Techniques to Increase Drone Payload Capacity

Hybrid multi-rotor drone with improved cargo transport and landing capabilities. The drone has a central cargo fixation device between the landing buffers at the ends. This allows securely attaching and transporting cargo inside a box that can be clamped shut. The clamping plates are driven to fix the cargo sides. The box also has lifting hooks and sliding connections. The drone also has landing cushions with slide plugs, springs, and protective shells to absorb impacts when landing.

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Multi-rotor drone with a glider wing for improved range and payload capacity. The drone has a detachable glider wing that can be deployed during flight. The glider wing provides auxiliary lift to reduce power requirements of the main rotors and extend range. The drone autonomously determines the wing rotation angle based on its attitude to optimize lift. This allows efficient transition between vertical takeoff/landing and horizontal gliding. The wing can detach for compact storage.

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Tail-seat vertical take-off and landing fixed-wing drone that can carry cargo without affecting stability as the drone transitions between vertical and horizontal flight modes. The drone has a pan/tilt assembly between the cargo and the body, located at the belly. This allows the cargo to remain stable regardless of the drone's orientation during takeoff, landing, and flight. The pan/tilt assembly can rotate separately from the body to keep the cargo fixed. This prevents bouncing and center of gravity shifts as the drone transitions between vertical and horizontal flight.

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Vehicle design to increase range, payload, and reliability of urban air mobility. The vehicle has a detachable drone docking module. Multiple drones can be carried inside and launched from the vehicle. They connect to a towbar and take off with the vehicle. After flight, they reconnect to the towbar and land on the vehicle. This allows the vehicle to extend range by using the drones as scouts and shuttles. It also increases payload capacity by offloading some weight to the drones. The drones can be swapped or removed. The vehicle can have multiple docks for simultaneous drone launch/recovery.

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An aerial vehicle that maintains horizontal orientation while moving forward to improve flight efficiency when carrying loads. The vehicle has a counterweight like a battery that pivots to maintain level flight. This allows the payload to remain horizontal while the rest of the vehicle tilts forward for propulsion. The counterweight can be moved by sensors to maintain balance. This prevents the payload from tilting during forward flight and avoids efficiency losses from wake interactions.

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Large multicopter that can lift heavy payloads and fly long distances, with enhanced safety and security features. The multicopter has two sets of propellers - large lift propellers for generating thrust and smaller control propellers for maneuvering. This configuration allows efficient flight without overloading the control motors. The multicopter also has an onboard computer to aid stability and control. To enhance safety, the control system is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access or tampering.

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An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a detachable cargo pod that can be easily loaded and unloaded using standard pallet handling equipment. The UAV has wings with motors and a tail assembly. The cargo pod can be attached to the wings using a releasable coupling. This allows the pod to be rolled underneath the UAV between the skids on the wings, like a pallet truck, for loading and unloading using forklifts or pallet jacks. The detachable pod enables the UAV to transport standardized cargo on pallets without requiring non-standard shapes or loading methods.

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Large-load fixed-wing branch line cargo drone with high cargo capacity, efficient design, and reduced cost compared to traditional aircraft. The drone has a unique fuselage layout with separate compartments for equipment, main cargo, and auxiliary cargo. The cargo compartments are stacked inside the fuselage, allowing high utilization of internal space. The wings have outer wings, winglets, flaps, and ailerons. The tail has detachable horizontal stabilizers. The landing gear is integrated into the fuselage. A hatch assembly provides cargo access. The drone's design provides a large cargo volume, efficient aircraft layout, and reduced cost compared to modifying existing aircraft.

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A multi-cargo automatic delivery drone with modular horizontal cargo transport capability. The drone has an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fuselage, a movable guide rail fixed to the bottom of the fuselage, and a cargo compartment fixed to the guide rail. The UAV control module can move the guide rail horizontally to transport cargo inside the compartment. This allows the drone to pick up and deliver multiple cargo items without needing to land between drops. The modular design allows the compartment to be swapped for different cargo sizes. The drone also has a battery, tripod connection, arms, flight control, computer, vision, and obstacle avoidance components.

