Abstract: A device for determining the actual center of gravity of a vehicle, having a control command input interface, a movement modeling unit, a sensor interface, and a computation unit. The control command input interface determines control command inputs for controlling the movement of the vehicle. The movement modeling unit calculates reference acceleration data at a model reference point of the vehicle on the basis of movements of the vehicle, which are derived from a vehicle movement model, with respect to the control command inputs. The sensor interface determines sensor acceleration data which are measured at a sensor reference point of the vehicle and relate to the vehicle's actual movements resulting from the command inputs. The computation unit determines the actual center of gravity of the vehicle on the basis of an assumed center of gravity and the difference between the reference acceleration data and the sensor acceleration data.

Abstract: A solar generator for spacecraft or satellites, including a solar panel, a detector layer, a first evaluation means and a second evaluation means. The solar panel includes a plurality of solar cells. The detector layer includes first conductors substantially in parallel in a first plane and second conductors substantially in parallel in a second plane. The second plane is substantially in parallel to the first plane such that the first conductors are at an angle to the second conductors. The first evaluation means is for detecting a failure of one or more of the plurality of solar cells. The second evaluation means is for testing electrical status of the first conductors and the second conductors to determine whether the failure detected by the first evaluation means was caused by a space object damaging or severing one or more of the first conductors and the second conductors.

Abstract: A helicopter (1) has a horizontal rotor (2) driven for rotation about a vertical rotor axis (4), and a tail (9) extending backwards from the rotor axis (4) at a fixed angle (10) between about 20° and about 60° to a vertical longitudinal middle plane (7) of the helicopter (1) on a retreating blade side of the horizontal rotor (2). The tail (9) comprises a profiled body (16) including aerodynamic effective surfaces (19, 20) for selectively generating lift on the retreating blade side of the horizontal rotor (2) in forward flight of the helicopter (1). For hovering flight of the helicopter (1), the profiled body (16) can be swiveled about a swivel axis running parallelly to the main axis (21) of the tail for reducing a cross-sectional area of the profiled body facing the horizontal rotor (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid jet scalpel comprising a nozzle (12) for discharge of pressurized liquid (14) in the direction of tissue (16) that is to be manipulated, and a distance measuring device (18) for measuring the distance between the nozzle (12) and the tissue (16) that is to be manipulated. The invention further relates to a method for operating a liquid jet scalpel.

Abstract: A liquid-jet scalpel for minimally invasive surgery, comprising a nozzle for ejecting a liquid jet, and a functional end effector for manipulating tissue at the surgical site.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a control device (1) for controlling a vehicle movement of a vehicle, having a control command input device for inputting manual control command inputs for controlling the vehicle movement of the vehicle, and a control signal unit (7), which is configured to generate control signals for controlling the vehicle movement of the vehicle as a function of the manual control command inputs, wherein the control command input device has a camera system (2) for capturing image information relating to at least part of an operator control space of the vehicle, an image processing unit (5), which is configured to detect body movements and/or body postures of at least one vehicle driver (4) from the captured image information, and an evaluation unit (6) which is configured to determine the manual control command inputs as a function of the detected body movements and/or body postures.