Optical State Estimation And Simulation Environment For Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• US 20110301925A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: McWILLIAMS, George T. III, ALLEY, Kevin J., MENTZER, Christopher I.
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/00 Navigation; Navigational instruments not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C19/00 measuring distance traversed on the ground by a vehicle G01C22/00; control of position, course, altitude or attitude of vehicles G05D1/00; traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/48 a model being viewed and manoeuvred from a remote point

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for simulating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and simulating an environment in which the UAV may be flying. A plurality of visual sensors, e.g., cameras, positioned on the UAV, may be simulated. A UAV simulator is configured to simulate the UAV and a graphical simulator is configured to simulate the environment. The UAV simulator may be configured to: estimate pitch, roll and/or groundspeed based, at least in part, on outputs from the visual sensors, determine a position and/or an orientation of the simulated UAV in the simulated environment based, at least in part, on the estimate(s) and provide the position and/or orientation to the graphical simulator. The graphical simulator may be configured to display the simulated UAV at the position and/or orientation in the simulated environment and/or to display the simulated camera view(s).

Claims

1. A method for simulating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a simulated environment, said method comprising:

receiving an output from at least one simulated visual sensor positioned on said simulated UAV;

estimating at least one parameter associated with said simulated UAV, based at least in part, on said output from said simulated visual sensor, using a first processor;

determining at least one of a position and an orientation of said simulated UAV, based at least in part, on said estimate of said at least one parameter, using said first processor; and

simulating said UAV in said simulated environment at said at least one of said position and said orientation, using a second processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor is generated using said second processor based, at least in part, on said at least one of said position and said orientation of said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor is generated using at least one other processor based, at least in part, on said at least one of said position and said orientation of said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one parameter comprises at least one of pitch, roll and groundspeed of said simulated UAV.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first processor is included in a first computer system and the second processor is included in a second computer system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying at least one simulated view of said at least one simulated visual sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein estimating said parameter comprises determining an angle of said simulated UAV relative to a simulated horizon in said simulated environment.

9. A system comprising:

a first processor configured to;

simulate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV),

estimate at least one parameter associated with said UAV, based at least in part, on an output from at least one simulated visual sensor, and

determine at least one of a position and an orientation of said UAV, based at least in part, on said estimate of said at least one parameter; and

a second processor configured to;

simulate an environment, and

simulate said UAV in said environment at said at least one of said position and said orientation.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the second processor is further configured to:

generate said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor, and

provide said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor to said first processor.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising at least one other processor configured to:

generate said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor, and

provide said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor to said first processor.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the first processor is included in a first computer system and the second processor is included in a second computer system.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of pitch, roll and groundspeed of said simulated UAV.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said second processor is further configured to display said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein said second processor is further configured to display at least one simulated view of said at least one simulated visual sensor.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein said first processor is further configured to determine an angle of said simulated UAV relative to a simulated horizon in said simulated environment.

17. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following operations for simulating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in a simulated environment:

receiving an output from at least one simulated visual sensor positioned on said simulated UAV;

estimating at least one parameter associated with said simulated UAV, based at least in part, on said output from said simulated visual sensor, using a first processor;

determining at least one of a position and an orientation of said simulated UAV, based at least in part, on said estimate of said at least one parameter, using said first processor; and

simulating said UAV in said simulated environment at said at least one of said position and said orientation, using a second processor.

18. The article of claim 17 wherein said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor is generated using said second processor based, at least in part, on said at least one of said position and said orientation of said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

19. The article of claim 17 wherein said output from said at least one simulated visual sensor is generated using at least one other processor based, at least in part, on said at least one of said position and said orientation of said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

20. The article of claim 17 wherein said at least one parameter comprises at least one of pitch, roll and groundspeed of said simulated UAV.

21. The article of claim 17 wherein the first processor is included in a first computer system and the second processor is included in a second computer system.

22. The article of claim 17 wherein the instructions further result in the following operations:

displaying said simulated UAV in said simulated environment.

23. The article of claim 17 wherein the instructions further result in the following operations:

displaying at least one simulated view of said at least one simulated visual sensor.

24. The article of claim 17 wherein estimating said parameter comprises determining an angle of said simulated UAV relative to a simulated horizon in said simulated environment.