Context-Based Navigation of Uncrewed Vehicles Using Relative Position Markers

A system comprising:

• a server in an infrastructure support network for uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs);
• a cluster of charging pads for UAVs, the cluster comprising the charging pads arranged in a layout and a plurality of fiducial markers distributed at positions across the layout;
• and
• a UAV comprising a navigation system, an imaging system, and a control system configured to:
• cause the UAV to fly to a locale of the cluster of charging pads;
• cause the imaging system to acquire at least one aerial image of the cluster, wherein the acquired at least one aerial image captures an observed constellation of fiducial markers at apparent positions and orientations relative to one or more of the charging pads, as viewed from at least one position and orientation of the UAV with respect to the cluster;
• and
• send data comprising the at least one aerial image to the server;
• and wherein the server is configured to:
• receive the at least one aerial image;
• generate and/or update a reference map of the cluster based on the at least one aerial image;
• and
• provide the reference map to UAVs having missions that include flying to the cluster of charging pads.

A method carried out by an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:

• receiving a reference map of a cluster of charging pads from a server in an infrastructure support network for UAVs, the cluster comprising the charging pads arranged in a layout, and a plurality of fiducial markers distributed at positions across the layout, and the reference map representing the layout and a reference sub-plurality of the fiducial markers;
• storing the reference map in a memory of the UAV;
• flying to a coarse-navigation location at a locale of the cluster of charging pads;
• with an imaging system of the UAV, acquiring an image of one or more charging pads of the cluster and an observed sub-plurality of the fiducial markers in a vicinity of the one or more charging pads, wherein the acquired image captures an observed constellation of fiducial markers at apparent positions and orientations relative to the one or more charging pads, as viewed from a position and orientation of the UAV at the coarse-navigation location;
• in the reference map, identifying at least a portion of a reference constellation of fiducial markers at reference positions and orientations relative to one or more reference charging pads in the reference map;
• and
• based on known identities of the one or more reference charging pads and on matching the reference constellation to the observed constellation to within a degree of confidence, disambiguating an identity of a particular charging pad from among the one or more charging pads.