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US 12,175,876 B2Granted
Unmanned aerial vehicle with neural network for enhanced mission performance
AssigneeDrobotics, LLC
InventorEyal Stein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or “drone” executes a neural network to assist with inspection, surveillance, reporting, and other missions. The drone inspection neural network may monitor, in real time, the data stream from a plurality of onboard sensors during navigation to an asset along a preprogrammed flight path and/or during its mission (e.g., as it scans and inspects an asset).
Claims24
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
- a flight package;
- a navigation system;
- an image-acquisition device;
- a communication facility configured to interact with spaceborne control systems;
- a computer memory;
- and
- a computer including a processor and electronically stored instructions, executable by the processor, for:
- causing the UAV to autonomously execute a preliminary flight plan around an asset to be inspected,
- using data received from the image-acquisition device as input to a neural-network-based predictor that has been computationally trained to identify and classify objects appearing in images acquired by the image-acquisition device during the preliminary flight plan,
- during analysis of the data received from the image-acquisition device, detecting a feature requiring an update to the predictor,
- requesting and receiving, in real time, an updated predictor computationally trained based on the detected feature, and
- based on (a) object classifications made by the predictor during the preliminary flight plan and (b) the updated predictor, computing and autonomously executing a revised flight plan around the asset
- wherein:
- the computer is configured to analyze the detected feature in real time and classify the detected feature as normal or anomalous;
- and when the detected feature is classified as anomalous, the computer is configured to request airspace authorization and receive an updated configuration files for additional inspection of the asset.
12 more elements
A method comprising:
- at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including
- a flight package;
- a navigation system;
- an image-acquisition device;
- a communication facility configured to interact with spaceborne control systems;
- a computer memory;
- and
- a computer including a processor and electronically stored instructions, executable by the processor:
- causing the UAV to autonomously execute a preliminary flight plan around an asset to be inspected,
- using data received from the image-acquisition device as input to a neural-network-based predictor that has been computationally trained to identify and classify objects appearing in images acquired by the image-acquisition device during the preliminary flight plan,
- during analysis of the data received from the image-acquisition device, detecting a feature requiring an update to the predictor,
- requesting and receiving, in real time, an updated predictor computationally trained based on the detected feature, and
- based on (a) object classifications made by the predictor during the preliminary flight plan and (b) the updated predictor, computing and autonomously executing a revised flight plan around the asset,
- wherein the computer is configured to analyze the detected feature in real time and classify the detected feature as normal or anomalous;
- and when the detected feature is classified as anomalous, the computer is configured to request airspace authorization and receive an updated configuration file for additional inspection of the asset.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.