US 12735210 B2 / Sep 15, 2026

Landing and alignment of an unmanned aerial vehicle with a base station

A base station for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a reconfigurable landing platform including alignment members, which engage the UAV and are repositionable between extended and retracted positions, and a drive mechanism, which is connected (secured) to the alignment members to facilitate extension and retraction thereof. During retraction, the alignment members engage the UAV and generally align a power source on the UAV with a charging hub of the base station, which facilitates not only charging of the UAV but proper closure of the base station.