A vehicle guidance system is provided. The vehicle guidance system includes a vehicle trajectory management system, a position reference system, and a vehicle. The vehicle trajectory management system is configured to generate a vehicle travel path including a plurality of waypoints including a departure location, a destination location, and at least one vehicle re-energization location positioned therebetween. The position reference system includes a transmitter configured to emit a transmission signal including location information associated with a coordinate system relative to the transmitter. The vehicle includes a receiver configured to receive the transmission signal, an energy storage device including a first amount of energy for propelling the vehicle along a vehicle travel path, and a control device including a control system in communication with the position reference system and the vehicle trajectory management system. The control device is configured to control the vehicle along the vehicle travel path.

A powered drone tether and deployment system including a plurality of drone coupling/decoupling mechanisms which enable the coupling/decoupling thereto of rechargeable drones in flight. A lead drone may carry the drone tether so as to extend the tether from a base station supplying power thereto such that one or more rechargeable drones may attach to coupling/decoupling mechanisms for charging, and then detach from the coupling/decoupling mechanisms to perform independent flight tasks.

A powered drone tether and deployment system including a plurality of drone coupling/decoupling mechanisms which enable the coupling/decoupling thereto of rechargeable drones in flight. A lead drone may carry the drone tether so as to extend the tether from a base station supplying power thereto such that one or more rechargeable drones may attach to coupling/decoupling mechanisms for charging, and then detach from the coupling/decoupling mechanisms to perform independent flight tasks.

It is desirable to provide an aerial vehicle such as a drone for maintenance and management of overhead power lines that is capable of flying for a long period of time without landing by receiving a supply of electric energy from overhead power lines or towers. A magnetic field power generation unit is attached to an aerial vehicle which generates energy using a magnetic field generated by overhead power lines, and the generated energy is used as a power source of the aerial vehicle, by which the aerial vehicle can continue flying for a long period of time. Additionally, by providing a power supply port on a tower supporting overhead power lines, the aerial vehicle can continue flying by charging a battery without landing. Further, by straddling or hanging from overhead power lines during flight, power consumption of the battery can be reduced, and long-term flight can be enabled.

It is desirable to provide an aerial vehicle such as a drone for maintenance and management of overhead power lines that is capable of flying for a long period of time without landing by receiving a supply of electric energy from overhead power lines or towers. A magnetic field power generation unit is attached to an aerial vehicle which generates energy using a magnetic field generated by overhead power lines, and the generated energy is used as a power source of the aerial vehicle, by which the aerial vehicle can continue flying for a long period of time. Additionally, by providing a power supply port on a tower supporting overhead power lines, the aerial vehicle can continue flying by charging a battery without landing. Further, by straddling or hanging from overhead power lines during flight, power consumption of the battery can be reduced, and long-term flight can be enabled.

A system for facilitating active protection of a target from a threat is provided. The system comprises one or more platforms configured for directing operation of the system, and one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to operate in the vicinity of the target, and to facilitate detection and/or neutralizing of the threat. The platform is configured for autonomously detecting and providing instructions for neutralizing the threat, and each of the unmanned aerial vehicles is configured for communicating with the platform.

An inter-floor transport system includes an aerial vehicle configured to move vertically and horizontally along a passage and a power assembly including a power supply adjacent to the passage and a guide cable extending along the passage and connected to the power supply, where the aerial vehicle is configured to receive power through the guide cable without contacting the guide cable.

A system for positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided including a position reference system including an electromagnetic radiation transmitter configured to modulate a transmission signal to encode location information associated with a coordinate system relative to the electromagnetic radiation transmitter. The system further includes an unmanned aerial vehicle including at least one control device configured to control a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and an electromagnetic radiation receiver configured to receive the transmission signal. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a control system configured to control the at least one control device based at least in part on the location information received by the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

A charging system for a drone carrying a passenger pod has a base structure connected to a power grid, a row of substantially planar wireless charging pads supported by the base structure, and a computerized controller enabled to communicate with a drone and to initiate, control and stop charging power. As a drone carrying a passenger pod approaches the charging-system, the computerized controller directs the moving drone into a path bringing a charging receiver pad of the passenger pod carried by the drone, and connected to a battery of the passenger pod, into proximity with the row of substantially planar charging pads, and directs the drone to move the carried passenger pod along the row of charging pods, managing speed and direction of the moving drome along the path, as charging of the battery of the passenger pod is accomplished.

The invention consists of a system allowing remote wireless transfer of energy from a base station to a moving object, in particular a drone, moving in a given zone around the base station. The system includes means for tracking the moving object so as to determine the position of the moving object relative to the base station at any time, means for transmitting a synthetic acoustic wave focused in the direction of the moving object, these two means being located at the base station and powered by the base station, and acoustic reception means, located on the moving object, for receiving the acoustic wave transmitted by the base station and converting the received acoustic wave into an electrical signal and then into a power supply voltage for a battery.