Self-calibrating sensors and actuators for unmanned vehicles

A method comprising:

• while controlling, using a processor of an unmanned vehicle, a propulsion system of the unmanned vehicle according to commands received via a communications interface from an external guided control system in a guided calibration mode:
• processing sensor data received at the processor from one or more sensors mounted on a chassis of the unmanned vehicle to determine at least one degree of certainty on a calibration of one or more of the sensor data and a position of the chassis;
• automatically switching, using the processor, operation of the propulsion system to an autonomous calibration mode when the degree of certainty is above a first threshold value associated with safe operation of the propulsion system in the autonomous calibration mode;
• thereafter, operating, using the processor, the propulsion system in the autonomous calibration mode by:
• while automatically controlling the propulsion system to move the chassis, collecting the sensor data from the one or more sensors;
• and, further processing the sensor data using one or more uncertainty propagation models to determine at least one further degree of certainty on the calibration;
• and,
• automatically switching, using the processor, operation of the propulsion system to an operational mode when the further degree of certainty is above a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value.

A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

• while controlling, using a processor of an unmanned vehicle, a propulsion system of the unmanned vehicle according to commands received via a communications interface from an external guided control system in a guided calibration mode:
• processing sensor data received at the processor from one or more sensors mounted on a chassis of the unmanned vehicle to determine at least one degree of certainty on a calibration of one or more of the sensor data and a position of the chassis;
• automatically switching, using the processor, operation of the propulsion system to an autonomous calibration mode when the degree of certainty is above a first threshold value associated with safe operation of the propulsion system in the autonomous calibration mode;
• thereafter, operating, using the processor, the propulsion system in the autonomous calibration mode by:
• while automatically controlling the propulsion system to move the chassis, collecting the sensor data from the one or more sensors;
• and, further processing the sensor data using one or more uncertainty propagation models to determine at least one further degree of certainty on the calibration;
• and,
• automatically switching, using the processor, operation of the propulsion system to an operational mode when the further degree of certainty is above a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value.