METHOD FOR CALCULATING THE DISTANCE TO A GROUND TARGET FROM AN AERIAL VEHICLE
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and a method for measuring and determining the depth, offset and translation in relation to one or several features in the field of view of an image sensor equipped UAV. The UAV comprises at least an autopilot system capable of estimating rotation and translation, processing means, height measuring means and one or more imaging sensor means. Given the estimated translation provided by the autopilot system, the objective of the present invention is achieved by the following method; capturing an image, initiating a change in altitude, capturing a second image, comparing the images and the change in height provided by the sensor to produce a scale factor or depth. If depth is estimated, then calculating the scale factor from the depth, and calculating the actual translation with the resulting scale factor.
6 Citations
24 Claims
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1-4. -4. (canceled)
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5. A method for determining a distance from an aerial vehicle to a target feature using an image sensor and an aviation altitude sensor each coupled to the aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
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capturing, at a first position of the aerial vehicle, a first image including the target feature and a number of adjacent features; receiving a first aviation altitude corresponding to the first position of the aerial vehicle; altering a vertical position of the aerial vehicle from the first position to a second position of the aerial vehicle; capturing, at the second position of the aerial vehicle, a second image including the target feature and the number of adjacent features; receiving a second aviation altitude corresponding to the second position of the aerial vehicle; and determining a target distance from the second position of the aerial vehicle to the target feature, wherein the target distance is based, at least in part, on the first aviation altitude, the second aviation altitude, a first pixel position of the target feature in the first image, and a second pixel position of the target feature in the second image. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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an autopilot for an aerial vehicle; an orientable image sensor configured to be coupled to the aerial vehicle; and an aviation altitude sensor coupled to the aerial vehicle, wherein the autopilot is configured to; capture, at a first position of the aerial vehicle, a first image including a target feature and a number of adjacent features; receive a first aviation altitude corresponding to the first position of the aerial vehicle; alter a vertical position of the aerial vehicle from the first position to a second position; capture, at the second position of the aerial vehicle, a second image including the target feature and the number of adjacent features; receive a second aviation altitude corresponding to the second position of the aerial vehicle; and determine a target distance from the second position of the aerial vehicle to the target feature, wherein the target distance is based, at least in part, on the first aviation altitude, the second aviation altitude, a first pixel position of the target feature in the first image, and a second pixel position of the target feature in the second image. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification