UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE VISUAL POINT CLOUD NAVIGATION

• US 20180204469A1
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc (Delair SAS)
• Inventors: Moster, Joseph, Okazaki, Donna, Michini, Bernard J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,017,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• 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 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 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/02 Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0034 Assembly of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0039 Modification of a flight plan
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for unmanned aerial vehicle flight operations near physical structures or objects. In particular, a point cloud of the physical structure is generated using aerial images of the structure. The point cloud is then referenced to determine a flight path for the UAV to follow around the physical structure, determine whether a planned flight path to desired locations around the structure is possible, determine the fastest route to return home and land from a given position around the physical structure, determine possibility of inflight collision to surface represented in point cloud, or determine an orientation of a fixed or gimbaled camera given a position of the UAV relative the point cloud.

Claims

1. A computerized method performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:

obtaining a point cloud representing a physical structure;

determining a point cloud buffer, wherein the point cloud buffer extends from the surface of the structure represented by the point cloud;

determining a flight path for the UAV about the physical structure based upon the obtained point cloud and determined point cloud buffer; and

navigating the UAV according to the determined flight path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a point cloud comprises:

conducting by the UAV an aerial survey of the physical structure thereby generating one or more images including a portion of the structure, and one or more images including a representation of a ground control point marker; and

generating the point cloud using the one or more images of the structure and of the ground control point marker.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the flight path comprises:

receiving one or more inspection locations about the physical structure for inspection by the UAV, wherein the inspection locations identify an area to obtain one or more aerial images of the physical structure; and

determining in reference to the point cloud, a flight path for the UAV to navigate to each inspection location.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a flight vehicle buffer for the UAV;

determining an actual or potential collision by the UAV to a surface of the physical structure based upon the flight vehicle buffer and the point cloud buffer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the flight vehicle buffer is a pre-determined volumetric perimeter around the UAV.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the occurrence of a contingency event;

calculating a contingency landing zone based in reference to the point cloud; and

navigating the UAV to the contingency landing zone.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining by the UAV a geo-spatial location of the UAV while navigating about the physical structure;

determining a slope of a surface of the physical structure for an area of interest;

using the point cloud, determining a position of the UAV relative to the area of interest; and

orienting a gimbaled camera of the UAV to a desired angle relative to the slope of the area of interest.

8. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system comprising one or more processors, and a computer storage media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a point cloud representing a physical structure;

determining a point cloud buffer, wherein the point cloud buffer extends from the surface of the structure represented by the point cloud;

determining a flight path for the UAV about the physical structure based upon the obtained point cloud and determined point cloud buffer; and

navigating the UAV according to the determined flight path.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

conducting by the UAV an aerial survey of the physical structure thereby generating one or more images including a portion of the structure, and one or more images including a representation of a ground control point marker; and

generating the point cloud using the one or more images of the structure and of the ground control point marker.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the flight path comprises:

receiving one or more inspection locations about the physical structure for inspection by the UAV, wherein the inspection locations identify an area to obtain one or more aerial images of the physical structure; and

determining in reference to the point cloud, a flight path for the UAV to navigate to each inspection location.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a flight vehicle buffer for the UAV;

determining an actual or potential collision by the UAV to a surface of the physical structure based upon the flight vehicle buffer and the point cloud buffer.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the flight vehicle buffer is a pre-determined volumetric perimeter around the UAV.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the occurrence of a contingency event;

calculating a contingency landing zone based in reference to the point cloud; and

navigating the UAV to the contingency landing zone.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining by the UAV a geo-spatial location of the UAV while navigating about the physical structure;

determining a slope of a surface of the physical structure for an area of interest;

using the point cloud, determining a position of the UAV relative to the area of interest; and

orienting a gimbaled camera of the UAV to a desired angle relative to the slope of the area of interest.

15. A computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more process included of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, cause the system to perform the operations comprising:

obtaining a point cloud representing a physical structure;

determining a point cloud buffer, wherein the point cloud buffer extends from the surface of the structure represented by the point cloud;

determining a flight path for the UAV about the physical structure based upon the obtained point cloud and determined point cloud buffer; and

navigating the UAV according to the determined flight path.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

conducting by the UAV an aerial survey of the physical structure thereby generating one or more images including a portion of the structure, and one or more images including a representation of a ground control point marker; and

generating the point cloud using the one or more images of the structure and of the ground control point marker.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining the flight path comprises:

receiving one or more inspection locations about the physical structure for inspection by the UAV, wherein the inspection locations identify an area to obtain one or more aerial images of the physical structure; and

determining in reference to the point cloud, a flight path for the UAV to navigate to each inspection location.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a flight vehicle buffer for the UAV;

determining an actual or potential collision by the UAV to a surface of the physical structure based upon the flight vehicle buffer and the point cloud buffer.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18 wherein the flight vehicle buffer is a pre-determined volumetric perimeter around the UAV.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the occurrence of a contingency event;

calculating a contingency landing zone based in reference to the point cloud; and

navigating the UAV to the contingency landing zone.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining by the UAV a geo-spatial location of the UAV while navigating about the physical structure;

determining a slope of a surface of the physical structure for an area of interest;

using the point cloud, determining a position of the UAV relative to the area of interest; and

orienting a gimbaled camera of the UAV to a desired angle relative to the slope of the area of interest.