Tree metrology system

• US 9,198,363 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Vian, John Lyle, Przybylko, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, JELANI A
• Application Number:
  US13/712,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20140163781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/3, 701/300, 701/514, 702/2, 702/155, 702/143, 382/173, 382/167, 382/110, 382/103, 340/870.02, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 23/00 Forestry
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• 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 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying a number of diameters for a group of trees. An unmanned aerial vehicle moves on a route through the group of trees at a height that is configured to allow measurement of the number of diameters for the group of trees by a sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle. Information is generated about the number of diameters for the group of trees using the sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

a sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the sensor system is configured to generate obstacle information and tree measurement information; and

a controller configured to;

identify obstacles from the obstacle information generated by the sensor system as the unmanned aerial vehicle flies through a group of trees,

generate the tree measurement information for the group of trees, and

control movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle to avoid the obstacles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the group of trees avoiding the obstacles while generating the tree measurement information for the group of trees.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tree measurement information is diameter information for the group of trees and the controller is configured to control movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle along a trajectory that is located between trees in the group of trees while generating the diameter information for the group of trees.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a measurement controller configured to receive the tree measurement information and analyze the tree measurement information;

wherein a route is configured to allow for measurement of the group of trees to generate the tree measurement information;

wherein the tree measurement information is selected from at least one of diameter information, taper information, tree density, tree type, and tree spacing;

wherein the sensor system comprises at least one of a light-based active sensor system, a light detection and ranging system, a camera system, a laser altimeter, a time-of-flight camera system, an all-focus image camera, and a stereographic camera;

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is selected from one of a fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned rotorcraft; and

wherein the group of trees is located in a location selected from one of a tree farm, a pine tree plantation, a forest, a park, and a mountain.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor system comprises a light detection and ranging system and a camera system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the light detection and ranging system is configured to generate distances to points on the group of trees, the camera system is configured to generate images of the obstacles, and the controller is configured to generate the tree measurement information using the light detection and ranging system.

7. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the controller is configured to:

correlate images from the camera system of the sensor system with distance information from the light detection and ranging system, and

determine whether the unmanned aerial vehicle fits between obstacles that include trees of the group of trees.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to generate a route through the obstacles using the images and distance information for the obstacles and generate diameters from the tree measurement information.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to use the images generated by the camera system to generate the obstacle information and the tree measurement information.

10. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the controller is configured to use the distances generated by the light detection and ranging system to generate the obstacle information and the tree measurement information.

11. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to:

calculate a distance of the unmanned aerial vehicle relative to rows of trees in the group of trees and make corrections to center the unmanned aerial vehicle between the rows.

12. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is one of a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles;

wherein the controller is configured to;

direct the unmanned aerial vehicle to an area of the group of trees with a least amount of space between trees when the unmanned aerial vehicle is a smallest unmanned aerial vehicle in the swarm, and

direct the unmanned aerial vehicle to another area of the group of trees when the unmanned aerial vehicle is a larger unmanned aerial vehicle in the swarm.

13. A tree metrology system comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle;

a camera system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the camera system is configured to generate images;

a light detection and ranging system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the light detection and ranging system is configured to generate distance measurements from the unmanned aerial vehicle to points on a group of trees; and

a controller configured to;

identify obstacles from the images generated by the camera system as the unmanned aerial vehicle flies through the group of trees,

generate diameter information for the group of trees from the images and the distance measurements, and

control movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the group of trees to avoid the obstacles while the unmanned aerial vehicle generates the diameter information.

14. The tree metrology system of claim 13 further comprising:

a measurement controller configured to receive the diameter information and analyze the diameter information.

15. A method for identifying a number of diameters for a group of trees, the method comprising:

moving an unmanned aerial vehicle on a route through the group of trees at a height that is configured to allow measurement of the number of diameters for the group of trees by a sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

generating information about the number of diameters for the group of trees and obstacle information using the sensor system associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating step comprises:

generating a number of images of the group of trees using a camera system in the sensor system; and

measuring distances to points on the group of trees using a light-based active sensor system in the sensor system, wherein the number of images and the distances form the information about the number of diameters.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

identifying a number of pixels between edges of each tree in the group of trees in an image; and

calculating a diameter of each tree in the group of trees using a distance from the camera system to the each tree in the group of trees and the number of pixels between the edges of the each tree in the group of trees in the image.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating a route through obstacles in the group of trees using the number of images and the distances.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is part of a group of unmanned aerial vehicles and further comprising:

operating the group of unmanned aerial vehicles in a swarm such that the group of unmanned aerial vehicles generates the information about the number of diameters for the group of trees using a plurality of sensor systems associated with the group of unmanned aerial vehicles.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving the number of diameters; and

analyzing the number of diameters using a measurement controller.