Systems and methods for surveillance with a visual marker

A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an environment, the system comprising:

• a sensor coupled to the UAV configured to detect, while the UAV is in flight, a signal that is emitted from and uniquely identifying a locating marker;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• determine a sequence of actions to control the UAV in response to a plurality of instructions encoded in the locating marker and communicated by the signal, the plurality of instructions encoded in the locating marker including at least one of an instruction that instructs the UAV to adjust position of one or more payloads of the UAV, an instruction that instructs the UAV to rotate the one or more payloads of the UAV, or an instruction that instructs the UAV to swap between the one or more payloads of the UAV;
• and
• control the UAV to effect the sequence of actions according to a predetermined distance included in the plurality of instructions, the predetermined distance indicating a distance from the locating marker at which the UAV effects the sequence of actions.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

• a sensor configured to detect, while the UAV is in flight, a signal that is emitted from and uniquely identifying a locating marker;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• determine a sequence of actions to control the UAV in response to a plurality of instructions encoded in the locating marker and communicated by the signal, the plurality of instructions encoded in the locating marker including at least one of an instruction that instructs the UAV to adjust position of one or more payloads of the UAV, an instruction that instructs the UAV to rotate the one or more payloads of the UAV, or an instruction that instructs the UAV to swap between the one or more payloads of the UAV;
• and
• control the UAV to effect the sequence of actions according to a predetermined distance included in the plurality of instructions, the predetermined distance indicating a distance from the locating marker at which the UAV effects the sequence of actions.