230results about "Position/course control in three dimensions" patented technology

A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) storage and launch system includes a UAV pod having a UAV pod processor and a UAV selectively enclosed in the UAV pod, the UAV having only two rotors.

The invention relates to a remote-control system of a stratospheric airship and a control method thereof. The control system is divided to four levels: a decision-making level for executing the selection and switch of a remote-control flight mode according to the actual working state data, and sending a corresponding mode command; a planning level for dynamically planning and generating an airship motor drive command according to the mode command sent by the decision-making level; an executing level for realizing the drive control to an airship motor according to the motor drive command of the planning level; and a perceiving level for finishing the real-time monitoring and data collection of the airship working state, and providing the original data of the airship working state to the decision-making level. The four-level control system architecture design of the control system is capable of simplifying the control device, improving the control efficiency, and fundamentally solving the problems of the function, efficiency and reliability of the near space airship ground and airborne control system.

Intelligent optimization of mission planning and execution for spacecraft through intelligent analysis of mission objectives and payload operation is disclosed. Values for mission objectives, payload operation, and / or vehicle conditions may be defined during given time periods, including variable values for repeat operations or other factors. These values may then be used through a vehicle / mission simulation agent to optimize the mission plan through maximizing the mission score according to the values. The simulation agent may identify possible mission plans based on vehicle capability, and then score the mission plan based on the total objective score.

Load stability systems and methods for stabilizing swinging motions of suspended loads. The load stability systems include a fully automated, self-powered device that employs thrust to counteract and control lateral and rotational motion of an external load. The device is a temporary installment on the load, cable, or boom, and is agnostic to the platform from which it is suspended.

Provided is a machine room inspection robot, comprising a robot body, propellers, supporting rods, a top protection plate, a protection ring, elastic pieces, a control part, distance sensors, connecting rods, walking wheels and rotating shafts. The robot body is an unmanned aerial vehicle of a circular structure when overlooked. Propellers are respectively arranged on two sides of the top of the robot body. A supporting rod is arranged at the top of the robot body. A top protection plate is arranged at the tops of the supporting rods. A protective ring is arranged on the periphery of the robotbody. The protection ring is connected with the robot body through an elastic piece, a distance sensor is arranged on the periphery of the top of the robot body, a control part is arranged in the robot body, the distance sensor is electrically connected with the control part through a cable, connecting rods are symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the robot body relative to the center line, and walking wheels are arranged at the bottom ends of the connecting rods. The robot has the advantages that the inspection mode that a traditional inspection robot can only shuttle and walk on the ground for inspection is changed, the moving range of the robot is not limited by ground obstacles, and certain flexibility is achieved.

Disclosed herein is methods, systems, and aircraft for performing image analysis for aiding refueling operations. A tanker aircraft includes a camera, a refueling boom, a camera configured to generate a two-dimensional (2D) image of the refueling boom, a processor, and non-transitory computer readable storage media storing code. The code is executable by the processor to perform operations including receiving the two-dimensional (2D) image from the camera, determining 2D keypoints of the refueling boom located within the 2D image based on a predefined point model of the refueling boom, determining a 6 degree-of-freedom (6DOF) pose using the 2D keypoints and the corresponding three-dimensional (3D) space 3D keypoints, optimizing 3D keypoints associated with moveable components of the refueling boom in response to a plurality of boom control parameters to produce optimized 3D keypoints, and estimating a position of a tip of the refueling boom based on the 6DOF pose.

The present invention relates to an on-board redundant controller and standby aviation sensors in-flight reconfigurable autonomous flight system, which includes UAV, primary autopilot module, secondary autopilot module and switching module. The primary autopilot module and secondary autopilot module are equipped with first aviation sensing module and second aviation sensing module. The primary autopilot module produces response signal according to the request signal produced by the secondary autopilot module. When the first response signal is no longer produced by the primary autopilot module for a preset time, the first switching module switches controls of the flight control module from the primary autopilot module to the secondary autopilot module, and the secondary autopilot module uses the aviation data of the second aviation sensing module to provide flight control signals to the flight control module.

An estimated target position is generated based on agent data received from an agent sensor system of a reinforcement learning (RL) agent and teammate data received from a plurality of teammate RL agents. An information metric reward is generated based on a confidence level associated with the estimated target position. The confidence level is based on the estimated target position and historical estimated target positions. A distance metric reward is generated based on an agent position and the estimated target position. A combined reward is generated based on the information metric reward and the distance metric reward. A movement action is generated for the RL agent based on the agent position, the estimated target position, and the combined reward in accordance with a multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) algorithm.

