Wing Aviation LLC

André Prager

Jesse Blake

James Schmalzried

Evan Twyford

Jonathan Lesser

Kyle A Liske

Adam Woodworth

Giulia Pantalone

Damien Bruno Jourdan

Theran Cochran

Gaurav Garg

Stephen Lacy

Stephen Benson

Kevin Jenkins

Clark Sopper

Brandon L Jones

Adem Rudin

Jim Schmalzried

Martin Kubie

Nicolas Renold

Trevor Shannon

James Ryan Burgess

Ivan Qiu

Scott Velez

Zhefei Li

Reinaldo Negron

Nick Renold

Anthony Sekine

Eric Teller

Jasper Lewin

Marcus Hammond

Thorsten Schilling

John FitzSimons

Aditya Undurti

Benjamin Jacobs

Alex Handley

Kyle Liske

Brandon Jones

Daniel Peirano

A method includes determining, by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a position of an autoloader device for the UAV; based on the determined position of the autoloader device, causing the UAV to follow a descent trajectory in which the UAV moves from a starting position to a first nudged position in order to deploy a tethered pickup component of the UAV to a payout position on an approach side of the autoloader device; deploying the tethered pickup component of the UAV to the payout position; causing the UAV to follow a side-step trajectory in which the UAV moves laterally to a second nudged position in order to cause the tethered pickup component of the UAV to engage the autoloader device; and retracting the tethered pickup component of the UAV to pick up a payload from the autoloader device.

UAV autoloader systems and methods

Example implementations relate to a method of dynamically updating a transport task of a UAV. The method includes receiving, at a transport-provider computing system, an item provider request for transportation of a plurality of packages from a loading location at a given future time. The method also includes assigning, by the transport-provider computing system, a respective transport task to each of a plurality of UAVs, where the respective transport task comprises an instruction to deploy to the loading location to pick up one or more of the plurality of packages. Further, the method includes identifying, by the transport-provider system, a first package while or after a first UAV picks up the first package. Yet further, the method includes based on the identifying of the first package, providing, by the transport-provider system, a task update to the first UAV to update the respective transport task of the first UAV.

Dynamic UAV transport tasks for pickup and delivery of non-specifically assigned packages

A payload receiver apparatus including a base configured to receive a payload suspended from an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), an extending member having an upper end positioned above the base, a first tether engager that extends in a first direction from the extending member, wherein the base includes a payload platform positioned below the first tether end of the channel and configured to receive a payload thereon, wherein the first tether engager is adapted to guide a tether having a first end attached to the UAV and a second end attached to a payload coupling apparatus to a position above the payload platform.

Payload receiver apparatus with payload platform and tether engager for use with a UAV

An example method carried out by an uncrewed vehicle (UV) is disclosed. The method may involve establishing a wireless cellular connection with a wireless cellular network via a wireless cellular communications interface of the UV. The wireless cellular network may be communicatively connected with one or more data servers via a data backhaul network. The example method may further involve exchanging operational data between the one or more data servers and a data storage device of the UV via the wireless cellular connection with the wireless cellular network, establishing a wireless local area network (WLAN) network connection with one or more uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) via a WLAN communications interface of the UV, and exchanging the operational data between the data storage device and at least one of the one or more UAVs over the WLAN network connection.

Adaptive mobile distribution of data among a fleet of uncrewed vehicles

An unmanned aerial vehicle system including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); a tether having a first end positioned in a winch system of the UAV and a second end secured to a payload coupling apparatus; a payload coupling apparatus receptacle positioned in the UAV; a payload having a handle, wherein the handle of the payload is positioned within a slot in the payload coupling apparatus; wherein the UAV has a recessed restraint slot for receiving a top portion of the payload.

Payload coupling apparatus for UAV and method of delivering a payload

A method includes determining an operational condition associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The method includes, responsive to determining the operational condition, causing the UAV to perform a pre-flight check. The pre-flight check includes hovering the UAV above a takeoff location. The pre-flight check includes, while hovering the UAV, moving one or more controllable components of the UAV in accordance with a predetermined sequence of movements. The pre-flight check includes obtaining, by one or more sensors of the UAV, sensor data indicative of a flight response of the UAV to moving the one or more controllable components while hovering the UAV. The pre-flight check includes comparing the sensor data to expected sensor data associated with an expected flight response to the predetermined sequence of movements while hovering the UAV. The pre-flight check includes, based on comparing the sensor data to the expected sensor data, evaluating performance of the UAV.

Systems and methods for autonomous airworthiness pre-flight checks for UAVs

A payload loading system is disclosed. The payload loading system includes a UAV and a loading structure. A retractable tether is coupled to a payload coupling apparatus at a distal end and the UAV at a proximate end. A payload is loaded to the UAV by coupling the payload to the payload coupling apparatus. The loading structure of the payload loading system includes a landing platform and a tether guide. The tether guide is coupled to the landing platform and directs the tether as the UAV approaches and travels across at least a portion of the landing platform such that the payload coupling apparatus arrives at a target location. The payload is loaded to the payload coupling apparatus while the payload coupling apparatus is within the target location.

Loading structure with tether guide for unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage, a pair of wings attached to the fuselage, and a propulsion system mounted to the wings to provide propulsion to the UAV. The fuselage has an outer fuselage shell that is a first mechanical support structure for an airframe of the UAV. The pair of wings is attached to the fuselage and shaped to provide aerodynamic lift. The wings have outer wing shells that are second mechanical support structures for the airframe. The outer fuselage shell or the outer wing shells comprise one or more formed-metal sheets.

Formed-metal sheet airframe for UAVS

A landing pad for an unmanned aerial vehicle ('UAV') is disclosed. The landing pad includes a support structure, a charging pad, and a plurality of movable UAV supports. The charging pad is coupled to the support structure and able to move relative to the support structure. The UAV supports are also coupled to the support structure and configured to translate along the support structure from a first position to a second position. When the UAV supports are in the first position, the charging pad supports the UAV. When the UAV supports are in the second position, the charging pad is lowered and the UAV supports then provide support to the UAV.

Landing pad with charging and loading functionality for unmanned aerial vehicle

A technique for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged includes charging a plurality of the UAVs on charging pads disposed in a staging array at the terminal area. Merchant facilities for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed about a periphery of the staging array. The UAVs are relocated under their own propulsion from interior charging pads to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads become available and the UAVs are deemed sufficiently charged and ready for delivery missions.

Terminal area operation of UAVs for package delivery system

An apparatus for visual navigation of a UAV includes a geo-fiducial mat and a plurality of geo-fiducials. The geo-fiducial mat includes a landing pad region that provides a location for aligning with a landing pad of a UAV. The geo-fiducials each includes a two-dimensional (2D) pattern that visually conveys a code. The 2D pattern has a shape from which a visual navigation system of the UAV can visually triangulate a position of the UAV.

Adhoc geo-fiducial mats for landing UAVs

Dynamic UAV transport tasks

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

André Prager