Safe landing of aerial vehicles upon loss of navigation

A method comprising:

• prior to a first time,
• receiving first information regarding a plurality of landing areas for the aerial vehicle, wherein the first information comprises descriptors of landmarks associated with each of the plurality of landing areas, and wherein the aerial vehicle comprises at least one computer processor, at least one memory component, a position sensor and a first imaging device;
• and
• causing the descriptors to be stored on at least one memory component of the aerial vehicle, wherein one of the descriptors stored on the at least one memory component is a descriptor of a landmark associated with a first landing area;
• receiving second information from a global navigation system by the position sensor aboard the aerial vehicle at the first time;
• determining a first position of the aerial vehicle at the first time based at least in part on the second information;
• determining that third information is not received by the position sensor from the global navigation system at a second time, wherein the aerial vehicle is traveling on a first course and a first speed at the first time and the second time, and wherein the second time follows the first time;
• in response to determining that the third information is not received by the position sensor from the global navigation system at the second time,
• calculating a second position of the aerial vehicle at the second time based at least in part on the first course, the first speed and a difference between the first time and the second time;
• determining, for each of the plurality of landing areas, at least one of a cost, a distance or a time for the aerial vehicle to travel from the second position to one of the landing areas;
• selecting the first landing area based at least in part on the at least one of the cost, the distance or the time determined for the aerial vehicle to travel from the second position to the first landing area;
• calculating a second course from the second position to the first landing area;
• causing the aerial vehicle to travel on the second course and at a second speed;
• capturing first imaging data by the first imaging device aboard the aerial vehicle at a third time, wherein the third time follows the second time;
• determining that the landmark is depicted within the first imaging data based at least in part on the descriptor of the landmark associated with the first landing area;
• and
• in response to determining that the landmark associated with the first landing area is depicted within the first imaging data,
• determining that the aerial vehicle is within a vicinity of the first landing area;
• and
• causing the aerial vehicle to land at the first landing area.

A method comprising:

• prior to a first time,
• programming at least one memory component provided aboard an unmanned aerial vehicle with locations of a plurality of landing areas and visual descriptors of each of the landing areas, wherein a first landing area is one of the plurality of landing areas;
• receiving Global Positioning System (GPS) signals from at least three GPS satellites by a GPS receiver aboard the unmanned aerial vehicle at the first time, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is traveling on a first course and at a first speed at the first time;
• determining a first position of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the first time based at least in part on the plurality of GPS signals;
• determining that GPS signals are not received from at least three GPS satellites by the GPS receiver at a second time, wherein the second time follows the first time;
• in response to determining that GPS signals are not received from at least three GPS satellites by the GPS receiver at the second time,
• calculating a second position of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the second time based at least in part on the first course, the first speed and a difference between the first time and the second time;
• determining, for each of the plurality of landing areas, at least one of a cost, a distance or a time for the aerial vehicle to travel from the second position to each of the locations of the landing areas;
• selecting the first landing area based at least in part on the at least one of the cost, the distance or the time determined for the aerial vehicle to travel from the second position to a location of the first landing area;
• determining at least a second course from the second position of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the location of the first landing area;
• causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel on the second course and at a second speed;
• determining that the unmanned aerial vehicle is within a vicinity of the location of the first landing area at a third time based at least in part on the second course, the second speed and a difference between the second time and the third time, wherein the third time follows the second time;
• capturing first imaging data by at least one imaging device aboard the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• detecting the landmark in at least some of the first imaging data based at least in part on the visual descriptor;
• in response to detecting the landmark in at least some of the first imaging data,
• confirming that the unmanned aerial vehicle is at the location of the first landing area based at least in part on the landmark;
• and
• causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to land at the first landing area.