Area avoidance for multimodal craft

Abstract

A computing platform may be configured to: (i) obtain geospatial data associated with a region; (ii) generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (iii) determine, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (iv) after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.

Description

PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT AREA AVOIDANCE FOR MULTIMODAL CRAFTCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 740,074, filed December 30, 2024, and entitled “AREA AVOIDANCE FOR MULTIMODAL CRAFT,” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] Various craft are capable of taking off from, and landing on, water. Examples of such craft include crafts having extendible hydrofoils attached to the hull of the craft. For instance, a first (or “rear”) hydrofoil may be positioned towards the tail section of the craft, and a second (or “main”) hydrofoil may be positioned near the midsection of the craft, forward the first hydrofoil (e.g., proximate to the main wing of the craft). The hydrofoils may be controlled to extend and retract depending on the operating mode of the craft. For example, when airborne, the hydrofoils may be retracted towards the hull, and when hull-borne or foil-borne, the hydrofoils may be extended. Such craft may include one or more wings as well as a plurality of propellers on the one or more wings of the craft.

[0003] In some examples, such craft may be a wing-in-ground (WIG) effect craft. Such craft fly close to the ground or water surface by using the ground effect principle, where flying close to the surface reduces aerodynamic drag and increases lift. For example, the drag on the craft is reduced when its distance from the ground is within about the length of the aircraft’s wingspan.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT OVERVIEW

[0004] Aspects described herein are related to area avoidance for a craft such as a multimodal craft.

[0005] In one aspect, disclosed herein is a method that includes: (i) obtaining geospatial data associated with a region; (ii) generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data and a mode of operation of the craft, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (iii) determining, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (iv) after determining that the conflict risk exists, causing data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby causing an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.

[0006] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a computing platform that includes at least one network interface, at least one processor, at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, and program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to carry out the functions disclosed herein, including but not limited to the functions of the foregoing method.

[0007] In yet another aspect, disclosed herein is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing platform to carry out the functions disclosed herein, including but not limited to the functions of the foregoing method.

[0008] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a craft that includes: (i) a hull; (ii) one or more wings coupled to the hull; (iii) extendible hydrofoils attached to the hull, wherein the craft is configured to operate in a wing-borne mode of operation, a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and a hull-borne mode of operation; and (iv) computing platform comprising: (a) a communication interface; (b) at least one processor; (c) at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and (d) program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (1) obtain, via the communication interface, geospatial data associated with a region; (2) generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data and a mode of operation of the craft, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (3) determine, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (4) after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.PATENTAtorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0009] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate these as well as numerous other aspectsin reading the following disclosure.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the claims, are incorporated in, and constitute a part of this specification. The detailed description and illustrated examples described serve to explain the principles defined by the claims.

[0011] Figure 1A depicts a perspective view of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure IB depicts a top view of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 1C depicts a side view of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure ID depicts a front view of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure IE illustrates a perspective view of an example of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2A illustrates an example main hydrofoil deployment system of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2B illustrates an example main hydrofoil deployment system of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2C illustrates an example hydrofoil assembly, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3 illustrates an example rear hydrofoil deployment system of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4 depicts an example battery system of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5 depicts an example control system of a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 6A depicts a craft in a hull-borne mode of operation, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 6B depicts a craft in a hydrofoil-borne maneuvering mode of operation, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 7A depicts a craft in a hydrofoil-borne takeoff mode of operation, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 7B is a graph that depicts various lift forces acting on a craft, according to an example of the present disclosure.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0026] Figure 8 depicts a craft in a wing-borne mode of operation, according to an example of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 9 depicts an example process for facilitating area avoidance for a craft, such as a multimodal craft, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0028] Figure 10 illustrates an example representation, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0029] Figure Ila illustrates an example quadtree data structure that stores data of points on two-dimensional space that represents a region, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0030] Figure 1 lb illustrates a tree view of the quadtree structure of Figure 1 la, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0031] Figure 12a illustrates an example adding a layer of safety bias, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0032] Figure 12b illustrates an example of determining and adjusting the size of an avoidance area based on the mode of operation of a craft, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0033] Figure 13 illustrates an example of applying time-variation to an avoidance area, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0034] Figure 14a illustrates an example of different rules for avoidance logic based on mode of operation of the craft, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0035] Figure 14b illustrates an example of different rules avoidance logic based on type of avoidance area, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0036] Figure 15a depicts an example snapshot of a graphical user interface (GUI), in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0037] Figure 15b depicts an example snapshot of a GUI, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0038] Figure 16 illustrates example conflict avoidance paths comprising turning arcs, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0039] Figure 17 illustrates an example of a first particular avoidance area and a second particular avoidance area that (i) are not the same and (ii) overlap at least in part, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0040] Figure 18 depicts a structural diagram of an example computing platform that may be configured to carry out one or more of the functions, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0041] Figure 19 depicts a structural diagram of an example client device that may be configured to communicate with the example computing platform of Figure 18 and also carry out one or more functions, in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology.

[0042] The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating example embodiments, and it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Various examples of systems, devices, and / or methods are described herein. Any embodiment, implementation, and / or feature described herein as being an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over any other embodiment, implementation, and / or feature unless stated as such. Thus, other embodiments, implementations, and / or features may be utilized, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the subject matter presented herein.

[0044] Accordingly, the examples described herein are not meant to be limiting. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations.

[0045] Further, unless the context suggests otherwise, the features illustrated in each of the figures may be used in combination with one another. Thus, the figures should be generally viewed as component aspects of one or more overall embodiments, with the understanding that not all illustrated features are necessary for each embodiment.

[0046] Additionally, any enumeration of elements, blocks, or steps in this specification or the claims is for purposes of clarity. Thus, such enumeration should not be interpreted to require or imply that these elements, blocks, or steps adhere to a particular arrangement or are carried out in a particular order.

[0047] Further, terms such as “A coupled to B” or “A is mechanically coupled to B” do not require members A and B to be directly coupled to one another. It is understood that various intermediate members may be utilized to “couple” members A and B together.

[0048] Moreover, terms such as “substantially” or “about” that may be used herein, are meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly but that deviations or variations, including, for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.

[0049] In the figures, like numerals can refer to like elements throughout the figures.I. Introduction

[0050] Aspects described herein are generally related to craft, such as aircraft, including craft that are capable of taking off from, and landing on, water. Examples of such craft include crafts having extendible hydrofoils attached to the hull of the craft. For instance, a first (or “rear”) hydrofoil may be positioned towards the tail section of the craft, and a second (or “main”) hydrofoil may be positioned near the midsection of the craft, forward the first hydrofoil (e.g.,PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT proximate to the main wing of the craft). The hydrofoils may be controlled to extend and retract depending on the operating mode of the craft. For example, when airborne, the hydrofoils may be retracted towards the hull, and when hull-borne or foil-borne, the hydrofoils may be extended. The term “hull” is used throughout this description to refer to the main body of the craft. It is understood that this term is interchangeable with the term “fuselage,” among other possible terms, which is sometimes used to refer to the main body of aircraft.

[0051] In some examples, the craft may additionally or alternatively be a wing-in-ground (WIG) effect craft. Such craft fly close to the ground or water surface by using the ground effect principle, where flying close to the surface reduces aerodynamic drag and increases lift. For example, the drag on the craft is reduced when its distance from the ground is within about the length of the aircraft’s wingspan.

[0052] Aspects described herein are related to systems and methods for area avoidance for a craft, such as a multimodal craft.

[0053] These and other aspects are discussed in more detail in the passages that follow.II. Example Wing-In-Ground Effect Vehicles

[0054] Figures 1 A-1D illustrate different views of an example of a craft 100. As shown, some examples of the craft 100 include a hull 102, a main wing 104, a tail 106, a main hydrofoil assembly 108, and a rear hydrofoil assembly 110.A. Hull

[0055] Some examples of the craft 100 operate in a first waterborne mode for an extended period of time, during which the hull 102 is at least partially submerged in water. As such, some examples of the hull 102 are configured to be watertight, particularly for surfaces of the hull that contact the water during this first waterborne operational mode. Further, some examples of the hull 102, as well as the entirety of the craft 100, are configured to be passively stable on all axes when floating in water. To help achieve this, some examples of the hull 102 include a keel (or centerline) 112, which provides improved stability and other benefits described below. Some examples of the craft 100 include various mechanisms for adjusting the center of mass of the craft 100 so that the center of mass aligns with the center of buoyancy of the craft 100. For instance, in some examples, a battery system (described in further detail below in connection with Figure 4) of the craft 100 is electrically coupled to one or more moveable mounts. Some examples of the mounts are moved by one or more servo motors or the like. In some examples, a control system of the craft 100 is configured to detect a change in its center of buoyancy, for instance, by detecting a rotational change via an onboard gyroscope, and responsively operate the servo motors to move the battery system until the gyroscope indicates that the craft 100 has stabilized. Some examplesPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT of the craft 100 include a ballast system for pumping water or air to various tanks distributed throughout the hull 102 of the craft 100. The ballast system facilitates adjusting the center of mass of the craft 100 so that the center of mass aligns with the center of buoyancy of the craft 100. Other example systems may be used to control the center of mass of the craft 100 as well.

[0056] Additionally, or alternatively, some examples of the hull 102 are configured to reduce drag forces when both waterborne and wing-borne. For instance, some examples of the hull 102 have a high length-to-beam ratio (e.g., greater than or equal to 8), which facilitates reducing hydrodynamic drag forces when the craft 100 is under forward waterborne motion. Some examples of the keel 112 are curved or rockered to improve maneuverability when waterborne. Further, some examples of the hull 102 are configured to pierce the surface of waves (e.g., to increase passenger and crew comfort) by including a narrow, low-buoyancy bow portion of the hull 102.B. Wing and Distributed Propulsion System

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 A-1D, some examples of the main wing 104 include an outrigger 114 at each end of the main wing 104. The outriggers 114 (which are sometimes referred to as “wing-tip pontoons”) are configured to provide a buoyant force to the main wing 104 when submerged or when otherwise in contact with the water, which improves the stability of the craft 100 during waterborne operation. Some examples of the outriggers 114 may also include integrated pumps (e.g., propeller pumps) that facilitate providing thrust in some scenarios, as described in more detail below.

[0058] As shown in Figure ID, some examples of the main wing 104 have a gull-wing shape such that the outriggers 114 at the ends of the main wing 104 are at the lowest point of the main wing 104 and are positioned approximately level with (or slightly above) a waterline of the hull 102 when the hull 102 is waterborne.

[0059] Some examples of the main wing 104 have a high aspect ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the span of the main wing 104 to the mean chord of the main wing 104. In some examples, the aspect ratio of the main wing 104 is greater than or equal to five, or greater than or equal to six, but other example aspect ratios are possible as well. Such wings tend to have reduced pitch stability and maneuverability due to lower roll angular acceleration. These issues are ameliorated by various mechanisms described below. On the other hand, such wings tend to have increased roll stability and increased efficiency resulting from higher lift-to-drag ratios. Further, high aspect ratio wings provide a longer leading edge for the mounting of a distributed propulsion system along the wing.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0060] As shown in the figures, some examples of the main wing 104 include a number of electric motor propeller assemblies 116 distributed across a leading edge of the main wing 104. This arrangement corresponds to a blown-wing propulsion system. Arranging the propeller assemblies 116 in this manner increases the speed of air moving over the main wing 104, which increases the lift generated by the main wing 104. This increase in lift allows the craft 100 to take off and become wing-borne at slower vehicle speeds. This facilitates, for example, taking off on water which can be difficult at higher speeds due to the various forces that would otherwise act on the craft 100.

[0061] The electric motor propeller assemblies 116 tend to be much lighter, less complex, and smaller than the liquid-fueled engines used on conventional craft. Some examples of the electric motor propeller assemblies 116 are controlled by an electronic speed controller and powered by an onboard battery system (e.g., a lithium-ion system, magnesium-ion system, lithium-sulfur system, etc.). Some examples of the electric motor propeller assemblies 116 are controlled by a fuel cell or a centralized liquid-fueled electricity generator. In some examples, the onboard electrical supply system includes multiple systems for supplying power during different operational modes, such as a first battery system configured to deliver large amounts of power during takeoff and a second system with a higher energy density but lower peak power capability for delivering sustained lower power during cruise operation (e.g., during hydrofoil waterborne operation or during wing-borne operation, each of which are described in further detail below).

[0062] In some examples, the positioning of the electric motor propeller assemblies 116 along the leading edge of the main wing 104 is determined based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, (i) the total thrust for all modes of operation of the craft 100, (ii) the thrust generated by each individual propeller of the propeller assemblies 116, (iii) the radius of each propeller in the respective propeller assemblies 116, (iv) the tip clearance between each propeller and the surface of the water, and (v) the additional freestream speed over the main wing 104 required for operation.

[0063] As shown in the figures, in some examples, the number of propeller assemblies 116 is symmetrical across both sides of the hull 102. In some examples, the propeller assemblies 116 are identical. In some examples, the propeller assemblies 116 have different propeller radii or blade configurations along the span so long as the configuration is symmetrical across the hull 102. The different radii facilitate adequate propeller tip clearance from the water or vehicle structure. In some examples, the different propellers are optimized for different operational conditions, such as wing-borne cruise. The propeller placement and configuration may vary to increase the airflow over the main wing 104 or tail system 106 to improve controllability or stability. While twelvePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT total propeller assemblies 116 are illustrated, the actual number of propeller assemblies 116 can vary based on the requirements of the craft 100.

[0064] In some examples, the propeller assemblies 116 have different pitch settings or variable pitch capabilities based on their position on the main wing 104. For instance, in some examples, a subset of the propeller assemblies 116 have fixed-pitch propellers sized for cruise speeds, while the remainder of the propeller assemblies 116 have fixed-pitch propellers configured for takeoff or can allow for varying the propeller’s pitch.

[0065] In some examples, different propeller assemblies 116 are turned off or have reduced rotational speeds during different modes of operation. For instance, during waterborne operation, one or more of the propeller assemblies 116 may be turned off or have reduced rotational speeds in a manner that generates asymmetrical thrust. This may create a yawing moment on the craft 100, allowing the craft 100 to turn without large bank angles and increasing the turning maneuverability of the craft 100. For instance, in order to yaw right, the craft 100 may increase the rotational speeds of the propellers of one or more of propeller assemblies 116g-l while decreasing the rotational speeds of the propellers of one or more of propeller assemblies 116a-f. Similarly, to yaw left, the craft 100 may increase the rotational speeds of the propellers of one or more of propeller assemblies 116a-f while decreasing the rotational speeds of the propellers of one or more of propeller assemblies 116g-l.

[0066] Similarly varying rotational speeds or propeller pitches may be used to yaw or roll the aircraft in flight or while foiling due to varied forces and lift distributions imposed over the wing and its control surfaces or in general used to tailor the lift distribution across the wing for optimized efficiency.

[0067] In some examples, the propeller assemblies may tilt to vector thrust either to provide directly more vertical lift or to change how the wing is blown depending on the mode of operation so as to tailor the blown lift distribution.

[0068] Some examples of the main wing 104 include one or more aerodynamic control surfaces, such as flaps 118 and ailerons 120. Some examples of these controls comprise movable hinged surfaces on the trailing or leading edges of the main wing 104 for changing the aerodynamic shape of the main wing 104. Some examples of the flaps 118 are configured to extend downward below the main wing 104 to reduce stall speed and create additional lift at low airspeeds, while some examples of the ailerons 120 are configured to extend upward above the main wing 104 to decrease lift on one side of the main wing 104 and induce a roll moment in the craft 100. In some examples, the ailerons 120 are additionally configured to extend downward below the main wing 104 in a flaperon configuration to help the flaps 118 generate additional liftPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT on the main wing 104, which, in some examples, is used to either create a rolling moment or additional balanced lift depending on coordinated movement of both ailerons. Some examples of the flaps 118 and ailerons 120 include one or more actuators for raising and lowering the flaps 118 and ailerons 120. Within examples, the flaps 118 include one or more of plain flaps, split flaps, slotted flaps, Fowler flaps, slotted Fowler flaps, Gouge flaps, Junkers flaps, or Zap flaps. Further, in some examples, the flaps 118 (and the ailerons 120 when configured as flaperons) are positioned to be in the wake of one or more of the propeller assemblies 116. In some examples, the ailerons 120 are positioned so that they are in the wake of one or more of the propeller assemblies 116 to increase the effectiveness of the ailerons at low forward velocities. Some of the propeller assemblies 116 are positioned so that no ailerons 120 are in their wake to increase thrust on the outboard wing during a turn without inducing adverse yaw. For example, in a left turn, a normal airplane would have adverse yaw to the right as the right aileron is deflected down, increasing drag. In the present disclosure, however, the right propeller assembly outboard of the right aileron may have its thrust increased relative to the respective left propeller assembly, initiating a turn without adverse yaw.

[0069] Although in the example of Figures 1 A-D, the craft 100 is illustrated as including a single main wing 104, in other examples the craft 100 may include more than one wing. For instance, in the example of FIG IE, the craft 100 includes a first wing 104a and a second wing 104b. Other examples are possible as well.C. Tail System

[0070] As illustrated in Figures 1A-1D, some examples of the tail 106 include a vertical stabilizer 122, a horizontal stabilizer 124, and one or more control surfaces, such as elevators 126. Similar to the flaps 118 and ailerons 120, some examples of the elevators 126 comprise movable hinged surfaces on the trailing or leading edges of the horizontal stabilizer 124 for changing the aerodynamic shape of the horizontal stabilizer 124 to control a pitch of the craft 100. Some examples of the horizontal stabilizer 124 are combined with the elevator 126, creating a fully articulating horizontal stabilizer (e.g., a stabilator). Raising the elevator 126 above the hinge point creates a net downward force on the tail system and causes the craft 100 to pitch upward. Lowering the elevators 126 below the hinge point creates a net upward force on the horizontal stabilizer 124 and causes the craft 100 to pitch downward. Some examples of the elevators 126 include actuators, which are operated by a control system of the craft 100 to raise and lower the elevators 126.

[0071] As illustrated in Figures 1 A-1D, some examples of tail 106 include a rudder 128. Some examples of the rudder 128 comprise a movable hinged surface on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer 122 for changing the aerodynamic shape of the vertical stabilizer 122 to control the yawPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT of the craft 100 when operating in an airborne mode. In some examples, the rudder 128 additionally changes a hydrodynamic shape of the hull 102 to control the yaw of the craft 100 when operating in a waterborne mode. To facilitate such hydrodynamic control, in some examples, the rudder 128 is positioned low enough on the tail 106 that the rudder 128 is partially or entirely submerged when the hull 102 is floating in water. For instance, the rudder 128 is positioned partially or entirely below the waterline of the hull 102. Some examples of the rudder 128 include one or more actuators, which are operated by a control system of the craft 100 to rotate the hinged surface of the rudder 128 to the left or right of the vertical stabilizer 122. Actuating the rudder 128 to the left (relative to the direction of travel) causes the craft 100 to yaw left. Actuating the rudder 128 to the right (relative to the direction of travel) causes the craft 100 to yaw right. As such, the rudder 128 may be used in combination with any of the other mechanisms disclosed herein for controlling the yaw of the craft 100, including in combination with the ailerons 120 during airborne operation and in combination with varying the rotational speeds of different ones of the propeller assemblies 116 to help improve the maneuverability of the craft 100 during waterborne operation.

[0072] Some examples of the tail 106 include one or more vertical stabilizers 122a, 122b, 122n, one or more horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b, one or more control surfaces, such as elevators 126, and one or more tail flaps 127 for enhanced pitch control configured to exert enhanced net downward force on the tail system. It should be understood that although the figures show only two horizontal stabilizers, it is contemplated that more than two of each can be used within the scope of the present teachings. In some applications, it has been found that the transition from waterborne operation to airborne or wing-borne operation can require a larger pitching moment to overcome the larger drag forces existing between the hull 102 and / or the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 and the water. This phenomenon can further occur in wheeled aircraft configured for short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations. In this way, at low airspeeds, aerodynamic forces in conventional designs fail to produce sufficient downward force to permit sufficient pitching moment. To provide sufficient pitching moment to pitch the craft 100 upward, a conventional solution would be to increase the span of the tail so that the elevator generates more force; however, a resultant consequence of increasing the span of the tail is that the entire tail must be stronger and heavier, which can result in undesired reduction of payload and efficiency. However, the present configuration provides improved performance by providing a tail 106 having a first horizontal stabilizer 124a and a second horizontal stabilizer 124b. It should be understood that one or more additional horizontal stabilizers can be used.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0073] In some examples, a first horizontal stabilizer 124a is a lower horizontal stabilizer relative to a second horizontal stabilizer 124b. However, it should be appreciated that the horizontal stabilizers in some examples can be interchanged for performance purposes (e.g., the disclosed structure of the first horizontal stabilizer 124a can be incorporated in the upper horizontal stabilizer and the disclosed structure of the second horizontal stabilizer 124b can be incorporated in the lower horizontal stabilizer). In some non-limiting examples, the structure, shape, and / or performance of each horizontal stabilizer can be tailored as desired such that the lower horizontal stabilizer (in this example, the first horizontal stabilizer 124a) is more likely to experience aerodynamic effect from being in the wake of the blown-wing propulsion system disclosed herein or associated wake produced by alternative propulsion systems. In this way, greater aerodynamic control and / or downwards lift can be generated during desired phases of operation.

