The invention relates to the field of aeronautical engineering, specifically to convertiplanes. A convertiplane comprises a fuselage, a control system, aerodynamic outer wings with aerodynamic control surfaces, an all-moving foreplane with aerodynamic control surfaces, a tail plane, and propulsion systems with propellers. The propulsion systems with propellers are arranged rotatably on tips of the foreplane and on the tail plane. The convertiplane is designed to permit the aerodynamic centre of pressure and the resultant thrust vector to coincide. The convertiplane is designed to permit the mutual dynamic and static scalar control thereof by operating the aerodynamic control surfaces and thrust vectoring of each of the propulsion systems. The propulsion systems arranged on the tips of the foreplane are capable of counterrotation of the propeller and are capable of dynamically displacing the centre of pressure and are also capable of displacing the axis of rotation of the front propulsion systems in the ZX plane. The propulsion systems have an axial degree of freedom, and are also capable of independently of one another controlling thrust vectoring and revolutions by controlling the pitch angle of the blades and the diameter thereof.

One embodiment is an aircraft including first and second fuselages; a wing assembly connecting the first and second fuselages, wherein the first and second fuselages are parallel to one another; first and second forward propulsion systems tiltably attached to forward ends of the first and second fuselages; and first and second aft propulsion systems fixedly attached proximate aft ends of the first and second fuselages.

This disclosure describes example reconfigurable propulsion mechanisms, example multi-rotor aerial vehicle apparatuses, and methods that may be used to alter the yaw torque polarity produced by one or more propulsion mechanisms in response to a detected loss of thrust produced by another propulsion mechanism of the aerial vehicle. For example, each reconfigurable propulsion mechanism may be configured to move between a normal operating position and a reconfigured operating position. When a reconfigurable propulsion mechanism is in a normal operating position, the yaw torque has a first polarity, such as clockwise. In comparison, when the same reconfigurable propulsion mechanism is in the reconfigured operating position, the yaw torque polarity produced by the propulsion mechanism is reversed and has a second polarity, such as counter-clockwise. Reconfiguration may be done to recover an aerial vehicle from a degraded operational state, for example resulting from a motor-out event, to a non-degraded operational state.

The operational efficiency of a rotorcraft in cruising. The rotary wing aircraft, according to the present disclosure, has a main body and a plurality of motors provided in the main body for rotating each of the rotors, which are parallel to a reference plane. When the main body is inclined with respect to one direction of travel and flying in the direction of travel, the rotational speed of each of the plurality of motors is approximately the same.

Systems and methods for sensorless motor control may include a back EMF (electromotive force) observer, an adaptive EMF filter, magnitude compensation, hybrid rotor position and speed determination, rotor position and speed blending, and angle compensation. In order to provide accurate and reliable rotor position and speed estimations for a motor over a wide and varied range of speeds, at low speeds, during speed reversals, and/or in the presence of external forces, loads, or torques, the sensorless motor control may utilize a hybrid rotor position and speed determination that leverages both angle-based and magnitude-based methods. Further, the outputs of the two methods may be blended based on a shaping function to generate a final estimated rotor position and speed. Then, the motor may be more accurately and reliably controlled based on the final estimated rotor position and speed.

Systems and methods include UAVs that serve to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands of the transportation and delivery process. A UAV generally includes a UAV chassis including an upper portion, a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis, and a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis. UAV support mechanisms are utilized to load and unload parcel carriers to the UAV chassis, and the UAV lands on and takes off from the UAV support mechanism to deliver parcels to a serviceable point. The UAV includes computing entities that interface with different systems and computing entities to send and receive various types of information.

A transportation network is provided that utilizes autonomous vehicles (e.g., unmanned aerial vehicles) for identifying, acquiring, and transporting items between network locations without requiring human interaction. A travel path for an item through the transportation network may include a passing of the item from one autonomous vehicle to another or otherwise utilizing different autonomous vehicles for transporting the item along different path segments (e.g., between different network locations). Different possible travel paths through the transportation network may be evaluated, and a travel path for an item may be selected based on transportation factors such as travel time, cost, safety, etc., which may include consideration of information regarding current conditions (e.g., related to network congestion, inclement weather, etc.). Autonomous vehicles of different sizes, carrying capacities, travel ranges, travel speeds, etc. may be utilized for further improving the flexibility and efficiency of the system for transporting items.

An autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod is disclosed. A plurality of distributed propulsion element (thruster) layout within a self-articulating ring wing pod allows the pod to selectively control its thrust vector by controlling each propulsion element in the pod. This arrangement allows autonomous and independent control of the tilting of the ring wing relative to the aircraft. The ring wing pod acts as both a nacelle to house the propulsion elements as well as a lifting surface when in wing-borne flight. The autonomous thrust vectoring ring wing pod also provides superior aircraft attitude control in wing-borne flight, thus negating the need for conventional surface controls.

A system for video imaging and photographing using an autonomous aerial platform. The system may be a quad rotor system using electrically powered propellers. The aerial platform may be commanded by the user to follow an object of interest. The aerial platform may have multiple configurations for its thrust units such that they are clear of the field of view of the imaging device in a first configuration, such that they protect the imaging device during landing in a second configuration, and that allows for efficient storage in a stowed configuration.

An aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing comprises a fuselage, at least one processor carried by the fuselage and a pair of aerodynamic, lift-generating wings extending from the fuselage. A plurality of vectoring rotors are rotatably carried by the fuselage so as to be rotatable between a substantially vertical configuration relative to the fuselage for vertical take-off and landing and a substantially horizontal configuration relative to the fuselage for horizontal flight. The vectoring rotors are unsupported by the first pair of wings. The wings may be modular and removably connected to the fuselage and configured to be interchangeable with an alternate pair of wings. A cargo container may be secured to the underside of the fuselage, and the cargo container may be modular and interchangeable with an alternate cargo container.