A vertiport exchange station has a plurality of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air taxis, a plurality of landing/takeoff pads arranged in a rectangular pattern, a passenger terminal for arrival and departure of passengers, a plurality of electric motor driven chassis each adapted to carry a pod adapted to carry one or more passengers, a transfer path guiding the chassis in a closed loop, and a control system. One or more incoming passengers enter a pod at the passenger terminal, an air taxi is guided to a specific pad, the chassis carrying the pod is transported to a point near the specific pad, is guided to stop on the specific pad, the air taxi is guided to connect to the pod, the pod is detached from the chassis, and the air taxi is guided to ascend and to proceed to a programmed destination.

A combination unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a fixed wing UAV, a plurality of rotor UAVs, a first communication component and a plurality of second communication components. The first communication component is arranged on the fixed wing UAV, and the plurality of second communication components are correspondingly arranged on the plurality of rotor UAVs. The first communication component can communicate with the plurality of second communication components. When operating in long-distance and complex surrounding areas, it can fly to a designated position through the fixed wing UAV, and then release the plurality of rotor UAVs, which may carry out reconnaissance operations on one or more targets in one area at the same time, or operate on multiple targets in multiple areas, and transmit signal commands in real time through the first communication component and the second communication component.

A system comprises a drone having autonomous drive capability and an assist vehicle (AV) for transporting the drone in an assisted drive mode in which the drone is held at, and transported by, the assist vehicle. Control hardware and software are programmed to determine drone travel over a route having a first route section in which the drone travels autonomously and a second route section in which the drone travels in the assisted drive mode.

An airborne delivery system employs unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) released from an airborne platform, such as a Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPAD), to more accurately deliver supplies. The airborne delivery system is configured to be mounted on a JPAD, or similar airborne platform. As with a conventional JPAD, the JPAD is then released from an airborne vehicle. After a certain amount of flight time, one or more UAVs are released mid-flight from the airborne delivery system.

A drone delivery system hub and method for sending for take-off and receiving for landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The drone delivery system hub includes a center shaft frame, a parcel-conveying system supported by the center shaft frame, structural arms coupled to and extending outward from the center shaft frame in a spoke-like configuration, drone-conveying systems each supported by one of the structural arms, and a linking conveyor span. The drone-conveying system conveys the UAVs along a length of a correspond one of the structural arms toward and away from the center shaft frame. The linking conveyor span selectably rotates to different orientations between different pairs of the structural arms, selectively conveying a UAV thereon between any two of the structural arms. The linking conveyor span is located above the parcel-conveying system such for the UAV thereon to deposit and retrieve parcels from the parcel-conveying system.

A system comprises a drone having autonomous drive capability and an assist vehicle (AV) for transporting the drone in an assisted drive mode in which the drone is held at, and transported by, the assist vehicle. Control hardware and software are programmed to determine drone travel over a route having a first route section in which the drone travels autonomously and a second route section in which the drone travels in the assisted drive mode.

A packaging system for a plurality of drones is disclosed herein. The packaging system is designed for drones, which include a plurality of downward facing propellers and a drone body configured operatively below the plurality of downward facing propellers in a downwardly extending configuration. The packaging system comprises a primary container; and a plurality of secondary containers for holding ten of the drones therein, wherein the secondary containers have dimensions for facilitating accommodation of nine of the secondary containers in the primary container.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for autonomously performing and/or facilitating drone diagnostic functions. Prior to a mission of a UAV, an inspection station comprising at least one imaging sensor and at least one directional force sensor may be used to perform a plurality of air worthiness inspections and/or maintenance checks with little to no human intervention. Once the UAV has been determined to be air worthy, it is approved for a subsequent mission.

A reconfigurable system capable of autonomously exchanging material from unmanned vehicles of various types and sizes. The system comprises an environmental enclosure, a landing area, a universal mechanical system to load and unload material from the unmanned vehicle, and a central processor that manages the aforementioned tasks. The landing area may comprise a one or more visible or non-visible markers/emitters capable of generating composite images to assist in landing the unmanned vehicle upon the reconfigurable, autonomous system.

The present invention realizes a medical material transport system that is low-cost, stable, and safe, the medical material transport system being such that even if a failure occurs in an individual specimen transport device, the failure does not extend to the system as a whole. Collection of a specimen is requested from a specimen collection request terminal 107, and a management unit (108) issues a reception command 110 for the specimen. A drone 101 that has received the reception command 110 for the specimen departs from a standby dock 105 on the basis of the received information and flies to a specimen recovery location 106, and a specimen tray for placing the specimen is taken out from a specimen holder 102. A specimen container is contained in the specimen tray, and the specimen tray is returned to the specimen holder 102 and locked using a lock mechanism. The drone 101 flies to an arrival station 104, and after arriving, uses an unlocking key, and the specimen tray is disengaged from the specimen holder 102. After the specimen container in the specimen tray is collected, the specimen tray is placed in the specimen holder 102, and the drone 101 returns to the standby dock 105.