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US 12,367,777 B2Granted
Systems and methods for autonomous hazardous area data collection
AssigneeThe Travelers Indemnity Company
InventorsAdriaan J. Van Meeteren, Alex A. Shyshkov, Ryan W. Bachiochi, Nichole D. Fratini, Pawel T. Parobek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for automatically identifying and ascertaining an estimated amount of damage at a location by utilizing one or more autonomous vehicles, e.g., “drone” devices, to autonomously capture data of the location and utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) logic modules to analyze the captured data and construct a 3-D model of the location.
Claims20
A low-cost, GPS-denied drone programmed for autonomous hazardous area data collection, comprising:
- (i) a propulsion device,
- (ii) an imaging device,
- (iii) an electronic processing unit, and
- (iv) a non-transitory memory device in communication with the electronic processing unit, wherein the non-transitory memory device stores instructions that define (a) a hazardous area data collection routine, (b) an AI image processing routine, (c) a three-dimensional mapping routine, and (d) a non-GPS locational computation routine, that when executed by the electronic processing unit, result in:
- identifying known location data for a starting position of the hazardous area data collection routine, the known location data defining a first location;
- acquiring, in response to an initiation of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the imaging device at the first location and at an initiation time, data descriptive of the first location;
- identifying, by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the AI image processing routine to process the data descriptive of the first location, locations of a first plurality of landmarks in relation to the first location;
- generating, by an execution of the three-dimensional mapping routine by the electronic processing unit and based on the identified locations of the first plurality of landmarks, a three-dimensional map descriptive of an area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed;
- navigating throughout the area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed, wherein the navigating comprises:
- (1) activating, by the GPS-denied drone and in response to an execution of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit, the propulsion device and thereby moving the GPS-denied drone from the first location to a new location;
- (2) acquiring, in response to the execution of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the imaging device at the new location and at a new time, data descriptive of the new location;
- (3) identifying, by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the AI image processing routine to process the data descriptive of the new location, locations of a new plurality of landmarks in relation to the new location;
- (4) generating, by an execution of the three-dimensional mapping routine by the electronic processing unit and based on the identified locations of the new plurality of landmarks, an updated three-dimensional map descriptive of the area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed;
- (5) computing, by an execution of the non-GPS locational computation routine by the electronic processing unit and based on a comparison of the locations of the first plurality of landmarks and the locations of the new plurality of landmarks, a location of the GPS-denied drone on the updated three-dimensional map;
- and
- (6) repeating steps (1) through (5) until a triggering event is identified.
13 more elements
A method for operating a low-cost, GPS-denied drone programmed for autonomous hazardous area data collection, comprising:
- identifying known location data for a starting position of a hazardous area data collection routine, the known location data defining a first location, and the hazardous area data collection routine being stored by a non-transitory memory device of the GPS-denied drone, and the non-transitory memory device being in communication with an electronic processing unit of the GPS-denied drone;
- acquiring, in response to an initiation of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit and utilizing an imaging device of the GPS-denied drone, at the first location and at an initiation time, data descriptive of the first location;
- identifying, by an execution of an AI image processing routine stored by the non-transitory memory device, by the electronic processing unit and to process the data descriptive of the first location, locations of a first plurality of landmarks in relation to the first location;
- generating, by an execution of a three-dimensional mapping routine stored by the non-transitory memory device, by the electronic processing unit and based on the identified locations of the first plurality of landmarks, a three-dimensional map descriptive of an area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed;
- navigating throughout the area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed, wherein the navigating comprises:
- (1) activating, by the GPS-denied drone and in response to an execution of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit, a propulsion device of the GPS-denied drone, and thereby moving the GPS-denied drone from the first location to a new location;
- (2) acquiring, in response to the execution of the hazardous area data collection routine by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the imaging device at the new location and at a new time, data descriptive of the new location;
- (3) identifying, by the electronic processing unit and utilizing the AI image processing routine to process the data descriptive of the new location, locations of a new plurality of landmarks in relation to the new location;
- (4) generating, by an execution of the three-dimensional mapping routine by the electronic processing unit and based on the identified locations of the new plurality of landmarks, an updated three-dimensional map descriptive of the area in which the GPS-denied drone is disposed;
- (5) computing, by an execution of a non-GPS locational computation routine stored by the non-transitory memory device, by the electronic processing unit and based on a comparison of the locations of the first plurality of landmarks and the locations of the new plurality of landmarks, a location of the GPS-denied drone on the updated three-dimensional map;
- and
- (6) repeating steps (1) through (5) until a triggering event is identified.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.