Systems and methods for obstacle avoidance for unmanned autonomous vehicles

A method comprising:

• using a gimbal to move a RADAR transmit patch antenna that is attached to the gimbal, a RADAR receive patch antenna that is attached to the gimbal, and an optical camera that is attached to the gimbal, wherein the RADAR transmit patch antenna, the RADAR receive patch antenna, and the optical camera are bore-sighted to each another;
• determining that a target is present in response to receiving a RADAR signal that is transmitted from the RADAR transmit patch antenna and then reflected by the target;
• using the optical camera to acquire a camera image when it is determined from the received RADAR signal that the target is present;
• and
• identifying a plurality of pixels in the camera image that correspond to the target;
• wherein the gimbal moves the RADAR transmit patch antenna, the RADAR receive patch antenna, and the optical camera in unison such that a field of view of the RADAR transmit patch antenna and a field of view of the RADAR receive patch antenna overlap with a field of view of the optical camera and the field of view of the RADAR transmit patch antenna and the field of view of the RADAR receive patch antenna move in unison with the field of view of the optical camera as the gimbal moves the RADAR transmit patch antenna, the RADAR receive patch antenna, and the optical camera in unison.

A system comprising:

• a gimbal;
• a circuit board attached to the gimbal;
• a RADAR system that includes a RADAR transmit patch antenna mounted on the circuit board and a RADAR receive patch antenna mounted on the circuit board, the RADAR system having a field of view;
• and
• an optical camera mounted on the circuit board, the optical camera having a field of view;
• wherein
• the gimbal moves the circuit board, the RADAR transmit patch antenna, the RADAR receive patch antenna, and the optical camera in unison, and
• the RADAR system and the optical camera are bore-sighted to each other such that the field of view of the RADAR system overlaps with the field of view of the optical camera and the field of view of the RADAR system moves in unison with the field of view of the optical camera as the gimbal moves the circuit board, the RADAR transmit patch antenna, the RADAR receive patch antenna, and the optical camera in unison.