Aerovironment, Inc.

Micasense, Inc.

Justin Bates McAllister

Christopher Eugene Fisher

Pavel Belik

Thomas Robert Szarek

Gabriel E Torres

Marc L Schmalzel

Ronald Howard Olch

John Peter Zwaan

Steven Matthew Larsen

Bart Dean Hibbs

Steven Bradley Chambers

Uchenna Ofoma

David Swartzendruber, Jr

Jefferson McBride

Phillip T Tokumaru

Lane Dennis Dalan

Emil Ghapgharan

Jeremy D Tyler

Jason Allen Firanski

Felix Darvas

The present disclosure is directed to irradiance sensing devices and methods. One such device includes a housing and an optical diffuser coupled to the housing. The housing has an opening that extends into the housing from an outer surface, and the opening has a circular shape at the outer surface of the housing. The optical diffuser has a first region that extends at least partially beyond the outer surface of the housing and a second region housed within the housing. The first region of the optical diffuser has a curved surface, and the optical diffuser includes a cavity extending at least partially into the second region.

Diffuser for irradiance sensor including diffuser protruding from exterior surface

The present disclosure is directed to devices and methods for synchronizing capturing of spectral images with the capturing of thermal images. A thermal imaging device of an aerial vehicle captures a sequence of thermal image of thermal images. Capturing of spectral images by a spectral imaging device of the aerial vehicle is synchronized with the capturing of the thermal images. Irradiance data indicative of a background temperature is sensed. A digital surface model of an area of interest is generated based on the sequence of spectral images. An emissivity of a target is estimated and a temperature of a pixel of the digital surface model of the target is estimated based on the sequence of thermal images, the irradiance data indicative of the background temperature and the estimated emissivity of the target.

Image sensor and thermal camera device, system and method

A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight includes providing horizontal thrust in-line with the direction of forward flight of the UAV using at least one electric motor, providing primary vertical lift for the UAV during the forward flight using a fixed and non-rotating wing, repositioning the at least one electric motor to provide vertical thrust during transition of the UAV to vertical flight for descent, landing the UAV on a surface using a vertical approach after the motor repositioning, and deploying an anchor to secure the UAV to a surface.

Unmanned aerial vehicle and method of operation

An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

Deep stall aircraft landing

A method of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight includes providing horizontal thrust in-line with the direction of forward flight of the UAV () using at least one electric motor (), providing primary vertical lift for the UAV () during the forward flight using a fixed and non-rotating wing (), repositioning the at least one electric motor (') to provide vertical thrust during transition of the UAV () to vertical flight (A) for descent (E), landing the UAV () on a surface () using a vertical approach after the motor repositioning, and deploying an anchor () to secure the UAV () to a surface ().

A quadrotor UAV including ruggedized, integral-battery, load-bearing body, two arms on the load-bearing body, each arm having two rotors, a control module mounted on the load-bearing body, a payload module mounted on the control module, and skids configured as landing gear. The two arms are replaceable with arms having wheels for ground vehicle use, with arms having floats and props for water-surface use, and with arms having pitch-controlled props for underwater use. The control module is configured to operate as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, an unmanned (water) surface vehicle, and an unmanned underwater vehicle, depending on the type of arms that are attached.

Reconfigurable battery-operated vehicle system

Camera

Light sensor

Inverted-landing aircraft

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of capturing and calibrating thermal images to provide accurate temperature information regarding an imaged area. The system includes a thermal image sensor positioned next to a non-contact temperature sensor. The system identifies pixels of the thermal image that correspond to a field of view of the temperature sensor and generates a calibration value by analyzing the pixels and the temperature information. Then the thermal image is biased or calibrated using the calibration value.

Thermal calibration of an infrared image sensor

According to aspects of the present disclosure, systems, apparatuses, and methods are provide that automate the process of finding captures of reflectance panels, detecting the particular regions of each image that represent the reflectance panel, and retrieving or otherwise obtaining reflectance information for the reflectance panel. One example reflectance panel assembly includes a reflectance panel and a machine-readable symbol.

Reflectance panels featuring machine-readable symbol and methods of use

A motor assembly that includes a motor () having a rotatable shaft, a hub coupled to the rotatable shaft, the hub having a propeller indexer to receive a propeller (), when the propeller is present, a sensor trigger rotatable with the shaft () and positioned at a propeller offset angle &#x3b8;from the propeller indexer, and a sensor coupled to the motor and positioned to detect the sensor trigger so that the propeller indexer may be positioned at the propeller offset angle &#x3b8;from the sensor through rotation of the shaft so that said sensor is proximate to the sensor trigger.

Growing community of inventors

Simi Valley, CA, United States of America

Justin Bates McAllister