[0074] Some examples of the horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b include one or more aerodynamic control surfaces, such as tail flaps 127 and elevators 126, which may comprise movable hinged surfaces on the trailing or leading edges of the horizontal stabilizer 124a, 124b for changing the aerodynamic shape of the respective horizontal stabilizer 124a, 124b. It should be recognized that at least one of the horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b can be sized, shaped, and / or spaced relative to a second of the horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b to enhance or minimize the aerodynamic effect on the adjacent stabilizers. In this way, the aerodynamic flow, pressures, and / or forces can be used to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of the adjacent stabilizer. In some examples, at least one of the horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b can be actuated in an opposing direction. In some embodiments, at least one of the horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b can define a ratio of a surface area of the first horizontal stabilizer to a surface area of the second horizontal stabilizer in the range of 0.9 to 1.6. In some non-limiting example configurations, the surface area of the first horizontal stabilizer is 5.7 m2, the surface area of the second horizontal stabilizer is 3.9 m2, and both have a chord of about 1 m and a vertical separation of 1.8 m. In some embodiments, a vertical separation distance between the first horizontal stabilizer and the second horizontal stabilizer is in the range of 0.25 to 0.75 of the lower horizontal stabilizer span. In some examples, a vertical separation distance can be dependent on the required rudder authority and thus elevator size (driven by, e.g., yaw stability, or the need to counteract asymmetric thrust following powerplant failure). In some examples, a sweep offset moves the center of pressure further aft from the center of gravity, thus allowing the airfoil of the horizontal stabilizer to have less surface area overall, thus being smaller and lighter. In some examples, a dihedral in the bottom surface of the horizontal stabilizer adds stability. In some examples, the box tail design itself increases thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT efficiency due to the elimination of wingtip vortices of a typical tail. In some embodiments, a lower horizontal stabilizer may have approximately a 15% thickness-to-chord ratio to support the weight of the upper components, whereas the vertical and upper surfaces may be thinner, such as, for example, 10% thickness-to-chord ratio due to reduced structural load requirement, which enables the upper horizontal stabilizer to be more efficient (lower drag). It should be appreciated that the left and right elevator surfaces 126 can be controlled independently and / or differentially to create a rolling moment, thereby enabling the wing ailerons 120 to be made smaller. The smaller wing ailerons 120 further enable larger flaps 118. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, using the vertical control surfaces 128a, 128b, 128n can change the pressure distribution across the elevator 126, for example, commanding a left 5 degree deflection in the left vertical control surface may move the mean pressure distribution left / right by a percentage of the elevator width.

[0075] Some examples of the tail flaps 127 are configured to selectively extend upward above the horizontal stabilizer 124 for changing a surface area, camber, aspect ratio, and / or shape of the horizontal stabilizer 124. The tail flaps 127 may include, for example, one or more of plain flaps, split flaps, slotted flaps, Fowler flaps, slotted or double-slotted Fowler flaps, Gouge flaps, Junkers flaps, or Zap flaps. That is, in some examples, tail flaps 127 serve to change an angle of attack of the horizontal stabilizer 124, change a chord line of the horizontal stabilizer 124, change a surface area of the horizontal stabilizer 124, and / or otherwise increase the net effective downwardly directed lift of the horizontal stabilizer 124. Such configurations effectively reduce the speed at which the horizontal stabilizer 124 becomes aerodynamically effective by creating additional net downward force at low airspeeds to aid in exerting a nose-up pitching moment of the craft 100. The elevators 126 may be configured for changing the aerodynamic shape of the horizontal stabilizer 124 to further control or vary a pitch of the craft 100.

[0076] In some examples operations, the tail flaps 127 are deployed for takeoff (e.g., transition from hydrofoil-borne mode to airborne mode) and landing (e.g., transition from airborne mode to hull-borne mode) to generate additional downforce on the tail system when additional pitch-up moment is required. Tail flaps 127 can be stowed for other phases of operation, such as hull-borne mode, to reduce downforce on the tail system and reduce drag.

[0077] In some examples, the elevators 126 are additionally configured to extend upward above the horizontal stabilizer 124 in a flaperon-like configuration (yet with elevators, rather than ailerons) to help the tail flaps 127 generate additional downward force on the horizontal stabilizer 124, which may be used to either create a pitching moment or additional balanced downward force. The tail flaps 127 and elevators 126 may each include one or more actuators 125 for raisingPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT and lowering the tail flaps 127 and elevators 126, singly or in combination. The actuators 125 can comprise any system configured to selectively actuate the associated system, such as but not limited to a flap track system (integrated into vertical stabilizers 122a, 122b, 122n, which can reduce complex hinge systems or external arms, thereby reducing wetted area and excrescences drag), an electric servo motor mounting within the vertical stabilizers 122a, 122b, 122n and / or horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b, and / or a central vertical strut system generally mounted in the hull 102 or the fuselage of the craft 100 (to provide the potential for reduced cross-sectional area and associated drag).

[0078] Further, in some examples, the elevators 126 and / or the tail flaps 127 are positioned so that they are in the wake 129 of one or more of the propeller assemblies 116 of main wing 104. The elevators 126 and / or the tail flaps 127 may be positioned so that they are in the wake 129 of one or more of the propeller assemblies 116 to increase the effectiveness of the elevators at low forward velocities. In some examples, the propeller assemblies 116 are positioned so that no elevators 126 and / or tail flaps 127 are in the wake 129 to ensure consistent and / or predictable aerodynamic forces, independent of power application, are exerted during critical operational phases. In some examples, the propeller assemblies 116 are positioned so that the elevators 126 are in their wake 129 and the tail flaps 127 are not in the wake 129 (e.g., above the wake 129) and are exposed to clean air 131. It should be understood that positioning of the tail flaps 127 in the second horizontal stabilizer 124b, or at a distance above the center of gravity of the craft 100, will have the added unexpected benefit of creating additional nose-up pitching moment as a result of induced drag acting about the center of gravity causing the craft 100 to pitch upward.

[0079] Similar to the flaps 118 and the ailerons 120 of the main wing 104, some examples of the elevators 126 comprise movable hinged surfaces on the trailing or leading edges of the horizontal stabilizer 124 for changing the aerodynamic shape of the horizontal stabilizer 124 to control a pitch of the craft 100. The horizontal stabilizer 124 may be combined with the elevator 126, creating a fully articulating horizontal stabilizer (e.g., a stabilator). Raising the elevators 126 above the hinge point creates a net downward force on the tail system and causes the craft 100 to pitch upward. Lowering the elevators 126 below the hinge point creates a net upward force on the horizontal stabilizer 124 and causes the craft 100 to pitch downward. The elevators 126 may include actuators, which may be operated by a control system of the craft 100 in order to raise and lower the elevators 126.

[0080] In some examples, the tail 106 includes one or more rudders 128a, 128b, 128n. The rudders 128a, 128b, 128n may each comprise a movable hinged surface on the trailing edge of the corresponding vertical stabilizers 122a, 122b, 122n for changing the aerodynamic shape of thePATENT Attorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT vertical stabilizer 122 to control the yaw of the craft 100 when operating in an airborne mode. It should be understood that rudders 128a, 128b, 128n can operate independently or in combination as desired. Moreover, in some examples, rudders 128a, 128b, 128n can be used as redundant systems, particularly useful in the event of one or more failures.

[0081] In some examples, the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n additionally change a hydrodynamic shape of the hull 102 to control the yaw of the craft 100 when operating in a waterborne mode. In order to facilitate such hydrodynamic control, the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n may be positioned low enough on the tail 106 that one or more of the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n is partially or entirely submerged when the hull 102 is floating in water. Namely, the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n may be positioned partially or entirely below a waterline of the hull 102. The rudders 128a, 128b, 128n may include one or more actuators, which may be operated by a control system of the craft 100 in order to rotate the hinged surface of the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n to the left or right of the vertical stabilizer 122. Actuating the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n to the left (relative to the direction of travel) causes the craft 100 to yaw left. Actuating the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n to the right (relative to the direction of travel) causes the craft 100 to yaw right. As such, the rudders 128a, 128b, 128n may be used in combination with any of the other mechanisms disclosed herein for controlling the yaw of the craft 100, including in combination with the ailerons 120 during airborne operation and in combination with varying the rotational speeds of different ones of the propeller assemblies 116 to help improve the maneuverability of the craft 100 during waterborne operation.

[0082] It should be understood that the fundamental shape of tail 106, having one or more vertical stabilizers 122a, 122b, 122n and one or more horizontal stabilizers 124a, 124b, can result in a box-like assembly, wherein the vertical stabilizers are generally coupled to the horizontal stabilizers to form a reinforced box-like construction. This box-like construction provides enhanced structural integrity that enables tail 106 of some examples to be lighter and / or smaller than otherwise constructed.

[0083] Some examples of the craft 100 include a distributed propulsion system on the tail 106, which may be similar to the distributed propulsion system of propeller assemblies 116 on the main wing 104. Such a distributed propulsion system may provide similar benefits of increasing the freestream velocity over the control surfaces (e.g., the elevators 126 and / or the rudder 128) to allow for increased pitch and yaw control of the craft 100 at lower travel speeds. When determining the number and size of propeller assemblies to include on the tail 106, one may apply the same factors described above when determining the number and size of propeller assemblies to include on the main wing 104.D. Hydrofoil SystemsPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0084] As noted above, some examples of the craft 100 include a main hydrofoil assembly 108 and a rear hydrofoil assembly 110. In some examples, the main hydrofoil assembly 108 is positioned proximate to the middle or bow of the craft 100, and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 is positioned proximate to the stern. For instance, some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 is positioned between the bow and a midpoint (between the bow and stern) of the craft 100, and some examples of the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 is positioned below the tail 106 of the craft 100.

[0085] The main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are configured to facilitate the breaking of contact between the hull of the craft and the water surface during takeoff, which can otherwise be challenging in some conventional craft designs. Some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are configured to be retractable, large enough to lift the entire craft out of the water and not impact the water surface, and to enable sustained operation in the hydrofoil-borne mode (where the entire weight of the craft is supported by the one or more hydrofoil assemblies).

[0086] Some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 include a main hydrofoil 130, one or more main hydrofoil struts 132 that couple the main hydrofoil 130 to the hull 102, and one or more main hydrofoil control surfaces 134. Similarly, some examples of the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 include a rear hydrofoil 136, one or more rear hydrofoil struts 138 that couple the rear hydrofoil 136 to the hull 102, and one or more rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140.

[0087] Some examples of the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136 take the form of one or more hydrodynamic lifting surfaces (also referred to as “foils”) configured to be operated partially or entirely submerged underwater while the hull 102 of the craft 100 remains above and clear of the water’s surface. In operation, as the craft 100 moves through water with the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136 submerged, the hydrofoils generate a lifting force that causes the hull 102 to rise above the surface of the water. In general, the lifting force generated by the hydrofoils must be at least equal to the weight of the craft 100 to cause the hull 102 to rise above the surface of the water. The lifting force of the hydrofoils depends on the speed and angle of attack at which the hydrofoils move through the water, as well as their various physical dimensions, including the aspect ratio, the surface area, the span, and the chord of the foils.

[0088] The height at which the hull 102 is elevated above the surface of the water during hydrofoil-borne operation is limited by the length of the one or more main hydrofoil struts 132 that couple the main hydrofoil 130 to the hull 102 and the length of the one or more rear hydrofoil struts 138 that couple the rear hydrofoil 136 to the hull 102. In some examples, the main hydrofoil strut 132 and the rear hydrofoil strut 138 are long enough to lift the hull 102 at least five feet abovePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT the surface of the water during hydrofoil-borne operation, which facilitates operation in substantially choppy waters. Struts of other lengths may be used as well. For instance, in some examples, longer struts that allow for better wave-isolation of the hull 102 (but at the expense of the stability of the craft 100 and increasing complexity of the retraction system) are utilized.

[0089] In practice, hydrofoils have a limited top speed before cavitation occurs, which results in vapor bubbles forming and imploding on the surface of the hydrofoil. Cavitation not only may cause damage to a hydrofoil but also significantly reduces the amount of lift generated by the hydrofoil and increases drag. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the onset of cavitation by designing the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136 in a way that allows the hydrofoils to operate at higher speeds (e.g., -20-45 mph) and across the entire required hydrofoil-borne speed envelope before cavitation occurs. For instance, in some examples, the onset of cavitation is controlled based on the geometric design of the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136. Additionally, in some examples, the structural design of the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136 is configured to allow the surfaces of the hydrofoils to flex and twist at higher speeds, which may reduce loading on the hydrofoils and delay the onset of cavitation.

[0090] Further, in some examples, the distributed blown-wing propulsion system described above further facilitates the delay of onset of cavitation on the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136. Cavitation is caused by both (i) the amount of lift generated by a hydrofoil and (ii) the profile of the hydrofoil (which is affected by both the hydrofoil’ s angle of attack and its vertical thickness) as it moves through water. Reducing the amount of lift generated by the hydrofoil delays the onset of cavitation. Because the blown-wing propulsion system creates additional lift on the main wing 104, the amount of lift exerted on the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136 to lift the hull 102 out of the water is reduced. Further, because the main hydrofoil 130 and the rear hydrofoil 136 do not need to generate as much lift to raise the hull 102 out of the water, their angles of attack may be reduced as well, which further delays the onset of cavitation. In some examples, combining the blown-wing propulsion system with the hydrofoil designs described herein facilitates operating the craft 100 in a hydrofoil-borne mode at speeds above 35 knots before cavitation occurs.

[0091] As noted above, some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 include one or more main and rear hydrofoil control surfaces 134, 140, respectively. Some examples of the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 include one or more hinged surfaces on a trailing or leading edge of the main hydrofoil 130 as well as one or more actuators which are operated by the control system of the craft 100 to rotate the hinged surfaces so that they extend above or below the main hydrofoil 130. Some examples of the main hydrofoilPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT control surfaces 134 on the main hydrofoil 130 are operated in a similar manner as the flaps 118 and ailerons 120 on the main wing 104 of the craft 100. In some examples, lowering the control surfaces 134 to extend below the main hydrofoil 130 changes the hydrodynamic shape of the main hydrofoil 130 in a manner that generates additional lift on the main hydrofoil 130, similar to the aerodynamic effect of lowering the flaps 118. In some examples, asymmetrically raising one or more of the control surfaces 134 (e.g., raising a control surface 134 on only one side of the main hydrofoil 130) changes the hydrodynamic shape of the main hydrofoil 130 in a manner that generates a roll force on the main hydrofoil 130, similar to the aerodynamic effect of raising one of the ailerons 120.

[0092] Likewise, some examples of the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 include one or more hinged surfaces on a trailing or leading edge of the rear hydrofoil 136 as well as one or more actuators, which are operated by the control system of the craft 100 to rotate the hinged surfaces so that they extend above or below the rear hydrofoil 136. In some examples, the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 on the rear hydrofoil 136 are operated in a similar manner as the elevators 126 on the tail 106 of the craft 100. In some examples, lowering the control surfaces 140 to extend below the rear hydrofoil 136 changes the hydrodynamic shape of the rear hydrofoil 136 in a manner that causes the craft 100 to pitch downwards, similar to the aerodynamic effect of lowering the elevators 126. In some examples, raising the control surfaces 140 to extend above the rear hydrofoil 136 changes a hydrodynamic shape of the rear hydrofoil 136 in a manner that causes the craft 100 to pitch upwards, similar to the aerodynamic effect of raising the elevators 126.

[0093] In some examples, one or both of the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 or the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 include rudder-like control surfaces similar to the rudder 128 on the tail 106 of the craft 100. For instance, some examples of the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 include one or more hinged surfaces on a trailing edge of the main hydrofoil strut 132 as well as one or more actuators, which are operated by the control system of the craft 100 to rotate the hinged surfaces so that they extend to the left or right of the main hydrofoil strut 132. Similarly, some examples of the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 include one or more hinged surfaces on a trailing edge of the rear hydrofoil strut 138 as well as one or more actuators, which are operated by the control system of the craft 100 in order to rotate the hinged surfaces so that they extend to the left or right of the rear hydrofoil strut 138. In some examples, actuating the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 or the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 in this manner changes the hydrodynamic shape of the main hydrofoil strut 132 or the rear hydrofoil strut 138, respectively, which facilitates controlling the yaw of the craft 100 when operating in a waterborne or hydrofoil-borne mode, similar to the effect of actuating the rudder 128 of the craft 100, as described above.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0094] In some examples, instead of (or in addition to) actuating hinged control surfaces on the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136, a control system of the craft 100 actuates the entire main hydrofoil 130 and / or the entire rear hydrofoil 136 themselves. In some examples, the craft 100 includes one or more actuators for rotating the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136 around the yaw axis. In some examples, the craft 100 includes one or more actuators for controlling the angle of attack of the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136 (i.e., rotating the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136 around the pitch axis). Some examples of the craft 100 include one or more actuators for rotating the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136 around the roll axis. Some examples of the craft 100 include one or more actuators for changing a camber or shape of the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136. Some examples of the craft 100 include one or more actuators for flapping the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136 to help propel the craft 100 forward or backward. Other examples are possible as well.

[0095] Further, some examples of the craft 100 dynamically control an extent to which the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136 are deployed based on an operational mode (e.g., hull-borne, hydrofoil-borne, or wing-borne modes) of the craft 100. For instance, in some examples, during hull-borne mode, the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 is partially deployed or retracted to increase turning authority. The amount of partial deployment or retraction may be a function of the desired overall vehicle draft when operating in a shallow water environment. In some examples, during hydrofoil-borne mode, the main hydrofoil assembly 108 is partially retracted to reduce the distance between the hull of the vehicle and the water’s surface. This increases the amount of lift generated by the main wing 104 by operating the wing closer to the surface of the water, increasing the effects of the aerodynamic ground effect.

[0096] As noted above, some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and rear hydrofoil assembly 110 interface with a deployment system that facilitates retracting the respective hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 into or toward the hull 102 for hull-borne or wing-borne operation and for extending the respective hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 below the hull 102 for hydrofoil-borne operation. As described further below, in some embodiments, the deployment system is used in connection with extending, retracting, and / or otherwise controlling the positioning of the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 during takeoff when the craft is transitioning from hydrofoil-borne operation to wing-borne operation.E. Hydrofoil Deployment Systems

[0097] Figures 2A-B illustrate two examples of main hydrofoil deployment systems 200, 220 that facilitate retracting and extending of the main hydrofoil assembly 108. As shown in FigurePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT 2A, one example of the main hydrofoil deployment system 200 takes the form of a linear actuator that includes one or more brackets 202 that couple the main hydrofoil assembly 108 (by way of the main hydrofoil strut 132) to one or more vertical tracks 204. Some examples of the brackets 202 are configured to move vertically along the tracks 204, such that when the brackets 202 move vertically along the tracks 204, the main hydrofoil assembly 108 likewise moves vertically. Some examples of the brackets 202 are coupled to a leadscrew 206 that, when rotated, causes vertical movement of the brackets 202. Some examples of the leadscrew 206 are rotatable by any of various sources of torque, such as an electric motor coupled to the leadscrew 206 by a gear assembly.

[0098] Some examples of the main hydrofoil deployment system 200 further include one or more sensors (not shown) configured to detect a vertical position of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 (including the main foil 130 and main control surfaces 134). For example, a first sensor senses when the main hydrofoil assembly 108 has reached a fully retracted position and a second sensor senses when the main hydrofoil assembly 108 has reached a fully extended position. However, the main hydrofoil deployment system 200 may include additional sensors for detecting additional discrete positions or continuous positions of the main hydrofoil assembly 108. Some examples of the sensors are included as part of, or otherwise configured to communicate with, the control system of the craft 100 to provide the control system with data that indicates the position of the main hydrofoil assembly 108. Some examples of the control system use this data to determine whether to operate the electric motor to retract or extend the main hydrofoil assembly 108.

[0099] In some examples, such as examples where the linear actuator is not a self-locking linear actuator, the main hydrofoil deployment system 200 includes a locking or braking mechanism for holding the main hydrofoil strut 132 in a fixed position (e.g., in a fully retracted or fully extended position). An example of the locking mechanism corresponded to a dual-action mechanical brake that is coupled to the electric motor, the leadscrew 206, or the gear assembly.

