A hitch mount assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle is shown and described. The hitch mount assembly may include a mount body operatively engagable with an aerial vehicle such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), where the mount body has an attachment feature to be selectively secured to the UAV and allow for selective attachment to a plurality of UAVs. A stabilizing unit attached to the mount body. The stabilizing unit may include a gimbal mounted gyro stabilization unit. A connection plate attached to the stabilizing unit. The connection plate may be attachable to various implement assemblies.

Systems, media, and methods for collecting front-end information from a customer to establish a delivery/pickup location for delivery/pickup of a parcel by unmanned vehicles are provided. In some embodiments, a customer may be guided though a registration process that includes establishing release/retrieve zones for unmanned delivery/pickup. In some cases, release/retrieve zones may be determined using a map provided to the customer. Areas to establish release/retrieve zones may be suggested to the customer, or in some cases, the customer may suggest potential release/retrieve zones. It may be determined whether a release/retrieve zone is suitable based on customer configurations and consents. Some embodiments include establishing a release/retrieve zone using augmented reality. In some cases, customers may wish to designate off-limits areas, including no-fly zones, to prohibit certain unmanned vehicles from entering the off-limits areas.

A system including a landing location where a drone at least one of delivers and acquires a parcel, and a homing device to interact with the drone to guide the drone to the landing location independent of interaction from another source. The homing device guides the drone during the landing phase of a flight plan. A method is also disclosed.

An autonomous cargo container retrieval and delivery system locates a select cargo container and maneuvers an unmanned aerial vehicle proximate to the container for retrieval. The vehicle positions itself to engage the cargo container using a grasping mechanism, and, responsive to engaging the cargo container, retracts the cargo container toward the vehicle. As the cargo container is retracted toward the vehicle, weight sensors within the retrieval mechanism sense the weight and the weight distribution of the cargo container, and, can modify the cargo container's location on the vehicle to optimize vehicle flight operations or replace the container on the ground and alert the operator that the cargo container is too heavy or has an improper weight distribution. Upon mating the cargo container with the vehicle, a coupling mechanism latches or secures the cargo container to the vehicle for further flight and/or ground operations.

An automated warehousing system for use in a warehouse having a storage racks includes drawers partitioned into multiple compartments to contain different parcels, the drawers being at designated locations of individual cells in the storage racks and adapted to be opened and closed. The system also has a plurality of drones configured to identify a designated one of the drawers at a designated location and a designated one compartment of the designated one drawer. The drones have gripper heads translatable relative to opened drawers to retrieve parcels therefrom. The system further has a communication subsystem communicating with the drones to control their flying and also to control their gripper heads relative to opened drawers and communicating with individual cells for opening and closing drawers as drones approach and depart the selected individual cells.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for providing package release for an unmanned aerial system. An apparatus for releasing packages for retrieval by an unmanned aerial system comprises a plurality of arms configured to surround a plurality of packages stacked vertically in an extended position, a plurality of powered hinges at a base of each of the plurality of arms, and a control circuit coupled to the plurality of powered hinges. The control circuit being configured to: determine a height for a first lowered position for the plurality of arms at which the plurality of arms do not obstruct an unmanned aerial vehicle from coupling with a coupling structure on a first package of the plurality of packages positioned at a top of the plurality of packages, and cause the plurality of powered hinges to pivot the plurality of arms from the extended position to the first lowered position.

Many different types of systems are utilized or tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of unmanned vehicles, or drones, that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more unmanned vehicles can be integrated with a dedicated marine electronic device of a marine vessel for autonomous control and operation. Additionally or alternatively, the unmanned vehicle can be manually remote operated during use in the marine environment. Such unmanned vehicles can be utilized in many different marine environment systems or tasks, including, for example, navigation, sonar, radar, search and rescue, video streaming, alert functionality, among many others. However, as contemplated by the present invention, the marine environment provides many unique challenges that may be accounted for with operation and control of an unmanned vehicle.

Methods and systems for autonomous item delivery and/or pick up are provided. IN some aspects, a mothership travels along an item route. One or more autonomous delivery vehicles may be dispatched from the mothership as the mothership progresses along the route. Each of the autonomous delivery vehicles may deliver and/or pick-up one or more items at one or more item locations. In addition, as the mothership progresses along its route, it may also stop to facilitate the manual delivery and/or pick-up of additional items via a human operator. Upon completing their delivery and/or pick up tasks, the autonomous delivery vehicles return to the mothership, either at the point at which they dispatched from the mothership, or at a different location along the item delivery route.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can deliver a package to a delivery destination. Packages delivered by a UAV may be lowered towards the ground while the UAV continues to fly rather than the UAV landing on the ground and releasing the package. Packages may sway during lowering as a result of wind or movement of the UAV. By modulating a rate of descent of a package, a package sway may mitigated. The lowering mechanism includes wrapping a tether in various directions around the package such that the package rotates in a first and second direction as the package descends. Additionally, a rip-strip lowering mechanism that separates under tension to lower the package and a rappel mechanism that slides the package down a tether may be used. Accordingly, the tether can control a descent of the package assembly.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided herein for providing package release for an unmanned aerial system. An apparatus for releasing packages for retrieval by an unmanned aerial system comprises a plurality of arms configured to surround a plurality of packages stacked vertically in an extended position, a plurality of powered hinges at a base of each of the plurality of arms, and a control circuit coupled to the plurality of powered hinges. The control circuit being configured to: determine a height for a first lowered position for the plurality of arms at which the plurality arms do not obstruct an unmanned aerial vehicle from coupling with a coupling structure on a first package of the plurality of packages positioned at a top of the plurality of packages, and cause the plurality of powered hinges to pivot the plurality of arms from the extended position to the first lowered position.