Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring aircraft within a landing area of an aerial transport are provided. A system includes a plurality of robotic devices configured to move aircraft within the landing area. The system obtains facility data to dynamically determine accessible and prohibited areas of the landing area. The system determines a robotic device to transfer an aircraft based on map data representing the prohibited/accessible areas of the landing area and robotic data representing attributes of each robotic device. The system determines a number of routes for the selected robotic device to transfer the aircraft within the landing area while avoiding prohibited areas of the landing area. The system generates command instructions for the selected robotic device and provides the command instructions to the selected robotic device to travel in accordance with the number of routes.

Abstract: A method for determining a position of a vehicle is provided. First and second signals having first and second frequencies are transmitted towards a target. First and second reflected signals corresponding to the first and second signals reflected from the target are received at first and second antennae, respectively. A first frequency difference between the first signal and the first reflected signal is determined. The first frequency difference corresponds to a first range between the vehicle and target. A second frequency difference between the second pulsed signal and the second reflected signal is determined. The second frequency difference corresponds to a second range between the vehicle and target. A vehicle velocity is based on the first range and the second range. A position of the vehicle is determined based on the velocity.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for real-time planning and fulfillment of multi-modal transportation services in a multi-modal ride sharing network. In particular, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a computing system that creates an end-to-end multi-modal itinerary responsive to a user request for transportation service between an origin and a destination. The multi-modal itinerary can include two or more transportation legs that include travel via two or more different transportation modalities such as, as examples, via a car and via an aircraft.

Abstract: Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft may be noisy. To accommodate this, the aircraft may utilize onboard sensors, offboard sensing, network, and predictive temporal data for noise signature mitigation. By building a composite understanding of real data offboard the aircraft, the aircraft can make adjustments to the way it is flying and verify this against a predicted noise signature (via computational methods) to reduce environmental impact. This might be realized via a change in translative speed, propeller speed, or choices in propulsor usage (e.g., a quiet propulsor vs. a high thrust, noisier propulsor). These noise mitigation actions may also be decided at the network level rather than the vehicle level to balance concerns across a city and relieve computing constraints on the aircraft.

Abstract: An aerial vehicle may have a fuselage, a first wing member, and a second wing member. The fuselage may have a nose end and a tail end. The first wing member may extend from the fuselage and comprise a first drive motor coupled to the first rotor. The second wing member may also extend from the fuselage substantially opposite the first wing member and may comprise a second drive motor coupled to a second rotor. A first motor may be coupled to rotate the first wing member and the first rotor about a first axis substantially perpendicular to a fuselage axis extending from the nose end to the tail end. A second motor may be coupled to rotate the second wing member and the second rotor about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the fuselage axis. A controller circuit may be configured to differentially actuate the first motor and the second motor.

Abstract: A high efficiency hydrogen fuel system for an aircraft at high altitude which utilizes compressors to compress air to a sufficiently high pressure for the fuel cell. Liquid hydrogen is compressed and then utilized in heat exchangers to cool the compressed air, maintaining the air at a temperature low enough for the fuel cell. The hydrogen is also used to cool the fuel cell as it is also depressurized prior to its entry in the fuel cell cycle. A water condensation system allows for water removal from the airstream to reduce impacts to the atmosphere. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with VTOL aircraft, which may allow them to fly at higher elevations. The hydrogen fuel system may be used with other subsonic and supersonic aircraft, such as with asymmetric wing aircraft.

Abstract: A vertical landing and take-off aircraft VTOL transitions from a vertical takeoff state to a cruise state where the vertical takeoff state uses propellers to generate lift and the cruise state uses wings to generate lift. The aircraft has an M-wing configuration with propellers located on the wingtip nacelles, wing booms, and tail boom. The wing boom and/or the tail boom can include boom control effectors. Hinged control surfaces on the wings, tail boom, and tail tilt during takeoff and landing to yaw the vehicle. The boom control effectors, cruise propellers, stacked propellers, and control surfaces can have different positions during different modes of operation in order to control aircraft movement and mitigate noise generated by the aircraft.

Abstract: A battery pack includes a cassette stack comprising a plurality of battery cell cassettes, each of the cassettes including a plurality of support structures. Each support structure comprises an electrically and thermally conductive frame for receiving at least one battery cell having a first terminal and a second terminal, and a heat pipe. The first terminal is electrically coupled to the frame when the at least one battery cell is mounted in the frame. The heat pipe provides thermal conductivity between the frame and a cooling surface. A method of cooling an electric vehicle including a battery pack comprises aligning the battery pack and a cooling structure, moving the cooling structure into contact with the electric vehicle, and circulating coolant through the cooling structure.

Abstract: A request for transport services that identifies a rider, an origin, and a destination is received from a client device. Eligibility of the request to be serviced by a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is determined based on the origin and the destination. A transportation system determines a first and a second hub for a leg of the transport request serviced by the VTOL aircraft and calculates a set of candidate routes from the first hub to the second hub. A provisioned route is selected from among the set of candidate routes based on network and environmental parameters and objectives including pre-determined acceptable noise levels, weather, and the presence and planned routes of other VTOL aircrafts along each of the candidate routes.