[0100] Figure 2B shows a perspective view of another example hydrofoil deployment system 220 having a strut 221 with interlock 223, and a casing 222 with catches 224, 225 for holding the main hydrofoil strut 221 in a fixed position. In other crafts, the catches 224, 225 can be located in a different structure, such as for example, a dual-channel configuration. Both configurations are discussed in PCT / US24 / 48937, entitled “Hydrofoil Retraction System” and filed on September 4, 2024, which claims priority to US provisional application 63 / 547,191, entitled “Hydrofoil Retraction System” and filed on November 3, 2023, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The first catch 224 is located toward the top of the casing 222 and is in a position to lock the strut 221 in place when the hydrofoil deployment system 220 is in a fully-retracted1PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT position. The second catch 225 is located toward the bottom of the casing 222 and is in a position to lock the strut 221 in place when the hydrofoil deployment system 220 is in a fully-deployed position. While two catches 224, 225 are shown in this example, one or more additional catches can be used to lock the strut 221 in place when the hydrofoil deployment system 220 is in one or more positions between the fully-deployed and fully-retracted positions. In other embodiments, only a single catch is used. In still other embodiments, a relatively large number of catches may be used, such as 10 or more catches. Also, the catch can be the sole locking mechanism for the hydrofoil deployment system 220 or can be used in conjunction with other locking mechanisms. Further, the interlock 223 can be responsible for rigidly / securely holding the hydrofoil deployment system 220 in place (at various places) throughout the deployment of the hydrofoil deployment system 220 by selectively engaging with the catches 224, 225.

[0101] Fig. 2C shows another example hydrofoil assembly 240 with a strut 241 and a foil 246 with control surfaces 247. In this example, the position of the foil 246 is backward relative to the strut 241 so that the lift vector 249 is off-center with respect to the vertical axis 250 of the strut 241. As a result, the control surfaces 247 are behind the vertical axis 250. This arrangement works to more-strongly push the strut 241 against one side of the casing (not shown), placing the strut 241 on the “negative side” of any forward / backward movement inside the casing, regardless of the craft speed while foiling. As a result of the off-center foil position, the strut 241 is pushed adjacent the rear of the casing (i.e., opposite the forward direction of movement 251).

[0102] While the above description provides various details of an example main hydrofoil deployment systems 200, 220, and example hydrofoil assemblies 108, 240, it should be understood that the main hydrofoil deployment system 200, 220 and hydrofoil assemblies 108, 240 illustrated in Figures 2A-C are for illustrative purposes and are not meant to be limiting. For instance, the main hydrofoil deployment systems 200, 220 may include any of various linear actuators now known or later developed that are capable of retracting and extending the main hydrofoil assembly 108. Similarly, the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 240 may be positioned forward, backward, or center to the strut 132, 241.

[0103] Figure 3 illustrates an example of a rear hydrofoil deployment system 300 that facilitates retracting and extending the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. As shown, some examples of the rear hydrofoil deployment system 300 include an actuator 305 to the rear hydrofoil strut 138. When actuated, the actuator 305 causes the rear hydrofoil strut 138 to raise or lower by causing the rear hydrofoil strut 138 to slide vertically along a shaft 307. While not illustrated in Figure 3, in some examples, the rudder 128 is mounted to the shaft 307 such that, when the actuator 305 raises the rear hydrofoil strut 138, the rear hydrofoil strut 138 retracts at least partially into thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT rudder 128. Additionally, some examples of the rear hydrofoil deployment system 300 include one or more servo motors configured to rotate the rear hydrofoil strut 138 around the shaft. In this respect, in some examples, the rear hydrofoil strut 138 is rotated around the shaft to act as a hydrorudder when submerged in water or to act as an aero-rudder when out of the water. Further, because the rudder 128 is mounted to the same shaft 307 as the rear hydrofoil strut 138 and the rear hydrofoil strut 138 can be retracted into the rudder 128, the same servo motor can also be used to control the rotation of the rudder 128.

[0104] The actuator 305 of the rear hydrofoil deployment system 300 may take various forms and may, for instance, include any of various linear actuators now known or later developed that are capable of retracting and extending the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. Further, in some examples, the actuator 305 has a non-unitary actuation ratio such that a given movement of the actuator 305 causes a larger corresponding induced movement of the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. This can help allow for faster retractions of the rear hydrofoil assembly 110, which may be beneficial during takeoff.

[0105] Some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are configured such that, when fully retracted, the hydrofoil assembly is flush, conformal, or tangent to the hull 102. For instance, some examples of the hull 102 include one or more recesses configured to receive the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. In this regard, some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 have a shape such that when the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are fully retracted into the recesses of the hull 102, the outer contour of the hull 102 forms a substantially smooth transition at the intersection of the hull 102 and the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110.

[0106] Other examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil protrude slightly below the hull 102 when retracted. These examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are configured to have a non-negligible effect on the aerodynamics of the craft 100. Some examples of the craft 100 are configured to leverage these effects to provide additional control of the craft 100. For instance, in some examples, when the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are retracted but still exposed, the exposed hydrofoil is manipulated in flight to impart forces and moments on the craft 100 similar to an aero-control surface.

[0107] Some examples of the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 disclosed herein are mounted on a pivot that is locked underwater but is unlocked to allow the hydrofoil to move around the pivot in the air. At that point, the control surfaces act like trim tabs and are able to effect movement ofPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT the entire unlocked, pivoting hydrofoil, which would otherwise require impractically large and heavy servo motors. This configuration facilitates unlocking and moving of the hydrofoil using a slow servo and / or a combination of control surface movement combined with forward movement through water, and then re-locked such that the hydrofoil is at a selected angle of incidence.

[0108] As noted above, some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 are configured to be retractable. Some examples of the hull 102 include openings through which the strut 132 of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 are retracted and extended. Some examples of the hull 102 are configured to isolate water that enters through these openings (e.g., when the hull 102 contacts the water surface) and to allow for the water to drain from the hull 102 after the hull 102 is lifted out of the water. For instance, some examples of the hull 102 include pockets 142 on each side of the hull 102 aligned above the strut 132. Some examples of the pockets 142 are isolated from the remainder of the interior of the hull 102 so that water that accumulates in the pockets 142 does not reach any undesired areas (e.g., the cockpit, passenger seating area, areas that house the battery system 400, components of the control system of the craft 100, etc.). Further, some examples of the pockets 142 include venting holes or other openings located at or near the bottom of the pockets 142. The venting openings are configured to allow water that enters the pockets 142 to vent out of the pockets 142 when the hull 102 is lifted out of the water.

[0109] Some examples of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 include one or more propellers for additional propulsion when submerged underwater. For instance, in some examples, one or more propellers are mounted to the main hydrofoil 130 and / or the rear hydrofoil 136. In some examples, the propellers are configured to provide additional propulsion force to the craft 100 during hydrofoil-borne or hull-borne operation.

[0110] In some examples, propellers are mounted to the hull 102. The propellers are submerged during hull-borne operation. In some examples, the propellers are configured to provide additional propulsion force to the craft 100 during hull-borne operation.[OHl] Some examples of the main and / or rear hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 include various failsafe mechanisms in case of malfunction. For instance, in some examples, when one or both of the main and rear hydrofoil deployment systems 200, 300 cannot be retracted due to a malfunction, the craft 100 is configured to jettison the malfunctioning assembly. In this regard, some examples of the main and / or rear hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 are coupled to the hull 102 by a releasable latch. Some examples of the control system of the craft 100 are configured to identify a retraction malfunction (e.g., based on data received from the positional sensors 210) and responsively open the latch to release the connection between the hull 102 and the malfunctioning hydrofoil assembly. In some examples, the weight of the malfunctioning hydrofoil assembly is sufficient toPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT jettison the malfunctioning hydrofoil assembly out of the hull 102 when the latch is opened. Some examples of the craft 100 include an actuator or some other mechanism to jettison the malfunctioning hydrofoil assembly out of the hull 102. In some examples, the main and / or rear hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 are configured to break in a controlled manner upon impact with water. For instance, in some examples, a joint between the main hydrofoil strut 132 and the hull 102 and / or a joint between the rear hydrofoil strut 138 and the hull 102 is configured to disconnect when subjected to a torque significantly larger than standard operational torques at the joints. Other designs for providing controlled breaks are possible as well.F. Battery system

[0112] Figure 4 illustrates an example of an onboard battery system. In some examples, the battery system 400 is arranged in a protected area 402 of the hull 102 below a passenger seating area 404. Some examples of the battery system 400 are separated from the passenger seating area 404 by a firewall 406 to protect the passengers from harm if a thermal runaway occurs. In this regard, some examples of the craft 100 include a battery management system comprising voltage, current, and / or thermal sensors for detecting thermal runaway or some other fire detection system for detecting a fire in the protected area 402.

[0113] Some examples of the craft 100 include one or more mechanisms for flooding the battery system 400 (e.g., with an inert gas fire, with water, etc.) upon detecting a thermal runaway or a fire in the protected area 402. For instance, some examples of the hull 102 comprise one or more valves or other controllable openings. The control system of the craft 100 is configured to open the valves and / or controllable openings upon detecting a fire in the protected area 402 or thermal runaway in the battery system 400 to allow water to enter the protected area 402 and to extinguish or prevent a fire in the protected area 402.

[0114] In some examples, the battery system 400 is configured to be jettisoned through one or more of the controllable openings in the hull 102 described above. In this regard, in some examples, the weight of the battery system 400 is sufficient to jettison the battery system 400 out of the hull 102 when the hull 102 is opened. In some examples, the craft 100 comprises an actuator or the like configured to jettison the battery system 400 out of the hull 102.

[0115] In other examples, the craft 100 may take measures to become waterborne in response to detecting a fire in the protected area 402 or thermal runaway in the battery system 400. Some examples of the control system of the craft 100 determine a fire suppression operation to perform based on the operational state of the craft 100 (e.g., operating in hull-borne, hydrofoil-borne, or wing-borne mode). For instance, when operating in hull-borne mode and upon detecting a thermal runaway or a fire in the protected area 402, some examples of the control system are configuredPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT to flood the battery system 400 as described above. When operating in hydrofoil-borne or a wing-borne mode, the control system is configured to cause the craft 100 to transition to hull-borne mode upon detecting a thermal runaway or a fire in the protected area 402 and then flood the battery system 400. Battery system 400 is described in further detail below.G. Control System

[0116] Figure 5 illustrates an example of a control system 500 of the craft 100. As shown, some examples of control system 500 include one or more processors 502, data storage 504, a communication interface 506, a propulsion system 508, actuators 510, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) 512, an inertial navigation system (INS) 514, a radar system 516, a lidar system 518, an imaging system 520, various sensors 522, a flight instrument system 524, and flight controls 526. In some examples, some or all of these components communicate with one another via one or more communication links 528 (e.g., a system bus, a public, private, or hybrid cloud communication network, etc.)

[0117] Some examples of processors 502 correspond to or comprise general-purpose processors (e.g., a single- or multi-core microprocessor), special-purpose processors (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit or digital-signal processor), programmable logic devices (e.g., a field-programmable gate array), controllers (e.g., microcontrollers), and / or any other processor components now known or later developed. Further, while the one or more processors 502 are illustrated as a separate stand-alone component of the control system 500, it should also be understood that the one or more processors 502 could comprise processing components that are distributed across one or more of the other components of the control system 500.

[0118] Some examples of the data storage 504 comprise one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums that are collectively configured to store (i) program instructions executable by the one or more processors 502 such that the control system 500 is configured to perform some or all of the functions disclosed herein, and (ii) data that may be received, derived, or otherwise stored, for example, in one or more databases, file systems, or the like, by the control system 500 in connection with the functions disclosed herein. In this respect, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of data storage 504 may take various forms, examples of which may include volatile storage mediums such as random-access memory, registers, cache, etc. and non-volatile storage mediums such as read-only memory, a hard-disk drive, a solid-state drive, flash memory, an optical -storage device, etc. Further, while the data storage 504 is illustrated as a separate stand-alone component of the control system 500, it should also be understood that the data storage 504 may comprise computer-readable storage mediums that are distributed across one or more of the other components of the control system 500.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0119] Some examples of the communication interface 506 include one or more wireless interfaces and / or one or more wireline interfaces, which allow the control system 500 to communicate via one or more networks. Some example wireless interfaces provide for communication under one or more wireless communication protocols, such as Bluetooth, WiFi (e.g., an IEEE 802.11 protocol), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX (e.g., an IEEE 802.16 standard), a radio-frequency ID (RFID) protocol, near-field communication (NFC), and / or other wireless communication protocols. Some example wireline interfaces include an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, CAN Bus, RS-485, or similar interface to communicate via a wire, a twisted pair of wires, a coaxial cable, an optical link, a fiber-optic link, or other physical connection to a wireline network.

[0120] Some examples of the propulsion system 508 include one or more electronic speed controllers (ESCs) for controlling the electric motor propeller assemblies 116 distributed across the main wing 104 and, in some examples, across the horizontal stabilizer 124. Some examples of the propulsion system 508 include a separate ESC for each respective propeller assembly 116, such that the control system 500 individually controls the rotational speeds of the electric motor propeller assemblies 116.

[0121] Some examples of the actuators 510 include any of the actuators described herein, including (i) actuators for raising and lowering the flaps 118, ailerons 120, elevators 126, main hydrofoil control surfaces 134, and rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140, (ii) actuators for turning the rudder 128, the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 positioned on the main hydrofoil strut 132, and the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 positioned on the rear hydrofoil strut 138, (iii) actuators for retracting and extending the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110, and / or (iv) actuators for performing the various other disclosed actuations of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. Each of the actuators described herein may include any actuators now known or later developed capable of performing the disclosed actuation. Some examples of the actuators correspond to linear actuators, rotary actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, electric actuators, electro-hydraulic actuators, and mechanical actuators. Some examples of the actuators correspond to electric motors, stepper motors, and hydraulic cylinders. Other examples are contemplated herein as well.

[0122] Some examples of the GNSS system 512 are configured to provide a measurement of the location, speed, altitude, and heading of the craft 100. The GNSS system 512 includes one or more radio antennas paired with signal processing equipment. Data from the GNSS system 512 may allow the control system 500 to estimate the position and speed of the craft 100 in a global reference frame, which can be used for route planning, operational envelope protection, andPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT vehicle traffic deconfliction by both understanding where the craft 100 is located and comparing the location with known traffic.

[0123] Some examples of the INS 514 include motion sensors, such as angular and / or linear accelerometers, and rotational sensors, such as gyroscopes, to calculate the position, orientation, and speed of the craft 100 using dead reckoning techniques. In some examples, one or more of these components are used by the control system to calculate actuator outputs to stabilize or otherwise control the vehicle during all modes of operation.

[0124] Some examples of the radar system 516 include a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter may transmit radio waves via a transmitting antenna. The radio waves reflect off an object and return to the receiver. The receiver receives the reflected radio waves via a receiving antenna, which may be the same antenna as the transmitting antenna, and the radar system 516 processes the received radio waves to determine information about the object’s location and speed relative to the craft 100. This radar system 516 may be utilized to detect, for example, the water surface, maritime or wing-borne vehicle traffic, wildlife, or weather.

[0125] Some examples of the lidar system 518 comprise a light source and an optical receiver. The light source emits a laser that reflects off an object and returns to the optical receiver. The lidar system 518 measures the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver to determine the distance between the craft 100 and the object. This lidar system 518 may be utilized by the flight control system to measure the distance from the craft 100 to the surface of the water in various spatial measurements.

[0126] Some examples of the imaging system 520 include one or more still and / or video cameras configured to capture image data from the environment of the craft 100. Some examples of the cameras correspond to or comprise charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) cameras, short-wave infrared (SWIR) cameras, mid-wave infrared (MWIR) cameras, or long-wave infrared (LWIR) cameras. Some examples of the imaging system 520 are configured to perform obstacle avoidance, localization techniques, water surface tracking for more accurate navigation (e.g., by applying optical flow techniques to images), video feedback, and / or image recognition and processing among other possibilities.

[0127] As noted above, some examples of the control system 500 include various other sensors 522 for use in controlling the craft 100. Examples of such sensors 522 correspond to or comprise thermal sensors or other fire detection sensors for detecting a fire in the hull 102 or for detecting thermal runaway in the battery system 400. As further described above, the sensors 522 may include position sensors for sensing the position of the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 (e.g., sensing whether the assemblies are in a retracted or extendedPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT position). Examples of position sensors may include photodiode sensors, capacitive displacement sensors, eddy-current sensors, Hall effect sensors, inductive sensors, or any other position sensors now known or later developed.

[0128] Some examples of the sensors 522 facilitate determining the altitude of the craft 100. For instance, some examples of the sensor 522 include an ultrasonic altimeter configured to emit and receive ultrasonic waves. The emitted ultrasonic waves reflect off the water surface below the craft 100 and return to the altimeter. The ultrasonic altimeter measures the time for the reflected ultrasonic wave to return to the altimeter to determine the distance between the craft 100 and the water surface. Some examples of the sensor 522 include a barometer for use as a pressure altimeter. The barometer measures the atmospheric pressure in the environment of the craft 100 and determines the altitude of the craft 100 based on the measured pressure. Some examples of the sensor 522 include a radar altimeter to emit and receive radio waves. The radar altimeter measures the time for the radio wave to reflect off of the surface of the water below the craft 100 to determine a distance between the craft 100 and the water surface. In some examples, these sensors are placed in different locations on the craft 100 to reduce the impact of sensor constraints, such as sensor deadband or sensitivity to splashing water.

[0129] Some examples of the control system 500 are configured to use one or more of the sensors 522 or other components of the control system 500 to help navigate the craft 100 through maritime traffic or to avoid any other type of obstacle. For example, some examples of the control system 500 determine the position, orientation, and speed of the craft 100 based on data from the INS 514 and / or the GNSS 512, and the control system 500 may determine the location of an obstacle, such as a maritime vessel, a dock, or various other obstacles, based on data from the radar system 516, the lidar system 518, and / or the imaging system 520. Some examples of the control system 500 determine the location of an obstacle using the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Some examples of the control system 500 are configured to maneuver the craft 100 to avoid collision with an obstacle based on the determined position, orientation, and speed of the craft 100 and the determined location of the obstacle by actuating various control surfaces of the craft 100 in any of the manners described herein.

[0130] Some examples of the flight instrument system 524 include instruments for providing data about the altitude, speed, heading, orientation (e.g., yaw, pitch, and roll), battery levels, or any other information provided by the various other components of the control system 500.

[0131] Some examples of the flight controls 526 include one or more joysticks, thrust control levers, buttons, switches, dials, levers, or touch screen displays, etc. In operation, a pilot may use the flight controls 526 to operate one or more control surfaces (e.g., flaps, ailerons, elevators,PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT rudder, propulsion propellers, etc.) of the craft 100 to thereby maneuver the craft 100 (e.g., control the direction, speed, altitude, etc., of the craft 100)

[0132] In some examples, the combinations of control surfaces on the craft 100 used by the control system 500 to control operations of the craft 100 depends on the mode of operation of the craft 100 and is determined based at least in part on aspects such as vehicle position, speed, attitude, acceleration, rotational rates, and / or altitude above water. Table 1 summarizes an example of the relationship between the control surfaces and the operation mode.Table 1

[0133] In some examples, the propulsion control surfaces in the table include the propeller assembly 116, as well as any propellers mounted to the hull 102, main hydrofoil assembly 108, or rear hydrofoil assembly 110. In some examples, the aerodynamic elevator control surfaces include elevator 126, the aerodynamic ailerons include ailerons 120, the aerodynamic rudder includes rudder 128 (when not submerged), the aerodynamic flaps include flaps 118, the hydrodynamic elevator includes rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140, the hydrodynamic flaps include main hydrofoil control surfaces 134, and the hydrodynamic rudder includes rudder 128 (when submerged).

[0134] In some examples, when actuating the control surfaces in the various examples, operational modes identified in Table 1 above, the control system 500 executes different levels of stabilization along the various vehicle axes during different modes of operation. Table 2-1 and Table 2-2 below identify alternative examples of stabilization controls that the control system 500PATENT Attorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT applies during the various modes of operation for each axis of the craft 100. Closed-loop control may comprise feedback and / or feed-forward control.Table 2-1Table 2-2

[0135] Further, in some examples, the control system 500 is configured to actuate different control surfaces to control the movement of the craft 100 about its different axes. Table 3 below identifies example axial motions that are affected by the various control surfaces of the craft 100.PATENT Atorney Docket No, REGENT 24-0701PCTIII. Example Modes of OperationA. Hull-Borne Operation

[0136] Figure 6A illustrates an example of the craft 100 when the craft 100 is operating in a hull-borne mode. During this mode, the craft 100 is docked and floating on the hull 102, with the buoyancy of the outriggers 114 providing for roll stabilization of the craft 100. While docked, the battery system 400 of the craft 100 may be charged. In some examples, rapid charging is aided by an open or closed-loop water-based cooling system. In some examples, the surrounding body of water is used in the loop or as a heat sink. In some examples, the craft 100 includes a heat sink integrated into the hull 102 for exchanging heat from the battery system 400 to the surrounding body of water. In other examples, the heat sink is located offboard in order to reduce the mass of the craft 100.

