US Patent 10421543 Context-based flight mode selection

A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes one or more processors configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors carried by the UAV. The sensor data is indicative of at least a state of the UAV. The one or more processors are further configured to select a flight mode from a plurality of different flight modes based at least in part on the sensor data and effect operation of the UAV in accordance with a set of operating rules associated with the selected flight mode.