Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Method of Control Thereof

A method of controlling a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle without continuous in-flight human input, the method comprising the steps of:

• a] obtaining real-time internal flight characteristic data which is indicative of at least one flight system of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• b] obtaining real-time external flight characteristic data which is indicative of flight-relevant parameters which are external to the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• c] the unmanned aerial vehicle receiving mission parameter data and determining a pre-take-off flight plan in accordance with the mission parameter data;
• d] dynamically implementing machine-readable flight control instructions based on the real-time internal flight characteristic data and real-time external flight characteristic data to adapt the pre-take-off flight plan to control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• e] simultaneously calculating a plurality of flight plan amendments in response to the detection of a potential conflict by a conflict-resolution circuit;
• and
• f] prioritizing the selection and implementation of one of the plurality of flight plan amendments.

A method of providing automated safe-fail operation for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• a] obtaining real-time internal flight characteristic data which is indicative of at least one flight system of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• b] obtaining real-time external flight characteristic data which is indicative of flight-relevant parameters which are external to the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• c] using an onboard flight controller of the unmanned aerial vehicle, determining, based on the real-time external flight characteristic data, a plurality of different safe-fail operations for the unmanned aerial vehicle;
• d] updating the plurality of different safe-fail operations in response to changes to the real-time external flight characteristic data;
• e] determining a safe-fail condition which is triggerable based on the real-time internal flight characteristic data;
• and
• f] in the event that the safe-fail condition is triggered, selecting and implementing one of the plurality of different safe-fail operations for the unmanned aerial vehicle in accordance with the real-time external flight characteristic data and machine-readable flight control instructions of the onboard flight controller.