraft systems is provided. The system includes a race course, a in power transmitter directed towards a power delivery section of the race course, the power transmitter configured to remotely transmit power to the aircraft systems at the power delivery section, and a controller operatively coupled to the power transmitter to activate, direct and deactivate the power transmitter. The method includes detecting, at the controller, a trigger condition for activating the power transmitter; responsive to detecting the trigger condition, activating the power transmitter; and transmitting the power to the aircraft systems.

Various measures (for example methods, UAVs, controllers and computer programs) are provided in relation to controlling a UAV. The UAV is caused to provide energy to and receive energy from a given vehicle. The received energy is used to provide power to at least one component of the UAV.

The presently disclosed embodiments generally relate to systems, devices, and methods for sensing and charging of electronic devices using coils. In some embodiments, the presently disclosed system can include a pad, a charging foot, and a backpack. The pad can include one or more nested coils therein that can sense one or more corresponding receiver coils of an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that landed thereon. The nested coils of the pad can provide charging energy to the UAV independent of the location along the pad in which the UAV landed, and no precise alignment between the receiver coils and the charging coils is required. The charging foot can be attached to one or more legs of the UAV, and can include a receiver coil and circuitry to regulate energy received by the coil to a charging voltage level that can be provided to the battery.

A flight system for indoor positioning includes an unmanned aerial robot, and a station and a server of the unmanned aerial robot. The unmanned aerial robot may sense a plurality of laser beams generated from the station through a first camera and/or a first sensor, perform adjustment such that a horizontal axis position of the unmanned aerial robot is located at a center position of a measurement space for the indoor positioning based on the plurality of sensed laser beams, and perform positioning in the measurement space while flying in a vertical direction.

Aerial launch and/or recovery for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods. A representative method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system includes directing a first, multi-rotor carrier aircraft to carry a second, carried aircraft aloft, and release the second aircraft for flight, while powering the first aircraft with an on-board battery. The method can further include directing the first aircraft to position a capture line in a flight path of the second aircraft to capture the second aircraft.

An enclosed multi-dimensional system for converting electromagnetic (EM) energy into electricity. An enclosed EM energy converter is comprised of a housing, electric-current-producing cells, and media from a list of luminescent, transmissive, absorptive, diffusive, refractive, dispersive, conductive, and dielectric materials or a combination thereof wherein the photovoltaic cells are not directly facing the incoming EM energy. This feature enables the production of compact and easy-to-manufacture EM convertors. Multiple EM converters can be coupled in series or in parallel to maximize efficiency. EM energy sources can be used to deliver both energy and information. Active optics, adaptive optics, and optoelectronics can operably be coupled with the EM converter. The portability, scalability, and connectivity of the system make it particularly attractive for long-distance energy conversion applications may it be underground, air-based, or spaceborne.

A mobile electronic device according to an aspect is connected to a flight device. The mobile electronic device includes a communication unit that communicates with the flight device, and a controller that executes a predetermined function. When connected to the flight device, the controller changes the predetermined function when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Disclosed herein is a charging drone. The charging drone can comprise a flight mechanism, a charging transmitter, a processor, and a memory. The processor can be in electrical communication with the flight mechanism and the charging transmitter. The memory can store instructions that, when executed by the processor, can cause the processor to perform operations. The operations can comprise receiving a charge request signal; transmitting a navigation signal to the flight mechanism; verifying credentials from an in-flight drone; and activing the charging transmitter. The charge request signal can include data associated with the in-flight drone. The navigation signal can include guidance data for guiding the charging drone to the in-flight drone. The credentials can be verified when the charging drone is proximate the in-flight drone. The charging transmitter can be activated upon verification of the credentials.

Methods and an apparatus are presented. A method of monitoring utilities is presented. A rechargeable battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle is charged using an electromagnetic field of a high voltage power line within a right-of-way and a recharging system of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle is flown a specified distance from the high voltage power line during the charging. Utilities are inspected using a sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle while flying the unmanned aerial vehicle the specified distance from the high voltage power line.

A charging and recharging drone assembly system and apparatus are provided. The system has a unique charging pad having a plurality of cones which direct the legs of a charging drone into a specific location on the charging pad for charging/re-charging. A QR code may be located in the middle of a cover of a charging pad so that the charging drone may detect the charging pad from the air and may direct the charging drone to land on a specific spot on the landing pad for charging. The movable cover may cover the charging pad when the charging pad is not in use to protect the charging pad.