Abstract: Autonomous micro air vehicles surveillance systems are provided. A MAV system of one embodiment includes an MAV and a launch pad. The MAV has an engine that is adapted to power the MAV. The launch pad has a starter that is adapted to start the engine in the MAV when the MAV is resting on a launching surface of the launch pad. The launch pad further has a battery to power the starter.

Abstract: Embodiments for determining the bearings to targets from a remote location are disclosed. The apparatus consists of an array of acoustic sensors that is capable of autonomous flight. The array may be large in diameter, approximately one meter or greater. The apparatus is capable of navigating its flight to arrive at a predetermined location, measuring acoustic sound waves emitted by targets both during flight and after landing. The apparatus may then calculate the bearings to the targets and transmit this information to a remote location.

Abstract: System and method for determining a location of a first target. The sensor network comprises a first sensor cluster comprising a first plurality of bearing measuring sensors. A first gateway is operatively coupled to the first plurality of bearing measuring sensors. A second sensor cluster comprises a second plurality of bearing measuring sensors. A second gateway is operatively coupled to the second plurality of bearing measuring sensors. A central command node is operatively coupled to the first and the second gateways. A first limited set of pre-computed numbers representative of information for generating a global target location estimation is transmitted from the first gateway to the central command node. A second limited set of pre-computed numbers representative of information for generating the global target location estimation is transmitted from the second gateway to the central command node.

Abstract: A dynamic control for a multi-link manipulator having a central processing unit, a linear dynamics control loop and a fast nonlinear dynamics control loop. The linear dynamics control loop has servo amplifiers and associated power amplifiers for actuating the links in response to the signals generated by the central processing unit and sensors generating the requisite feedback signals. The nonlinear dynamics control loop comprises a nonlinear dynamics control computer generating correction signals corresponding to the nonlinear dynamics of the manipulator links in response to the signals generated by the central processing unit and feedback signal and means for summing the correction signals with the signals generated by the servo amplifiers. The nonlinear dynamics control computer generates the correction signals for the first 3 links of the manipulator using Lagrangian dynamics and generates the correction signals for the remaining links using recursive Newton-Euler dynamics.