An aircraft control system includes a longitudinal control module, an engine torque control module, and an actuator control system. The longitudinal control module is configured to generate a desired torque value and a desired elevator position value for an aircraft based on a desired airspeed value, a desired altitude value, an actual airspeed value, and an actual altitude value. The engine torque control module is configured to generate a desired power lever position value based on the desired torque value and a measured engine torque value that indicates a measured engine torque in the aircraft. The actuator control system is configured to generate a power lever position command and an elevator position command for the aircraft based on the desired power lever position value and the desired elevator position value.

To appropriately set an area where a flight device can fly.SOLUTION: An information processing device 1 sets a flight route of a flight device. The information processing device includes: a registration section 131 for registering performance or a purpose of usage of the flight device; a schedule acquisition section 132 for acquiring flight schedule data indicating a scheduled route for the flight of the flight device; a setting section 134 for setting an upper limit range of a flight possible area of the flight device based on the performance or the purpose of usage registered in the registration section 131; and an area determination section 135 for determining the flight possible area of the flight device based on the flight schedule data and the upper limit range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

A building intelligence gathering, assessment and decision-support system including a GPS system deployed about the Earth and supporting a plurality of GPS satellites for transmitting GPS signals to the surface of the Earth. A building data sensor network, including a plurality of GPS-tracked rooftop-mounted sensors, are mounted on the rooftop surface of the building, and adapted for collecting GPS-indexed data specifying conditions on the rooftop surface at particular dates and times of the year. The building rooftop conditions includes one or more conditions selected from the group consisting of snow load conditions, windspeed and direction, and temperature. The system also includes one or more hand-held mobile augmented-reality (AR) based rooftop navigation and inspection devices, each configured for communication with communication servers within a data center over a wireless data communication network. Each hand-held mobile AR-based inspection device is capable displaying digital images of objects and scenery captured in its field of view (FOV) while the user is moving about the rooftop surface, along with graphical indications of GPS-tracked rooftop-mounted sensors collecting data regarding conditions on the building rooftop surface. By virtue of the present invention, users can now navigate building rooftops, inspect rooftop situations, identify where GPS-tracked rooftop-mounted sensors have been installed, and quickly determine where particular conditions have been automatically detected during rooftop inspections.

Disclosed herein is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery system. The UAV, equipped for vertical takeoff and landing, has a specially designed external frame made of durable and lightweight materials. This frame can hold one or more internal frames, each tailored to store and selectively release packages. The delivery system also features a dynamic drop container that can automatically receive and store packages based on their identifiers, maintaining their temperature with an integrated regulation system. The invention further incorporates a mobile application, enabling users to track packages, interact with the system's components, and exercise limited control over the delivery process. Users can categorize deliveries based on urgency, with specific weight limits defined for each. Vendors prepare the items in specialized drone delivery packets, which can be configured to maintain specific temperatures. This UAV-based solution streamlines and elevates the package delivery process, offering flexibility, efficiency, and user engagement.

The present disclosure relates to a method of generating auxiliary data for controlling a satellite travelling in orbit around Earth, the method comprising: receiving tracking data for the satellite; applying an orbit determination algorithm including: estimating an orbit for the satellite based on the tracking data; and predicting, based on the estimated orbit, future ephemerides data of the satellite; generating auxiliary data comprising predicted future ephemerides data; and transmitting the auxiliary data to the satellite for use in the satellite's attitude and orbit control.

To provide an acoustic positioning method and a system that enable simultaneously position locations of a plurality of objects while eliminating cumbersome pre-processing as much as possible on the basis of an acoustic pulse a pinger transmits.SOLUTION: An acoustic positioning system 1 includes: a plurality of pingers 10 that transmits an acoustic pulse; a receiver 20 that positions a location of each pinger 10 on the basis of the acoustic pulse of the pinger. A cycle of a time slot transmitting the acoustic pulse is registered in a cycle setting part 101 of the pinger 10. The time slot cycle to be set to each pinger 10 is different from each other. Each pinger 10 is configured to transmit the acoustic pulse every time slot cycle. The receiver 20 mainly consists of a pulse reception unit 202, and a positioning unit 203, which are provided with at least three hydrophones 201. The positioning unit 203 is configured to calculate a direction and depth of each pinger 10 on the basis of the acoustic pulse each hydrophone 201 receives; and position the location of each pinger 10 on the basis of a calculation result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

A display system can be configured to receive, via a user interface, a first identifier associated with a first space object and determine a first maneuver of the first space object. The first maneuver can include a perturbation of the path of the first space object. Based on the first identifier and the first maneuver, the display system can identify one or more path parameters associated with a path of the first space object and generate a display interface. The display interface can include a longitude-time graph having a longitude axis spanning from a lower-longitude limit to an upper-longitude limit and a time axis spanning from the lower-time limit to the upper-time limit and an indication of the one or more path parameters.

