Autonomous UAS data acquisition with context awareness
AssigneeVhive Tech Ltd.
InventorsTomer Daniel, Amir Jacob Shenhav, Doron Fine, Hadas Bar-David
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Abstract
A system and methods are provided for generating photogrammetry data acquisition plans of target structures, including: establishing a location and orientation of the target structure; identifying on the target structure predetermined target objects designated for data acquisition; correlating shapes, locations, and orientations of the target objects with the shape, location, and orientation of the target structure; and applying the shapes, locations, and orientations of the target structure and of the target objects, to generate a data acquisition plan for drone photogrammetry of the target structure and of the target objects.
Claims20
A computing system comprising at least one processor and non-transient memory storage communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and comprising computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the computing system to implement steps of, after launch of a drone, capturing images taken by the drone in the direction of a target structure and, by image processing of the captured images:
- (i) distinguishing the target structure from other structures in a field of view of the drone and identifying a shape of the target structure;
- (ii) establishing a location of the target structure and an orientation of the target structure, (a) by identifying a center-of-tower location and by identifying guy tower anchors, when the target structure is tower-shaped, (b) by identifying a crane tip and a crane base, when the target structure is crane-shaped, and (c) by identifying coordinates of two or more corners of a predefined location of the structure, when the structure is not tower or crane-shaped;
- (iii) identifying on the target structure predetermined target objects designated for data acquisition;
- (iv) correlating the target structure and the target objects in 3D space by correlating their respective shapes, locations, and orientations;
- and
- (v) generating a data acquisition plan for drone photogrammetry of the target structure, wherein the data acquisition plan includes 3D coordinates of photogrammetry positions and orientations set at pre-defined distances and orientations from the correlated target structure and target objects.
A method of photogrammetry comprising, after launch of a drone, capturing images taken by the drone in the direction of a target structure and, by image processing of the captured images, performing steps of:
- (i) distinguishing the target structure from other structures in a field of view of the drone and identifying a shape of the target structure;
- (ii) establishing a location of the target structure and an orientation of the target structure, (a) by identifying a center-of-tower location and by identifying guy tower anchors, when the target structure is tower-shaped, (b) by identifying a crane tip and a crane base, when the target structure is crane-shaped, and (c) by identifying coordinates of two or more corners of a predefined location of the structure, when the structure is not tower or crane-shaped;
- (iii) identifying on the target structure predetermined target objects designated for data acquisition;
- (iv) correlating the target structure and the target objects in 3D space by correlating their respective shapes, locations, and orientations;
- and
- (v) generating a data acquisition plan for drone photogrammetry of the target structure, wherein the data acquisition plan includes 3D coordinates of photogrammetry positions and orientations set at pre-defined distances and orientations from the correlated target structure and target objects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.