Operating a UAV with a narrow obstacle-sensor field-of-view
AssigneeDronomy Ltd.
InventorsOri Aphek, Guy Raz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for autonomously operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes one or more imaging devices is provided. The imaging devices are pointed away from a direction in which the UAV is flying, and subsequently, an upcoming portion of a current flight path of the UAV is imaged, using the imaging devices. In response to the imaging, an obstacle on the current flight path is detected, and an alternate flight path is planned in response thereto. The UAV is then flown along the alternate flight path, instead of the current flight path. Other embodiments are also described.
Claims22
A method for autonomously operating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
- pointing one or more imaging devices, which are coupled to the UAV and are used by the UAV for obstacle detection and avoidance, away from a first portion of a current flight path of the UAV that was already checked for obstacles, such that the first portion of the current flight path is outside a current field-of-view of the imaging devices;
- subsequently, while the imaging devices are pointed away from the first portion of the current flight path, imaging, using the imaging devices, a second, upcoming portion of the current flight path of the UAV, while flying the UAV along the first portion of the current flight path;
- in response to the imaging, detecting an obstacle on the second, upcoming portion of the current flight path, and planning an alternate flight path in response thereto;
- and
- subsequently, flying the UAV along the alternate flight path, instead of the current flight path.
Apparatus, comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising a processor;
- and
- one or more imaging devices, which are coupled to the UAV and are used by the UAV for obstacle detection and avoidance,
- the processor being configured to:
- point the imaging devices away from a first portion of a current flight path of the UAV that was already checked for obstacles, such that the first portion of the current flight path is outside a current field-of-view of the imaging devices,
- subsequently, while the imaging devices are pointed away from the first portion of the current flight path, image, using the imaging devices, a second, upcoming portion of the current flight path of the UAV, while flying the UAV along the first portion of the current flight path,
- in response to the imaging, detect an obstacle on the second, upcoming portion of the current flight path, and plan an alternate flight path in response thereto, and
- subsequently, fly the UAV along the alternate flight path, instead of the current flight path.
A computer software product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), cause the processor to:
- point one or more imaging devices, which are coupled to the UAV and are used by the UAV for obstacle detection and avoidance, away from a first portion of a current flight path of the UAV that was already checked for obstacles, such that the first portion of the current flight path is outside a current field-of-view of the imaging devices,
- subsequently, while the imaging devices are pointed away from the first portion of the current flight path, image, using the imaging devices, a second, upcoming portion of the current flight path of the UAV, while flying the UAV along the first portion of the current flight path,
- in response to the imaging, detect an obstacle on the second, upcoming portion of the current flight path, and plan an alternate flight path in response thereto, and
- subsequently, fly the UAV along the alternate flight path, instead of the current flight path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.