To provide a defense system capable of photographing an intruder who enters a working area in a factory, a warehouse or the like.SOLUTION: A defense system 1 comprises a first unmanned flying body 100-1, a second unmanned flying body 100-2, a moving body 200, and a management device 300, with the first unmanned flying body 100-1 comprising a detection part for detecting an intruder X who enters a working area 10, the second unmanned flying body 100-2 comprising a photographing part for photographing the intruder X, and the moving body 200 comprising an illumination part for outputting a dazzling light for obstructing a visual field of the intruder X. When the first unmanned flying body 100-1 detects the intruder X, the management device 300 makes the moving body 200 output the dazzling light until the second unmanned flying body 100-2 photographs the intruder X.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

An aircraft includes a flight plan and contingency data including a plurality of contingency landing sites. An aircraft communication system communicates with a ground control station via a communication link and detects a lost communication scenario in response to degradation in the communication link. An aircraft flight control system controls the aircraft en route according to the flight plan. In response to detecting the lost communication scenario, the flight control system routes the aircraft back to a last known location in which the communication link was not degraded. In response to failure to re-establish the communication link, the flight control system selects a landing site based on a current aircraft location relative to a plurality of potential landing sites including an origin airport, a destination airport, and a first continency landing site. The flight control system controls the aircraft to approach and land at the selected landing site.

To provide a releasing method after a communication path is established for communication (direct C2 communication) with a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) controller using 5GS (5G System).SOLUTION: A target UE has established a communication path for direct C2 communication with an initiating UE. When the target UE receives a first control message from the initiating UE indicating cancellation of authentication and / or approval of the communication path for direct C2 communication or indicating a grace time until the communication path is released, the target UE transmits a second control message initiating a procedure for releasing the communication path for direct C2 communication to the initiating UE based on the reception or after the grace time expires.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

To provide a cooling system that can cool a cargo handling worker and an environment around the cargo handling worker while restraining an increase in cost.SOLUTION: A cooling system comprises: a data collection unit 33 for collecting temperature data and data other than temperature in an environment where cargo handling work has been performed, as teacher data; a learning model generation unit 34 for generating a learning model by performing machine learning from the teacher data collected by the data collection unit 33; an information acquisition unit 35 for acquiring environmental information related to an environment where cargo handling work is performed; an environmental temperature prediction unit 36 for predicting temperature in the environment where the cargo handling work is performed, on the basis of the learning model generated by the learning model generation unit 34, and the environmental information acquired by the information acquisition unit 35; a spray plan unit 37 for making a spay plan on the basis of the temperature predicted by the environmental temperature prediction unit 36; and a drone 2 that is an unmanned flying object constituted so as to be capable of autonomously flying, and for spraying in accordance with the spray plan made by the spray plan unit 37.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

An aircraft includes a flight plan and contingency data including a plurality of contingency landing sites. An aircraft communication system communicates with a ground control station via a communication link and detects a lost communication scenario in response to degradation in the communication link. An aircraft flight control system controls the aircraft en route according to the flight plan. In response to detecting the lost communication scenario, the flight control system routes the aircraft back to a last known location in which the communication link was not degraded. In response to failure to re-establish the communication link, the flight control system selects a landing site based on a current aircraft location relative to a plurality of potential landing sites including an origin airport, a destination airport, and a first continency landing site. The flight control system controls the aircraft to approach and land at the selected landing site.

Method for defending an area from vehicular threats in the area's vicinity, comprising detection of threat scenarios including vehicular threats in the area's vicinity in real time or near-real time; and / or controlling multiple interceptors to intercept at least some of the vehicular threats as detected; and / or using a machine learning hardware processor, trained on training data which may pair scenario outcomes to given mission plans which operated on given threat scenarios, to generate at least one mission plan for the interceptors, and / or to feed said mission plans to the interceptor control processor, in real time.

Systems, apparatus and methods are provided for securing firmware and mission data in memory of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle may include a central body and at least one electric motor. The central body may include a flight controller with a processor, a firmware memory configured to receive and store firmware, and circuit board with a fixed portion and a removable portion with a programming interface connector providing access through a signal connection to a firmware memory operatively connected to the flight controller. The central body may further include a volatile mission memory configured to receive mission data and automatically be erased upon power interruption.