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An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a customizable fuselage that allows easy reconfiguration for different payloads. The UAV has a modular fuselage assembly with a large open payload bay and interchangeable covers with different openings. The payload bay uses lateral stringers for structure. Equipment like cameras can be installed in the payload bay then covered with customized interchangeable covers. This allows optimizing the UAV for specific missions by swapping covers rather than needing different drones.

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Cargo unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design and loading/unloading method to improve efficiency and flexibility compared to traditional UAVs that carry cargo inside the fuselage. The UAV has a detachable cargo hold that can be loaded/unloaded separately from the UAV itself. This allows the UAV to land and the cargo hold can be transferred using ground equipment without needing to park the UAV in a specific location. The detachable cargo hold can also be replaced with a detachable energy module for extended range flights. The cargo hold slides on tracks in the UAV fuselage to move it in and out. This enables the UAV to load/unload cargo without needing to maneuver into specific positions.

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Drone design to enable heavy cargo transportation while maintaining balance during flight. The drone has a frame with arms extending outward. The arms each have two propellers spaced apart vertically and horizontally. The cargo storage unit is mounted between the arms. This configuration allows the drone to lift and transport heavy cargo without disrupting balance. The cargo length is smaller than the horizontal arm spacing to prevent biasing the center of gravity. The drone's components like batteries and processors are also rotatable to contribute lift.

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An intelligent containerized flying wing unmanned transport aircraft for cargo delivery that can autonomously load and unload standard containers. The aircraft has a fuselage with compartments for equipment, cargo, and fuel. It has retractable landing gear and turboprop engines. The cargo compartment has a sliding guide rail for containers. An automatic docking device and sensor attach to the rail. Containers can be loaded/unloaded by AGVs onto the docking device. The container slides into the compartment and locks in place. This allows ground vehicles to transport containers to the aircraft for autonomous aerial delivery.

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A multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for reliable long-distance cargo transportation. The system uses multiple UAVs that can handover cargo mid-flight to extend range. When a UAV detects low power or faults, it hovers and sends an alarm. Nearby UAVs respond and handover cargo. The UAVs also have mechanisms to load, transfer, and receive cargo. This allows passing items between UAVs mid-air to extend range beyond what a single UAV can do.

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Modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for adaptable package delivery using interchangeable and expandable modules that allow different configurations of the UAV for optimized performance based on payload size, weight, and distance. The system has a main fuselage module with batteries, computing, and power distribution. Removable rotor and wing modules have their own propulsion, batteries, etc. The modules can be mixed and matched to create customized UAVs for specific delivery scenarios instead of using fixed aircraft. This modularity enables versatility in a fleet without needing multiple separate UAV types for different tasks.

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A tilt rotor heavy-duty logistics UAV control system that provides stable flight, improved flexibility for carrying heavy loads, and safe landings. The UAV has a tiltable body structure and a tripod landing mechanism. The control system uses an extended state observer to estimate the UAV's attitude and compensate for disturbances during flight. It also generates terrain maps from depth cameras and ultrasonic sensors for landing.

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Multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to transport larger payloads or travel longer distances. The UAVs are designed to autonomously connect in flight to form a collective UAV, enabling scalable payload capacity and range. The collective UAV can separate back into individual UAVs for safe landing in constrained spaces.

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A multi-cabin unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) transportation system for efficient vertical takeoff and delivery of multiple packages at once. The system has a shelf with multiple cargo compartments, each containing an upper and lower cabin. The lower cabin has a reversible bottom plate. The UAV has a rotor and flight control. The flight control rotates the reversible upper and lower bottom plates to swap the cargo between upper and lower compartments. This allows vertical takeoff and landing with all the packages in the UAV, then horizontal flight with the heavier packages in the lower cabin for delivery.

