Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

James S Magson

Robert Pupalaikis

Gary Howland

Cherry Cwalina

Luca F Bertuccelli

Margaret MacIsaac Lampazzi

Thomas Guido

John G Schoenfeld

A method of teaming a manned aerial vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle includes inputting to a controller in a manned vehicle coordinates for an area of interest, plotting a course to the area of interest in a navigation computer operatively connected to the controller, identifying one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near the area of interest, communicating to a ground controller rendezvous coordinates for one of the one or more UAVs, and negotiating a control hand-off of the one of the one or more UAVs from the ground controller to the controller.

Method and system for teaming manned and unmanned aerial vehicles

A manned unmanned teaming (MUM-T) image system includes an unmanned vehicle (UV) configured to travel in a first heading and includes at least one sensor configured to capture at least one image having a first visual orientation pursuant to the first heading. The MUM-T image system generates image data indicative of the at least one image. A manually operated vehicle (MOV) in signal communication with the UV is configured to travel in a second heading. The MOV comprises an electronic image transformation module configured to receive the image data and to transform the image data into a second orientation different from the first orientation based on the second heading. An electronic display unit is configured to receive the transformed image data and to display the at least one image according to the second orientation.

Manned unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system to transform image data based on geographic orientation

Control handover planning for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided that includes determining, by a planning system, a current location of a mobile control system and a current location of the UAV. A target location is identified. A control handover zone is determined based on a communication range constraint between the mobile control system and the UAV. The control handover zone is located between the current location of the mobile control system, the current location of the UAV, and the target location. A mobile control system path plan and a UAV path plan are created that each includes a control handover waypoint in the control handover zone at the same time. The control handover waypoint defines a planned location to place the mobile control system in control of the UAV.

Unmanned aerial vehicle control handover planning

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North Haven, CT, United States of America

James S Magson