[0137] Additionally, in some examples, the propeller assemblies 116 are folded in a direction away from the dock while the craft 100 is docked to help avoid collision with nearby structures or people. This folding may be actuated in various ways, such as by metal spring force, hydraulic pressure, electromechanical actuation, or centrifugal force due to propeller rotation. Other examples are possible as well. Further, in some examples, the main hydrofoil assembly 108 andPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 are retracted (or partially retracted) to avoid collisions with nearby underwater structures.

[0138] In some examples, when the craft 100 is ready to depart, the craft 100 uses its propulsion systems, including the propeller assemblies 116 and / or the underwater propulsion system (e.g., one or more outrigger propulsion systems, one or more propeller pods mounted to the hull 102, the main hydrofoil assembly 108, and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110), to maneuver away from the dock while remaining hull-borne. In some examples, the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 remain retracted (or partially retracted) during this maneuvering to reduce the risk of hitting underwater obstacles near docks or in shallow waterways. However, when there is a limited risk of hitting underwater obstacles, the craft 100 may partially or fully extend the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. With the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and / or the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 extended, the craft 100 actuates the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 and / or the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 to improve maneuverability as described above.

[0139] In some examples, at low speeds during hull-borne operation, the control system 500 controls the position and / or rotation of the craft 100 by causing all of the propeller assemblies 116 to spin at the same idle speed, but with a first subset spinning in a forward direction and a second subset spinning in a reverse direction. For instance, in some examples, the control system 500 causes propeller assemblies 116a, 116c, 116e, 116h, 116j, and 1161 to idle in reverse and propeller assemblies 116b, 116d, 116f, 116g, 116i, and 116k to idle forward. In this arrangement, the control system 500 causes the craft 100 to make various maneuvers without having to change the direction of rotation of any of the propeller assemblies 116. For instance, to induce a yaw on the craft 100, in some examples, the control system 500 increases the speed of the reverse propeller assemblies on one side of the main wing 104 while increasing the speed of the forward propeller assemblies on the other side of the main wing 104 and without causing any of the propeller assemblies to transition from forward to reverse or from reverse to forward. For example, idling the propellers at a nominal RPM may allow for a faster response in generating a yaw moment on the craft 100 because the propellers required for generating the yaw moment do not have to increase from zero RPM to the desired RPM value. They can spin from the idle RPM to the desired RPM value.B. Foil-borne Maneuvering Operation

[0140] Figure 6B illustrates an example of the craft 100 when the craft 100 is operating in hydrofoil-borne maneuvering mode. During this mode, the craft 100 is configured to, for example, move through harbors and crowded waterways at speeds generally between 20-45 mph. In this regard, the craft 100 may extend the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assemblyPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT 110 (if not already extended) and accelerate using the previously described propulsion system towards a desired takeoff speed. During acceleration, the craft 100 reaches a speed at which the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 alone support the weight of the craft 100, and the hull 102 is lifted above the surface of the water (e.g., by 3-5 ft) so that the hull is clear of any surface waves. After the hull 102 leaves the surface of the water, the drag forces exerted on the craft 100 drop significantly, and the amount of thrust required to maintain acceleration can be reduced. Therefore, in some examples, after the hull 102 has left the water, the control system 500 reduces the speed of the propeller assemblies 116 to lower the thrust of the craft 100.

[0141] Some examples of the control system 500 sustain this operational mode by actively controlling the pitch and speed of the craft 100 so that the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110 continue to entirely support the weight of the craft 100. In this regard, some examples of the control system 500 actuate the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 and / or the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 and / or the propulsion system to stabilize the attitude of the craft 100 to maintain the desired height above the surface of the water, vehicle heading, and vehicle forward speed. In this regard, some examples of the control system 500 are configured to detect various changes in the yaw, pitch, or roll of the craft 100 based on data provided by the INS 514 and to make calculated actuations of the main hydrofoil control surfaces 134 and / or the rear hydrofoil control surfaces 140 to counteract the detected changes.C. Foil-borne Takeoff Operation

[0142] Figure 7A illustrates an example of the craft 100 when the craft 100 is operating in hydrofoil-borne takeoff mode. During this mode, the craft 100 is configured to, for example, move through open waters and obtain speeds generally between 40-50 mph to facilitate generating the lift required to become wing-borne.

[0143] Referring to Figure 7A, aero lift, LW, generally represents the lift generated by the main wing 104 of the craft 100 but can also include the lift generated by other surfaces such as the tail wing, hull, or propulsive devices such as propellers, rotors, jets, etc. LF generally corresponds to the lift generated by one or more hydrofoils 130, 136 of the craft 100, where LFF corresponds to the lift generated by the front foil and the LFR corresponds to the lift generated by the rear foil. WCRAFT corresponds to the force of gravity exerted on the craft 100 and is also referred to as the weight of the craft. During steady state operation, WCRAFT generally corresponds to LW+LFR+LFF which also corresponds to LNET. Throughout the description, the term LF is generally understood to correspond to LFR+LFF.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0144] Some experimental craft developed by Applicant that include aero foils were unable to achieve the lift required to sustain flight. In these experimental craft, in an attempt to become airborne, the craft 100 would ramp up to a speed at which point the hydrofoil would breach the surface of the water, as WCRAFT < Lw + LF, and LF > 0, resulting in Lw < WCRAFT. However, in order to takeoff from the water’ s surface, the aero lift must be greater than or equal to the weight of the craft, however prior to takeoff, the hydrofoils are still under the water’s surface, and up until takeoff, have been generating lift (LF>0) as the aerodynamic lift has been insufficient for takeoff up until this point. If the hydro lift and the aero lift sum to greater than the weight of the craft, the vehicle will accelerate upwards and potentially create a premature takeoff condition (prior to condition CO in Figure 7B) as the aero lift, LW, generated by the wings, etc., of the craft 100 would be insufficient to sustain flight, and, as a result, the craft 100 would come back down and breach the water, ultimately preventing takeoff. The techniques disclosed below ameliorate these problems by controlling the hydrofoil lift vector, LF, specifically by generating downward forces of one or more hydrofoils 130, 136 of the craft 100 to keep the hydrofoils 130, 136 submerged until after the upwards aero lift, LW, is sufficient to allow the craft 100 to sustain flight.

[0145] In some examples, the lift LF is in the downward direction, and is introduced via the hydrofoil(s) as LW increases beyond WCRAFT while the craft 100 is increasing in speed in anticipation of takeoff. This allows the craft 100 to generate a greater overall aero lift, LW, prior to actual takeoff than would otherwise be possible. Then, at the appropriate time (e.g., when LW reaches some predetermined threshold such as the weight of the craft 100 or some margin thereof), the negative lift, LF, can be “released” from the craft 100, and the craft 100 can, as a result, proceed to become wing-borne.

[0146] Figure 7B is an example of a graph 700 that relates these aspects. The relationships shown in the graph 700 and the ways in which various lift forces, thresholds, etc., are depicted are merely examples and are provided to aid understanding of the various operations and procedures described herein. As shown, the net lift, LNET, on the craft 100 initially corresponds to the combination of the aero lift, LW, generated by the wing (e.g., main wing, tail wing, etc.) and the lift, LF, generated by the hydrofoils 130, 136 (e.g., LNET=LW + LF). On the left side of the graph 700, the speed of the craft 100 is such that LNET is sufficient to allow the craft 100 to operate in hydrofoil-borne maneuvering mode but is insufficient to allow the craft 100 to become wing-borne. Moving to the right of the graph 700 as speed increases, LW increases with increased craft 100 water speed. To maintain ride height and prevent the hydrofoils 130, 136 from breaching the water surface, LF is reduced in proportion to an increase in LW. For example, LF is adjusted with the speed of the craft 100 to maintain LNET at a margin equal to the weight, WCRAFT, of thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT craft 100, or small deviations about equal to control ride height. The overall lift provided by the hydrofoils 130, 136 may decrease at the same rate at which lift from the wing is increased towards zero or even become negative with increased speed. For example, just before the speed of the craft 100 reaches the speed associated with condition CO, LF may be reduced to zero. The conditions at CO (e.g., speed of the craft 100, angle of attack of craft 100, deflection angles of control surfaces, angle of incidence of hydrofoils, etc.) may be such that LF may be zero or close to zero. At CO, the aero lift, LW, generated by the main wing 104 may be expected to be able to transition the craft 100 to a wing-borne mode of operation if the downwards hydrofoil lift, LF, were to be removed as LW = WCRAFT. Accordingly, at some time and / or increased speed after this point (e.g., speed associated with condition Cl ) where LW > WCRAFT, LF may be gradually or abruptly removed / released. This, in turn, allows LNET to approximately equal to or greater than WCRAFT which allows the craft 100 to take off and become wing-borne.

[0147] While not shown in the graph, in some examples, LF is not removed / released as described. Rather, as the craft 100 continues to accelerate, the downwards hydrofoil lift, LF, increases to a maximum downwards amount (e.g., a predetermined maximum amount and / or a maximum amount achievable due to the limitations of the control capabilities of the hydrofoil). As the aero lift, LW, generated by the main wing 105 continues to increase past this maximum amount of downwards hydrofoil lift, LF, LNET increases in the upwards direction beyond WCRAFT and the craft 100 is pulled from the water. This, in turn transitions the craft 100 to a wing-borne mode of operation.D. Wing-Borne Operation

[0148] Figure 8 illustrates an example of the craft 100 after becoming wing borne. In some examples, once the transition from hydrofoil-borne operation to wing-borne operation is complete, the control system 500 causes the main hydrofoil deployment system 200 and the rear hydrofoil deployment system 300 to respectively retract the main hydrofoil assembly 108 and the rear hydrofoil assembly 110. In some examples, the control system 500 initiates this retraction as soon as the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 are clear of the water to reduce the chance of the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 reentering the water. The control system 500 may determine that the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 are clear of the water in various ways. For instance, in an example, the control system 500 makes such a determination based on a measured altitude of the craft 100 (e.g., based on data provided by the radar system 516, the lidar system 518, and / or the other sensors 522 described above for measuring an altitude of the craft 100). In another example, the sensors 522 may further include one or more conductivity sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, strain gauge sensors, or load cell sensors arranged on the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110, and thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT control system 500 may determine that the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 are clear of the waterbased on data from these sensors.

[0149] Once the craft 100 is clear of the water, the control system 500 continues to accelerate the craft 100 to the desired cruise speed by controlling the speed of the propeller assemblies 116. In some examples, the control system 500 retracts the flap systems when the craft 100 has achieved sufficient airspeed to generate enough lift to sustain altitude without them and actuates various control surfaces of the craft 100 and / or applies differential thrust to the propeller assemblies 116 to perform any desired maneuvers, such as turning, climbing, or descending, and to provide efficient lift distribution. While in wing-borne mode, the craft 100 can fly both low over the water’s surface in ground-effect or above ground-effect depending on operational conditions and considerations.E. Return to Hull-Borne Operation

[0150] To facilitate transitioning from wing-borne to hull-borne mode of operation (See Figure 6A), the control system 500 determines that the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 are fully or partially retracted so that the craft 100 may safely land on its hull 102. In some examples, the control system 500 additionally determines and suggests the desired landing direction and / or location-based on observed, estimated, or expected water surface conditions (e.g., based on data from the radar system 516, the lidar system 518, the imaging system 520, or other sensors 522).

[0151] The control system 500 initiates deceleration of the craft 100, for instance, by reducing the speeds of the propeller assemblies 116 until the craft 100 reaches a desired landing airspeed. During the deceleration, the control system 500 may deploy the flaps 118 to increase lift at low airspeeds and / or to reduce the stall speed. Once the craft 100 reaches the desired landing airspeed (e.g., approximately 50 knots), the control system 500 reduces the descent rate (e.g., to be less than approximately 200 ft / min). As the craft 100 approaches the surface of the water (e.g., once the control system 500 determines that the craft 100 is within 5 feet of the water surface), the control system 500 further slows the descent rate to cushion the landing (e.g., to be less than approximately 50 ft / min). As the hull 102 of the craft 100 impacts the surface of the water, the control system 500 reduces thrust, and the craft 100 rapidly decelerates due to the presence of hydrodynamic drag, the reduction in forward thrust, and the reduction or elimination of blowing air over the wing which significantly reduces lift causing the vehicle to settle into the water. The hull 102 settles into the water as the speed is further reduced until the craft 100 is stationary.

[0152] In some examples, after the craft 100 is settled in the water, the craft 100 is transitioned back to hydrofoil-borne maneuvering mode (See Figure 6B) by extending the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 to transition from hull-borne operation to hydrofoil-borne operation in the same mannerPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT as described above. In some examples, the control system 500 then sustains the hydrofoil-borne mode at the fifth stage and maneuvers the craft 100 into port while keeping the hull 102 insulated from surface waves. The control system 500 then reduces the thrust generated by the propeller assemblies 116 to lower the speed of the craft 100 until the hull 102 settles into the water, thereby transitioning that craft back to hull-borne operation at the sixth stage. The control system 500 then retracts the hydrofoil assemblies 108, 110 and performs the hull-borne operations described above to maneuver the craft 100 into a dock for disembarking passengers or goods and recharging the battery system 400.IV. Example Systems and Methods for Area Avoidance for a Craft

[0153] As discussed above, the present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for area avoidance for a craft, such as a multimodal craft. Examples of systems and methods for area avoidance for the craft are further described with reference to Figures 9-17.

[0154] Various area-avoidance technologies exist for conventional craft such as aircraft and boats, but these existing area-avoidance technologies are not well-suited for a multimodal craft such as craft 100 that is configured to take off from, fly close to the surface of the water, and land on the water. In this regard, various challenges exist for a craft such as craft 100 that is configured to take off from, fly close to the surface of the water, and land on water that are not adequately addressed by existing area-avoidance technologies. As one example, monitoring objects and environment for potential risks and / or collisions is inherently more challenging when operating close to the surface of the water and / or in water than when operating over land or a significant distance above the water. As another example, moving water also presents challenges for a craft that is configured to take off from, fly close to the surface of the water, and land on water. For instance, there are inherent challenges arising from the continuously changing profile of waves. There are also inherent challenges arising from the potential for occlusion due to waves (e.g., an object that is obscured behind waves).

[0155] As yet another example, operating close to the surface and / or in the water may present challenges related to bathymetry (i.e., underwater terrain). While land topology (e.g., geography) is generally well known, bathymetry (i.e., underwater terrain, which may present various challenges and / or obstructions underwater) are generally less well known. In practice, multimodal craft such as craft 100 generally avoid land during operation and instead operate in the water and / or close to the surface of the water, and bathymetry concerns are difficult to identify and present challenges for operation of the multimodal craft.

[0156] As still yet another example, operating close to the surface and / or in the water may present challenges related to restricted areas that may be associated with water. In this regard,PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT when operating in the water and / or close to the surface of the water, crafts may need to avoid other various water-based and / or air-based restrictions (e.g., environmental restrictions or military restrictions). Existing area-avoidance technologies fail to adequately address these various challenges that are presented for a craft such as craft 100 that is configured to take off from, fly close to the surface of the water, and land on water.

[0157] Further, various challenges exist for a multimodal craft that is configured to operate in a hull-borne mode, a hydrofoil-borne mode, and a wing-borne mode throughout a mission. In this regard, while monitoring objects and environments may be difficult when done from the perspective of a moving craft, monitoring objects and environments becomes even more difficult when the moving craft operates in a hull-borne mode, a hydrofoil-borne mode, and a wing-borne mode throughout a mission. In this regard, there are more and different challenges that need to be addressed for area avoidance for a multimodal craft such as craft 100 than compared to the challenges that need to be addressed for area avoidance for conventional craft (e.g., whether aircraft or boats) that are not multimodal such as craft 100. For instance, one challenge that is presented for multimodal craft but not conventional craft is that in some cases, areas may need to be avoided in a given mode of operation but not in a different mode of operation. Depending on mode of operation, the craft may be operating with significantly different speeds and position relative to the water, and some areas and / or objects may be obstacles or issues with respect to a mode or set of modes of operation but not with respect to a different mode of sets of modes of operation. However, existing area-avoidance technologies struggle to account for this dynamic nature of avoidance areas that need to be addressed for area avoidance for a multimodal craft such as craft 100.

[0158] Still further, another challenge that exists for multimodal craft such as craft 100 that is configured to take off from, fly close to the surface of the water, and land on the water is mirages and / or hallucinations that could give rise to collision risk and / or difficulty in operating in an area. Given the multimodal operation both on water and in air of the multimodal craft, as well as the operation near the surface of the water while in flight, there is an increased risk for mirages and / or hallucinations. Mirages are optical illusions that can occur at sea when light rays pass through layers of air with different temperatures. In some examples, such bending of light rays can create inverted and erect images of objects (e.g., ships) that sometimes appear to float above the water. More particularly, when warm air sits above cooler air (which may be more common near water level), light rays may be refracted, creating these distorted images and / or scenes. These mirages are often referred to as “superior” or “Fata Morgana” mirages. Mirages and / or hallucinations may be perceived by the operator of the craft. In an example, mirages may be more common alongPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT coastlines, which may be a typical area of operation for a multimodal craft such as craft 100. Potential mirage and / or hallucination issues may also be exacerbated by potentially challenging environmental conditions and / or combined with potentially challenging operating state (e.g., high speed, low altitude). However, the existing area-avoidance technologies struggle to adequately deal with such mirage and / or hallucination issues.

[0159] Furthermore, there is also a desire for improved human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for multimodal craft such as craft 100, including in particular an HMI that is adapted to implement the area avoidance techniques described herein. In this regard, there is a desire to minimize or reduce the complexity of the HMI for a multimodal craft and provide an HMI that is adaptable to and useful in each different mode of operation of the craft (i.e., a hull-borne mode, a hydrofoil-borne mode, and a wing-borne mode).

[0160] To address these and other limitations, disclosed herein are methods, systems, and software technology for area avoidance for a craft such as a multimodal craft. At a high level, the disclosed technology for facilitating area avoidance for a craft may involve obtaining data regarding the environment in which the craft is operating, utilizing the obtained data to identify areas for the craft to avoid and generate a representation of the environment that includes data defining the avoidance area(s), and determining that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists based on the data defining the avoidance area(s).

[0161] Figure 9 depicts one example of a process 900 that may be carried out in accordance with the disclosed technology in order to facilitate area avoidance for a craft, such as a multimodal craft. For purposes of illustration only, example process 900 is described as being carried out by a computing platform that takes the form of control system 500 of Figure 5, but it should be understood that example process 900 may be carried out by computing platforms that take other forms as well. In general, example process 900 includes functions that may be carried out by any computing platform associated with the craft including, for instance, a computing platform on the craft (such as control system 500), a computing platform that is remote from the craft, or a computing platform that is distributed between locations on the craft and remote from the craft. Further, it should be understood that, in practice, the functions described with reference to Figure 9 may be encoded in the form of program instructions that are executable by one or more processors of the computing platform. Further yet, it should be understood that the disclosed process is merely described in this manner for the sake of clarity and explanation and that the example embodiment may be implemented in various other manners, including the possibility that functions may be added, removed, rearranged into different orders, combined into fewer blocks, and / or separated into additional blocks depending upon the particular embodiment.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0162] The example process 900 may begin at block 902, where the control system 500 obtains geospatial data associated with a region. Further, at block 904, the control system generates, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes one or more avoidance areas for a craft. Still further, at block 906, the control system 500 determines, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists. Yet still further, at block 908, the control system 500, after determining that the conflict risk exists, causes data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby causes an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft. These various functions of example process 900 will now each be described in greater detail below.

[0163] As mentioned above, the example process 900 may begin at block 902, where the control system 500 obtains geospatial data associated with a region. In general, the region may be any spatial region in which a craft such as craft 100 may operate, such as a region that is proximate to a coastline, among other possibilities. In an example, the region is a region within 10 miles or less of a coastline, though other examples are possible as well. Further, in general, the geospatial data may include information that describes objects, events and / or features within the spatial region. Further, the geospatial data may combine location information (e.g., coordinates on the earth) and attribute information (e.g., the characteristics of the object, event or phenomena concerned) with temporal information (e.g., the time or life span at which the location and attributes exist).

[0164] The obtained geospatial data may be utilized by control system 500 to identify various areas that may need to be avoided. Utilizing predetermined geospatial data regarding the environment may provide various advantages. For instance, utilizing predetermined geospatial data regarding the environment may help avoid or mitigate uncertainty due to water challenges. Notably, geospatial data regarding the environment may include information that is difficult and / or not possible to obtain using sensors on the craft, such as information regarding bathymetry (i.e., underwater terrain, which may specify challenges and / or obstructions under water) and / or restricted areas (e.g., restricted areas in the water and / or airspace above the water), among other possibilities. Further, utilizing predetermined geospatial data regarding the environment may help avoid or mitigate uncertainty due to multimodal operation challenges. Still further, as discussed above, mirages can commonly occur and may conventionally be perceived by an operator of the craft. Examples of potential mirages that may occur include mirages that resemble boats, islands, or coastline, among other possibilities, and it may be unclear to an operator whether the mirage presents an issue for the craft. The obtained geospatial data may be utilized to identify avoidance areas and may help the craft and / or an operator of the craft determine whether a potentialPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT obstruction is a real obstruction to be avoided or a mirage that does not present an issue for the craft.

