Apparatus and method for determining location of pollutant source using drone

An apparatus for determining a location of a pollutant source, the apparatus comprising:

• a drone equipped with a chemical sensor for detecting concentration of pollution;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the drone,
• wherein the control unit is configured to control the drone to measure pollutant concentrations for a first plane of interest in a region of interest with a movement determined based on wind direction information with respect to the region of interest, the first plane of interest being determined based on a current altitude of the drone, lower an altitude of the drone from a descent position on the first plane of interest determined on the basis of the measurement result by a predetermined descending distance, and determine a pollutant source candidate area based on a lowered location of the drone if the lowered altitude of the drone is equal to or less than a predetermined reference altitude,
• wherein the control unit is further configured to:
• determine a center position located within a predetermined distance from the lowered location;
• measure pollutant concentrations at a plurality of detection positions spaced from the center position;
• determine if there is a low concentration detection position among the plurality of detection positions, of which the pollutant concentration is less than a predetermined pollutant concentration;
• when determined that there is no low concentration detection position, determine an area formed based on the plurality of detection positions as the pollutant source candidate area;
• when determined that there is the low concentration detection position, determine a new center position moved from the center position in a direction away from the low concentration detection position;
• and
• measure pollutant concentrations at a plurality of new detection positions spaced from the new center position.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for determining a location of a pollutant source, the method comprising:

• obtaining wind direction information for a region of interest;
• measuring pollutant concentrations for a first plane of interest in the region of interest with a movement determined based on the wind direction information using a drone equipped with a chemical sensor, the first plane of interest being determined based on a current altitude of the drone;
• lowering by a predetermined descending distance an altitude of the drone from a descent position on the first plane of interest determined on the basis of a result of said measuring;
• and
• determining a pollutant source candidate area based on a lowered location of the drone after said lowering if the lowered altitude of the drone is equal to or less than a predetermined reference altitude,
• wherein the determining comprises:
• determining a center position located within a predetermined distance from the lowered location;
• measuring pollutant concentrations at a plurality of detection positions spaced from the center position;
• determining if there is a low concentration detection position among the plurality of detection positions, of which the pollutant concentration is less than a predetermined pollutant concentration;
• when determined that there is no low concentration detection position, determining an area formed based on the plurality of detection positions as the pollutant source candidate area;
• when determined that there is the low concentration detection position, determining a new center position moved from the center position in a direction away from the low concentration detection position;
• and
• further measuring pollutant concentrations at a plurality of new detection positions spaced from the new center position.