Abstract:
A system for homing and recharging an unmanned vehicle comprises a plurality of homing layers operative along the radius of an imaginary circle that has the homing target at its center, each homing layer consisting of a sub-system provided with location means of increasing accuracy relative to that of a sub-system that operates along said radius farther away, from the center of said circle.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method for containing and charging an unmanned VTOL aircraft are disclosed. The apparatus for containing and charging an unmanned VTOL aircraft includes a post 110, an extended member 120, a cover 130, a fastening unit 140, and a charging unit 150. The post is placed on a ground. The extended member is connected to the post. The cover is provided on the extended member, and is configured to be opened or closed in order to contain and protect the unmanned VTOL aircraft. The fastening unit is provided in the cover, and is configured to fasten the unmanned VTOL aircraft. The charging unit is provided in the fastening unit, and is configured to charge the unmanned VTOL aircraft.
Abstract:
Disclosed in the present invention is a positioning mechanism, a UAV dock using the positioning mechanism, and a UAV replenishment method. The positioning mechanism comprises a base provided with a landing area, with a positioning portion provided on said landing area; and a guide member movably arranged on said landing area and comprising a guide surface, wherein the moving states of said guide member relative to said base include a non-operating state and an operating state; the height of said guide member in said non-operating state is less than the height thereof in said operating state; and said guide surface in said operating state can be adjoined by said positioning portion. Compared with a totally active solution, the above-mentioned positioning mechanism reduces the number of actuators for positioning, thus reducing the cost and complexity of equipment and reducing the space occupied by the guide member in the non-operating state, thereby facilitating the miniaturized design of equipment.
Abstract:
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform includes a stationary base constructed and arranged to reside over a fixed location on a surface (e.g., a ground location, a ship's deck, a trailer or other vehicle, etc.). The UAV platform further includes a set of UAV interfaces constructed and arranged to interface directly with a UAV (e.g., a launcher, a net apparatus, etc.). The UAV platform further includes a turntable assembly which couples to the stationary base. The turntable assembly is constructed and arranged to couple to each UAV interface and control angular direction of that UAV interface over the fixed location. A method of operating a UAV platform includes deploying the UAV platform over a fixed location, preparing a UAV interface on a turntable assembly of the UAV platform, and rotating the turntable to control angular direction of the UAV interface over the fixed location.
Abstract:
A system for homing and recharging an unmanned vehicle comprises a plurality of homing layers operative along the radius of an imaginary circle that has the homing target at its center, each homing layer consisting of a sub-system provided with location means of increasing accuracy relative to that of a sub-system that operates along said radius farther away, from the center of said circle.
Abstract:
L'invention concerne un dispositif de réception (10a) d'un drone (12) comportant : - une enceinte (11a) ; et - un bras comportant une première extrémité fixée à ladite enceinte et une seconde extrémité munie de moyens de réception de drones; - ledit bras étant mobile entre deux positions : ∘ une position dépliée dans laquelle lesdits moyens de réception s'étendent à l'extérieur de ladite enceinte; et ∘ une position repliée dans laquelle lesdits moyens de réception sont contenus à l'intérieur de ladite enceinte;
- lesdits moyens de réception comportant un berceau formé par une base aux bords de laquelle s'élèvent au moins deux surfaces de guidage en regard l'une de l'autre, lesdites au moins deux surfaces de guidage s'étendant vers l'extérieur avec un angle supérieur à 90° entre ladite base et lesdites au moins deux surfaces de guidage de sorte à guider un drone vers ladite base.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to safe arrestment and recovery of an airborne unmanned air vehicle (UAV). Specific embodiments provide a 360 degree capture engagement cage that can recover a UAV approaching from any direction. The systems described herein may be used regardless of wind direction. The systems described herein may also be used as an air-only based system. Other embodiments may be used as including both an upper and lower tether for the engagement cage.
Abstract:
Example methods and apparatus to deploy and recover a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle (block 1100) via a non-fixed wing aircraft (104) are described herein. An example method includes tracking a location of a non-fixed wing aircraft in flight (block 1106), tracking a location of a fixed wing aircraft in flight (block 1106), positioning the non-fixed wing aircraft (104) relative to the fixed wing aircraft (102) based on the locations of the non-fixed wing aircraft (104) and the fixed wing aircraft (102) and coupling, via a gripper (112), the fixed wing aircraft (102) to the non-fixed wing aircraft (104) in mid-flight at a recovery location.
Abstract:
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a helicopter-mediated system and method for launching and retrieving an aircraft capable of long-distance efficient cruising from a small space without the use of a long runway.