System and method for positioning one or more unmanned aerial vehicles in a featureless environment

A first unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

• a) a first optical camera mounted on the first unmanned aerial vehicle and having a first field of view;
• b) a first flight controller;
• c) a processor operably connected to the first optical camera and the first flight controller;
• d) non-transitory computer readable memory operably connected to the processor and including processor executable code that when executed by the processor performs the steps of:
• (i) obtaining, from the first optical camera, a plurality of images, each image of the plurality of images having a first predetermined image pixel length in a first coordinate direction and a first predetermined image pixel width in a second coordinate direction orthogonal to the first coordinate direction,
• wherein the plurality of images includes a first image and a second image,
• wherein the first image is taken at a first time while the first unmanned aerial vehicle is at a first position moving at a first velocity, and includes a first image segment representing a second unmanned aerial vehicle in a first reference position defined by a first set of pixel coordinates,
• wherein at the first time, the first unmanned aerial vehicle is at a first altitude and the second unmanned aerial vehicle is at a second altitude,
• wherein the second image is taken at a second time, and includes a second image segment representing the second unmanned aerial vehicle in a second reference position defined by a second set of pixel coordinates,
• wherein at the second time, the first unmanned aerial vehicle is at a third altitude and the second unmanned aerial vehicle is at a fourth altitude, and
• wherein the second unmanned aerial vehicle comprises predetermined vehicle dimensions including a first predetermined vehicle length and a first predetermined vehicle width;
• (ii) determining a first distance travelled in a first direction by the second unmanned aerial vehicle by the steps of:
• (a) obtaining, based on the first image segment, a first vehicle pixel length of the second unmanned aerial vehicle and a first vehicle pixel width of the second unmanned aerial vehicle;
• (b) determining a first image length based on the first predetermined image pixel length, the first predetermined vehicle length, and the first vehicle pixel length;
• (c) determining a first image width based on the first predetermined image pixel width, the first predetermined vehicle width, and first vehicle pixel width;
• (d) determining, based on the first set of pixel coordinates, the second set of pixel coordinates, the first predetermined image pixel length, the first image length, the first predetermined image pixel width, the first image width, and the first velocity, the first distance travelled in the first direction by the second unmanned aerial vehicle;
• (iii) storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory the first vehicle pixel length, the first vehicle pixel width, the first image length, the first image width, the first distance travelled and the first direction;
• (iv) generating flight instructions based on the first distance travelled, the first direction, and one or more preprogrammed flight instructions;
• (v) transmitting to the first flight controller, the flight instructions,
• wherein the first flight controller generates a plurality of flight control signals in order to direct the first unmanned aerial vehicle to a target position at a fifth altitude based on the flight instructions;
• and
• wherein the first unmanned aerial vehicle is directed to the target position based on commands provided based on the flight instructions;
• and
• (vi) storing updated position information of the first unmanned aerial vehicle associated with the target position.