Mobile apparatus for pest detection and engagement

• US 10,752,378 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Wilkins, Donald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boylan, James T
• Application Number:
  US14/576,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 348144
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 27/00 Apparatus having projectiles or killing implements projected to kill the animal, e.g. pierce or shoot, and triggered thereby
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4053 based on super-resolution, i.e. the output image resolution being higher than the sensor resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

Described herein is a mobile apparatus for capturing images that includes a body, a propulsion device coupled to the body and actuatable to propel the body in response to a motion control command. The mobile apparatus also includes a low-resolution camera coupled to the body and configured to capture a plurality of low-resolution images. Further, the mobile apparatus includes a transceiver coupled to the body. The transceiver is configured to wirelessly receive the motion control command and wirelessly transmit the plurality of low-resolution images.

Claims

1. A system for capturing images, comprising:

a mobile apparatus movable along a path proximate an object in an autonomous primary operation state and configured to engage a target on the object with a weapon of the mobile apparatus in an autonomous secondary operation state, the mobile apparatus comprising;

a low-resolution camera having a single-pixel resolution to capture a plurality of low-resolution images of the object along the path in the autonomous primary operation state, each of the low-resolution images comprising a single pixel image, the path having a shape comprising a plurality of waves, the waves having a spatial frequency indirectly proportional to a pixel count of each of the low-resolution images; and

a second transceiver to wirelessly transmit the plurality of low-resolution images; and

a controller proximate the object and physically separate from the mobile apparatus, the controller comprising;

a first transceiver to wirelessly receive the plurality of low-resolution images from the second transceiver; and

an image module to aggregate the plurality of low-resolution images into a composite image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller further comprises a motion control module to generate motion control commands;

the first transceiver wirelessly transmits the motion control commands;

the second transceiver wirelessly receives the motion control commands from the first transceiver; and

the mobile apparatus further comprises a propulsion device to provide lift and directional flight for the mobile apparatus in response to the motion control commands.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the controller further comprises a power transmitter to wirelessly transmit electrical power to the mobile apparatus; and

the mobile apparatus further comprises a power receiver to wirelessly receive electrical power from the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile apparatus comprises a position communication device to transmit signals; and

the controller comprises a position module to determine a position of the mobile apparatus based on the signals transmitted from the position communication device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the position communication device comprises a light emitter;

the position module comprises a sensor array that detects light emitted from the light emitter; and

the position module determines the position of the mobile apparatus based on light detected by the sensor array.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the composite image comprises a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows each comprising a plurality of low-resolution images of the object; and

each wave of the shape of the path corresponds with two adjacent columns of the plurality of columns of the composite image or two adjacent rows of the plurality of rows of the composite image.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the spatial frequency of the plurality of waves of the path is further based on at least one of mobile apparatus speed and size of the area captured in each low-resolution image of the plurality of low-resolution images.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the path comprises a plurality of passes along a portion of the object;

the composite image is of the portion of the object; and

the quantity of passes of the plurality of passes of the path is dependent on a pixel count of the low-resolution camera.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile apparatus further comprises a first health module to generate health status data;

the second transceiver wirelessly transmits the health status data;

the first transceiver wirelessly receives the health status data from the second transceiver; and

the controller comprises a second health module to receive and analyze the health status data received wirelessly from the mobile apparatus.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile apparatus comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle;

the path is a flight path above a ground level; and

the controller is located on the ground level.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the object is a pest-inhabited object;

the weapon is deployable against a pest on the pest-inhabited object in the autonomous secondary operation state;

the image module locates a pest on the pest-inhabited object using the composite image;

the controller further comprises a motion control module to control movement of the mobile apparatus into a weapon-deployment location via motion control commands wirelessly transmitted from the first transceiver and wirelessly received by the second transceiver, the weapon-deployment location being based on the location of the pest; and

the controller further comprises a weapon control module to control deployment of the weapon via weapon deployment commands wirelessly transmitted from the first transceiver and wirelessly received by the weapon via the second transceiver.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile apparatus further comprises:

a body; and

a propulsion device coupled to the body and actuatable to propel the body in response to a motion control command.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the motion control command is transmitted from the controller to the mobile apparatus.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second transceiver is configured to:

wirelessly receive the motion control command in the autonomous primary operation state;

wirelessly receive a second motion control command defining a pre-programmed flight path to transition the mobile apparatus to the autonomous secondary operation state and control movement of the mobile apparatus into a weapon-deployment location determined from analysis of the plurality of low-resolution images by the controller; and

wirelessly receive an actuation command to autonomously control deployment of the weapon against the pest.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the object is a pest-inhabited object;

the weapon is deployable against a pest on the pest-inhabited object in the autonomous secondary operation state;

the mobile apparatus is micro-sized to be between approximately 50% and 200% of a size of the pest; and

the propulsion device is configured to provide lift and directional flight for the body.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the mobile apparatus further comprises an electrical power receiver coupled to the body; and

the electrical power receiver is configured to wirelessly receive electrical power for powering the propulsion device and low-resolution camera.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the weapon comprises at least one of a blunt-force weapon or a cutting weapon.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the weapon comprises a repellent-based weapon.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the weapon comprises a poison-based weapon.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the weapon comprises a poison source; and

the weapon comprises a conduit for fluidly communicating poison from the poison source to the poison-based weapon.