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Scalable Multi-Element Rotary Wing Aerial Vehicle (SMERWAV) formed by joining multiple smaller rotary wing aerial vehicles together to create a larger aerial vehicle with increased payload and range capability. It uses a quick-connect system and special control module to assemble and configure the optimal number of UAV elements for a given mission. It also allows adding wings for further range and speed improvement. The assembled vehicle provides a greater payload capability than the sum of individual UAVs.

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A hybrid drone that combines an internal combustion engine with electric motors to improve flight time and payload capacity compared to electric drones. The drone has a contoured body and four arms, each carrying a rotor assembly with an electric motor. The body contains an internal combustion engine for primary propulsion. Electric motors augment lift and provide maneuverability. The hybrid power system allows longer flights and heavier payloads compared to electric-only drones. It combines the efficiency of an engine with the power density of electric motors.

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A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with modular cargo bays that can be added to increase payload capacity without affecting flight performance. The aircraft has a base fuselage with wings and fixed propellers for cruising flight. When more cargo capacity is needed, additional modular cargo bays can be attached that contain retractable propellers. These propellers are deployed for takeoff, landing, and hovering, then retracted for cruising flight to avoid aerodynamic drag. The modular cargo bays can be detached for storage when not needed. This allows flexible payload capacity without adding permanent weight or complexity to the base aircraft.

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A powertrain for aerial vehicles like drones that allows them to carry heavier payloads and achieve longer flight durations compared to battery-powered drones. The powertrain includes a mechanical power source like an engine that drives a propeller. It also has an electric generator that converts some mechanical power into electrical power. This electrical power can be used to drive an electric motor connected to another propeller. A controller directs the power distribution based on flight conditions. This hybrid powertrain leverages the higher energy density of fuel to increase payload capacity and endurance compared to battery-only systems.

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Modular multi-rotor drones that can be connected together to increase payload capacity, flight time, and reliability without sacrificing transportability. The drones have modular components like electric propulsion systems with turbine generators that can be connected between multiple drones to share power. This allows scalability by connecting drones to form larger systems with higher payloads and flight times. The drones can still be disconnected and used individually for transportability. The modular design also enables redundancy since the motors can use power from connected generators if one fails.

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A drone for autonomous cargo delivery that can receive, transport, and unload cargo without human intervention. The drone has a self-stabilizing platform with features like a wind collection mechanism, center of gravity balance, and rotating vertical supports. The cargo receiving mechanism has a movable rod connected to the drone body. The wind collection mechanism harvests wind energy to push the cargo. The center of gravity balance adjusts for cargo weight shifts. This allows automated cargo loading/unloading without manual intervention. The rotating vertical supports stabilize cargo and landing. The drone body is fixed between them. This enables cargo retracting and landing without stopping flight.

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Delivery system using drones that can maintain stable cargo orientation during flight to prevent falling. The drones have adjustable vertical mounting positions for the cargo container. A flight control system adjusts the vertical position and flight mechanism to counteract forces that could cause cargo shifting. This keeps the cargo level during flight, preventing it from tipping or falling out. The drones also have transfer confirmation mechanisms to verify cargo handoffs between drones.

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Hovering drone for logistics transportation that can carry out continuous material transportation and detect the center of gravity of the cargo, so that the rotor can be allocated accordingly. This allows the drone to extend the cargo into a building from a window, making it convenient for the recipient to receive the goods while maintaining hover stability. The drone has a modular body with movable main and auxiliary rotors, a clamping seat for cargo, and a cargo warehouse that can be clamped to the seat. This enables flexible cargo configuration to balance the drone. The cargo warehouse can be extended through a window while the drone hovers.

