Unmanned aerial vehicle sensor activation and correlation system

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• obtaining images and log data associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) implementing a flight plan, each image being captured by a camera of the UAV and including metadata, generated by the camera, indicating a timestamp at which the camera captured the image, and the log data including image capture timestamps associated with the UAV receiving information, from the camera, identifying that images were captured along with timestamps associated with determined location information of the UAV and inertial navigation system (INS) data of the UAV;
• determining a time series of metadata timestamps and a time series of image capture timestamps;
• determining an optimal time offset between the time series of metadata timestamps and the time series of image capture timestamps, the optimal time offset indicating, for one or more images, a difference in value between respective metadata timestamps and corresponding image capture timestamps;
• determining, using the optimal time offset for each obtained image, estimated location information of the UAV and INS data of the UAV when the image was captured;
• and
• generating geo-rectified imagery from the obtained images and associated location information of the UAV and INS data of the UAV.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system comprising one or more computers and one or more non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform the operations comprising:

• receiving a flight plan, the flight plan including one or more way points;
• navigating the UAV along the one or more way points according to the received flight plan;
• at least at one of the way points, triggering a camera to capture digital images;
• recording flight log data comprising at least, geospatial location of the UAV and a time at which the camera was triggered;
• and
• determining a geospatial location for one or more of the digital images by determining an optimal time offset between timestamps associated with the one or more digital images and timestamps included in the flight log data, identifying, using the optimal time offset and a particular timestamp associated with a particular digital image, geospatial locations of the UAV at timestamps adjacent to a timestamp included in the flight log data that corresponds to the particular timestamp, and determining, using the identified geospatial locations, an estimated geospatial location for the particular digital image.

A system comprising one or more computers and one or more non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computer to perform the operations comprising:

• receiving a flight plan including one or more waypoints for navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) along the one or more waypoints according to the flight plan, wherein the waypoints include associated information to trigger a camera to capture one or more digital images;
• transmitting the flight plan to a UAV computer system;
• receiving UAV flight log data comprising at least, geospatial location of the UAV and a timestamp at which the camera was triggered;
• receiving digital images taken by the camera, wherein the digital images have an associated timestamp when the image was taken;
• and
• determining a geospatial location for one or more of the digital images by determining an optimal time offset between timestamps associated with the one or more digital images and timestamps included in the flight log data, the optimal time offset indicating a difference in timestamp value between timestamps associated with digital images and corresponding timestamps included in the flight log data, identifying, using the optimal time offset and a particular timestamp associated with a particular digital image, geospatial locations of the UAV at timestamps adjacent to a timestamp included in the flight log data that corresponds to the particular timestamp, and determining, using the identified geospatial locations, an estimated geospatial location for the particular digital image.