A method and device for controlling a drone, the method comprising: after the power output of the drone fails, controlling the drone to be in a controllable state (S301); after the drone is in the controllable state, controlling the drone to land (S302), so that the drone lands on a safe platform, thereby preventing the drone from continuing to perform a work task and crashing, ensuring the safety of the drone, reducing the property and personnel safety losses caused by the drone crash, and improving the user experience.

The embodiment of the present invention provides a method, device and drone for detecting photovoltaic panels, the method comprising: the ground station of the drone obtains an infrared image taken by an infrared camera carried by the drone, the infrared image includes image information of the photovoltaic panel; the ground station performs image recognition processing on the infrared image to obtain the regional position of the image of the photovoltaic panel in the infrared image; the ground station determines whether the photovoltaic panel has a fault based on the information of the regional position. The method, device and drone provided by the embodiment of the present invention can improve the detection efficiency of photovoltaic panels in the electric field.

A method comprising generating a toolpath for a cleaning tool comprising receiving point cloud data comprising a continuous surface segment, generating a surface representation of the segment, and det

Drone-based inventory management method and systems. One embodiment provides a drone-based inventory management system including one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a central management system having an electronic processor, and a transceiver configured to communicate with the one or more UAVs. The electronic processor is configured to determine a discrepancy in inventory and select a UAV for verification. The electronic processor is also configured to determine whether weather permits UAV operation and operate the UAV in a pre-determined route when the weather permits UAV operation. The electronic processor is further configured to capture images using the UAV and determine new inventory based on captured images. The electronic processor is also configured to update inventory based on the new inventory.

Method for performing tasks in infrastructure, which is implemented with a system of unmanned vehicles, preferably unmanned airplanes, comprising a base vehicle (1) and at least a guest vehicle (1). The base vehicle (1) moves (5) to a first intermediate stationing point (6) located in an infrastructure, the at least one guest vehicle (2) departing therefrom to perform the programmed task and returning to the base vehicle (1), which has the capacity to process the information received from the at least one guest vehicle (2) and to communicate with a control station (3).

To provide a flying object control device and a flying object control method that achieve high-precision self-position estimation with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A flying object control device according to an embodiment comprises: a first storage unit that stores three-dimensional 3D map information consisting of point group data; a first photographing unit that generates an omnidirectional image by photographing all directions of a flying object; a first self-position estimation unit that generates first estimated position information indicating an absolute position of the flying object based on the omnidirectional image and the 3D map information; a second photographing unit that generates a moving image by photographing a predetermined direction from the flying object; a second self-position estimation unit that generates second estimated position information indicating a relative position of the flying object on the basis of a predetermined position based on the moving image; and a position monitoring unit that generates self-estimated position information indicating an estimated position of the flying object based on at least one of the first estimated position information and the second estimated position information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

A system, device, and method for three or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (101A-E), wherein each UAV in a fleet of UAVs includes a respective Flight Control Computer (FCC) (110) and at least one computing device (108) at a ground control station (104), each computing device in communication with a respective FCC, each computing device associated with at least one operator (106A-C), and wherein a fleet of UAVs above a threshold altitude (118) communicate with a first computing device monitored by the at least one operator to ensure that the ratio of UAVs above the threshold altitude exceeds a 1:1 ratio, and a first UAV below the threshold altitude communicates with a second computing device monitored by the at least one operator to ensure that the ratio of UAVs below the threshold altitude does not exceed a 1:1 ratio.

A method of measuring level deviation in an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the system comprises: a rail system comprising a first set of parallel rails arranged to guide movement of a container handling vehicle in a first direction (X) across the top of a frame structure, and a second set of parallel rails arranged perpendicular to the first set of rails to guide movement of the container handling vehicle in a second direction (Y) which is perpendicular to the first direction (X), the first and second sets of parallel rails dividing the rail system into a plurality of grid cells, at least one container handling vehicle configured to operate on the rail system, wherein the at least one container handling vehicle is provided with at least one orientation sensor configured to measure at least one orientation parameter of the sensor in a three-dimensional cartesian reference system, a central control unit configured to receive, transmit and process data signals of the container handling vehicle and to receive and process data signals of the sensor, wherein the method comprises the steps of: arranging the container handling vehicle in a predetermined position on the grid, transmitting a data signal from the central control unit to the container handling vehicle commanding the container handling vehicle to move a distance in one direction (X, Y) along the grid, measuring at predetermined intervals, using the orientation sensor, at least one orientation parameter to produce orientation measurements that are indicative of the container handling vehicle's orientation within the three-dimensional cartesian reference system, transmitting data concerning the orientation measurements to the central control unit, and processing the orientation measurements using the central control unit in order to identify portions of the rail system that deviate from predetermined values.