[0165] The control system 500 may obtain the geospatial data from any suitable source. In general, the source may be any suitable system that is configured to collect, obtain, and / or disseminate geospatial data, and the system may comprise one or more nodes within a network of data sources for collecting, obtaining, and / or disseminating the geospatial data. As one possibility, geospatial data may be obtained from third party sources (e.g., commercially available data sources). One example third-party source of geospatial data is a National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data product. NOAA satellites observe the Earth from space, constantly scanning the planet to collect up-to-date data about the atmosphere, land, and oceans. As another possibility, geospatial data may be obtained from private information services. One example of geospatial data from a private information service is geospatial data from a private buoy network. In an example, the organization associated with the craft could work with / coordinate with an otherwise existing buoy network to contribute information regarding areas in which the craft 100 frequently operates. As yet another possibility, geospatial data may be obtained from a network of multimodal crafts that includes a plurality of craft similar to craft 100. In an example, each craft in the network of multimodal crafts may be able to communicate with each other and a centralized command point(s). The crafts may be able to report observations in real time and / or once at port. Further, in some examples, this information may optionally be collected centrally, and then distributed to and / or used by other craft in the network of multimodal craft. Other sources of geospatial data are possible as well.

[0166] Further, the control system 500 may obtain the geospatial data at any suitable time. In general, the geospatial data may be obtained prior to a mission of craft 100 and / or during a mission of craft 100, and may also be obtained at a single point in time or multiple times (e.g., occasionally, periodically, and / or relatively consistently on an ongoing basis, such as weekly, daily, or hourly, among other possibilities). As an example, control system 500 may be configured to obtain the geospatial data prior to beginning a given mission of the craft 100. In such a scenario, the obtained geospatial data may be related to and / or focused on the region in which the given mission is intended to take place. As another example, control system 500 may be configured to obtain geospatial data at various points during a mission of the craft. Within examples, when obtaining geospatial data at various points during the mission, the control system 500 may obtain data regarding an area within the region the craft 100 is close to and / or about to enter. In this regard, the control system 500 may obtain data regarding an area within the region when the craft 100 is within a threshold distance of the area (e.g., a threshold distance within a ranges such as 1000 feetPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT to 5 miles, such as within 1000 feet, 5000 feet, 1 mile, 2 miles, or 5 miles, among other possibilities). In other examples, control system 500 may obtain geospatial data on an ongoing and / or periodic basis irrespective of a mission of the craft, such as weekly, daily, or hourly, among other possibilities. Other examples when the geospatial data may be obtained are possible as well.

[0167] At block 904, control system 500 generates, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft. The representation of the environment that includes the one or more avoidance areas may take various forms. In general, the representation may comprise data that provides indications of both the environment and the one or more avoidance areas. Further, in general, control system 500 may identify the areas to be avoided based on the geospatial data, and an avoidance area may be any area in the region that is to be avoided by the craft. An avoidance area may take any of various forms and, in some examples, an avoidance area may comprise land, airspace, bathymetry (i.e., underwater terrain), an object(s) in the water (e.g., marine life, underwater pipes, etc.), an object(s) on the water (e.g., ships, an oil rig, etc.), and / or an object(s) above the water (e.g., a bridge, a pier, etc.), among other possibilities.

[0168] Within examples, control system 500 may treat an area having a water depth less than a threshold amount (e.g., less than a threshold depth in the range of 10 feet to 25 feet) as an area to be avoided.

[0169] Within examples, an area to be avoided may correspond to a protected area. Various protected areas are possible. As one possibility, a protected area may be an endangered environment, such as a coral reef, among other possibilities. As another possibility, a protected area may be a military area (e.g., a water and / or airspace defined according to military considerations that is subject to one or more restrictions). As yet another possibility, a protected area may be an area previously identified as problematic for craft operations (e.g., an area known to be hyperactive with endangered species such as sea turtles or whales, among other possibilities). Other example protected areas are possible as well.

[0170] An avoidance area may take other forms as well.

[0171] In an example, an indication of the environment may comprise a two-dimensional map of the region and the indication(s) of the one or more identified avoidance areas may comprise two-dimensional polygon(s) that represent the one or more identified avoidance areas. The control system 500 may, based on the geospatial data, identify the one or more avoidance areas and generate, for each respective avoidance area, a polygon representing the respective avoidance area on the map. An example representation is described in further detail below with reference to Figure 10. Further, although the indications of the one or more identified avoidance areas arePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT primarily described herein as taking the form of polygons representing the areas to be avoided, the indication of the one or more identified avoidance areas may take any of various forms.

[0172] Within examples, the generated representation may be a dynamic representation that is updated throughout a mission of the craft 100 (e.g., continuously or periodically throughout the mission). As mentioned above, obtaining the geospatial data may take place at various points in time throughout the mission of the craft 100. In other words, obtaining the geospatial data may involve (i) receiving an initial set of geospatial data and (ii) also receiving updated data throughout the mission (e.g., one or more sets of additional data). Further, the dynamic representation may be updated throughout the mission based on the updated data of the obtained geospatial data (perhaps along with being updated based on other factors including, for instance, operation of the craft, current mode of operation of the craft, and / or planned mode of operation in a given area, among other possibilities).

[0173] In an implementation, generating the representation may involve generating a data structure such as a two-dimensional segment tree (e.g., a quadtree structure) that provides indications of the one or more avoidance areas. A quadtree is a tree data structure used to efficiently store data of points on a two-dimensional space. The control system 500 may specify geospatial points in the quadtree structure that define vertices of polygons representing the avoidance areas in the region. In an example, in order to generate a quadtree data structure, the control system 500 may (i) divide a two dimensional space into four boxes, (ii) if a box contains one or more of the geospatial points in it, create a child object, storing in it the two dimensional space of the box, (iii) if a box does not contain any points, refrain from creating a child for it, and (iv) recurse for each of the children. An example quadtree structure is described in further detail below with reference to Figures 1 la-b.

[0174] The data structure may take other forms as well. For instance, various other data structures are possible as well including, for instance, Octrees (three dimensional), R-Trees, or non-hi erarchi cal structures like the more modem geospatial data lakes (e.g., GeoTIFF (e.g., a Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG)) or PMTiles, among other possibilities) that are scalable to cloud, among other possibilities.

[0175] In addition to generating polygons that represent avoidance areas, the control system 500 may include in the representation additional information associated with the avoidance areas. For instance, within examples, for each avoidance area, the control system 500 may assign values to one or more data fields associated with the avoidance area. Various data fields associated with the avoidance areas are possible. As one example, the control system 500 may assign one or more values to define the type of avoidance area. For instance, the avoidance areas may be classified inPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT various categories, including, for instance, “land”, “coastline”, “shallow area”, “underwater obstruction”, “tight channel”, “military protected area”, and “environmental protected area”, among other possibilities. In some examples, a given avoidance area may fall within a plurality of classification categories.

[0176] As another example, the control system 500 may assign one or more values that convey a three-dimensional nature of the avoidance area. In this regard, the control system 500 may assign variables for the geospatial points that define the polygon reflecting the avoidance area as well as values for a ceiling (e.g., a given height in the air or water ) and / or floor (e.g., a given water depth or a given height in the air) for the polygon. Within examples, the assigned values may represent complex volumetric shapes, such as a three-dimensional volume having varying height throughout.

[0177] Other data fields associated with the avoidance areas are possible as well.

[0178] Further, in addition to or alternative to assigning values or classifications to avoidance areas, the control system 500 may define one or more rule sets related to avoidance areas. In this regard, different areas may be associated with different navigational rules and regulations. Further, the applicable rule(s) can change depending on the craft’s location, such as international waters, inland waterways, or special zones. For instance, Collision Regulations (COLREGS) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) vary between international and inland waters, with specific demarcation lines indicating where to switch between rule sets. Certain areas may have additional regulations, such as Traffic Separation Schemes or environmentally sensitive zones, each with its own set of rules. The control system 500 may be configured to (i) recognize these different zones and (ii) apply and / or suggest appropriate navigational rules and avoidance strategies accordingly.

[0179] Further, in some examples, in addition to including the one or more avoidance areas, the generated representation may also include one or more areas in which the craft should stay within during travel in the region (which may also be referred to herein as “keep in zones”). Within examples, the keep-in zone(s) may be defined based on various factors, such as the travel path of the craft, craft operational requirements, craft battery life, and the avoidance areas, among other possibilities. An example keep-in zone is described in further detail with respect to Figure 10.

[0180] In some examples, in addition to and / or alternative to generating the representation that includes one or more avoidance areas for the craft based on the obtained geospatial data, the representation may be generated based on other data as well. In this regard, in some examples, method 900 can optionally involve (i) at block 910, obtaining environmental condition dataPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT associated with the region and / or (ii) at block 912 obtaining sensor data from the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings.

[0181] In general, environmental condition data may comprise data about the environment within the region. For instance, in an example, environmental condition data may include information about weather in the region (e.g., weather patterns in the region) and / or water in the region (e.g., wave patterns / states, water current patterns / states). As another example, environmental condition data may include data regarding traffic and / or activity conditions in the region. As an illustrative example, sailing may be popular in the summer but less popular at other times (e.g., offseason). Therefore, sailing may be more of a restriction in the popular times but less of a restriction in the less popular times. Further, in some examples, the environmental condition data may be current (e.g., real-time) environmental condition data. In other examples, the environmental condition data may be predictive environmental condition data.

[0182] Similar to the discussion above with respect to obtaining the geospatial data, environmental condition data may be obtained from any suitable source. In this regard, the source may be any system that is configured to collect, obtain, and / or disseminate environmental condition data, and the system may comprise one or more nodes within a network of data sources for collecting, obtaining, and / or disseminating the environmental condition data. For instance, the source may be a third party source of environmental condition data, a private information service, or a network of multimodal crafts that includes a plurality of craft similar to craft 100. In some examples, control system 500 may be in communication with real time services for environmental conditions. These services might provide dynamic (whether continuous or periodically updated) information (e.g., regarding weather patterns, water patterns, traffic patterns, and / or activity patterns (e.g., sailing or surfing activity in a region), among other possibilities). Further, one example third party source of environmental condition data is the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which is an automated, autonomous tracking system that is extensively used in the maritime world for the exchange of navigational information between AIS-equipped terminals. Static and dynamic vessel information can be electronically exchanged between AlS-receiving stations (onboard, ashore or satellite). AIS may continuously transmit a vessel’s identity, position, speed and course along with other relevant information to all other AIS equipped vessels within range. Combined with a shore station, this system also offers port authorities and maritime safety bodies the ability to manage maritime traffic and reduce the hazards of marine navigation. In an example, the control system 500 may obtain from AIS ship location information, which in turn may be utilized for avoidance logic and / or obstacle detection (which are described in further detail below).

[0183] Other sources of environmental data are possible as well.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0184] Further, similar to the discussion above with respect to obtaining the geospatial data, the environmental condition data may be obtained at any suitable time(s). In general, environmental condition data may be obtained prior to a mission of craft 100 and / or during a mission of craft 100, and may also be obtained at a single point in time or multiple times (e.g., occasionally, periodically, and / or relatively consistently on an ongoing basis, such as weekly, daily, or hourly, among other possibilities). As an example, control system 500 may be configured to obtain the environmental condition data prior to beginning a given mission of the craft 100. In such a scenario, the obtained environmental condition data may be related to and / or focused on the region in which the given mission is intended to take place. As another example, control system 500 may be configured to obtain environmental condition data at various points during a mission of the craft. Within examples, when obtaining environmental condition data at these various points, the control system 500 may obtain environmental condition data regarding an area within the region the craft 100 is close to and / or about to enter. In other examples, control system 500 may obtain environmental condition data on an ongoing and / or periodic basis irrespective of a mission of the craft, such as weekly, daily, or hourly, among other possibilities. Other examples when the environmental condition data may be obtained are possible as well.

[0185] Further, similar to the discussion above with respect to obtaining the geospatial data, sensor data from the craft may be at any suitable time(s). In this regard, the control system 500 may obtain sensor data from the craft at one or more points in time relevant to a mission of the craft 100. As an example, control system 500 may be configured to obtain sensor data from the craft at various points during a mission of the craft. Within examples, when obtaining sensor data from the craft at these various points, the control system 500 may obtain sensor data from the craft regarding an area within the region the craft 100 is close to and / or about to enter. In other examples, control system 500 may obtain sensor data from the craft on an ongoing and / or periodic basis, such as every 30 seconds, every minute, every 5 minutes, among other possibilities. Other examples when the sensor data from the craft may be obtained are possible as well.

[0186] Examples of suitable sensors and sensor systems are described in U. S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,428, entitled “Sensor Configuration of Craft” and filed on February 6, 2024, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0187] As mentioned above, in addition to and / or alternative to generating the representation based on the obtained geospatial data, the representation may also be generated based on environmental condition data and / or sensor data from the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings. For instance, in some examples, the functionality of generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the one or more avoidance areas mayPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT involve generating the representation based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained environmental condition data. As one illustrative example, avoidance areas may be determined based on a dataset comprising NOAA geospatial information that is supplemented with AIS environmental condition information.

[0188] In other examples, the functionality of generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the one or more avoidance areas may involve generating the representation based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained sensor data from the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings. In other examples, the functionality of generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the one or more avoidance areas may involve generating the representation based on the obtained geospatial data, the obtained environmental condition data, and the obtained sensor data from the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings.

[0189] Within examples, the control system 500 may define the avoidance areas by applying a safety bias to the identified area to be avoided. The functionality of generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes one or more avoidance areas may involve determining the areas to be avoided based at least on the geospatial data and adding layers of bias to the identified areas to define the avoidance areas. The control system 500 may add a safety bias to an avoidance area in various ways. As one possibility, the control system 500 may generate an initial polygon for the avoidance area and then enlarge the initial polygon in some manner (e.g., by extending the polygon’s boundary in one or more directions by some amount using a technique such as dilation). As a representative example, in a scenario where an initial polygon represents a region of land (the coordinates of which were determined based on the geospatial data), the control system 500 may dilate the initial polygon to expand the representation of the land.

[0190] Adding a safety bias to an avoidance area may help to limit or avoid potential issues that may result from errors in the obtained data that the determined avoidance areas are based on (e.g., errors in the geospatial data, environmental condition data, and / or sensor data of the craft). As an illustrative example, data regarding depth of water along a coastline may be susceptible to errors (e.g., due to tidal changes). In order to account for such error potential, the control system 500 may add a layer of safety to avoidance areas that are near the water’s edge. An illustrative example of adding a layer of safety bias is described in further detail below with reference to Figure 12a.

[0191] Further, the level of safety bias applied by the control system 500 may vary and can be based on various factors. For instance, as one possibility, the control system 500 may select a level of safety bias based on a type of avoidance area. In some examples, the control system 500 mayPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT apply different levels of safety bias for different types of avoidance areas. For instance, the control system 500 may apply a first level of safety bias (e.g., expanding the area by a first percentage, such as 15%) for a first type of avoidance area (e.g., a coral reef), a second level of safety bias (e.g., expanding the area by a second percentage, such as 10%) for a second type of avoidance area (e.g., the edge of a tight channel), and so forth. Other examples are possible as well.

[0192] As another possibility, the control system 500 may select levels of safety bias to be applied to the one or more avoidance areas based on mode of operation. For instance, the control system 500 may apply a first level of safety bias (e.g., expanding the area by a first percentage, such as 15%) for a first mode of operation of the craft (e.g., wing-borne operation), a second level of safety bias (e.g., expanding the area by a second percentage, such as 10%) for a second mode of operation of the craft (hydrofoil-borne operation), and a third level of safety bias (e.g., expanding the area by a third percentage, such as 5%) for a third mode of operation of the craft (e.g., hull-borne operation). As a result of applying different safety biases for different modes of operation, the size of an avoidance area in the generated representation may change based on the mode of operation of a craft. As a representative example, an avoidance area may be largest for a first mode of operation of the craft (e.g., wing-borne operation, during which the craft may tend to travel the fastest), smaller for a second mode of operation of the craft (hydrofoil-borne operation), and yet still smaller for a third mode of operation of the craft (e.g., hull-borne operation, during which the craft may tend to travel the slowest). An illustrative example of different sizes of an avoidance area based on the mode of operation of the craft is described in further detail below with reference to Figure 12b.

[0193] As another possibility, the control system 500 may select levels of safety bias based on historical analysis of accidents and / or risk conditions using a probabilistic framework.

[0194] The level of safety bias could be based on other factors as well.

[0195] In some examples of applying a safety bias, the control system 500 may balance between accounting for potential errors and avoiding restricting the travel route for the craft 100. In this regard, if too much of a safety balance is applied, the craft 100 may be prevented from traveling in various regions, such as a channel that is tight (i.e., narrow) but still possible for the craft 100 to travel through. Further, the function of balancing between accounting for potential errors and avoiding restricting the travel route for the craft 100 may vary depending on whether the craft is being operated manually or autonomously. For example, the control system 500 may apply a higher safety bias when the craft is operating autonomously, and a lower safety bias where a pilot is manually operating the craft. In another example, the control system 500 may apply a lower safety bias when the craft is operating autonomously, and a higher safety bias where a pilot isPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT manually operating the craft (e.g., so as to not unduly restrict a craft that is being operated autonomously). Other examples are possible as well.

[0196] Within examples, the control system 500 may define the avoidance areas based on time. The functionality of generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes one or more avoidance areas may involve applying time variation (e.g., time decay) to at least one of the avoidance areas in the generated representation. The function of applying time variation to an avoidance area may take various forms. For instance, in an example, the control system 500 may specify that an area is an avoidance area for a given time period but ceases to be an avoidance area after the time period lapses. In such an example, the control system 500 may define a start time and an end time for an avoidance area. Additionally or alternatively, the shape and / or size of the avoidance area may change based on time. The control system 500 may apply time variation to an avoidance area for any suitable reason. As representative examples, the control system 500 may apply time variation to an avoidance area associated with a coastline due to the tide. As another representative example, the control system 500 may apply time variation to an avoidance area associated with a known surfing location due to a time of day. As another representative example, the control system 500 may apply time decay to an avoidance area associated with one or more ships or vessels in an area due to an amount of time since the ship was identified as being in that location. As yet another representative example, the control system 500 may apply time variation to an avoidance area associated with large tidal swings. For instance, the control system 500, may define, based on the tidal movement, the avoidance area with data indicating a floor as a function of time. Other examples are possible as well.

[0197] In some examples, applying time variation to an avoidance area may be a mechanism to ensure that the avoidance area does not become stale. For instance, if at a first time the control system 500 received information and determines that an area should be avoided, the control system 500 may decay over time the value of that information and the determination that the area should be avoided. In an example, the control system 500 may decay over time the value of that information and the determination that the area should be avoided until it receives updated information that the area should continue to be avoided.

[0198] In some examples, control system 500 may be configured to consider probabilistic representations of collision risks for these areas. As discussed above, the certainty of information can degrade over time, and this may be especially the case in dynamic maritime environments. A probabilistic approach can allow for more nuanced decision-making by the control system 500, where the control system 500 can weigh the increasing risk against various factors when planning routes and / or maneuvers. A probabilistic approach also provides a framework for integrating real-PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT time updates, where new data can immediately refine the risk assessment. Furthermore, a probabilistic approach could be extended to include confidence levels in the data sources themselves, allowing the system to weigh information from different sensors or external inputs.

[0199] In an example, a probability approach (which may also be referred to herein as a probability model) could be implemented as a heat map, where the intensity represents the likelihood of a collision risk. As data becomes stale, the "heat" or risk probability may increase, reflecting the growing uncertainty. Such heat maps may be displayed in HMI visualizations and may help with interpretations of the risk assessments.

[0200] An illustrative example of applying time varying properties (e.g., time decaying properties) to an avoidance area is described in further detail below with reference to Figure 13.

[0201] Within examples, generating the representation may be based on the mode of operation of the craft. For instance, as indicated above, in some examples the control system 500 may adjust the size of an avoidance area in the generated representation based on the mode of operation of a craft. As a representative example, an avoidance area may be largest for a first mode of operation of the craft (e.g., wing-borne operation, during which the craft may tend to travel the fastest), smaller for a second mode of operation of the craft (hydrofoil-borne operation), and yet still smaller for a third mode of operation of the craft (e.g., hull-borne operation, during which the craft may tend to travel the slowest).

[0202] As another example, the control system 500 may define an area as an avoidance area only for a given mode or set of modes of operation. More particularly, an area may be an avoidance area for a given mode or set of modes, but not an avoidance area for a different mode or set of modes. As a representative example, an area that includes ice in the water may be defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation and a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation.

