Abstract: An agricultural autonomous vehicle is provided which is operable to traverse a field and perform one or more detection tasks.

Abstract: An agricultural autonomous vehicle is provided which is operable to traverse a field and perform one or more detection tasks.

Abstract: An agricultural autonomous vehicle is provided which is operable to traverse a field and perform one or more detection tasks.

Abstract: A method and system for power supply integration, comprising interfacing at least one of: i) an AC power supply and ii) a DC power supply, and supplying, from the at least one of: i) an AC power supply and a ii) a DC power supply, DC power to the at least one DC load. The energy supply to the at least one DC load from the at least one AC power supply and the at least one DC power supply is controlled so as to selectively supply power from renewable energies for example.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.

Abstract: A parachute system includes a release that detachably couples a self-propelled projectile and parachute canopy to each other. The release detaches the two from each other in response to a triggering of the release. There is also a first path between the release and a payload where the first path includes the parachute canopy and a suspension line between the parachute canopy and the payload. At least part of the suspension line is bound such that the first path is effectively shorter than a second path. In response to the first path being drawn taut, the suspension line becomes unbound so that the first path becomes effectively longer than the second path. In response to the second path being drawn taut after the suspension line becomes unbound, the release is triggered.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.

Abstract: A parachute system includes a release that detachably couples a self-propelled projectile and parachute canopy to each other. The release detaches the two from each other in response to a triggering of the release. There is also a first path between the release and a payload where the first path includes the parachute canopy and a suspension line between the parachute canopy and the payload. At least part of the suspension line is bound such that the first path is effectively shorter than a second path. In response to the first path being drawn taut, the suspension line becomes unbound so that the first path becomes effectively longer than the second path. In response to the second path being drawn taut after the suspension line becomes unbound, the release is triggered.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.

Abstract: A parachute system includes a release that detachably couples a self-propelled projectile and parachute canopy to each other. The release detaches the two from each other in response to a triggering of the release. There is also a first path between the release and a payload where the first path includes the parachute canopy and a suspension line between the parachute canopy and the payload. At least part of the suspension line is bound such that the first path is effectively shorter than a second path. In response to the first path being drawn taut, the suspension line becomes unbound so that the first path becomes effectively longer than the second path. In response to the second path being drawn taut after the suspension line becomes unbound, the release is triggered.

Abstract: A parachute system includes a parachute which is coupled to a rocket via a first load path, which includes a tow line, one or more upper parachute lines, and one or more lower parachute lines, and a second load path, which includes a release line. The rocket is configured to tow the parachute via the tow line. There is a lower parachute line restrainer which when released permits the lower parachute lines to extend to full length. There is also a release which is configured to open in the event a load switches from the first load path to the second load path; when the release is open, the parachute and the rocket are permitted to separate.

Abstract: Transmit, receive, and processing functions of a communication satellite are performed by two communication payload satellites. A transmit payload satellite (20) and a receive payload satellite (10) communicate via a crosslink (30,28) which provides the communication path between the two parts of the transmit and receive payload pair (50). The receive payload satellite (10) is optimized to perform substantially all of the receiving and processing functions required in space. The transmit payload satellite (20) is optimized to perform substantially all of the transmitting functions. The optimization process takes into account the location in space for the two separate payloads, where trade-offs are made with respect to electromagnetic signal interference issues, size, weight, power, and complexity.