Wing Aviation LLC

Google Inc.

James Schmalzried

Jesse Blake

Scott Velez

Andre Prager

André Prager

Evan Twyford

Eric Teller

Adam Woodworth

Jyoti Sastry

Ankit Somani

Stephen Benson

Matthew Nubbe

Ryan Thomas Davis

Adem Rudin

Ross Koningstein

Siegfried Zerweckh

Kyle A Liske

Nicolas Renold

Michael George Sleator

Paul Heninwolf

Anand Ramesh

Girts Folkmanis

Brandon L Jones

Thorsten Schilling

James Ryan Burgess

Stephen Lacy

Damien Bruno Jourdan

Jonathan Lesser

Kevin Chen

Clark Sopper

Dinuka Abeywardena

Martin Kubie

Kyle Krafka

Ray Leung

Kurt Adelberger

Greg Vulikh

Marco Caflisch

Aditya Undurti

Benjamin Jacobs

Kyle Liske

Michael Nowakowski

Brandon Jones

A modular housing structure for housing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) includes a plurality of housing segments and a plurality of landing pads. The plurality of housing segments are shaped to mechanically join together to define an interior of the modular housing structure. The individual housing segments have a common structural shape that repeats when assembled to form the modular housing structure. The plurality of landing pads are positioned within the individual housing segments, each of the landing pads sized to physically support and charge a corresponding one of the UAVs.

Modular housing structure for unmanned aerial vehicles having a repeating structure and ingress point

An example method involves determining an expected demand level for a first type of a plurality of types of transport tasks for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the first type of transport tasks associated with a first payload type. Each of the UAVs is physically reconfigurable between at least a first and a second configuration corresponding to the first payload type and a second payload type, respectively. The method also involves determining based on the expected demand level for the first type of transport tasks, (i) a first number of UAVs having the first configuration and (ii) a second number of UAVs having the second configuration. The method further involves, at or near a time corresponding to the expected demand level, providing one or more UAVs to perform the transport tasks, including at least the first number of UAVs.

Anticipatory dispatch of UAVs to pre-staging locations

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

Unmanned aerial vehicle housing including deployable landing pads

A mobile nest for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) includes a cuboid-shaped frame, staging pads, charging electronics, and exterior siding. The cuboid-shaped frame includes vertical supports positioned at corners of the cuboid-shaped frame. The staging pads are adapted for landing, launching, and charging the UAVs. The staging pads are mounted to pivot about two or more of the vertical supports. Each of the staging pads rotates into the cuboid-shaped frame when stowed and rotates out of the cuboid-shaped frame when deployed for launching or landing the corresponding one of the UAVs. The charging electronics are disposed within the cuboid-shaped frame and coupled to the staging pads to charge the UAVs when the UAVs are positioned on the staging pads. The exterior siding is mounted to the cuboid-shaped frame to provide a weather barrier that protects the UAVs from weather when the UAVs are stowed within the mobile housing structure.

Mobile UAV nest

Example implementations may relate to self-deployment of operational infrastructure by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Specifically, a control system may determine operational location(s) from which a group of UAVs is to provide aerial transport services in a geographic area. For at least a first of the operational location(s), the system may cause a first UAV from the group to perform an infrastructure deployment task that includes (i) a flight from a source location to the first operational location and (ii) installation of operational infrastructure at the first operational location by the first UAV. In turn, this may enable the first UAV to operate from the first operational location, as the first UAV can charge a battery of the first UAV using the operational infrastructure installed at the first operational location and/or can carry out item transport task(s) at location(s) that are in the vicinity of the first operational location.

Methods and systems for self-deployment of operational infrastructure by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

A technique for validating a balcony to receive delivery of a parcel via a UAV includes obtaining a first identification of a general location of the balcony; generating a first image representing a building including the balcony where the first image is selected based upon the location identified; obtaining a second identification or a confirmation of a precise location of the balcony in the building where the second identification or the confirmation are received in response to an end-user interaction with the first image; determining a deliverability score based at least in part on the precise location of the balcony; and indicating an enrollment status to the end-user where the enrollment status is generated based upon the deliverability score.

UAV balcony deliveries to multi-level buildings

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more sources of propulsion coupled to provide propulsion to the UAV, and a power source coupled to power the one or more sources of propulsion. A communication system is coupled to communicate with an external device, and a controller is coupled to the communication system, the power source, and the one or more sources of propulsion. The controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the UAV to perform operations, including: measuring a status of the UAV; sending the status of the UAV to the external device; receiving movement instructions from the external device; and engaging the one or more sources of propulsion to move the UAV from a first location to a second location within a storage facility.

Unmanned aerial vehicle fleet management

Example implementations may relate to using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dedicated to deployment of operational infrastructure, with such deployment enabling charging of a battery of a UAV from a group of UAVs. More specifically, the group of UAVs may include at least (i) a first UAV of a first type configured to deploy operational infrastructure and (ii) a second UAV of a second type configured to carry out a task other than deployment of operational infrastructure. With this arrangement, a control system may determine an operational location at which to deploy operational infrastructure, and may cause the first UAV to deploy operational infrastructure at the operational location. Then, the control system may cause the second UAV to charge a battery of the second UAV using the operational infrastructure deployed by the first UAV at the operational location.

Methods and systems for using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dedicated to deployment of operational infrastructure

A modular fuselage for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a battery module, an avionics module, and a mission payload module. The battery module houses a battery to power the UAV. The avionics module houses flight control circuitry of the UAV. The mission payload module houses equipment associated with a mission of the UAV. The battery module, the avionics module, and the mission payload module are detachable from each other and mechanically securable to each other to contiguously form at least a portion of the modular fuselage of the UAV.

Modular fuselage for unmanned aerial vehicle

Systems and methods for assembling Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for assembling a UAV includes connecting a wing spar with boom carriers to form an H-frame. The wing spar provides mounting locations for securing horizontal propulsion units, and the boom carriers provide mounting locations for securing vertical propulsion units. The method also includes attaching a fuselage body to the wing spar; attaching a pre-formed wing shell to the H-frame; and attaching pre-formed individual boom shells to their corresponding boom carriers. The H-frame provides structural frame for mounting the wing shell and the boom shells.

Assembly systems and methods for unmanned aerial vehicles

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

James Schmalzried