A method for determining a route for a drone to deliver a package from an origin to a destination using vehicles that are not actively participating in a delivery of the package; a method for delivering the package from the origin to the destination using in the drone in accordance with the route; a method for determining a route for delivering a package from an origin to a destination using plurality of drones and vehicles that are not actively participating in a delivery of the package; a method for delivering the package from the origin to the destination using the plurality of drones and vehicles in accordance with the route; a vehicle-associated package repository, for retaining packages deposited and collected by a drone, to be transported by a vehicle; and a vehicle-transported container comprising the vehicle-associated package repository.

A method for determining a route for a drone to deliver a package from an origin to a destination using vehicles that are not actively participating in a delivery of the package; a method for delivering the package from the origin to the destination using the drone in accordance with the route; a method for determining a route for delivering a package from an origin to a destination using plurality of drones and vehicles that are not actively participating in a delivery of the package; a method for delivering the package from the origin to the destination using the plurality of drones and vehicles in accordance with the route; a vehicle-associated package repository, for retaining packages deposited and collected by a drone, to be transported by a vehicle; and a vehicle-transported container comprising the vehicle-associated package repository

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) recovery is disclosed. An example apparatus to recover an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a support rail to support a cable. The apparatus also includes a pivot arm to rotate about a pivot, where the cable is suspended between the support rail and the pivot arm, and where the pivot arm is rotated to a first orientation when the UAV contacts the cable and rotated to a second orientation when the UAV is brought to a stop. The apparatus also includes at least one of a friction device or a damper operatively coupled to the cable to resist motion of the cable during rotation of the pivot arm from the first orientation to the second orientation.

Some embodiments provide an auxiliary system for take-off, landing, and carrying of a multi-rotor unmanned aircraft on a mobile platform. One system includes a base and a sleeve rod. The base is fixed on the mobile platform. The sleeve rod is inserted into an opening of the base and fixed on the mobile platform. An airframe is provided with a circular hole at a center portion, through which the sleeve rod is configured to pass. The cone sleeve on the lower side has a circular opening at a top portion fixedly connected to the circular hole. The cone sleeve on the upper side has a circular opening at a top portion. A sleeve is provided downward along the circular opening.

Example positioning systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a landing platform includes a base having an aperture and multiple positioning arms attached to the base. Each of the multiple positioning arms can rotate between an unlocked position and a locked position. Additionally, each of the multiple positioning arms are configured to engage a positioning ring on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and further configured to reposition the UAV on the base.

A monitoring system, a base station, and a control method thereof are provided. The monitoring system includes a drone and a base station. The drone includes a main body and at least two leg holders extending from the main body. The base station includes a platform and a positioning mechanism. The platform has a horizontal plate, and the drone is placed on the platform. The positioning mechanism includes at least two movement members. The movement members are movably disposed on the platform and movable between a first position and a second position. When the movement members are located at the second position, the movement members hold and fix the leg holders of the drone, each of the leg holders forms an inclined angle with respect to the horizontal plate, and the inclined angle is less than 90 degrees.

A mobile energy delivery system is provided. The mobile energy delivery system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to deliver energy, a controller configured to deploy the UAV responsive to a request and a ground-based, drivable vehicle. The ground-based drivable vehicle includes an energy storage component disposed to store energy for ground-based driving, a controller configured to determine a current energy requirement for the ground-based driving and to issue the request to the controller accordingly and a frame. The frame is configured to accommodate the energy storage component and includes a single entirely smooth uppermost surface. The energy storage component is chargeable by the UAV upon the UAV being deployed by the controller in response to the request and subsequently contacting or entering into an immediate vicinity of the single entirely smooth uppermost surface during the ground-based driving.

Systems and methods for powering and controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle are provided. The unmanned aerial vehicles can be used in a networked communication system. A tether management system can be used to facilitate both mobile and static tethered operation to provide power and/or voice and data communication.

An operating system for a working machine includes drones having GNSS receivers, and working machines having take-off and landing ports and is configured so that positional information on the working machines is acquired by the GNSS receivers of the drones to be placed on the take-off and landing ports.

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to a multi-drone automotive system that includes a first drone configured to carry one or more detachable drones. The first drone, which may be referred to as a carrier drone, may be mounted upon an automobile and operated in a tethered mode of flight. The detachable drones may be launched from the carrier drone to carry out untethered flight. The carrier drone and/or the detachable drones may be used for various applications. In one example application, the carrier drone may use a first camera that is mounted upon the carrier drone, to capture a first set of images during the tethered mode of flight. A detachable drone may be launched from the carrier drone in an untethered mode of flight in order to capture a second set of images by using a second camera mounted upon the detachable drone.