[0203] As another representative example, an area that includes ice in the water may be defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation or a wing-borne mode of operation (e.g., in a scenario where in the hull-borne mode of operation a pilot may be able to safely maneuver through the icy area at a low speed of hull-borne mode (compared to the higher speeds of a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation)).

[0204] As yet another representative example, a sandbar may be defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation and a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0205] As still yet another representative example, where the avoidance area is related to bathymetry concerns (such as shallow water and / or underwater obstructions), the avoidance area related to bathymetry concerns may defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation and a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation.

[0206] As still yet another representative example, where the avoidance area is related to bathymetry concerns (e.g., such as shallow water and / or underwater obstructions), the avoidance area related to bathymetry concerns may defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation and a wing-borne mode of operation. In this regard, in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation the craft may extend meaningfully below the surface of the water such that there may be a conflict risk with a bathymetry concern (e.g., an underwater obstruction), whereas in the other modes of a hull-borne mode of operation and a wing-borne mode of operation the craft does not extend far enough below to present a conflict risk with the bathymetry concern.

[0207] As still yet another representative example, an environmental zone may be defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation and a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation (e.g., in a scenario where the craft 100 is able to comply with certain requirements such as safe flying conditions, threshold high battery power, and / or minimal flight time, among other possibilities).

[0208] As still yet another representative example, an area having a physical bridge carrying vehicular traffic may be defined as an avoidance area when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation but not when the craft is in a hull-borne mode of operation and a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation. Other examples of an area being an avoidance area for a given mode or set of modes, but not an avoidance area for a different mode or set of modes are possible as well.

[0209] In other examples, given areas may be avoidance areas regardless of the mode of operation of the craft 100. For instance, a land mass may be defined as an avoidance area for each of a hull-borne mode of operation, a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and a wing-borne mode of operation (i.e., the land mass may need to always be avoided even when flying (e.g., in case of an emergency landing)). As another example, an environmental zone may be defined as an avoidance area for each of a hull-borne mode of operation, a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and a wing-borne mode of operation (i.e., the environmental zone may need to always be avoided).

[0210] In some examples, when operating in a wing-borne mode of operation, whether a given area needs to be avoided may depend on how large the given area is, how long the craft needs to fly over the given area, and / or how far the craft needs to fly over the given area. For instance, ifPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT the craft is able to pass over a given area having ice relatively quickly (e.g., less than 5 minutes, among other possibilities), the given area may not need to be avoided. On the other hand, if the craft may need to fly over the given area having ice a significant length of time (e.g., 5 minutes or greater, among other possibilities), then the risk of needing to conduct an emergency landing while over the ice increases, and therefore the given area may need to be avoided. Other examples are possible as well.

[0211] An example generated representation is now discussed with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 depicts an illustrative example of an example representation of a region that includes one or more avoidance areas for a craft. In particular, Figure 10 illustrates example representation 1000 of a region 1002 that includes a plurality of avoidance areas 1004a-e. In this representation 1000, each of the avoidance areas 1004a-e takes the form of a polygon (or collection of polygons) that represents the respective avoidance area. In accordance with the discussion above, each of the avoidance areas is an area to be avoided by a craft operating within region 1002. As representative examples, avoidance area 1004a may correspond to a land mass (e.g., an island) in the water, avoidance area 1004b may correspond to a coral reef, avoidance area 1004c may correspond to a surfing area, avoidance area 1004d may correspond to shallow area (e.g., a sandbar), and avoidance area 1004e may correspond to a restricted military area. In addition, in this representation 1000, avoidance area 1004f represents the land and coastline that is to be avoided by the craft operating in the region 1002.

[0212] Further, representation 1000 also includes keep-in zone 1012 surrounding a travel path 1010. As mentioned above, this keep-in zone may be defined by various factors including, for instance, the starting location for the craft, the destination, the avoidance areas in the region, and the battery life of the craft, among other possibilities. Further, although in this illustrative example, the keep-in zone is illustrated as a single keep-in zone, in other examples, different segments of the travel may have different keep-in zones.

[0213] As mentioned above, in some examples, when obtaining geospatial data for the various points that define the avoidance areas 104a-f, the control system 500 may obtain data regarding an area within the region the craft 100 is close to and / or about to enter. As an illustrative example, when the craft is close to avoidance area 1004b (e.g., at point 1020), the control system 500 may obtain updated data regarding that area 1004b. This updated data may help to provide updated (i.e., more recent and / or current) information regarding the current status of the coral reef, and in turn the control system 500 may update the dynamic representation to facilitate navigating around the coral reef. Similarly, when the craft is approaching avoidance areas 1004c and 1004d (e.g., at point 1022), the control system 500 may obtain updated data regarding the sandbar and the surfingPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT area. This updated data may help to provide updated information regarding the current status of the sandbar and / or surfing area, and in turn the control system 500 may update the dynamic representation to facilitate navigating through that area. Other examples are possible as well.

[0214] As mentioned above, the representation of the region may comprise a quadtree structure that is utilized to store information regarding the representation. An illustrative example of a quadtree structure is now discussed with reference to Figures lla-b. Figure Ila illustrates an example quadtree data structure 1100 that stores data of points on two-dimensional space that represents a region 1101, and Figure 11b illustrates a tree view 1120 of the quadtree structure 1100 of Figure Ila. The quadtree structure includes subdivided regions 1102a-d. In this example, region 1102a is further subdivided into regions 1104a-d, and region 1104d is further subdivided into regions 1106a-d. Further, region 1102c is further subdivided into regions 1108a-d, and region 1108a is further subdivided into regions 11 lOa-d, and region 1110c is further subdivided into four regions. The quadtree structure 1100 includes a plurality of points 1114, each of which defines a vertex of a polygon. More particularly, in this example, the quadtree data structure includes geospatial points defining vertices of polygon 1116 (representing a first avoidance area), and geospatial points defining vertices of polygon 1118 (representing a second avoidance area). In this example quadtree structure, the regions are subdivided such that any single subdivided region includes a single vertex for a polygon, though other examples are possible as well. Furthermore, in this example, the subdivided regions of the quadtree structure are square. However, in other examples, the subdivided regions may be other shapes including, for instance rectangular, triangular, or an arbitrary shape, among other possibilities.

[0215] An illustrative example of adding a layer of safety bias will now be discussed with reference to Figure 12a. In this simple illustrative example, an initial polygon 1202 associated with an area to be avoided by the craft 100 is shown. This initial polygon may be determined based on the obtained data. Further, the control system 500 may add a safety bias 1206 to the initial polygon, in order to generate the polygon 1204 representing the avoidance area with a safety bias applied. Other examples of adding a layer of safety bias for an avoidance area are possible as well.

[0216] An illustrative example of determining and / or adjusting the size of an avoidance area based on the mode of operation of the craft will now be discussed with reference to Figure 12b. In this simple illustrative example, an example avoidance area changing size based on mode of operation is shown. More particularly, Figure 12b shows a polygon 1210 representing an avoidance area for a first mode of operation of the craft (e.g., wing-borne operation), polygon 1212 representing the avoidance area for a second mode of operation of the craft (hydrofoil-borne operation), and polygon 1214 representing the avoidance area for a third mode of operation of thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT craft (e.g., hull-borne operation). Other examples of determining and / or adjusting the size of an avoidance area based on the mode of operation of the craft are possible as well.

[0217] An illustrative example of applying time-variation will now be discussed with reference to Figure 13. In this simple illustrative example, an example avoidance area is shown changing size overtime. More particularly, Figure 13 shows a polygon 1302 representing an avoidance area at a first point time. Further, the size of the polygon may change over time, based on the time varying properties defined by the control system 500. For instance, polygon 1304 represents the avoidance area at a second point time, polygon 1306 represents the avoidance area at a third point time, and polygon 1308 represents the avoidance area at a fourth point time. Other examples of applying time variation to an avoidance area are possible as well. Further, although in this example, the avoidance area decreases in size through time, in other examples, control system 500 may define an avoidance area as increasing in size through time.

[0218] As mentioned above, in some examples, applying time variation (e.g., time decay) to an avoidance area may be a mechanism to ensure that the avoidance area does not become stale. For instance, if at a first time the control system 500 received information and determines that an area should be avoided, the control system 500 may decay over time the value of that information and the determination that the area should be avoided. For instance, with reference to Figure 10, in an example, the control system 500 may treat avoidance area 1004c as an avoidance area for a given period time. Further, after the given period of time, the control system 500 may avoid treating the area as an avoidance area until it receives updated information that the area should continue to be avoided.

[0219] Returning to Figure 9, at block 906, control system 500 determines, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft 100 exists. In general, the portion of the data may comprise data defining at least one of the avoidance areas. The control system 500 may utilize the generated representation to determine that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0220] At a high level, determining that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft may involve determining whether the craft 100 traveling according to its travel path will intersect with (or has a given probability of intersecting with) or get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area represented in the generated representation (or has a given probability of getting within a threshold distance of an avoidance area). In an example, collision risk alerts may be triggered based on probabilistic thresholds, where the calculated risk factor exceeds the system's current tolerance level. The travel path for the craft may be any suitable travel path in the area, and may be a plannedPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT travel path (e.g., a predetermined travel path) and / or a current travel path (e.g., a current trajectory for the craft). An example travel path 1010 is shown in Figure 10.

[0221] The control system 500 may determine that the conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists in various ways. For instance, the control system 500 may determine whether the craft (according to its planned travel path and / or current trajectory) will intersect with or get within a threshold distance of an area to be avoided represented by a polygon in the generated representation. In order to facilitate determining whether a conflict risk exists, the control system 500 may apply object avoidance logic to determine whether the travel path presents a risk of intersecting or getting within a threshold distance of an avoidance area. Any suitable avoidance logic may be utilized to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within a threshold distance of the polygon.

[0222] As one possibility, the control system 500 may apply a “closest-point-of-approach technique” for area avoidance that utilizes the generated representation. Typically, a closest-point-of-approach technique may involve calculating a closest point of approach to determine the minimum distance that will be achieved between the craft and a given area if no course or speed changes are made. Further, the calculated closest point of approach should stay above a given predetermined threshold. If the calculated closest point of approach falls below the given threshold, the operator may be alerted with a (i) suggested change in course and / or speed and / or (ii) an automatic change in course and / or speed. The control system 500 may utilize such a closest-point-of-approach technique for area avoidance that utilizes the generated representation including the one or more avoidance areas to determine whether the craft (according to its planned travel path and / or current trajectory) will intersect with or get within a threshold distance of an area to be avoided represented by a polygon in the generated representation.

[0223] As another possibility, the control system 500 may apply a “miss-distance technique” for area avoidance that utilizes the generated representation including the one or more avoidance areas. Miss-distance techniques are conventionally applied to determine when two craft (e.g., aircraft) may get closer together than they should. Typically, a miss-distance technique may involve calculating a miss distance when a “threat boundary” is breached and monitoring the miss distance to determine a resolution for the encounter. If the determination is that the miss distance is above a minimum miss distance, then no course and / or speed changes are made. On the other hand, if the determination is that the miss distance is below a minimum miss distance, the operator will be alerted with a (i) suggested change in course and / or speed and / or (ii) an automatic change in course and / or speed. Typically, a craft configured to operate both in the air and on water may apply a greater miss distance when flying in the air than when traveling on the water (e.g., givenPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT that the craft will be moving more slowly on water than when flying). The control system 500 may utilize such a miss-distance technique for area avoidance that utilizes the generated representation including the one or more avoidance areas to determine whether the craft (according to its planned travel path and / or current trajectory) will intersect with or get within a threshold distance of an area to be avoided represented by a polygon in the generated representation.

[0224] Examples of determining the potential for a conflict risk for a travel path (e.g., potential for conflict with an obstacle) are described in U. S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,428. As mentioned above, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,428, entitled “Sensor Configuration of Craft” and filed on February 6, 2024, is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0225] The control system 500 may utilize other techniques to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within a threshold distance of an area to be avoided represented by a polygon in the generated representation as well.

[0226] In some examples, control system 500 may apply the same avoidance logic rules regardless of mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. For instance, in an example, the avoidance logic may include simple travel-path prediction rule that takes (i) speed of the craft and (ii) heading of the craft and outputs a predicted travel path relative to time, and the control system 500 may utilize that predicted travel path relative to time to determine whether the conflict risk exists. In such a scenario, this avoidance logic may be the same for each mode of operation of the craft (noting, of course, that the speed of the craft may be different in each of the modes).

[0227] In other examples, control system 500 may apply avoidance logic that include different rules based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. For instance, as one possibility, the control system 500 may be configured to apply different predetermined thresholds for a closest-point-of-approach technique based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. In this regard, it may be acceptable for the craft 100 to get closer to an avoidance area in a given mode or set of modes compared to a different mode or set of modes. For example, the control system 500 may apply a first predetermined threshold when the craft 100 is operating in a hull-borne mode of operation (e.g., a distance in the range of 10 feet to 50 feet, among other possibilities), second predetermined threshold when the craft 100 is operating in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation (e.g., a distance in the range of 100 feet to 500 feet, among other possibilities), and third predetermined threshold when the craft 100 is operating in a wing-borne mode of operation (e.g., a distance above 500 feet, among other possibilities). As another example, thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT control system 500 may apply a first predetermined threshold for a first type of avoidance area (e.g., coral reef), a second predetermined threshold for a second type of avoidance area (e.g., a surfing area), a third predetermined threshold for a third type of avoidance area (e.g., a restricted military zone), and so forth.

[0228] As another possibility, the control system 500 may be configured to apply different threat boundaries for a miss-distance technique based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. For example, the control system 500 may apply a first threat boundary when the craft 100 is operating in a hull-borne mode of operation, second threat boundary when the craft 100 is operating in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and third threat boundary when the craft 100 is operating in a wing-borne mode of operation. As another example, the control system 500 may apply a first threat boundary for a first type of avoidance area (e.g., coral reef), a second threat boundary for a second type of avoidance area (e.g., a surfing area), a third threat boundary for a third type of avoidance area (e.g., a restricted military zone), and so forth.

[0229] As yet another possibility, the control system 500 may be configured to apply different miss-distance thresholds for a miss-distance technique based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. For example, the control system 500 may apply a first minimum miss distance when the craft 100 is operating in a hull-borne mode of operation, a second minimum miss distance when the craft 100 is operating in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and third minimum miss distance when the craft 100 is operating in a wing-borne mode of operation. As another example, the control system 500 may apply a first minimum miss distance for a first type of avoidance area (e.g., coral reef), a second minimum miss distance for a second type of avoidance area (e.g., a surfing area), a third minimum miss distance for a third type of avoidance area (e.g., a restricted military zone), and so forth. It should be understood that the minimum miss distance and / or the threat boundary may also be based on the speed at which the threat is traveling (e.g., the speed of a ship and / or other craft traveling near the craft 100).

[0230] As yet another possibility, the control system 500 may define or apply different rules (e.g., different possible turn radii) that determine whether a craft may be able to avoid an area based on the mode of operation of the craft 100. In this regard, the control system 500 may utilize different speed and heading calculations that determine whether a craft may be able to avoid an area based on the mode of operation of the craft 100. Additionally or alternatively, the control system 500 may define or apply different possible turn radii that help determine whether a craft may be able to avoid an area based on the mode of operation of the craft 100.

[0231] As yet another possibility, the control system 500 may apply a rule that the craft 100 has a safe air volume surrounding the craft (where the “safe air volume” defines a space around thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT craft that should not intersect with an avoidance area or get within a predetermined threshold of an avoidance area), and the control system 500 may apply different safe air volumes surrounding the craft based on the different modes. For example, the control system 500 may apply a first safe air volume when the craft 100 is operating in a hull-borne mode of operation, a second safe air volume when the craft 100 is operating in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and third safe air volume when the craft 100 is operating in a wing-borne mode of operation.

[0232] Other examples of different rules based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area are possible as well.

[0233] In accordance with the discussion above, both (i) the function of generating the representation and (ii) the utilized avoidance logic may be based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. In some examples, the function of generating the representation may be based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area, whereas the utilized avoidance logic does not depend on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. In other examples, the utilized avoidance logic is based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area, but the function of generating the representation does not depend on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area. In still other examples, both the function of generating the representation and the utilized avoidance logic may be based on mode of operation of the craft and / or type of avoidance area.

[0234] Illustrative examples of avoidance logic that include different rules based on mode of operation of the craft will now be discussed with reference to Figures 14a-b. Turning first to Figure 14a, an illustrative example of different rules for avoidance logic that are based on mode of operation of the craft is shown. In this simple illustrative example, a closest-point-of-approach technique may be applied to avoidance area 1402. The control system 500 is configured to apply a first predetermined threshold 1404a (e.g., a distance in the range of 10 feet to 50 feet, among other possibilities) when the craft 100 is operating in a hull-borne mode of operation, a second predetermined threshold 1404b (e.g., a distance in the range of 100 feet to 500 feet, among other possibilities) when the craft 100 is operating in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and a third predetermined threshold 1404c (e.g., a distance above 500 feet, among other possibilities) when the craft 100 is operating in a wing-borne mode of operation.

[0235] Turning next to Figure 14b, an illustrative example of different rules for avoidance logic that are based on types of avoidance area is shown. In this simple illustrative example, a closest-point-of-approach technique may be applied and different types of avoidance areas may be associated with different predetermined thresholds. The control system 500 may apply a first predetermined threshold 1412a for a first type of avoidance area 1410a, a second predeterminedPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT threshold 1412b for a second type of avoidance area 1410b, and a third predetermined threshold 1412c for a third type of avoidance area 1410c.

[0236] After determining that a conflict risk exists, at block 908, the control system 500 may cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output. Control system 500 may cause the determined conflict risk to be output to any suitable system. In general, control system 500 may cause the determined conflict risk to be output to a system on the craft or a system that is remote from the craft. For instance, as one example, control system 500 may cause an indication of the conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the control system 500. As another example, the control system 500 may transmit, to a system remote from the craft (e.g., a client device of an individual monitoring the craft), data defining the determined conflict risk and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the system remote from the craft. Within examples, the control system 500 may, responsive to determining that the conflict risk exists, cause the data defining the determined conflict risk to be output.

[0237] The indication of the determined conflict risk may take any of various forms and an example output taking the form of a presentation of and explanation of the determined conflict risk overlaid over a visualization 1501 of the representation 1000 of Figure 10 is illustrated in Figure 15a. In particular, Figure 15a depicts an example snapshot 1500 of a graphical user interface (GUI) 1502 that displays an indication 1504 of the determined conflict risk. In this example, a map of the region and indications of the avoidance areas are also displayed. The indication 1504 may serve to alert the pilot that there is a conflict risk associated with the travel path 1010 and the avoidance area 1004c. Other examples are possible as well.

[0238] In this example, the GUI 1502 displays an overhead view of the region. In other examples, the GUI 1502 may display a three-dimensional view of the region and / or a three-dimensional view of the identified avoidance area(s).

[0239] In addition to or alternative to causing an indication of the determined conflict risk to be output, control system 500 may be configured to take other action after determining that the conflict risk exists. As one possibility, the control system 500 may, after determining that the conflict risk exists, generate a conflict avoidance path. The control system 500 may generate the conflict avoidance path in various ways. In an example, control system 500 may utilize route planning techniques that take into account the avoidance area and operation of the craft (e.g., speed, heading, and / or mode of operation, among other possibilities). Examples of route planning are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,428. As mentioned above, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,428, entitled “Sensor Configuration of Craft” and filed on February 6, 2024, is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0240] Further, the control system 500 may utilize the generated conflict avoidance path in various ways, which may depend on whether the craft is being operated manually or at least partially autonomously. For example, control system 500 may (i) generate a conflict avoidance path and (ii) cause the determined conflict avoidance path to be output. The output may take any of various forms and an example output taking the form of a presentation of the suggested conflict avoidance path overlaid over a visualization of the representation 1000 is illustrated in Figure 15b. In particular, Figure 15b depicts an example snapshot 1520 of a graphical user interface (GUI) 1522 that displays an indication 1524 of the determined conflict avoidance path 1526. In this example, a map of the region and indications of the avoidance areas are also displayed. The indication 1524 may serve to alert the pilot of a suggested conflict avoidance path that helps to avoid the avoidance area 1004c. The GUI 1522 may also include a selectable element that is configured to allow an operator to accept, reject, and / or modify the suggested conflict avoidance path. For instance, GUI 1522 includes a selectable element 1530 that includes a selectable indicator 1532 for accepting the conflict avoidance path, a selectable indicator 1534 for rejecting the conflict avoidance path, and a selectable indicator 1536 for modifying the conflict avoidance path. In an example, after an operator accepts the avoidance path, the craft may automatically initiate the conflict avoidance path. Other examples are possible as well.

