Systems and methods are provided for swapping the battery on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV may be able to identify and land on an energy provision station autonomously. The UAV may take off and/or land on the energy provision station. The UAV may communicate with the energy provision station. The energy provision station may store and charge batteries for use on a UAV.

Systems and methods for uav battery exchange

A base station for automated battery pack or payload exchange and methods for using the same The base station provides a landing surface for receiving a mobile platform and includes a manipulator controlled by a manipulator compartment for accessing resource storage The base station is operable to ascertain a location of the mobile platform on the landing surface and move the manipulator to the mobile platform Thereby, the base station system advantageously accommodates low-accuracy landing of the mobile platform and further enables extended and autonomous operation of the mobile platform without the need for user intervention for exchanging battery packs and payloads

System and method for managing unmanned aerial vehicles

A multi-zone battery station is provided, comprising a plurality of landing areas configured to support a UAV. The battery station may permit battery life to be reloaded onto a UAV, which may include recharging a battery of the UAV or exchanging the UAV battery for a new battery. The different zones may accommodate different UAV types, different battery types, or operate in accordance with different energy provision rules. A marker may be provided on a landing area to aid in guiding the UAV to an appropriate landing area.

Multi-zone battery exchange system

An air vehicle incorporating a hybrid propulsion system. The system includes a gas turbine engine as a first motive power source, and one or more battery packs as a second motive power source. Through selective coupling to a DC electric motor that can in turn be connected to a bladed rotor or other lift-producing device, the motive sources provide differing ways in which an aircraft can operate. In one example, the gas turbine engine can provide operation for a majority of the flight envelope of the aircraft, while the battery packs can provide operation during such times when gas turbine-based motive power is unavailable or particularly disadvantageous. In another example, both sources of motive power may be decoupled from the bladed rotor such that the vehicle can operate as an autogyro.

Aircraft using turbo-electric hybrid propulsion system

An unmanned aerial vehicle adapted for hover and short/vertical take-off and landing (S/VTOL) is disclosed. The vehicle comprises: a body having an aspect-ratio less than two and having therein a payload volume, at least one propeller located forward of the body, at least one rudder. The body may have an inverse Zimmerman planform which provides lift as air flows across the body in horizontal flight/fixed wing mode, and further adapted such that during hover and/or short/vertical take-off and landing (S/VTOL) the vehicle operates as a rotorcraft with the body oriented with the at least one propeller substantially above the body. The vehicle is suited to a method of inspection, such as power line inspection where large distances can be analysed efficiently by flying in fixed wing mode, but by transitioning to hover mode allows detailed inspection of selected areas.

Unmanned aerial vehicle

A rotary-wing aircraft with an electric motor mounted along an axis of rotation to drive a rotor system about the axis of rotation.

Electric powered rotary-wing aircraft

A tail sitter aircraft (10) is capable of forward flight and hover operations. The tail sitter aircraft (10) includes a wing (12, 13) and first (14) and second (15) prop-nacelles supportively disposed on the wing. Each of the first and second prop-nacelles includes an articulable rotor (20), which is rotatable about variable rotational axes and which includes blades (22) that are collectively and cyclically controllable in both forward flight and hover regimes.

Control system and strategy for tail sitter

A winch system includes a cable storage system (34), a drive system (30) and a deployment system to deploy a cable having a hook system attached thereto. A right angle sheave (46) guides the cable between the cable storage system and the drive system. The drive system includes a dual mode transmission that provides high speed capabilities when moderate to no load is being lifted, while also providing high torque for heavy lift operations at low speeds. The deployment system is rated to support a maximum hook load and is mounted to the airframe for pivotable movement about a deployment axis to enable large cable exit angles.

Winch system for VTOL aircraft

A fairing system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a shaft fairing mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation and a planetary gear set configured to control a position of the shaft fairing about the axis of rotation.

Planetary de-rotation system for a shaft fairing system

An electrically powered of the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft configured for use with a tether station having a continuous power source is provided including at least one rotor system. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft additionally has an autonomous flight control system coupled to the continuous power source. The autonomous flight control system is configured to operate an electrical motor coupled to the at least one rotor system such that the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft continuously hovers above the tether station in a relative position. The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft also includes a detection system for detecting objects at a distance from the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

Timothy Fred Lauder

Papers

Electric powered rotary-wing aircraft

Control system and strategy for tail sitter

Winch system for VTOL aircraft

Planetary de-rotation system for a shaft fairing system

Sustained over-the-horizon vertical takeoff and landing sensing system