Abstract: An aerial vehicle is provided including rotor units connected to the aerial vehicle, and a control system configured to operate at least one of the rotor units. The rotor unit includes rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade includes a surface area, and wherein an asymmetric parameter is defined, at least in part, by the relationship between the surface areas of the rotor blades. The value of the asymmetric parameter is selected such that the operation of the rotor unit: (i) moves the rotor blades such that each rotor blade produces a respective vortex and (ii) the respective vortices cause the rotor unit to produce a sound output having an energy distribution defined, at least in part, by a set of frequencies, wherein the set of frequencies includes a fundamental frequency, one or more harmonic frequencies, and one or more non-harmonic frequencies having a respective strength greater than a threshold strength.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system for efficient coordination of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations by a first UAV service supplier (USS) in a geographic area within which the first USS and one or more third-party USSes operate UAVs is provided. The system comprises an interoperability computing system configured to perform actions comprising: receiving, by the interoperability computing system, a new operational intent from a rule engine of the first USS; retrieving, by the interoperability computing system, a set of relevant operational intents that are relevant to the new operational intent from a geographic information data store of the first USS; comparing, by the interoperability computing system, the new operational intent to each relevant operational intent of the set of relevant operational intents to detect conflicts; and in response to detecting no conflicts, transmitting, by the interoperability computing system, an approval request to a discovery and synchronization service (DSS).

Abstract: An aerial vehicle is provided including rotor units connected to the aerial vehicle, and a control system configured to operate at least one of the rotor units. The rotor unit includes rotor blades, wherein each rotor blade includes a surface area, and wherein an asymmetric parameter is defined, at least in part, by the relationship between the surface areas of the rotor blades. The value of the asymmetric parameter is selected such that the operation of the rotor unit: (i) moves the rotor blades such that each rotor blade produces a respective vortex and (ii) the respective vortices cause the rotor unit to produce a sound output having an energy distribution defined, at least in part, by a set of frequencies, wherein the set of frequencies includes a fundamental frequency, one or more harmonic frequencies, and one or more non-harmonic frequencies having a respective strength greater than a threshold strength.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method of managing deliveries of orders by a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from retail fulfillment locations to delivery locations is provided. A fleet management computing system receives a request for delivery of an order from a retailer ordering computing system. The fleet management computing system transmits one or more package identifiers to be associated with one or more packages for the order. The fleet management computing system receives a notification that a package of the one or more packages for the order is ready for pickup at a retail fulfillment location. The fleet management computing system determines a navigation route for a UAV to the delivery location via the retail fulfillment location. The fleet management computing system transmits the navigation route to the UAV for autonomous navigation of the navigation route to the delivery location via the retail fulfillment location to deliver the package.

Abstract: A technique for localizing utility lines includes capturing aerial images of a ground area below a UAV; recording a position of the UAV when capturing the aerial images; detecting a presence of an object in the aerial images suspected to be a utility line; identifying two offset pixel points in each of the aerial images that coincide with the object in each aerial image; converting the two offset pixel points in each of the aerial images to a world frame; defining a plurality of geometric planes in the world frame each corresponding to one the aerial images, wherein the each of the geometric planes is defined by the position of the UAV when capturing a corresponding to one of the aerial images and the two offset pixel points in the world frame corresponding to the one of the aerial images; and determining an intersection approximation of the geometric planes.

Abstract: A method includes causing an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) to navigate through a trajectory. The method also includes receiving first motor data representing operation of a first motor during navigation through the trajectory and receiving second motor data representing operation of a second motor during navigation through the trajectory. The method further includes comparing the first motor data with the second motor data. The method also includes, based on the comparison of the first motor data and the second motor data, determining a motor failure state. The method additionally includes causing the UAV to navigate based on the motor failure state.

Abstract: In one aspect an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided. The uncrewed aerial vehicle includes a fuselage and a drag reduction device. The fuselage has a front end, a rear end, a top, and a bottom. The drag reduction device includes a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the drag reduction device is coupled to the bottom of the fuselage. The drag reduction device is rotatable between a rest position and an active position in which the drag reduction device extends downward. A standoff is disposed on a rear side of the drag reduction device and is configured to engage a payload secured under the fuselage and hold the drag reduction device at a distance from the payload when the drag reduction device is in the active position.

Abstract: A package adapted for use with an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided. The package forms a container and has a handle at the top. Embodiments of the package include features for efficient manufacturing and storage.

Abstract: A payload retrieval apparatus having an extending member having an upper end and a lower end, a channel having a first end and a second end and first and second inner edges defining a tether slot therebetween, wherein the tether slot is configured to guide passage of a tether coupled to a payload retriever suspended from a UAV when the payload retriever is passing within the channel, a first tether engager that extends in a first direction from the first end of the channel adapted to guide the tether towards the channel, a payload holder positioned near the second end of the channel that is adapted to secure a payload, wherein the channel includes a first projection that extends from the first edge into the tether slot so as to hinder removal of the tether from exiting the tether slot once the tether has entered the tether slot.