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An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for logistics transportation that can autonomously pick up and deliver packages without human assistance. The UAV has a base with multiple fixed mounting plates on the sides. Motors are mounted on the top of each plate to lift it. Below each plate are guide rods for a vertical lifting mechanism. A sliding plate on the rods is held up by springs. The lifting mechanism allows the UAV to pick up and release packages. The plates also have rotating rods that can pivot in place. The rotating rods are connected to limiting plates. The pivoting motion of the rotating rods allows the UAV to rotate the limiting plates to secure the package. The UAV can then lift the package using the vertical mechanism. The rotating motion also allows the UAV to pick up packages from different orientations.

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A drone that can carry heavy loads without shifting its center of gravity and losing balance. The drone has a central pivot point that allows payloads to be attached at a distance from the center without causing CG imbalance. The pivot transfers electrical power to the payload and also acts as a bearing point, keeping the CG centered. This allows heavy payloads to be carried without affecting flight stability.

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Multicopter aircraft capable of achieving high speeds and lifting heavy loads by optimizing the pitch adjustment of the propellers. The pitch of the blades can be adjusted in response to airflow from other propellers to optimize efficiency and performance. The pitch adjustment can be coordinated with tilting the propellers to allow independent pitch control decoupled from flight conditions. This provides flexibility to optimize pitch for drag reduction, payload orientation, and propeller interaction conditions.

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A medium-range cargo drone with detachable modules to increase payload capacity, reduce airport space requirements, and improve efficiency compared to traditional fixed-wing cargo drones. The drone has a dual fuselage design with a wing-body fusion and a detachable cargo compartment connected to the wing. The wing-body fuselage is integrated at the lower wing root, and the upper fuselage extends as an aileron connected to the wingtip. This reduces wingspan compared to separate fuselages. The detachable cargo compartment attaches to the lower wing. Flaps, ailerons, elevators, and rudders are between the fuselages and compartment for control. This allows detaching the cargo for easier airport handling, increasing payload, and reducing space requirements compared to integrating the compartment. The modular design also allows rapid cargo loading/unloading. The streamlined wing-body

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A modular, distributed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that can be combined into larger configurations for improved efficiency and range. The system uses separate UAV bodies with foldable wings that can connect end-to-end via docking mechanisms. This allows multiple UAVs to join together like a chain, forming a larger integrated shape. The folded wings provide better maneuverability and control when separated, while the combined configuration improves range and payload capacity. The UAVs share resources like batteries between sub-units based on load and distance.

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A logistics drone design that improves stability, cargo capacity, and efficiency compared to existing drones. The drone has an enclosed cargo area between the body and wings, with the tail section extending out. The propeller assembly is mounted on the tail extension. This configuration forms a ring structure that connects the tail to the body. It provides a more stable connection for the propeller and improves drone flight stability. The enclosed cargo area protects the goods inside. The tail extension also provides higher aerodynamic efficiency for flight.

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An eight-rotor drone for logistics transportation that improves efficiency and range compared to conventional rotor drones. The drone has a rotatable upper wing and lower wing at the top and bottom of the cargo box. This allows the wings to maintain a horizontal orientation during forward flight while the drone tilts. The reversed airflow over the arched upper wing creates an upper-lower pressure difference that provides lift for the cargo box. The wings also reverse direction when landing to keep the arched surface facing forward. This forces airflow over the cargo and lower wing for lift. The rotatable wings separate from the body for maintenance.

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Multi-purpose expandable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can carry heavier loads or transport more cargo by adding detachable auxiliary motors to the main UAV body. The UAV has a fixed number of motors and propellers for flight. But it also has a detachable connection frame with additional motors and propellers that can be added to generate extra thrust. This allows the UAV to handle increased loads without needing a larger, more expensive UAV. The auxiliary motors can be detached when not needed to reduce weight and size. The auxiliary motors connect to the UAV body via a frame that slides or clips on.

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A new type of aerial delivery logistics transport drone with improved speed, endurance, and accuracy compared to existing multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones. The drone has a fuselage, wings, nose, tail, and multiple rotors. The wings and fuselage are integrated to expand storage capacity. A retractable nose extends/retracts using hydraulics for takeoff/landing. The wings have engines, fuel tanks, and landing gear. The nose has a control system, cameras, and displays. The fuselage has a cabin, lifting device, and rotors. This design combines the benefits of multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones for faster, longer, more precise cargo delivery.