[0241] In another example, control system 500 may (i) generate a conflict avoidance path and (ii) cause the craft to automatically initiate the conflict avoidance path. For instance, with reference to Figure 15b, the control system 500 may cause the craft to automatically initiate conflict avoidance path 1526. In an example where the control system 500 causes the craft to automatically initiate the conflict avoidance path, the control system 500 may cause an indication and the determine conflict risk and / or an indication that craft is automatically initiating the conflict avoidance path to be output. Within examples, causing the craft to automatically initiate the conflict avoidance path may involve adjusting one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the conflict avoidance path. Further, the one or more control surfaces that may be adjusted may depend on the mode of the craft. For instance, in an example, when the craft is airborne, the control system 500 may cause the craft 100 to adjust one or more control surfaces of one or more of flaps, ailerons, elevators, rudders, and vertical stabilizers of the craft, so as to cause the craft to change its heading and altitude to follow the conflict avoidance path. As another example, when the craft is hydrofoil borne, the control system 500 may cause the craft 100 to adjust one or more control surfaces of rudders of the craft or differentially control respective speeds of one or more of propeller assemblies of the craft to induce yaw into the craft to cause the cause the craft to follow the conflict avoidance path.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0242] In some examples, whether the control system 500 causes the craft to automatically initiate the conflict avoidance path may be dependent on the type of avoidance area. For instance, in an example, the control system 500 may be configured to take immediate action and cause the craft to automatically initiate the conflict avoidance path if there is a conflict risk associated with a military zone (e.g., i.e., automatically change course to avoid crossing into the military zone). On the other hand, for a land mass, the control system 500 may be configured to alert the pilot that the conflict risk is determined and / or suggest a conflict avoidance path to be output, and then allow the pilot to take remedial action, if appropriate. Other examples are possible as well.

[0243] In addition to or alternative to presenting information regarding a determined conflict avoidance path, the control system 500 may be configured to present other information as well. For example, the control system 500 may be configured to highlight avoidance areas, targets, and / or obstacles with additional information regarding the targets and / or avoidance area (e.g., where the avoidance area, target, or obstacle is located, the distance of the avoidance area, target, or obstacle is located, and / or the amount of time the craft is away from the avoidance area, target, or obstacle, among other possibilities). As another example, the control system 500 may be configured to display various indications and / or warnings related to water depth. For instance, the control system 500 may display water-depth indications such as tide charts (e.g., high tide vs. low tide and / or water depths contours with color gradients indicating elevation). In other examples, the control system 500 may display a three dimensional water depth mesh overload on a video feed of the craft. In some examples, the control system 500 may generate audible alerts synchronized with visual cues in the video feed.

[0244] In some examples, the control system 500 may be configured to display various information differently depending on the source of information (e.g., other craft, NOAA, etc.). For instance, the control system 500 may be configured to display an indication of information obtained from a first source (e.g., another craft) and an indication of information obtained from a second source (e.g., NOAA). Further, the control system 500 may be configured to display the indication of information obtained from the first source (e.g., another craft) in a first color, and to display the indication of information obtained from the second source (e.g., NOAA) in a second, different color. Other examples of displaying various information differently depending on the source of information are possible as well.

[0245] In some examples, the function of determining, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft may also be based on sensor data of the craft. In this regard, method 500 may optionally involve, at block 914, obtaining sensor data for the craft. Further, the function of determining, based on atPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists may involve determining, based on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and the sensor data, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists. Sensor data of the craft may be obtained by the craft in any suitable ways. Examples of obtaining sensor data of the craft are described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.63 / 550,428. As mentioned above, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,428, entitled “Sensor Configuration of Craft” and filed on February 6, 2024, is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Such sensor data of the craft (e.g., vision information) may be utilized by the control system 500 in conjunction with the generated representation to determine whether a conflict risk exists.

[0246] In an example, the control system 500 may filter sensor data obtained from the craft based on knowledge determined from the geospatial data. For instance, radar inputs, sonar inputs, and / or camera inputs can be filtered depending on knowledge of geospatial obstructions that are present. The generated representation can be used to make filtering or data more effective.

[0247] In another example, software can use the generated representations to determine whether to utilize or avoid utilizing sensor observations. As one example, sensor observations corresponding to known obstructions can be efficiently dealt with and / or discarded (e.g., in order to limit and / or reduce computing resources). As another example, environmental data as an input could be useful for determining how to evaluate the sensor input and / or whether to utilize given sensor input. For instance, if a sensor observation indicates that it is foggy and / or rainy in the region, the control system 500 may default to evaluating sensor observations form an infrared sensor(s) on the craft rather than observations from conventional cameras on the craft. Other examples of determining whether to utilize or avoid utilizing sensor observations are possible as well.

[0248] In some examples, the avoidance logic may take into account not only avoidance areas but also data regarding obstacle detection obtained by sensors from the craft. Data regarding obstacle detection may indicate one or more objects that may be moving and / or present in the region (e.g., a vessel moving through the water or another craft operating in the region, among other possibilities). For instance, the obtained sensor data of the craft may be analyzed by control system 500 to identify objects moving in the region (e.g., objects that may be moving in a keepin zone through which the craft 100 is traveling), and the avoidance logic may take into account the identified avoidance areas and the identified objects moving in the region. In some examples, the computing system 500 may classify objects and / or obstacles and apply different rules for different classes of objects. In some scenarios, it may be difficult and / or not possible to classifyPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT an object and / or obstacle. Within examples, in such scenarios where control system 500 is unable to classify an object and / or obstacle, the control system 500 may default to a most conservative identification.

[0249] Additionally or alternatively, the control system 500 may be configured to determine “safe air volumes” surrounding the craft, which may depend on the mode of operation of the craft. In some examples, the avoidance logic may involve utilizing a “safe air volume” surrounding the craft, and may determine that a conflict risk exists if that area including the “safe air volume” will intersect with or get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area represented in the generated representation. Furthermore, in practice, standards for the aerospace industry may define a safe air volume that takes the form of a teardrop around the vehicle, and this teardrop may be based on the speed, size, momentum, and / or target the vehicle is concerned with. Within examples, static objects (including land) may be associated with a “bubble” of avoidance. On the other hand, moving objects may be associated with a teardrop of avoidance, and the associated teardrop may be dependent on nature and / or trajectory of the object.

[0250] In an example, the control system 500 may be configured to suggest one or more turning radii for conflict avoidance. For instance, the control system 500 may identify a conflict risk associated with one or more avoidance areas and a planned and / or current trajectory. The control system 500 may then generate one or more suggested conflict avoidance paths comprising different turning arcs. For instance, with reference to Figure 16, the control system 500 may identify a conflict risk associated with avoidance area 1600 and a planned and / or current trajectory 1602. The control system 500 may then generate (i) a conflict avoidance path 1604 comprising a first different turning arc and (ii) a conflict avoidance path 1606 comprising a second turning arc. Further, the control system 500 may also provide an indication of a conflict risk with avoidance area 1610 if the craft were to follow travel path 1608 with a more conservative turning arc for avoiding avoidance area 1600. Such suggestions may help an operator maneuver through a region with multiple avoidance areas and alert the operator as to how conservatively and / or aggressively the operator may need to take a turn.

[0251] In some examples, the control system 500 may maintain certain baseline geospatial information (e.g., baseline geographic charts) regarding the region and utilize that baseline geospatial information to generate the initial representation of the region. Further, as discussed above, in some examples, the control system 500 may be configured to receive detailed updates depending on the mission and / or area the craft is close to or about to enter. In this regard, the control system 500 may be configured to obtain detailed updates when the craft is close to or about to enter a given area, and thereafter update the initial representation using that updated data suchPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT that the updated representation is a higher fidelity representation of the region compared to the initial representation based on the baseline geospatial information. Such functionality may be useful in various scenarios. For instance, as one example, in a scenario where craft 100 is operating in an area that is known to experience frequent changes to its coastline, then the control system 500 may regularly receive updated geospatial data regarding the area (e.g., updated data regarding physical characteristics of the coastline, depth of the water along the coastline, among other possibilities).

[0252] In some examples, in addition to presenting information regarding the avoidance areas and conflict avoidance paths, the control system 500 may be configured to prompt a user to provide information regarding a given area in which the craft is traveling. For instance, if an area was associated with activity on the water (e.g., surfing activity or numerous water vessels operating in the area), the control system 500 may prompt a user to confirm whether the activity continues to persist in the given area. Other examples of prompting a user to provide information regarding a given area are possible as well. Further, such user input may be utilized as geospatial data and / or environmental condition data in the future (e.g., for other craft operating in the region).

[0253] In some examples, the function of generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft involves generating a representation of the region that includes data defining a set of two or more avoidance areas for a craft, wherein the set of two or more avoidance areas include: (1) a first one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft, and (2) a second one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a second mode of operation of the craft. Further, in some examples, the first one or more avoidance areas may include a first particular avoidance area and the second one or more avoidance areas includes a second particular avoidance area, where the first particular avoidance area and the second particular avoidance area (i) are not the same and (ii) overlap at least in part. As an illustrative example, Figure 17 illustrates a first particular avoidance area 1700 and a second particular avoidance area 1702. As shown in Figure 17, the first particular avoidance area 1700 and a second particular avoidance area 1702 (i) are not the same and (ii) overlap at least in part. More particularly, the second particular avoidance area 1702 entirely overlaps with first particular avoidance area 1700. In an example, the avoidance areas 1700 and 1702 may both relate to an area of water having ice. However, avoidance area 1700 may correspond to a wing-borne mode of operation, and avoidance area 1702 may correspond to a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft. Further, while in this example the craft should avoid some portions of the area having ice when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation (i.e., avoidance area 1700), it may be possible for the craft to fly over other portions ofPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT that area (i.e., portions of area 1702 that do not overlap with avoidance area 1700). In this regard, in an example, when craft is flying over these other portions of that area, there may be sufficient time for a craft to make an emergency landing outside of the other portions of that area.

[0254] Other examples of a first particular avoidance area and a second particular avoidance area that (i) are not the same and (ii) overlap at least in part are possible as well.

[0255] As indicated above, the computing platform carrying out the functionality of example process 900 (and associated function described with reference to Figures 10-16) may be a computing platform on the craft (e.g., such as control system 500), a computing platform remote from the craft, or a computing platform that is distributed between locations on the craft and remote from the craft. In examples where the computing platform is remote from the craft, the computing platform may be at any suitable location. For instance, as one possibility, the remote computing platform may be located at a dock or office associated with the craft’s home base of operation. As another possibility, the computing platform may be a cloud-based computing platform that is in communication with the craft (perhaps in addition to a plurality of other craft). Other examples are possible as well.

[0256] Further, in examples where the computing platform is distributed between locations on the craft and remote from the craft, some of the functionality may be carried out on a portion of the computing platform remote from the craft, whereas other functionality may be carried out by the portion on the computing platform on the craft. For instance, in one example, the functionality described above with respect to blocks 902 and 904 may be carried out on a portion of the computing platform remote from the craft, whereas the functionality associated with blocks 906 and 908 may be carried out by the portion on the computing platform on the craft. Other examples are possible as well.

[0257] Beneficially, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology for area avoidance help to overcome various limitations of existing area-avoidance technologies. For instance, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology beneficially account for the various challenges that are presented for a craft such as craft 100 that is configured to take off from, fly close to the surface of the water, and land on water. In this regard, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology for area avoidance beneficially facilitate navigation through an area having a plurality of avoidance areas while eliminating or reducing challenges arising from changing profile of waves, the potential for occlusion, and challenges related to bathymetry (i.e., underwater terrain) and other restricted areas that may be associated with water. Further, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology beneficially reduce or eliminate issues that otherwise may have been caused due to mirages and / or hallucinations identified by the operatorPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT of the craft. For instance, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology may help the craft and / or an operator identify avoidance areas and rule out objects or areas as potential obstructions (e.g., by determining whether a potential obstruction is a real obstruction to be avoided or a mirage that does not present an issue for the craft).

[0258] Still further, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology beneficially account for the dynamic nature of avoidance areas to which a multimodal craft such as craft 100 are subject. And yet still further, the disclosed methods, systems, and software technology help to provide a user-friendly HMI for a multimodal craft that is adaptable to and useful in each different mode of operation of a multimodal craft such as craft 100.V. Example Computing Platform

[0259] Turning now to Figure 18, a simplified block diagram is provided to illustrate some structural components that may be included in an example computing platform 1800 that may be configured to carry out any of the various functions disclosed herein, including but not limited to any of the functions described above with reference to Figures 9-17. At a high level, the example computing platform 1800 may generally comprise any one or more computing systems that collectively include one or more processors 1802, data storage 1804, and one or more communication interfaces 1806, all of which may be communicatively linked by a communication link 1808 that may take the form of a system bus, a communication network such as a public, private, or hybrid cloud, or some other connection mechanism. Each of these components may take various forms.

[0260] The one or more processors 1802 may each comprise one or more processing components, such as general-purpose processors (e.g., a single- or a multi-core central processing unit (CPU)), special-purpose processors (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), applicationspecific integrated circuit, or digital-signal processor), programmable logic devices (e.g., a field programmable gate array), controllers (e.g., microcontrollers), and / or any other processor components now known or later developed. In line with the discussion above, it should also be understood that the one or more processors 1802 could comprise processing components that are distributed across a plurality of physical computing systems connected via a network.

[0261] In turn, the data storage 1804 may comprise one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums that are collectively configured to store (i) program instructions that are executable by one or more processors 1802 such that computing platform 1800 is configured to perform any of the various functions disclosed herein, and (ii) data that may be received, derived, or otherwise stored, for example, in one or more databases, file systems, repositories, or the like, by computing platform 1800, in connection with performing any of the various functionsPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT disclosed herein. In this respect, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the data storage 1804 may take various forms, examples of which may include volatile storage mediums such as random-access memory, registers, cache, etc. and non-volatile storage mediums such as read-only memory, a hard-disk drive, a solid-state drive, flash memory, an optical -storage device, etc. In line with the discussion above, it should also be understood that the data storage 1804 may comprise computer-readable storage mediums that are distributed across a plurality of physical computing systems connected via a network.

[0262] The one or more communication interfaces 1806 may be configured to facilitate wireless and / or wired communication with other systems and / or devices, such as client devices (e.g., one or more client devices 1900 of Figure 19). Additionally, in an implementation where the computing platform 1700 comprises a plurality of physical computing systems connected via a network, the one or more communication interfaces 1806 may be configured to facilitate wireless and / or wired communication between these physical computing systems (e.g., between computing and storage clusters in a cloud network). As such, the one or more communication interfaces 1806 may each take any suitable form for carrying out these functions, examples of which may include an Ethernet interface, a serial bus interface (e.g., Firewire, USB 3.0, etc.), a chipset and antenna adapted to facilitate wireless communication, and / or any other interface that provides for any of various types of wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi communication, cellular communication, short-range wireless protocols, etc.) and / or wired communication. Other configurations are possible as well.

[0263] Although not shown, the computing platform 1800 may additionally include or have an interface for connecting to one or more user-interface components that facilitate user interaction with the computing platform 1800, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a display screen, a touch-sensitive interface, a stylus, a virtual-reality headset, and / or one or more speaker components, among other possibilities.

[0264] It should be understood that the computing platform 1800 is one example of a computing platform that may be used with the embodiments described herein. Numerous other arrangements are possible and contemplated herein. For instance, in other embodiments, the computing platform 1700 may include additional components not pictured and / or more or fewer of the pictured components.

[0265] In an example, the computing platform 1800 corresponds to the control system 500. In other examples, the computing platform 1800 may be in communication with the control system 500 of the craft.PATENT Attorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT VI. Example Client Device

[0266] Turning next to Figure 19, a simplified block diagram is provided to illustrate some structural components that may be included in an example client device 1900 that is configured to communicate with the computing platform 1800, such as a client device used by an operator of the craft 100 during any of the processes described above with reference to Figures 9-17. As shown in Figure 19, the client device 1900 may include one or more processors 1902, data storage 1904, one or more communication interfaces 1906, and one or more user-interface components 1908, all of which may be communicatively linked by a communication link 1910 that may take the form of a system bus or some other connection mechanism. Each of these components may take various forms.

[0267] The one or more processors 1902 may comprise one or more processing components, such as general-purpose processors (e.g., a single- or a multi-core CPU), special-purpose processors (e.g., a GPU, application-specific integrated circuit, or digital-signal processor), programmable logic devices (e.g., a field programmable gate array), controllers (e.g., microcontrollers), and / or any other processor components now known or later developed.

[0268] In turn, the data storage 1904 may comprise one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums that are collectively configured to store (i) program instructions that are executable by the processor(s) 1902 such that the client device 1900 is configured to perform certain functions related to interacting with and accessing services provided by a computing platform, and (ii) data that may be received, derived, or otherwise stored, for example, in one or more databases, file systems, repositories, or the like, by the client device 1900, related to interacting with and accessing services provided by a computing platform. In this respect, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of the data storage 1904 may take various forms, examples of which may include volatile storage mediums such as random-access memory, registers, cache, etc. and non-volatile storage mediums such as read-only memory, a hard-disk drive, a solid-state drive, flash memory, an optical-storage device, etc. The data storage 1904 may take other forms and / or store data in other manners as well.

[0269] The one or more communication interfaces 1906 may be configured to facilitate wireless and / or wired communication with other computing devices. The communication interface(s) 1906 may take any of various forms, examples of which may include an Ethernet interface, a serial bus interface (e.g., Firewire, USB 3.0, etc.), a chipset and antenna adapted to facilitate wireless communication, and / or any other interface that provides for any of various types of wireless communication (e.g., Wi-Fi communication, cellular communication, short-range wireless protocols, etc.) and / or wired communication. Other configurations are possible as well.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0270] The client device 1900 may additionally include or have interfaces for one or more userinterface components 1908 that facilitate user interaction with the client device 1900, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a display screen, a touch-sensitive interface, a stylus, a virtual- reality headset, and / or one or more speaker components, among other possibilities.

[0271] It should be understood that the client device 1900 is one example of a client device that may be used to interact with an example computing platform as described herein. Numerous other arrangements are possible and contemplated herein. For instance, in other embodiments, the client device 1900 may include additional components not pictured and / or more or fewer of the pictured components.VII. Example Clauses

[0272] The disclosure includes example embodiments in accordance with the following clauses:

[0273] Clause Al. A computing platform comprising: a communication interface; at least one processor; at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) obtain, via the communication interface, geospatial data associated with a region; (ii) generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (iii) determine, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (iv) after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.

[0274] Clause A2. The computing platform of clause Al, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: utilize the generated representation to determine that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0275] Clause A3. The computing platform of any one of clause Al or clause A2, wherein the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas comprises data defining at least one avoidance area.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0276] Clause A4. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A3, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with the region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain geospatial data associated with a region throughout a mission of the craft.

[0277] Clause A5. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A4, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with the region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain an initial set of geospatial data and one or more updated sets of geospatial data.

[0278] Clause A6. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A5, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with a region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain at least a portion of the geospatial data when the craft is within a threshold distance of one of the one or more avoidance areas.

[0279] Clause A7. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A6, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a dynamic representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft.

[0280] Clause A8. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A7, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtainPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT one or more of (i) environmental condition data associated with the region and (ii) sensor data of the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings.

[0281] Clause A9. The computing platform of clause A8, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained environmental condition data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0282] Clause A10. The computing platform of any one of clause A8 or clause A9, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0283] Clause Al 1. The computing platform of any one of clause A8 or clause A9, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on (i) the obtained geospatial data, (ii) the obtained environmental condition data, and (iii) the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0284] Clause A12. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause All, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the atPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: represent each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as a respective polygon in the generated representation.

[0285] Clause A13. The computing platform of clause A12, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to represent each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as the respective polygon in the generated representation comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate a quadtree data structure that includes, for each respective polygon that represents a respective avoidance area, geospatial points defining vertices of the respective polygon.

[0286] Clause A14. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A13, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and one or more of (i) a mode of operation of the craft and (ii) types of avoidance areas, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0287] Clause A15. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A14, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: for each respective avoidance area of at least one of the one or more avoidance areas: (i) identify, based on the obtained geospatial data, a respective initial polygon associated with the respective avoidance area; and (ii) add a safety bias to the respective initial polygon and thereby generate a respective polygon representing the respective avoidance area.

[0288] Clause Al 6. The computing platform of clause Al 5, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to add the safety bias to the initial polygon, inPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT order to generate the polygon representing the respective avoidance area comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: select the safety bias based on one or more of (i) the mode of operation of the craft and (ii) a type of avoidance area corresponding to the respective avoidance area.

[0289] Clause Al 7. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause Al 6, wherein the travel path is a predetermined travel path or a current trajectory for the craft.

[0290] Clause A18. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A17, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: utilize an avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area.

