Kitty Hawk Corporation

X Development LLC

Google Inc.

Makani Technologies LLC

Nuro Corp.

Thomas Van Alsenoy

Damon Vander Lind

Campbell McLaren

Richard Wayne Devaul

Pranay Sinha

Gregory Mainland Horn

Jérôme Sicard

Nathan Treat

Erik Christopher Chubb

Fort Felker

Brian Neil

Randol Aikin

Sachin Patil

Peter Melick

Yiming Huang

Safety metrics and/or statistical system assurance of a particular package of autonomy driving software may be substantially measured using data collected from manually driving a vehicle in the real word, simulations of scenarios which may be faced by a vehicle in the real world, simulations executed with actual software and/or hardware on a vehicle, and/or end-to-end testing of a vehicle in a test environment. Safety metrics and performance of AV software and hardware may be further evaluated through vehicle-in-the-loop testing. During each test scenario, a corresponding set of simulated perception data may be injected to the systems of the autonomous vehicle to cause the autonomous vehicle to react and behave as if one or more simulated objects described by the set of simulated perception data were in the environment of the autonomous vehicle. Each test scenario may be triggered to be performed based on, for example, the autonomous vehicle's location within a real-world vehicle testing space.

Methods and apparatus for estimating assurance

An aircraft landing system is disclosed. In various embodiments, an aircraft landing system as disclosed herein includes a processor that determines to start a final stage of descent for the aircraft. The processor determines a set of commands for actuators of the aircraft, based on the determination to start the final stage of descent, to flare the aircraft while wings of the aircraft are substantially in a forward flight position followed by transitioning to a vertical tilt position and completing the landing in substantially vertical flight. The commands are provided to the actuators of the aircraft.

Power surge landing system

The present disclosure relates to an aerial vehicle with a horizontal tailplane disposed along a bottom edge of a vertical tailfin. Namely, the aerial vehicle includes an empennage attached to the fuselage via a tail boom and a tail coupling. The empennage includes a vertical tailfin that extends below the tail coupling. The empennage also includes a tube arranged along a leading edge of the vertical tailfin and below the tail coupling of the aerial vehicle. The empennage additionally includes one or more rotating actuators and a horizontal tailplane. The horizontal tailplane is coupled to the tail via the tube and includes a continuous leading edge and a cutout. The one or more rotating actuators are configured rotate the horizontal tailplane about an axis of the tube. At least a portion of the vertical tailfin is configured to pass through the cutout.

Wind energy kite tail

An aircraft includes a tiltwing where the tiltwing is a single wing to which starboard-side and non-foldable outer propeller, a port-side and non-foldable outer propeller, a starboard-side and foldable inner propeller, and a port-side and foldable inner propeller are coupled to. Those rotors rotate at least some of the time when the tiltwing is in a vertical takeoff and landing position. The starboard-side and foldable inner propeller and the port-side and foldable inner propeller are stowed at least some of the time when the tiltwing is in a forward flight position. The tiltwing rotates about an axis of rotation, when rotating between the vertical takeoff and landing position and the forward flight position, that is higher than the aircraft's center of mass.

Tiltwing multicopter with foldable and non-foldable propellers

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for increasing the mechanical energy of an aerial vehicle as part of an Airborne Wind Turbine are disclosed. The aerial vehicle is coupled to a distal portion of a tether and a ground station is coupled to a proximal portion of the tether. A mass possessing a gravitational potential energy is also coupled to the proximal portion of the tether. A connector is configured to releasably hold the mass at an elevation. Release of the mass transfers energy to the aerial vehicle by increasing tension in the tether.

Systems and methods for recovery of tethered airborne vehicle

An aircraft includes a front tiltwing which in turn includes two non-foldable outer propellers and four foldable inner propellers. The four foldable inner propellers are rotating at least some of the time while the front tiltwing is held in a vertical takeoff and landing position. The four foldable inner propellers are stowed at least some of the time while the front tiltwing is held in a forward flight position. The aircraft also includes a back tiltwing which includes two non-foldable back propellers.

A method is disclosed where an airborne wind turbine (AWT) is prevented from coming into contact with airborne objects such as birds and bats. The AWT determines the location and characteristics of the incoming airborne objects, and depending on the determined risk value, may shift the location of the aerial vehicle of the AWT in order to avoid the risk of colliding with the airborne objects. Other considerations used by the AWT's determination may include whether the aerial vehicle can continue to generate electricity while performing the avoidance maneuver.

Methods for aerial avoidance

A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system having an aerial wing, a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, an electrically conductive tether secured to the aerial wing and secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the turbine blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Thomas Van Alsenoy