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Automatic airdrop system for unmanned transport aircraft that enables long-distance transportation of heavy cargo and precise airdrops. The system has subsystems like door control, cargo box transmission, parachute, feedback, and a central control center. It allows unmanned drones to autonomously airdrop heavy cargo over long distances with high precision. The system enables unmanned cargo delivery to remote areas with difficult access.

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An aerial drone configuration with an enclosed propeller duct to increase lifting force and payload capacity compared to an open propeller system. The drone has an airframe, propeller, duct, and motor. The propeller is mounted inside the duct which provides a complex airflow through the duct that combines incoming air from all directions to pass through the duct in a top-to-bottom direction. The duct shape improves lifting force by generating reverse thrust and suction forces. The duct also has a protective cover to prevent injury and damage from the enclosed propeller.

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A fixed-wing logistics drone with separable cargo compartment for improved efficiency and safety in delivering goods using UAVs. The drone has a detachable cargo module that can be swapped out quickly at pickup and delivery points, allowing cargo to be loaded directly into the detachable module rather than the main fuselage. This eliminates the need for ground personnel to load/unload cargo into the main body, saving time and improving efficiency. It also prevents the entire drone from crashing with the cargo if it goes down. The cargo module has a parachute for emergency landing. The drone's fuselage and cargo module are connected by a docking mechanism that can be disengaged by the flight controller. This separates the cargo module when the fuselage crashes to prevent damage to the cargo.

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A quadcopter configuration that optimizes stability and payload capacity for tasks like agricultural spraying. The drone has a symmetrical cross formation with front and rear arms. The rear arms are set further forward than normal, so the lift force center is behind the center of gravity. This allows payload to be carried behind the CG without affecting stability. The drone also has an adjustable arm angle mechanism allowing the arms to angle downward for compact storage and upward for flight.

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A multi-bin micro-small container type quadrotor transport drone that improves cargo capacity and efficiency of quadrotor drones by utilizing the space between the rotor arms. The drone has a detachable multi-bin cargo compartment installed between the rotor arms. The compartment doors are controlled by a steering gear below the middle compartment. This allows multiple smaller containers to be carried instead of one large one. The containers can be swapped and each one can carry different cargo. The detachable bins maximize cargo space utilization and enable versatility in payloads for quadrotor drones.

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Intelligent quadrotor gliding drone that combines the vertical takeoff/landing capability of a quadrotor drone with the long-range flight and cargo capacity of a fixed-wing drone. The drone has a cylindrical main body, a fixed main wing, a fixed tail, a hatch, a bracket, a photovoltaic panel, a device board, a motor, a rotating shaft, a rotor, and a rigid fixed rod. The quadrotor section allows vertical takeoff/landing, while the fixed wings enable efficient forward flight. The main body detaches from the fixed wings when landing, allowing the wings to be stored inside the body for transport. The photovoltaic panel charges the drone during flight.

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A detachable cargo compartment connected wing twin fuselage logistics drone with improved capacity, adaptability, and efficiency for medium to long range cargo transportation. The drone has a twin fuselage design with a wing-body blended fuselage and a detachable cargo compartment. The twin fuselage reduces wingspan for airport compatibility. The cargo compartment attaches to the wing for increased payload. The fuselage and wings have smooth transitions for reduced drag. The cargo compartment houses flight controls like flaps, ailerons, elevators, and rudders.

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A modular fixed-wing drone for cargo delivery that improves efficiency, safety, and flexibility compared to traditional fixed-wing drones. The drone has a separable cargo compartment that can be quickly swapped in and out of the main fuselage. This allows cargo to be loaded directly into the detachable cargo compartment instead of the main fuselage, avoiding the need for stopping and loading/unloading inside the fuselage. The compartment can also be autonomously deployed after separation to parachute down with cargo if the main fuselage crashes. This prevents joint losses. The compartment connects using a locking mechanism that can be disengaged by the flight controller if the fuselage fails.