[0291] Clause Al 9. The computing platform of clause Al 8, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to utilize the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) select, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique; and (ii) apply the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

[0292] Clause A20. The computing platform of any one of clause Al 8 or clause Al 9, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to utilize the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) select, based on a type of avoidance area, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique; and (ii) apply the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0293] Clause A21. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A20, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain sensor data for the craft; and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: determine, based on the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and the obtained sensor data of the craft, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0294] Clause A22. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A21, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: in response determining that the conflict risk exists, generate a conflict avoidance path.

[0295] Clause A23. The computing platform of clause A22, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause data defining the determined conflict avoidance path to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict avoidance path to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

[0296] Clause A24. The computing platform of any one of clause A22 or clause A23, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause the craft to automatically initiate the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0297] Clause A25. The computing platform of clause A24, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to cause the craft to automatically initiate the determined conflict avoidance path comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: adjust one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0298] Clause A26. The computing platform of clause A25, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to adjust one or more control surfaces of thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation, cause the craft to adjust one or more control surfaces of one or more of flaps, ailerons, elevators, rudders, and vertical stabilizers of the craft, so as to cause the craft to change its heading and altitude to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0299] Clause A27. The computing platform of any one of clause A25 or clause A26, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to adjust one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: when the craft is in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, adjust one or more control surfaces of rudders of the craft or differentially control respective speeds of one or more of propeller assemblies of the craft to induce yaw into the craft to cause the cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0300] Clause A28. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A27, wherein the computing platform is a control system of the craft.

[0301] Clause A29. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A27, wherein the computing platform is a computing platform that is remote from the craft.

[0302] Clause A30. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A29, wherein the system associated with the craft is a control system of the craft.

[0303] Clause A31. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A29, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft.

[0304] Clause A32. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A31, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the computing platform.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0305] Clause A33. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A32, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft, and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: transmit, to the system remote from the craft data defining the determined conflict risk and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the system remote from the craft.

[0306] Clause A34. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A33, wherein the craft is a multimodal craft.

[0307] Clause A35. The computing platform of clause A34, wherein a multimodal craft is configured to operate in a hull-borne mode, a hydrofoil-borne mode, and a wing-borne mode.

[0308] Clause A36. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A35, wherein the data defining one or more avoidance areas comprises data defining a set of two or more avoidance areas for a craft, wherein the set of two or more avoidance areas comprises: (1) a first one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft, and (2) a second one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a second mode of operation of the craft.

[0309] Clause A37. The computing platform of clause A36, wherein the first one or more avoidance areas comprises a first particular avoidance area, wherein the second one or more avoidance areas comprises a second particular avoidance area, wherein the first particular avoidance area and the second particular avoidance area (1) are not the same and (2) overlap at least in part.

[0310] Clause A38. The computing platform of clause A37, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0311] Clause A39. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A38, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: select, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given subset of avoidance rules from among a set of avoidance rules, wherein the set of avoidance rules comprises (1) a first subset of avoidance rules corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft and (2) a second subset of avoidance rulesPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT corresponding to a second mode of operation, and wherein the first subset of avoidance rules is not the same as the second subset of avoidance rules; and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: determine, based at least on (i) the at least the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and (ii) the selected given set of avoidance rules, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0312] Clause A40. The computing platform of clause A39, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0313] Clause A41. The computing platform of any one of clause Al to clause A40, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: responsive to determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

[0314] Clause Bl. A craft comprising: (i) a hull; (ii) one or more wings coupled to the hull; (iii) extendible hydrofoils attached to the hull, wherein the craft is configured to operate in a wing-borne mode of operation, a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, and a hull-borne mode of operation; and (iv) computing platform comprising: (a) a communication interface; (b) at least one processor; (c) at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and (d) program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (1) obtain, via the communication interface, geospatial data associated with a region; (2) generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (3) determine, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (4)PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.

[0315] Clause B2. The craft of clause Bl, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: utilize the generated representation to determine that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0316] Clause B3. The craft of any one of clause Bl or clause B2, wherein the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas comprises data defining at least one avoidance area.

[0317] Clause B4. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B3, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with the region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain geospatial data associated with a region throughout a mission of the craft.

[0318] Clause B5. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B4, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with the region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain an initial set of geospatial data and one or more updated sets of geospatial data.

[0319] Clause B6. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B5, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with a region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain at least a portion of the geospatial data when the craft is within a threshold distance of one of the one or more avoidance areas.

[0320] Clause B7. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B6, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, whenPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a dynamic representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft.

[0321] Clause B8. The craft of any one of clause B 1 to clause B7, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain one or more of (i) environmental condition data associated with the region and (ii) sensor data of the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings.

[0322] Clause B9. The craft of clause B8, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained environmental condition data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0323] Clause B10. The craft of any one of clause B8 or clause B9, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0324] Clause Bl 1. The craft of any one of clause B8 or clause B9, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on (i) the obtained geospatial data, (ii) the obtained environmental condition data, and (iii) the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0325] Clause B12. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause Bll, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: represent each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as a respective polygon in the generated representation.

[0326] Clause B13. The craft of clause Bl 2, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to represent each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as the respective polygon in the generated representation comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate a quadtree data structure that includes, for each respective polygon that represents a respective avoidance area, geospatial points defining vertices of the respective polygon.

[0327] Clause B14. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B13, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and one or more of (i) a mode of operation of the craft and (ii) types of avoidance areas, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0328] Clause B15. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B14, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: for each respective avoidance area of at least one of the one or more avoidance areas: (i) identify, based on the obtained geospatial data, a respective initial polygon associated with the respective avoidance area; and (ii) add a safety bias to the respective initial polygon and thereby generate a respective polygon representing the respective avoidance area.

[0329] Clause Bl 6. The craft of clause Bl 5, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to add the safety bias to the initial polygon, in order to generate the polygon representing the respective avoidance area comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: select the safety bias based on one or more of (i) the mode of operation of the craft and (ii) a type of avoidance area corresponding to the respective avoidance area.

[0330] Clause Bl 7. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause Bl 6, wherein the travel path is a predetermined travel path or a current trajectory for the craft.

[0331] Clause B18. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B17, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: utilize an avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area.

[0332] Clause Bl 9. The craft of clause Bl 8, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to utilize the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) select, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique; and (ii) apply the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

[0333] Clause B20. The craft of any one of clause B18 or clause Bl 9, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, whenPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to utilize the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) select, based on a type of avoidance area, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique; and (ii) apply the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

[0334] Clause B21. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B20, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain sensor data for the craft; and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: determine, based on the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and the obtained sensor data of the craft, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0335] Clause B22. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B21, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: in response determining that the conflict risk exists, generate a conflict avoidance path.

[0336] Clause B23. The craft of clause B22, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause data defining the determined conflict avoidance path to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict avoidance path to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

[0337] Clause B24. The craft of any one of clause B22 or clause B23, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause the craft to automatically initiate the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0338] Clause B25. The craft of clause B24, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least onePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT processor, cause the computing platform to cause the craft to automatically initiate the determined conflict avoidance path comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: adjust one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0339] Clause B26. The craft of clause B25, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to adjust one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation, cause the craft to adjust one or more control surfaces of one or more of flaps, ailerons, elevators, rudders, and vertical stabilizers of the craft, so as to cause the craft to change its heading and altitude to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0340] Clause B27. The craft of any one of clause B25 or clause B26, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to adjust one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: when the craft is in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, adjust one or more control surfaces of rudders of the craft or differentially control respective speeds of one or more of propeller assemblies of the craft to induce yaw into the craft to cause the cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0341] Clause B28. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B26, wherein the system associated with the craft is a control system of the craft.

[0342] Clause B29. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B26, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft.

[0343] Clause B30. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B26, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitoryPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the computing platform.

[0344] Clause B31. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B26, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft, and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: transmit, to the system remote from the craft data defining the determined conflict risk and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the system remote from the craft.

[0345] Clause B32. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B31, wherein the craft is a multimodal craft.

[0346] Clause B33. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B32, wherein the data defining one or more avoidance areas comprises data defining a set of two or more avoidance areas for a craft, wherein the set of two or more avoidance areas comprises: (1) a first one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft, and (2) a second one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a second mode of operation of the craft.

[0347] Clause B34. The craft of clause B33, wherein the first one or more avoidance areas comprises a first particular avoidance area, wherein the second one or more avoidance areas comprises a second particular avoidance area, wherein the first particular avoidance area and the second particular avoidance area (1) are not the same and (2) overlap at least in part.

[0348] Clause B35. The craft of clause B34, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0349] Clause B36. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B35, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: select, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given subset of avoidance rules from among a set of avoidance rules, wherein the set of avoidance rules comprises (1) a first subset of avoidance rules corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft and (2) a second subset of avoidance rulesPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT corresponding to a second mode of operation, and wherein the first subset of avoidance rules is not the same as the second subset of avoidance rules; and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: determine, based at least on (i) the at least the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and (ii) the selected given set of avoidance rules, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0350] Clause B37. The craft of clause B36, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0351] Clause B38. The craft of any one of clause Bl to clause B37, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: responsive to determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

[0352] Clause Cl. A method carried out by a computing platform, the method comprising: (i) obtaining geospatial data associated with a region; (ii) generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (iii) determining, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (iv) after determining that the conflict risk exists, causing data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby causing an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.

[0353] Clause C2. The method of clause Cl, wherein determining, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travelPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT path of the craft exists comprises utilizing the generated representation to determine that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0354] Clause C3. The method of any one of clause Cl or clause C2, wherein the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas comprises data defining at least one avoidance area.

[0355] Clause C4. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C3, wherein obtaining geospatial data associated with the region comprises obtaining geospatial data associated with a region throughout a mission of the craft.

[0356] Clause C5. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C4, wherein obtaining geospatial data associated with the region comprises obtaining an initial set of geospatial data and one or more updated sets of geospatial data.

[0357] Clause C6. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C5, wherein obtaining geospatial data associated with a region comprises obtaining at least a portion of the geospatial data when the craft is within a threshold distance of one of the one or more avoidance areas.

[0358] Clause C7. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C6, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a dynamic representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft.

[0359] Clause C8. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C7, further comprising: obtaining one or more of (i) environmental condition data associated with the region and (ii) sensor data of the craft regarding the craft’s surroundings.

[0360] Clause C9. The method of clause C8, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises generating, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained environmental condition data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0361] Clause CIO. The method of any one of clause C8 or clause C9, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises generating, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0362] Clause Cll. The method of any one of clause C8 or clause C9, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises generating, based on (i) the obtained geospatial data, (ii) the obtained environmental condition data, and (iii) the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0363] Clause C12. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause Cll, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises representing each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as a respective polygon in the generated representation.

[0364] Clause C13. The method of clause Cl 2, wherein representing each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as the respective polygon in the generated representation comprises generating a quadtree data structure that includes, for each respective polygon that represents a respective avoidance area, geospatial points defining vertices of the respective polygon.

[0365] Clause C14. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C13, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises generating, based on the obtained geospatial data and one or more of (i) a mode of operation of the craft and (ii) types of avoidance areas, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

[0366] Clause Cl 5. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause Cl 4, wherein generating, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprises, for each respective avoidance area of at least one of the one or more avoidance areas: (i) identifying, based on the obtained geospatial data, a respective initial polygon associated with the respective avoidance area; and (ii) adding a safety bias to the respective initial polygon and thereby generating a respective polygon representing the respective avoidance area.

[0367] Clause Cl 6. The method of clause Cl 5, wherein adding the safety bias to the initial polygon, in order to generate the polygon representing the respective avoidance area comprises selecting the safety bias based on one or more of (i) the mode of operation of the craft and (ii) a type of avoidance area corresponding to the respective avoidance area.

[0368] Clause Cl 7. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause Cl 6, wherein the travel path is a predetermined travel path or a current trajectory for the craft.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0369] Clause Cl 8. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause Cl 7, wherein determining, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprises utilizing an avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area.

[0370] Clause C19. The method of clause C18, wherein utilizing the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprises: (i) selecting, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique; and (ii) applying the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

[0371] Clause C20. The method of any one of clause C18 or clause Cl 9, wherein utilizing the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprises: (i) selecting, based on a type of avoidance area, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique; and (ii) applying the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

[0372] Clause C21. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C20, further comprising obtaining sensor data for the craft; and wherein determining, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprises determining, based on the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and the obtained sensor data of the craft, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0373] Clause C22. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C21, further comprising: in response determining that the conflict risk exists, generating a conflict avoidance path.

[0374] Clause C23. The method of clause C22, further comprising causing data defining the determined conflict avoidance path to be output and thereby causing an indication of the determined conflict avoidance path to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

[0375] Clause C24. The method of any one of clause C22 or clause C23, further comprising causing the computing platform to: cause the craft to automatically initiate the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0376] Clause C25. The method of clause C24, wherein causing the computing platform to cause the craft to automatically initiate the determined conflict avoidance path comprises adjustingPATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0377] Clause C26. The method of clause C25, wherein adjusting one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path comprises, when the craft is in a wing-borne mode of operation, causing the craft to adjust one or more control surfaces of one or more of flaps, ailerons, elevators, rudders, and vertical stabilizers of the craft, so as to cause the craft to change its heading and altitude to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0378] Clause C27. The method of any one of clause C25 or clause C26, wherein adjusting one or more control surfaces of the craft to cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path comprises, when the craft is in a hydrofoil-borne mode of operation, adjusting one or more control surfaces of rudders of the craft or differentially control respective speeds of one or more of propeller assemblies of the craft to induce yaw into the craft to cause the cause the craft to follow the determined conflict avoidance path.

[0379] Clause C28. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C27, wherein the computing platform is a control system of the craft.

[0380] Clause C29. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C27, wherein the computing platform is a computing platform that is remote from the craft.

[0381] Clause C30. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C29, wherein the system associated with the craft is a control system of the craft.

[0382] Clause C31. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C29, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft.

[0383] Clause C32. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C31, wherein after determining that the conflict risk exists, causing data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby causing the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprises causing the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the computing platform.

[0384] Clause C33. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C32, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft, and wherein after determining that the conflict risk exists, causing data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby causing the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprises transmitting, to the system remote from the craft data defining the determined conflict risk and thereby causing the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the system remote from the craft.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT

[0385] Clause C34. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C33, wherein the craft is a multimodal craft.

[0386] Clause C35. The method of clause C34, wherein a multimodal craft is configured to operate in a hull-borne mode, a hydrofoil-borne mode, and a wing-borne mode.

[0387] Clause C36. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C35, wherein the data defining one or more avoidance areas comprises data defining a set of two or more avoidance areas for a craft, wherein the set of two or more avoidance areas comprises: (1) a first one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft, and (2) a second one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a second mode of operation of the craft.

[0388] Clause C37. The method of clause C36, wherein the first one or more avoidance areas comprises a first particular avoidance area, wherein the second one or more avoidance areas comprises a second particular avoidance area, wherein the first particular avoidance area and the second particular avoidance area (1) are not the same and (2) overlap at least in part.

[0389] Clause C38. The method of clause C37, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0390] Clause C39. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C38, further comprising selecting, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given subset of avoidance rules from among a set of avoidance rules, wherein the set of avoidance rules comprises (1) a first subset of avoidance rules corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft and (2) a second subset of avoidance rules corresponding to a second mode of operation, and wherein the first subset of avoidance rules is not the same as the second subset of avoidance rules; and wherein determining, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprises determining, based at least on (i) the at least the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and (ii) the selected given set of avoidance rules, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

[0391] Clause C40. The method of clause C39, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0392] Clause C41. The method of any one of clause Cl to clause C40, wherein after determining that the conflict risk exists, causing data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby causing the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprises, responsive to determining that the conflict risk exists, causing data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and therebyPATENT Attorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT causing the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

[0393] Clause DI. A computing platform comprising: a communication interface; at least one processor; at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) obtain, via the communication interface, geospatial data associated with a region; (ii) generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining a set of two or more avoidance areas for a craft, wherein the set of two or more avoidance areas comprises: (1) a first one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft, and (2) a second one or more avoidance areas corresponding to a second mode of operation of the craft; (iii) determine, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (iv) after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output.

[0394] Clause D2. The computing platform of clause DI, wherein the first one or more avoidance areas comprises a first particular avoidance area, wherein the second one or more avoidance areas comprises a second particular avoidance area, wherein the first particular avoidance area and the second particular avoidance area (1) are not the same and (2) overlap at least in part.

[0395] Clause D3. The computing platform of clause DI or clause D2, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.

[0396] Clause El . A computing platform comprising: a communication interface; at least one processor; at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: (i) obtain, via the communication interface, geospatial data associated with a region; (ii) generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft; (iii) select, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given subset of avoidance rules from among a set of avoidance rules, wherein the set of avoidance rules comprises (1) a first subset of avoidance rules corresponding to a first mode of operation of the craft and (2) a second subset of avoidance rules corresponding to a second mode of operation, and wherein the first subset of avoidance rules is not the same as the second subset of avoidance rules; (iv) determine, based at least on (1) at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and (2) thePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT selected given set of avoidance rules, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; and (v) after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output.

[0397] Clause E2. The computing platform of clause El, wherein the first mode of operation of the craft comprises a wing-borne mode of operation, and wherein the second mode of operation of the craft comprises a foil-borne mode of operation of the craft.VIII. Conclusion

[0398] The above detailed description describes various features and functions of the disclosed craft and methods of operation with reference to the accompanying figures. While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT CLAIMS1. A computing platform comprising:a communication interface;at least one processor;at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; andprogram instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:obtain, via the communication interface, geospatial data associated with a region; generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data and a mode of operation of the craft, a representation of the region that includes data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft;determine, based at least on at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that a conflict risk for a travel path of the craft exists; andafter determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause an indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of a system associated with the craft.

2. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with the region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain geospatial data associated with a region throughout a mission of the craft.

3. The computing platform of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to obtain geospatial data associated with a region comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: obtain at least a portion of the geospatial data when the craft is within a threshold distance of one of the one or more avoidance areas.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT 4. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:obtain one or more of (i) environmental condition data associated with the region and (ii) sensor data of the craft regarding the craft’ s surroundings, andwherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data and the mode of operation of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained environmental condition data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

5. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:obtain one or more of (i) environmental condition data associated with the region and (ii) sensor data of the craft regarding the craft’ s surroundings, andwherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data and the mode of operation of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:generate, based on the obtained geospatial data and the obtained sensor data of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

6. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least onePATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:represent each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as a respective polygon in the generated representation, wherein representing each respective avoidance area of the one or more avoidance areas as a respective polygon in the generated representation comprises generating a quadtree data structure that includes, for each respective polygon that represents a respective avoidance area, geospatial points defining vertices of the respective polygon.

7. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data and the mode of operation of the craft, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:generate, based on the obtained geospatial data, the mode of operation of the craft, and types of avoidance areas, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for a craft.

8. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to generate, based at least on the obtained geospatial data, the representation of the region that includes the data defining one or more avoidance areas for the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:for each respective avoidance area of at least one of the one or more avoidance areas: identify, based on the obtained geospatial data, a respective initial polygon associated with the respective avoidance area; andadd a safety bias to the respective initial polygon and thereby generate a respective polygon representing the respective avoidance area.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT9. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:utilize an avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area, wherein utilizing the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprises (i) selecting, based on a mode of operation of the craft, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique, and (ii) applying the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

10. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:utilize an avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within a threshold distance of an avoidance area, wherein utilizing the avoidance technique having one or more rules to determine whether the craft will get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area comprises (i) selecting, based on a type of avoidance area, a given set of rules for the avoidance technique, and (ii) applying the given set of rules for the avoidance technique to determine whether the craft will intersect with or get within the threshold distance of the avoidance area.

11. The computing platform of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT obtain sensor data for the craft; andwherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to determine, based at least on the at least a portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:determine, based on the portion of the data defining the one or more avoidance areas and the obtained sensor data of the craft, that the conflict risk for the travel path of the craft exists.

12. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:in response determining that the conflict risk exists, generate a conflict avoidance path; andcause data defining the generated conflict avoidance path to be output and thereby cause an indication of the generated conflict avoidance path to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft.

13. The computing platform of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:in response determining that the conflict risk exists, generate a conflict avoidance path; andcause the craft to automatically initiate the generated conflict avoidance path.

14. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the computing platform comprises a control system of the craft.

15. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the computing platform comprises a computing platform that is remote from the craft.PATENT Atorney Docket No. REGENT 24-0701PCT 16. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the system associated with the craft comprises a control system of the craft.

17. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the system associated with the craft comprises a system remote from the craft.

18. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to: cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the computing platform.

19. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the system associated with the craft is a system remote from the craft, and wherein the program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to, after determining that the conflict risk exists, cause data defining the determined conflict risk to be output and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at the user interface of the system associated with the craft comprise program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing platform to:transmit, to the system remote from the craft data defining the determined conflict risk and thereby cause the indication of the determined conflict risk to be presented at a user interface of the system remote from the craft.

20. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the mode of operation of the craft comprises one of a hull-borne mode, a hydrofoil-borne mode, and a wing-borne mode.

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