Abstract: A multi-segment oblique flying wing aircraft which has three distinct segments including two outer wing segments and a central wing segment. The central segment may be thicker in the vertical direction and adapted to hold pilots and passengers. The outer wing segments may be substantially thinner and may taper as they progress outboard from the wing center. The multi-segment oblique flying wing aircraft be adapted for rotating into a high speed flight configuration, or may be adapted for take-off and cruise at a constant angle. In an extreme flight case, the central wing segment may rotate to a local sweep of ninety degrees.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system for charging an aircraft can include a robotic charging device, and a computing system configured to obtain data associated with a transportation itinerary and energy parameter(s) of the aircraft. The data associated with the transportation itinerary can be indicative of an aircraft landing facility at which the aircraft is to be located. The computing system can determine (e.g., select) a robotic charging device from among a plurality of robotic charging devices for charging the aircraft based on the transportation itinerary data and energy parameter(s) of the aircraft; determine charging parameter(s) for the robotic charging device based on the transportation itinerary data; and communicate command instruction(s) for the robotic charging device to charge the aircraft according to the charging parameter(s). The robotic charging device can be configured to automatically connect with a charging area of the aircraft for charging a battery onboard the aircraft.

Abstract: An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and landing using pivoting thrust producing elements for takeoff and landing. An aerial vehicle which is adapted to takeoff with thrust units providing vertical thrust and then transitioning to a horizontal flight path. An aerial vehicle with pivoting thrust units with propellers, wherein some or all of the propellers are able to be stowed and fully nested during forward flight.

Abstract: An aerial vehicle includes a fuselage supporting a pair of wings, with each of wings having a pair of booms attached thereto. A tilt rotor is positioned at each of the forward ends of each of the booms, to provide the aerial vehicle with at least four tilt rotors. A fixed rotor is positioned at and secured to the aft (or trailing) ends of each of the booms, to provide the aerial vehicle with at least four fixed rotors.

Abstract: The power system can include: a plurality of batteries, a plurality of electric propulsion units, flight computers, and power connections. The propulsion assemblies can include a motor, a propeller, and one or more inverters. The power system can optionally include a plurality of flight actuators. However, the power system can include any other suitable set of components. The power system functions to provide aircraft propulsion and/or aircraft control authority during flight.

Abstract: An aircraft including an airframe and a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to the airframe, wherein each propulsion assembly includes an electric motor, a propeller coupled to the electric motor, and a tilt mechanism that connects the propulsion assembly to the airframe and transforms the propulsion assembly between a forward configuration and a hover configuration; wherein the plurality of propulsion assemblies is transformable between a forward arrangement and a hover arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of propulsion assemblies is in the forward configuration in the forward arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of propulsion assemblies is in the hover configuration in the hover arrangement, wherein the spacing between at least two of the propellers of the plurality of propulsion assemblies changes between the forward arrangement and the hover arrangement.

Abstract: A vertiport system dynamically updates configuration of a vertiport based on predicted usage of the vertiport during a given time frame. The vertiport system predicts vertiport usage using flight data and estimated passenger demands and determines a desired number of parking pads and a desired number of final approach and takeoff (FATO) pads for the vertiport during the time frame. Based on the desired number of parking pads and the desired number of FATO pads for the vertiport, the vertiport system determines an updated configuration of the vertiport. According to the updated configuration, the vertiport system updates the configuration of the vertiport for at least a portion of the time frame.

Abstract: Example embodiments are directed to generating an optimized network of flight paths and an operations volume around each of these flight paths. A network system creates a source network of paths, whereby the source network comprises a set of possible paths between two locations. The network system assigns a cost for traversing each edge of each path of the source network and aggregates the cost for traversing each edge of each path to obtain a cost for each path of the source network. Based on the cost for each path, the network system identifies a path having the lowest cost, whereby the path having the lowest cost is the optimized route between the two locations. The network system then generates an operations volume for the optimized route. The operations volume represents airspace surrounding the optimized route. The operations volume is transmitted to a further system for use.

Abstract: An aircraft can include a stacked propeller to generate lift during assent and descent. The stacked propeller includes a first propeller and a second propeller that co-rotate about an axis of rotation. In one embodiment, the blades are coupled to a rotor mast that contains an internal cavity. In one mode of operation, the first propeller and/or the second propeller can be stored in the internal cavity in order to reduce drag during flight. The aircraft can include one or more stacked propellers, such as a port propeller and a starboard propeller, which rotate in opposite directions during one or more modes of flight.

Abstract: The unified command system and/or method includes an input mechanism, a flight processor that receives input from the input mechanism and translates the input into control output, and effectors that are actuated according to the control output. The system can optionally include: one or more sensors, a vehicle navigation system which determines a vehicle state and/or flight regime based on data from the one or more sensors, and a vehicle guidance system which determines a flightpath for the aircraft.

Abstract: A compact harmonic drive system with a motor residing within the flexspline cup. The motor may reside further into the flexspline cup than the wave generator, and the air gap of the motor may be further out radially than the interior of the wave generator bearing. The motor may use an outrunner configuration with an outboard rotor made up of magnets, allowing for a large radial distance to the air gap and resulting in higher torque. The interior stator windings are thermally well coupled to the drive system structure. The harmonic drive may be coupled to a deployment system adapted to support moment loads perpendicular to the rotation axis such that those loads are not supported by the harmonic drive.