Abstract: A payload retrieval apparatus having a base, an autoloader assembly mounted to the base including: a payload holder configured to hold a payload for retrieval by a UAV, a channel coupled to the payload holder configured to direct a payload retriever suspended from the UAV to the payload holder, and a locking feature configured to lock access to the payload on the payload holder that includes has a movable end that extends through a wall of the channel into an interior of the channel, wherein when the payload retriever contacts the movable end of the locking member, the movable end moves outwardly thereby unlocking the payload on the payload holder, wherein the payload holder is positioned such that when the payload retriever exits the channel, the payload retriever engages a handle of the payload and removes the payload from the payload holder.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for managing resources of a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is provided. A computing system creates a mission record and one or more candidate records. Each candidate record of the one or more candidate records represents one or more resources for accomplishing a mission represented by the mission record. The computing system adds a mission node representing the mission record to a resource competition network graph (RCN graph). The computing system adds one or more candidate nodes representing the one or more candidate records to the RCN graph. The computing system determines an optimized allocation of candidate records to mission records using at least a subgraph of the RCN graph. A candidate record is determined to commit to a mission record, and the computing system updates the RCN graph to commit the candidate record to the mission record.

Abstract: An uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) may be configured to hover above a particular charging pad within a portion of a cluster of charging pads for UAVs. The cluster may include the charging pads arranged in a layout and fiducial markers distributed at positions across the layout. While hovering above the particular charging pad, the UAV may capture an aerial image of the portion of the cluster. The UAV may derive cluster-portion observation data from the image, the cluster-portion observation data including information indicating a position of the particular charging pad, and positions of one or more fiducial markers within the portion of the cluster relative to the particular charging pad. The UAV may send the cluster-portion observation data to a computing system in an infrastructure support network for UAVs, and thereafter receive, from the computing system, location information indicating that UAV's geolocation is a geolocation of the particular charging pad.

Abstract: A method includes charging a battery of a vehicle to a charge threshold voltage. The method also includes discharging the battery from the charge threshold voltage to a post-task voltage by performing a travel task using the vehicle. The method additionally includes determining that a battery calibration condition has been met. The method further includes, based on determining that the battery calibration condition has been met, discharging the battery from the post-task voltage to a discharge threshold voltage by performing a battery discharge task. The method yet further includes determining a capacity of the battery based on a first electrical output of the battery during the travel task and a second electrical output of the battery during the battery discharge task.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes obtaining an aerial image representing an object in an environment and providing the aerial image as input to a machine learning model. Based on the aerial image, and using the machine learning model, a textual description of a location of the object in the environment is generated and the textual description of the location of the object is outputted.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for autonomous navigation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is provided. The UAV determines a tracked position using at least one positioning sensor of the UAV. The UAV captures an image using a camera of the UAV. The UAV determines a visual position confidence area using the captured image. The UAV checks the tracked position using the visual position confidence area to determine whether the tracked position is accurate. In response to determining that the tracked position is not accurate, the UAV causes a corrective action based on the visual position confidence area to be taken.

Abstract: A visual monitoring system for monitoring an autonomous flight operational area from a remote location is provided. The visual monitoring system can be configured to capture image data related to a verification target with one or more cameras, transmit the image data to a remote location, and display the image data related to the verification target for review by operational personnel at the remote location. The image data can be related to at least a first verification target having a first nominal condition. The operational personnel can review the image data and compare it to the data to the first nominal condition. If an off-nominal condition of the first verification target is detected by the operational personnel, the visual monitoring system can pause operations at the autonomous flight operational area until the off-nominal condition of the first verification target is resolved.

Abstract: A technique for a UAV includes acquiring a query aerial image with an onboard camera of the UAV and a reference aerial image, the query aerial image including multiple instances of an asset and the reference aerial image including annotated pixels indicating an expected location and an identification for the multiple instances of the asset. The technique further includes identifying a plurality of corresponding pixels between the query aerial image and the reference aerial image, determining a homography transformation describing a relationship between the query aerial image and the reference aerial image, annotating the query aerial image to identify a first instance of the asset included in the multiple instances of the asset within the query aerial image, and instructing the UAV to perform an action associated with the first instance of the asset.

Abstract: A method includes causing an aerial vehicle to deploy a tethered component to a particular distance beneath the aerial vehicle by releasing a tether connecting the tethered component to the aerial vehicle. The method also includes obtaining, from a camera connected to the aerial vehicle, image data that represents the tethered component while the tethered component is deployed to the particular distance beneath the aerial vehicle. The method additionally includes determining, based on the image data, a position of the tethered component within the image data. The method further includes determining, based on the position of the tethered component within the image data, a wind vector that represents a wind condition present in an environment of the aerial vehicle. The method yet further includes causing the aerial vehicle to perform an operation based on the wind vector.

Abstract: A technique for processing delivery aborts by a UAV delivery service includes: acquiring a delivery zone (DZ) image of a delivery destination including a DZ for a package being delivered to the delivery destination by a UAV; determining to abort a delivery mission for the package based upon the DZ image; converting the DZ image to a vector embedding; performing a similarity search on a vector database using the vector embedding, the vector database storing reference images of other delivery destinations indexed to reference vector embeddings and outcome attributes describing delivery outcomes associated with the reference images, and wherein the similarity search identifies a subset of the reference images deemed to have a threshold similarity to the DZ image; and prompting a vision language model with the DZ image and the subset of the reference images to provide an abort explanation or to determine a delivery disposition for the DZ.

Abstract: A technique for provisioning UAVs to operate in a specific geographical region includes acquiring reference aerial images of the specific geographical region from a secondary source. The reference aerial images have at least one style characteristic that is distinct from that of operational aerial images acquired by the UAVs during operation. The reference aerial images are transformed into training images that adopt a style of the operational aerial images using a neural style transfer. A neural network that facilitates vision-based navigation of the UAVs is trained using the training images. The neural network is trained to operate in the specific geographical region prior to operation in the specific geographical region.