International Business Machines Corporation

Julian D Williams

Colin Ian Holyoake

Sarah M Drewery

David J Tolley

Andrew Michael Lees

Keira Louise Hopkins

Andrew J Morrish

Alexandra E Wishart

Adam Michael Farley

David J Eagle

Adrian Mark Clitheroe

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and control thereof to assemble into flexible, dynamic structures. A UAV includes a flexible screen retractable between extended and retracted positions, connector(s) for coupling to another UAV that can pull the flexible screen from a retracted position to an extended position, and a coupling portion for coupling to connector(s) of yet another UAV to connect to and extend a flexible screen thereof. Chain(s) of coupled UAVs with extended flexible screens thereof form a structure that can change shape and size based on UAV movement. Local wireless communication with a group control UAV facilitates coordinated positioning and control of a UAV group. A group control UAV with a power supply and an electrical conducting lead can power UAVs of a group while it and they are in-flight, and can perform real-time management of the group UAVs in forming and maintaining a desired shape of the structure.

Unmanned aerial vehicles and control thereof

A flooring element is provided for a raised floor including removable flooring panels and a supporting structure with a load bearing surface. The flooring element includes a warning element operable for moving between an inactive position in which the warning element is substantially concealed by the surface and an active position in which the warning element projects beyond the surface to form a visual hazard warning indicator. The flooring element may be for example a flooring panel, a stringer, a pedestal, an insert for a pedestal or an insert for inserting between a sub-floor void and a flooring panel.

Hazard warning system

A flooring element is used in a raised floor having removable flooring panels and a supporting structure and having a load bearing surface. The flooring element includes a roll of flexible sheet material mounted on the flooring element. The flooring element may include a flooring stringer or an insert. After removal of an overlying flooring panel to reveal an opening to a sub-floor void, the roll of flexible sheet material may be extended from the roll and affixed to an attachment means at an opposite side of the opening so as to substantially cover the opening and provide a warning of a removed panel.

A CRT display system is described wherein a measure of the beam current generated within the CRT is derived and the voltage across the cathode heater modified as a function of this measure. In this way the optimum voltage across the heater coils is maintained, thus preventing 'cathode stripping' at times of peak beam currents, and optimizing the CRT's working lifetime.

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Ringwood, United Kingdom

Julian D Williams