Forestry management system

• US 9,117,185 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vian, John Lyle, Roe, George Michael, Przbylko, Josha
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Calvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNEIDER, PAULA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/622,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20140081479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/1, 701/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining

Abstract

A method and apparatus of managing a forest. A forestry management system comprises a forestry manager. The forestry manager is configured to receive information about a forest from a group of autonomous vehicles, analyze the information to generate a result about a state of the forest from the information, and coordinate operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result.

Claims

1. A forestry management system comprising:

a computer system; and

a forestry manager implemented within the computer system and configured to receive information about a forest from a group of autonomous vehicles, analyze the information to generate a result about a state of the forest from the information, and

coordinate operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, wherein, in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection on at least one of forest health and forest inventory in one or more locations in the forest.

2. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of safety risks, and illegal activity.

3. The forestry management system of claim 2,

wherein the information collected is about the forest health to

identify a health of a location within the forest,

identify a biodiversity of trees and vegetation in the forest,

generate information about spacing between trees,

identify a presence of foreign species with respect to trees that are not normally present in the forest,

identify pests and infection,

identify impact of natural events on the forest, and

generate information about health of vegetation on a floor of the forest and the health of wildlife within the forest.

4. The forestry management system of claim 2,

wherein the information collected is about forest inventory to

classify land within the forest,

identify a volume of wood harvestable from the forest, and

identify carbon dioxide captured by trees and vegetation of the forest.

5. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection in a selected area in the forest, over a selected period of time, and with a selected level of detail.

6. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of vegetation, soil conditions, wildlife, air quality, pollution, temperature, and rainfall.

7. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to generate a mission with a number of tasks and assign the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

8. The forestry management system of claim 7, wherein in being configured to assign the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles, the forestry manager is configured to send commands for the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

9. The forestry management system of claim 7, wherein in being configured to assign the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles, the forestry manager is configured to send the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles.

10. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the group of autonomous vehicles is configured to operate as at least one of a swarm and a group of swarms.

11. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the result is an identification of at least one of the forest health, forest inventory, safety risks, and illegal activity.

12. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein the result is an identification of a number of locations that have at least one of a safety risk and an illegal activity, and wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to coordinate the group of autonomous vehicles to monitor the number of locations.

13. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to coordinate the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result, the forestry manager is configured to send at least one of a command and a task to the group of autonomous vehicles.

14. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein a vehicle in the group of autonomous vehicles is selected from at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, and an unmanned water vehicle.

15. The forestry management system of claim 1, wherein a vehicle in the group of autonomous vehicles comprises:

a support structure;

a movement system associated with the support structure, wherein the movement system is configured to move the support structure;

a sensor system associated with the support structure, wherein the sensor system is configured to generate a portion of the information;

a controller associated with the support structure, wherein the controller is in communication with the movement system and the sensor system and is configured to control operation of the movement system and the sensor system; and

a power source connected to the movement system, the sensor system, and the controller, wherein the power source is configured to provide power to the movement system, the sensor system, and the controller.

16. The forestry management system of claim 15, wherein the power source comprises an energy harvesting system to provide power to the movement system, the sensor system, and the controller.

17. The forestry management system of claim 1,

wherein the group of autonomous vehicles travel through the one or more locations in the forest;

wherein the result is obtained via a simulation using a model of the forest;

wherein the forestry manager is configured to coordinate operation of manned assets and unmanned assets, the manned assets including one or more personnel and manned vehicles, and the unmanned assets including the group of autonomous vehicles;

wherein the forestry manager generates a mission with a number of tasks;

wherein the mission changes a state of the forest and the forestry manager coordinates missions that are intruder tracking missions, pest control missions, and a harvesting missions;

wherein for an intruder tracking mission, the forestry manager coordinates the manned assets and the unmanned assets to identify and track an intruder within the forest;

wherein for a pest control mission, the forestry manager coordinates the manned assets and the unmanned assets to perform operations to control pests in the forest;

wherein the operations to control pests in the forest comprises distributing chemicals and electrical agents to control pests present in the forest;

wherein the pests comprise vegetation and wildlife; and

wherein for a harvesting mission, the forestry manager coordinates the manned assets and the unmanned assets to harvest one or more trees in the forest.

18. The forestry management system of claim 1,

wherein the group of autonomous vehicles comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned ground vehicle, and an unmanned water vehicle.

19. A method for managing a forest, the method comprising:

a computer system receiving information about the forest from a group of autonomous vehicles;

the computer system analyzing, by a processor, the information to generate a result about a state of the forest from the information; and

the computer system coordinating operation of the group of autonomous vehicles using the result to perform information collection on at least one of forest health and forest inventory in one or more locations in the forest.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

coordinating the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of safety risks, and illegal activity.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

coordinating the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection in at least one of a selected area in the forest, over a selected period of time, and with a selected level of detail.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

coordinating the operation of the group of autonomous vehicles to perform information collection about at least one of vegetation, soil conditions, wildlife, air quality, pollution, temperature, and rainfall.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the coordinating step comprises:

generating a mission with a number of tasks;

assigning the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles;

sending commands for the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles; and

sending the number of tasks to the group of autonomous vehicles, wherein the group of autonomous vehicles is configured to operate as at least one of a swarm and a group of swarms.