Perimeter structure for unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,435,176 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Inventors: McClure, Stephen R., Thompson, Benjamin S., Bry, Adam, Bachrach, Abraham, Donahoe, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US15/164,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20170341776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/70 Constructional aspects of the UAV body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

Embodiments are described for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured for autonomous flight using visual navigation that includes a perimeter structure surrounding one or more powered rotors, the perimeter structure including image capture devices arranged so as to provide an unobstructed view around the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a central body including a plurality of walls forming an interior body space, the plurality of walls including;

a first side wall opposite a second side wall;

a first end wall opposite a second end wall; and

a top wall opposite a bottom wall;

a flight controller arranged within the interior body space;

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) communicatively coupled to the flight controller;

a first plurality of powered rotors structurally coupled to the central body of the UAV by a first plurality of arms extending from the first side wall, the first plurality of powered rotors communicatively coupled to the flight controller to receive control commands;

a second plurality of powered rotors structurally coupled to central body of the UAV by a second plurality of arms extending from the second side wall, the second plurality of powered rotors communicatively coupled to the flight controller to receive control commands;

a first perimeter structure extending from the first sidewall of the central body and surrounding at least a portion of an outer edge of the first plurality of powered rotors;

a second perimeter structure extending from the second sidewall of the central body and surrounding at least a portion of an outer edge of the second plurality of powered rotors;

wherein the first and second powered rotors are generally aligned along a horizontal plane relative to the central body;

wherein the first and second perimeter structures have hollow cross sections having walls surrounding an interior perimeter space;

a plurality of image capture devices embedded in the walls of the first and second perimeter structures and communicatively coupled to the flight controller via wires within the interior perimeter space, each of the plurality of image capture devices oriented in a different one of a plurality of directions relative to the central body so as to capture unobstructed images in the plurality of directions around the UAV, while in use;

wherein the flight controller is configured to;

receive images captured by the plurality of image capture devices;

receive sensor data gathered by the IMU;

calculate a predicted position and/or orientation of the UAV based on the received images and sensor data; and

generated control commands based on the calculated position and/or orientation of the UAV, the control commands configured to cause the first and second powered rotors to autonomously maneuver the UAV.

2. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising:

a gimbaled image capture device structurally coupled to the first end wall of the central body by a hybrid digital-mechanical gimbal, the gimbaled image capture device configured for tracking and filming a subject in a physical environment surrounding the UAV, while in use.

3. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising:

a top image capture device embedded in the top wall of the central body and communicatively coupled to the flight controller, the top image capture device arranged generally perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to capture images from above the UAV, while in use; and

a bottom image capture device embedded in the bottom wall of the central body and arranged generally perpendicular to the horizontal plane so as to capture images from below the UAV, while in use.

4. The UAV of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communications interface configured for communication with a mobile user device.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a central body including a plurality of walls forming an interior body space, the plurality of walls including a first side wall opposite a second side wall;

a plurality of powered rotors configured to provide propulsion for the UAV while in use, the plurality of powered rotors including;

a first powered rotor coupled to a first arm extending away from the first side wall;

a second powered rotor coupled a second arm extending away from the second side wall;

a perimeter structure coupled to the central body, the perimeter structure including;

a first perimeter structure component extending from the first sidewall of the central body and surrounding at least a portion of an outer edge of the first powered rotor; and

a second perimeter structure component extending from the second sidewall of the central body and surrounding at least a portion of an outer edge of the second powered rotor;

wherein the first and second perimeter structures have hollow cross sections having walls surrounding an interior perimeter space; and

a plurality of image capture devices coupled to the perimeter structure, each of the plurality of image capture devices oriented in a different one of a plurality of directions relative to the central body so as to capture unobstructed images in the plurality of directions around the UAV, while in use;

wherein the UAV is configured to navigate autonomously, while in use, using images received via the plurality of image capture devices.

6. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the plurality of powered rotors and the perimeter structure are aligned substantially in parallel with a horizontal plane relative to the central body.

7. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the perimeter structure is configured to protect the plurality of powered rotors from contact with other objects, while in use.

8. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the plurality of image capture devices are arranged along the perimeter structure so as capture unobstructed stereoscopic images in the plurality of directions around the UAV, while in use.

9. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the each of the plurality of image capture devices comprises a stereoscopic camera, the stereoscopic camera including two optical sensors.

10. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the perimeter structure forms a substantially rectangular perimeter around the UAV, the substantially rectangular perimeter including four opposing corners, and wherein plurality of image capture devices include at least four image capture devices, each of the at least four image capture devices embedded in the wall of the perimeter structure at a different one of the four opposing corners.

11. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the plurality of image capture devices are communicatively coupled to a flight controller of the UAV via wires arranged within the interior space of the perimeter structure.

12. The UAV of claim 11, wherein the flight controller is arranged within the central body of the UAV.

13. The UAV of claim 5, further comprising one or more additional sensors arranged within the interior space of the perimeter structure, the one or more additional sensors including one or more of:

an inertial measurement unit (IMU);

an accelerometer;

a gyroscope;

or

a proximity sensor.

14. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the UAV is configured to navigate autonomously using a process of visual inertial odometry.

15. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the perimeter structure is made of a carbon fiber material.

16. The UAV of claim 5, further comprising a wireless communications interface configured for communication with a mobile user device.

17. The UAV of claim 5,

wherein the central body includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

wherein the first perimeter structure component extends from a first connection point on the first side wall to a second connection point on the first side wall, the first connection point proximate to the first end of the central body and the second connection point proximate to the second end of the central body; and

wherein the second perimeter structure component extends from a third connection point on the second side wall to a fourth connection point on the second side wall, the third connection point proximate to the first end of the central body and the fourth connection point proximate to the second end of the central body.

18. The UAV of claim 17, wherein the first arm extends from the first side wall of the central body at a position substantially between the first connection point and the second connection point and wherein the second arm extends from the second side wall at a position substantially between the third connection point and the fourth connection point.

19. The UAV of claim 5, further comprising:

a second plurality of image capture devices structurally coupled to the central body of the UAV and arranged substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the central body so as to capture images above and/or below the UAV, while in use.

20. The UAV of claim of claim 5, wherein the central body includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end and second end adjacent to the first and second side walls, the UAV further comprising:

a gimbaled image capture device structurally coupled to the first end of the central body of the UAV by a mechanical gimbal, the gimbaled image capture device configured for tracking and filming a subject in a physical environment surrounding the UAV, while in use.

21. The UAV of claim 20, wherein the mechanical gimbal is part of a hybrid digital-mechanical gimbal system, the hybrid digital mechanical gimbal system configured to mechanically actuate the gimbaled image capture device about a first access and digitally process images captured by the gimbaled image capture device to provide the effect of actuating the gimbaled image capture device about a second axis.

22. The UAV of claim 20, wherein images captured via the gimbaled image capture device are transmitted from the UAV, via a wireless communication interface, for presentation via a display of a mobile user device.

23. The UAV of claim of claim 5, further comprising a protective grating arranged above and below the powered rotors, the protective grating covering at least a portion of a top opening defined by a top edge of the perimeter structure and a bottom opening defined by a bottom edge of the perimeter structure.