UAV with protective outer cage

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of hovering flight, the UAV comprising:

• an elastically deformable outer protective cage,
• a propulsion system mounted inside the outer protective cage,
• a sensor support system indirectly coupled to the propulsion system via a portion of the outer protective cage, wherein the sensor support system comprises a cage frame member coupled to the outer protective cage, and
• a sensor system coupled to the sensor support system and configured to project through the cage frame member, wherein
• the sensor system is coupled to the sensor support system via a passive coupling mechanism without motorized actuation that comprises a spring coupling exerting an elastic bias against the sensor system towards an operating position,
• the sensor system being retractable into the outer protective cage against the elastic bias of the spring coupling upon collision with an external object, and
• wherein the coupling mechanism further comprises a load limited releasable rigid coupling providing a stable rigid positioning of the sensor system in said operating position, the rigid coupling being releasable upon exercise of a collision force greater than a predetermined threshold.