A system comprising a reel, a tether configured to be wound about the reel, and at least one unmanned aerial vehicle attached to the tether. When unmanned aerial vehicle is at rest, the unmanned aerial vehicle resides on the reel. Related methods of operating such a system can be used to extract crop from a field.

A storage case, including, at least one door which is moveable between a first position in which the door is closed and a second position in which the door is opened; a platform, which can support an aerial vehicle; and a mechanical connection means which is connected between the platform and the at least one door, wherein the mechanical connection means is configured such that as the door is moved from its first position to its second position the platform is simultaneously elevated; and as the door is moved from its second position to its first position the platform is simultaneously lowered; and a controller configured to control the mechanical connection means. There is further provided a corresponding method of deploying an aerial vehicle; a corresponding method of storing an aerial vehicle; an assembly including the storage case and an aerial vehicle; and a vehicle including the storage case.

A storage case, including, at least one door which is moveable between a first position in which the door is closed and a second position in which the door is opened; a platform, which can support an aerial vehicle; and a mechanical connection means which is connected between the platform and the at least one door, wherein the mechanical connection means is configured such that as the door is moved from its first position to its second position the platform is simultaneously elevated; and as the door is moved from its second position to its first position the platform is simultaneously lowered; and a controller configured to control the mechanical connection means. There is further provided a corresponding method of deploying an aerial vehicle; a corresponding method of storing an aerial vehicle; an assembly including the storage case and an aerial vehicle; and a vehicle including the storage case.

A refueling system has a vehicle having a fuel tank connected to a deployable fuel hose, an end effector having controlled flight, the fuel hose connected at an end away from the first vehicle, through the end effector to a fuel connector under the end effector, a second vehicle having a fuel tank coupled through a pumping apparatus to a fueling port on an acquisition apparatus adapted to acquire the end effector and connect the fueling port and the fuel connector of the end effector, and control circuitry enabling controlled flight of the end effector, wherein the end effector is controlled to be acquired by the acquisition apparatus to couple the fuel connector with the fueling port and fuel is provided from the fuel tank of one of the vehicles to the fuel tank of the other of the vehicles through the pumping apparatus.

Laser cleaning apparatus (100) comprising: a laser system (102) configured to output laser light having a power, a wavelength, a temporal characteristic and a divergence; a delivery cable (106) to deliver the laser light to a cleaning head; a cleaning head (110) comprising: an output aperture and output optics (116) configured to focus the laser light (104) to have a fluence at a focal plane (126) that is greater than an ablation threshold of a surface contaminant to be removed from a surface to be cleaned; scanning apparatus (118) to scan the laser light in at least one dimension across a scan region within the focal plane to cause the scanning laser light to have an effective divergence greater than the divergence of the laser light and to have a corresponding safe working distance from the output aperture determined by the effective divergence, the power, the wavelength and the temporal characteristic; and scan monitoring apparatus (120) to monitor the effective divergence of the scanning laser light and to generate an alarm signal (108) in response to determining that the effective divergence has changed.

Laser cleaning apparatus (100) comprising: a laser system (102) configured to output laser light having a power, a wavelength, a temporal characteristic and a divergence; a delivery cable (106) to deliver the laser light to a cleaning head; a cleaning head (110) comprising: an output aperture and output optics (116) configured to focus the laser light (104) to have a fluence at a focal plane (126) that is greater than an ablation threshold of a surface contaminant to be removed from a surface to be cleaned; scanning apparatus (118) to scan the laser light in at least one dimension across a scan region within the focal plane to cause the scanning laser light to have an effective divergence greater than the divergence of the laser light and to have a corresponding safe working distance from the output aperture determined by the effective divergence, the power, the wavelength and the temporal characteristic; and scan monitoring apparatus (120) to monitor the effective divergence of the scanning laser light and to generate an alarm signal (108) in response to determining that the effective divergence has changed.

A drone fishing system mountable on a fishing vessel having an aft portion includes a landing pad mounted having a drone station mounted on the aft portion of the fishing vessel, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and tether line and tether reel for maintaining an electrical connection between the drone station and the UAV. The UAV including a computing module for determining optimal positioning of the UAV with respect to the fishing vessel during operation. The UAV tether line spools about the tether reel and has an abrasion resistant cable jacket for enabling a selective engagement of a clip on the tether line. A first altimeter mounted on the fishing vessel. A second altimeter mounted on the UAV. The first and second altimeters communicate with the computing module of the UAV. The electrical connection communicates power and data between the landing pad and the UAV.

A drone fishing system mountable on a fishing vessel having an aft portion includes a landing pad mounted having a drone station mounted on the aft portion of the fishing vessel, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and tether line and tether reel for maintaining an electrical connection between the drone station and the UAV. The UAV including a computing module for determining optimal positioning of the UAV with respect to the fishing vessel during operation. The UAV tether line spools about the tether reel and has an abrasion resistant cable jacket for enabling a selective engagement of a clip on the tether line. A first altimeter mounted on the fishing vessel. A second altimeter mounted on the UAV. The first and second altimeters communicate with the computing module of the UAV. The electrical connection communicates power and data between the landing pad and the UAV.

A suspended aerial vehicle system includes an aerial vehicle with a thruster assembly and a supporting line attached to the aerial vehicle that is capable of supporting at least some of the weight of the aerial vehicle. The supporting line may have an adjustable length which when varied, and in coordination with variations in a thrust characteristic of the aerial vehicle, may change the position of the aerial vehicle. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

A suspended aerial vehicle system includes an aerial vehicle with a thruster assembly and a supporting line attached to the aerial vehicle that is capable of supporting at least some of the weight of the aerial vehicle. The supporting line may have an adjustable length which when varied, and in coordination with variations in a thrust characteristic of the aerial vehicle, may change the position of the aerial vehicle. Other aspects are also described and claimed.