DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING UAV FLIGHT OPERATIONS BASED ON THERMAL SENSOR DATA

• US 20180004231A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc (Delair SAS)
• Inventors: Michini, Bernard J., Blanc-Pques, Fabien
• Granted Patent: US 11,181,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/50 Glider-type UAVs, e.g. with parachute, parasail or kite for landing B64U70/83
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• 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 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

In some implementations, a UAV flight system can dynamically adjust UAV flight operations based on thermal sensor data. For example, the flight system can determine an initial flight plan for inspecting a flare stack and configure a UAV to perform an aerial inspection of the flare stack. Once airborne, the UAV can collect thermal sensor data and the flight system can automatically adjust the flight plan to avoid thermal damage to the UAV based on the thermal sensor data.

Claims

1. A system comprising one or more processors, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform the operations comprising:

navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

while navigating the UAV, periodically monitoring ambient temperature external to the UAV; and

storing a plurality of temperature values and respective geospatial locations of where the ambient temperature was monitored.

2. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

obtaining a heat map corresponding to an area around a target object; and

dynamically adjusting flight of the UAV to avoid areas of high heat values as indicated in the heat map.

3. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the stored temperature values, generating a heat map corresponding to an area surrounding a target object, wherein the heat map includes a plurality of three-dimensional locations in a volumetric space around the target object, where each of the three-dimensional locations is mapped to a respective temperature value.

4. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

preventing navigation of the UAV to a position corresponding to a stored geospatial location based on the ambient temperature value corresponding to the stored geospatial location.

5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints;

determining whether a particular waypoint in the flight plan coincides with an area of a predetermined temperature threshold; and

removing the particular waypoint from the flight plan so that the UAV avoids the area.

6. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining a contingency event; and

conducting a contingency maneuver by the UAV in response to the determined contingency event, wherein the contingency event is the detection of an ambient temperature above a threshold temperature value.

7. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints associated with an inspection of a structure; and

adjusting the flight plan to navigate the UAV to a location in a direction away from the structure until the ambient temperature is within an allowable temperature range.

8. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints associated with an inspection of a structure;

determining using an ambient light sensor that light ambient to the UAV is below a threshold level; and

causing the UAV to move to the next waypoint if the ambient light is below the threshold level.

9. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

periodically monitoring the temperature of one or more internal components of the UAV; and

if the temperature reaches a threshold value, automatically navigating the UAV to a location where the internal component temperature begins to reduce in temperature.

10. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV around a structure based on a pre-determined flight plan, wherein the flight plan is based at least in part on a safe stand-off distance from the structure to avoid heat damage to UAV; and

while navigating around the structure, obtaining by the UAV sensor data describing the structure.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining a heat map corresponding to an area around a target object; and

dynamically adjusting flight of the UAV to avoid areas of high heat values as indicated in the heat map.

13. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

based on the stored temperature values, generating a heat map corresponding to an area surrounding a target object, wherein the heat map includes a plurality of three-dimensional locations in a volumetric space around the target object, where each of the three-dimensional locations is mapped to a respective temperature value.

14. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

preventing navigation of the UAV to a position corresponding to a stored geospatial location based on the ambient temperature value corresponding to the stored geospatial location.

15. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints;

determining whether a particular waypoint in the flight plan coincides with an area of a predetermined temperature threshold; and

removing the particular waypoint from the flight plan so that the UAV avoids the area.

16. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining a contingency event; and

conducting a contingency maneuver by the UAV in response to the determined contingency event, wherein the contingency event is the detection of an ambient temperature above a threshold temperature value.

17. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints associated with an inspection of a structure; and

adjusting the flight plan to navigate the UAV to a location in a direction away from the structure until the ambient temperature is within an allowable temperature range.

18. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints associated with an inspection of a structure;

determining using an ambient light sensor that light ambient to the UAV is below a threshold level; and

causing the UAV to move to the next waypoint if the ambient light is below the threshold level.

19. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

periodically monitoring the temperature of one or more internal components of the UAV; and

if the temperature reaches a threshold value, automatically navigating the UAV to a location where the internal component temperature begins to reduce in temperature.

20. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

navigating the UAV around a structure based on a pre-determined flight plan, wherein the flight plan is based at least in part on a safe stand-off distance from the structure to avoid heat damage to UAV; and

while navigating around the structure obtaining by the UAV sensor data describing the structure.

22. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

obtaining a heat map corresponding to an area around a target object; and

dynamically adjusting flight of the UAV to avoid areas of high heat values as indicated in the heat map.

23. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

based on the stored temperature values, generating a heat map corresponding to an area surrounding a target object, wherein the heat map includes a plurality of three-dimensional locations in a volumetric space around the target object, where each of the three-dimensional locations is mapped to a respective temperature value.

24. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

preventing navigation of the UAV to a position corresponding to a stored geospatial location based on the ambient temperature value corresponding to the stored geospatial location.

25. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints;

determining whether a particular waypoint in the flight plan coincides with an area of a predetermined temperature threshold; and

removing the particular waypoint from the flight plan so that the UAV avoids the area.

26. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining a contingency event; and

conducting a contingency maneuver by the UAV in response to the determined contingency event, wherein the contingency event is the detection of an ambient temperature above a threshold temperature value.

27. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints associated with an inspection of a structure; and

adjusting the flight plan to navigate the UAV to a location in a direction away from the structure until the ambient temperature is within an allowable temperature range.

28. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV according to a flight plan in an auto-piloted mode, wherein the flight plan includes a plurality of waypoints associated with an inspection of a structure;

determining using an ambient light sensor that light ambient to the UAV is below a threshold level; and

causing the UAV to move to the next waypoint if the ambient light is below the threshold level.

29. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

periodically monitoring the temperature of one or more internal components of the UAV; and

if the temperature reaches a threshold value, automatically navigating the UAV to a location where the internal component temperature begins to reduce in temperature.

30. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

navigating the UAV around a structure based on a pre-determined flight plan, wherein the flight plan is based at least in part on a safe stand-off distance from the structure to avoid heat damage to UAV; and

while navigating around the structure, obtaining by the UAV sensor data describing the structure.

11. A method implemented by a system comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:

navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

while navigating the UAV, periodically monitoring ambient temperature external to the UAV; and

storing a plurality of temperature values and respective geospatial locations of where the ambient temperature was monitored.

21. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a system comprising one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);

while navigating the UAV, periodically monitoring ambient temperature external to the UAV; and

storing a plurality of temperature values and respective geospatial locations of where the ambient temperature was monitored.