Aerial forest inventory system

• US 9,063,544 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vian, John Lyle, Przybylko, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US13/712,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/00 Forestry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating information about a forest. A number of locations in the forest are identified over which an electromagnetic energy sensor system in an unmanned aerial vehicle generates the information about the forest by generating a point cloud with a resolution that meets a point cloud threshold. A route is generated for the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the number of locations and generate the information about the forest in the number of locations.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

an electromagnetic energy sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the electromagnetic energy sensor system is configured to generate information about a forest; and

a survey controller configured to;

identify a number of locations over the forest in which an information level of the information generated about the forest by the electromagnetic energy sensor system is reduced by an effect of cloud cover,

generate a route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the number of locations, and

continuously generate the route as changes in cloud cover occur over the forest;

wherein the route is based on a current location of a number of clouds and a prediction of movement of the number of clouds.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the survey controller is configured to control movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle over the number of locations using the route and control generation of the information about the forest in the number of locations.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the survey controller is configured to identify a change in the number of locations based on a change in cloud cover over the forest.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the survey controller is configured to identify the number of locations using cloud information about clouds over the forest.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cloud information is generated by a sensor system selected from at least one of a satellite, an all sky imager, a camera system on the unmanned aerial vehicle, a camera system on an aircraft, and a radar system.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the route is a three-dimensional route and the route changes in three dimensions to reduce the effect of the cloud cover on the information level of the information generated by the electromagnetic energy sensor system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the electromagnetic energy sensor system is part of the sensor system and wherein the sensor system further includes a camera system and a global positioning system receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy sensor system is selected from at least one of a photonics sensor, a stereographic camera, a light detection and ranging system, a radio detection and ranging system, a radio frequency sensor system, and an electro-optical sensor system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the survey controller is located in at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicle and in a computer system in a remote location.

19. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein a probabilistic model is used to predict the movement of the number of clouds;

wherein the route is generated for where the number of clouds are absent; and

wherein the route is adjusted such that the unmanned aerial vehicle flies under the number of clouds and returns above the number of clouds when the number of clouds have moved.

10. An aerial survey system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle fleet; and

a survey controller configured to;

control generation of information about a number of locations in an area of land based on cloud cover over a number of locations of a forest,

identify a number of locations over the forest in which an information level of the information generated about the forest by the electromagnetic energy sensor system is reduced by an effect of cloud cover,

generate routes for the unmanned aerial vehicle fleet to move to the number of locations, and

continuously generate the routes as changes in cloud cover occur over the forest;

wherein the route is based on a current location of a number of clouds and a prediction of movement of the number of clouds.

11. The aerial survey system of claim 10, wherein the survey controller is located in at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicle fleet and a control station.

12. The aerial survey system of claim 10, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle fleet is selected from one of an unmanned aerial vehicle and a group of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles.

13. The aerial survey system of claim 12, wherein the group of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles is configured to operate as a swarm in generating information about the number of locations in the area of land.

14. The aerial survey system of claim 10, wherein the area of land is selected from one of a forest, a city, a farm, a desert, a mountain, and a prairie.

15. A method for generating information about a forest, the method comprising:

identifying a number of locations in the forest over which an electromagnetic energy sensor system in an unmanned aerial vehicle generates the information about the forest by generating a point cloud with a resolution that meets a point cloud threshold and in which an information level of the information generated about the forest by the electromagnetic energy sensor system is reduced by an effect of cloud cover;

generating a route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to move to the number of locations and generate the information about the forest in the number of locations; and

continuously generate the route as changes in cloud cover occur over the forest;

wherein the route is based on a current location of a number of clouds and a prediction of movement of the number of clouds.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating the information about the forest in the number of locations;

wherein the information is the point cloud.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

identifying the number of locations using cloud information about clouds over the forest.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving the cloud information from a sensor system.