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Intelligent quadrotor glider drone that combines the advantages of vertical takeoff and landing of quadrotors with the long range and payload capacity of fixed-wing aircraft. The drone has a cylindrical main body, a fixed wing, and a tail. It can transition from vertical flight using the quadrotors to horizontal flight using the fixed wing. The quadrotors can retract into the body during horizontal flight. The drone can also charge its battery using solar panels during flight. This allows longer range and payload capability compared to pure quadrotors, without needing runways like fixed-wing aircraft.

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Stable unmanned aerial equipment with buffer function for logistics that can handle cargo of different sizes and protect it during landing. The drone has a main body with four corners, each with a propeller. Below the main body is a stabilizing mechanism and two buffering mechanisms. One is a telescoping lift assembly that extends to receive cargo. The other is an inflatable cushion assembly that inflates to cushion landings. This allows the drone to transport items of varying sizes and absorb impacts during landing to prevent damage.

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A logistics drone with a unique cargo loading and unloading mechanism that improves stability during flight and allows easy loading/unloading of cargo. The drone has a cargo box attached to the bottom of the body that can be opened to access the cargo. The cargo box has a telescoping bracket inside that extends when the cargo is being unloaded. This pushes the cargo out of the box and into an extended position outside the drone. The telescoping bracket stops extending when the cargo is completely out. This prevents the cargo from sliding back into the drone during flight. The cargo can then be manually removed from the extended position. The telescoping mechanism allows the cargo to be easily loaded and unloaded without the need for binding or fixing the cargo inside the drone.

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High-altitude long endurance (HALE) drone design that can carry a substantial payload for extended periods above a target location. The drone has a large upper enclosure filled with a low-density gas like helium or hydrogen that makes it buoyant. This allows the drone to offset its weight and carry a heavy payload. The gas-filled enclosure is positioned above the drone's horizontal plane of contra-rotating propellers. This configuration enables the drone to remain stationary for weeks or months at high altitude like a stratospheric platform for applications like long-term aerial observation or telecommunications relays.

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A vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing cargo drone that can transition from vertical takeoff/landing to horizontal flight and has automated cargo loading/unloading capabilities. The drone has a fuselage with a middle beam and upper beam, wings, landing gear, and a robotic arm. The robotic arm has four joints and grippers to grab cargo. The drone can take off and land vertically using the robotic arm and landing gear. Once airborne, it switches to horizontal flight using the fixed wings. The drone has separate vertical thrust systems integrated into the wings and a main horizontal thrust system on the fuselage. This allows vertical takeoff/landing with the wings folded back. The drone can also autonomously load and unload cargo using the robotic arm.

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An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and system for efficient logistics transportation. The UAV has a parallel and symmetric configuration of two fuselages and wings to create a channel for loading cargo pods. The wings have fixings to secure the pods. This allows the UAV to vertically take off and land like a drone, then horizontally fly like a fixed-wing aircraft. The UAV can also land on a workbench with a conveyor belt to automatically load/unload cargo. The UAV's tiltable rotors enable vertical takeoff and horizontal flight. The UAV has quick battery replacement and landing gear.

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Intercity logistics transportation system using tilt-rotor cargo drones that improves efficiency and reduces cost compared to traditional trucks. The drone design features a tiltable rotor mechanism for vertical takeoff and horizontal flight, allowing vertical takeoff and landing like a helicopter and efficient forward flight like a fixed-wing aircraft. The drone has a modular energy system with lithium batteries, fuel tanks, and a generator. It also has integrated communication, sensors, and flight control systems. The drones can autonomously transport packages between hubs using the tilt-rotor capability for vertical takeoff/landing at hubs and horizontal flight in between. The system allows faster, more efficient, and cost-effective intercity logistics compared to trucks.

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