Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes receiving, by the UAV, flight information describing a job to perform an inspection of a rooftop. A particular altitude is ascended to, and an inspection of the rooftop is performed including obtaining sensor information describing the rooftop. Location information identifying a damaged area of the rooftop is received. The damaged area of the rooftop is traveled to. An inspection of the damaged area of the rooftop is performed including obtaining detailed sensor information describing the damaged area. A safe landing location is traveled to.

An information processing method executed by one processor or executed by a plurality of processors in cooperation, the method includes: an acquisition step of acquiring operation information for one or a plurality of 3D blocks selected from among a plurality of virtual 3D blocks in which different trajectories of a flight vehicle are preset; a generation step of executing connection processing or synthesis processing of two or more 3D blocks on the basis of the operation information; and an output step of outputting information of a flight path of the flight vehicle generated by the processing.

An unmanned helicopter platform includes a fuselage, a tail coupled with the fuselage, a payload rail coupled with and extending along the fuselage and a main rotor assembly coupled with the fuselage. The tail includes a tail rotor and a tail rotor motor. The tail is removably coupled to the fuselage. The main rotor assembly includes a main rotor having an axis of rotation and a main rotor motor.

An aircraft mission calculation system is configured to calculate an environmental benefit index. The system includes an aircraft trajectory calculation engine, able to calculate at least one potential mission trajectory between a geographic point of origin and a geographic point of destination. The aircraft trajectory calculation engine comprises an environmental benefit index calculation module, able to activate the calculation engine. The environmental benefit index calculation module is able to determine an environmental benefit index (GI) of the potential trajectory from the first amount of carbon dioxide (Q1(TR1)) produced on a first reference trajectory defining a fastest mission, the second amount of carbon dioxide produced on a second reference trajectory (Q2(TR2)), defining a mission minimizing the amount of carbon dioxide produced, and the potential amount of carbon dioxide produced on the potential trajectory.

A method for planning a vehicle trajectory is provided. The method comprises obtaining an edge map representation corresponding to one or more terrain images of a given area, and identifying a total number of edge pixels in each of a plurality of sub-regions of the edge map representation. The method further comprises determining a measurement probability density function (PDF) for each of the sub-regions based on the number of edge pixels with information content in each sub-region. The method then computes a trajectory cost for each of the sub-regions by dividing a user-selected scalar by a sum of: a user-selected value and the number of edge pixels with information content in each sub-region. Thereafter, the method selects a trajectory for navigation of a vehicle over the given area based on the trajectory cost for each of the sub-regions.

An aerial vehicle includes a communication unit configured to receive a wireless signal from a geo-fencing device, and a flight controller configured to generate one or more control signals that cause the aerial vehicle to operate in accordance with a set of flight regulations generated based on the wireless signal. The geo-fencing device is configured not for landing of the aerial vehicle. The set of flight regulations includes rules for controlling at least one of the aerial vehicle, a carrier carried by the aerial vehicle, or a payload of the aerial vehicle.

A method of targeting, which involves capturing a first video of a scene about a potential targeting coordinate by a first video sensor on a first aircraft; transmitting the first video and associated potential targeting coordinate by the first aircraft; receiving the first video on a first display in communication with a processor, the processor also receiving the potential targeting coordinate; selecting the potential targeting coordinate to be an actual targeting coordinate for a second aircraft in response to viewing the first video on the first display; and guiding a second aircraft toward the actual targeting coordinate; where positive identification of a target corresponding to the actual targeting coordinate is maintained from selection of the actual targeting coordinate.

A system, method, and autonomous vehicle (AV) that generates a row-based world model for perceptive navigation of an AV are described. The system includes a client device, a cloud component, and the AV. The client device receives a map image of a field having a plurality of rows, in which each row includes a plurality of plants. The cloud component then generates a row-based frame of reference, in which each row has an associated frame of reference that includes a distance. A location is determined based on a row number and the distance associated with the row number. The cloud component also associates a semantic instruction with the row-based world model, and the cloud component communicates the row-based world model to the AV.

A request for transport services that identifies a rider, an origin, and a destination is received from a client device. Eligibility of the request to be serviced by a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is determined based on the origin and the destination. A transportation system determines a first and a second hub for a leg of the transport request serviced by the VTOL aircraft and calculates a set of candidate routes from the first hub to the second hub. A provisioned route is selected from among the set of candidate routes based on network and environmental parameters and objectives including pre-determined acceptable noise levels, weather, and the presence and planned routes of other VTOL aircrafts along each of the candidate routes.

A system, method, and autonomous vehicle (AV) that executes an AV mission plan for a field having plants that follow a row are described. The system includes a cloud component that generates a row-based world model with row-based frames of reference. A semantic user instruction associated with the AV mission plan is received. The semantic user instruction is associated with the row-based world model and generates the AV mission plan. The AV receives the AV mission plan from the cloud component. The AV executes the AV mission plan and completes the AV mission plan. The AV then uploads the AV information gathered from the AV mission plan to the cloud component. The cloud component geocodes the location of each feature with the row-based world model so that the feature includes at least one row number and at least one distance associated with the row number.