Top Flight Technologies, Inc.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Long N Phan

Sanjay Emani Sarma

Eli M Davis

Julian Lemus

Samir A Nayfeh

Cody Miles Wojcik

Benjamin Arthur Sena

Paul A DeBitetto

Jonathan Lee Jesneck

Matthew Sweetland

Scott A Rasmussen

Luan H Duong

Anandrao Biradar

Soojae Jung

John J Polo

This document describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a navigation system that includes a sensor, configured to gather environmental data, and a computing system configured to navigate the UAV. The computing system compares the environmental data to a specified data signature in the one or more spectra and determines a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the unmanned aerial vehicle highway. The UAV includes a hybrid generator system including an engine configured to generate mechanical energy and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical energy from the mechanical energy generated by the engine. The UAV includes a rotor motor configured to drive a propeller to rotate. The navigation system is powered by the electrical energy generated by the generator motor.

Navigation system for a drone

A system includes a torque sensor; and a hybrid power system. The hybrid power sensor includes a frame; an engine mounted on the frame; and a generator, the generator including: a generator rotor mechanically coupled to a shaft of the engine; and a generator stator coupled to the frame by the torque sensor. The torque sensor is configured to measure a torque on the generator stator.

Hybrid power system characterization

A test stand for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising: a base arranged to make contact with the ground; a frame extending from the base, the frame comprising at least a first side portion and a second side portion that define a space therebetween; and a mount slidably attached to the frame within the space, the mount configured to affix to an unmanned aerial vehicle such that the mount and the unmanned aerial vehicle slide within the defined space in a direction parallel to the frame during a test flight.

Flight test stand

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate; a passenger compartment sized to contain a human or animal passenger; and a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to generate lift sufficient to carry the human or animal passenger. The hybrid generator system includes a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine.

Passenger carrying unmanned aerial vehicle powered by a hybrid generator system

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising at least one rotor motor. The rotor motor is powered by a micro hybrid generation system. The micro hybrid generator system comprises a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor, a small engine configured to generate mechanical power, a generator motor coupled to the small engine and configured to generate AC power using the mechanical power generated by the small engine, a bridge rectifier configured to convert the AC power generated by the generator motor to DC power and provide the DC power to either or both the rechargeable battery and the at least one rotor motor, and an electronic control unit configured to control a throttle of the small engine based, at least in part, on a power demand of at least one load, the at least one load including the at least one rotor motor.

Micro hybrid generator system drone

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes multiple rotor arms; a rotor disposed at an end of each of the multiple rotor arms; and an adjustment component configured to enable a first rotor arm to move relative to a second rotor arm.

Unmanned aerial vehicles with multiple configurations

An aerial vehicle includes a hybrid power generation system comprising an engine; a generator mechanically coupled to the engine; and a propulsion system comprising an electric motor electrically coupled to the generator and a rotational mechanism coupled to the electric motor.

Power generation and distribution for vehicle propulsion

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes at least one rotor motor configured to drive at least one propeller to rotate. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a data center including a processor; a data storage component; and a wireless communications component. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a hybrid generator system configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor and to the data center, the hybrid generator system including a rechargeable battery configured to provide power to the at least one rotor motor; an engine configured to generate mechanical power; and a generator motor coupled to the engine and configured to generate electrical power from the mechanical power generated by the engine. The data center may include an intelligent data management module configured to control power distribution and execution of mission tasks in response to available power generation and mission task priorities.

Data center powered by a hybrid generator system

Methods and a computer program product for deriving a super-resolution image of a physical object by fusing cameras of multiple resolutions (spatial, temporal, or spectral), the super-resolution image characterized by a resolution exceeding a 'camera imaging resolution' associated with each of a sequence of lower-resolution images of the physical object. The sequence of images of the physical object is obtained at a plurality of relative displacements with respect to the object by a hybrid camera system comprising at least two imaging systems. The imaging systems are characterized by respective temporal and spatial resolution and by spectral sensitivity, and may be distinct from one another in one or more of the foregoing dimensions. The imaging systems are either fixed, or subject to know motion, relative to each other. Image sequences derived by each imaging system are coregistered and deconvolved to solve for a resultant sequence of images.

Hyper-resolution imaging

Methods and a computer program product for deriving temperature information with respect to surfaces within a scene that is imaged radiometrically. A time sequence of radiometric data is acquired in frames viewed from distinct angles. A three-dimensional structure of the scene is derived, allowing viewing angles and distances to the imaged surfaces to be inferred. Normalized surface areas of the imaged surfaces are calculated based on the inferred viewing angles and emissivities of the imaged surfaces are corrected accordingly. Corrections also account for background radiation impinging on the imaged surfaces. The radiometric data are converted to a perceptible temperature map of the imaged surfaces.

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Somerville, MA, United States of America

Long N Phan