Unmanned aeriel vehicle control system

Abstract

A multirotor UAV 10 flies under control of an on-board flight controller (40, fig 2). The UAV 10 has sensors e.g. laser scanner / LIDAR 30, camera 32, GPS 34, compass 35 sending signals to the flight c

Claims

1. A LIAV comprising:a plurality of propulsive rotors;one or more sensor for detecting a profile of a structure within a predetermined vicinity of the UAV;a depth sensor for detecting a visible feature of the environment beyond the predetermined vicinity of the UAV; anda control system comprising:one or more data processor arranged to receive the output of the one or more sensor and the depth sensor; and,a flight controller arranged to output control instructions for control of the propulsive rotors based on the output of the data processor, wherein the control system is operable to log the visible feature as reference point and to determine yaw readings for use by the flight controller relative to said reference point.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the control system determines a yaw reading relative to the reference point at take-off.

3. The UAV of claim 1 or 2, where the control system enables take-off or flight of the UAV without GPS and / or a compass reading.

4. The UAV of any preceding claim, where in the predetermined vicinity of the UAV is less than or equal to 50m, 40m, 30m, 20m,10m or 5m from the UAV.

5. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the visible feature comprises a feature on the horizon.

6. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the control system determines that the visible feature is static prior to logging it as the reference point.

7. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the depth sensor comprises a camera or plurality of cameras.

8. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the depth sensor comprises a SLAM sensor.

9. The UAV of any preceding claim wherein the control system maintains a persistent position reading for the drone relative to the reference point.

10. The UAV of claim 9, wherein the persistent position reading comprises in cartesian coordinates in three dimensions relative to the reference point, said position reading being updated during movement of the drone.

11. The UAV of any preceding claim comprising an onboard appendage that isoriented in a first or forward direction and the depth sensor faces away from said direction.

12. The UAV of claim 11, wherein the depth sensor is rearward facing.

13. The UAV of claim 11 or 12, wherein the onboard appendage comprises a fluiddispensing system and / or a camera for inspecting the structure.

14. The UAV of any one of claims 11-13, wherein the appendage comprises an arm projecting forwardly of the UAV.

15. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the control system determines a flight path for the UAV relative to the profile of the structure.

16. The UAV of claim 15, wherein the control system determines a flight path for the UAV relative to a surface normal, e.g. an instantaneous surface normal, determined for the profile of the structure.

17. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more sensor comprises a scanning or distance sensor such as a point cloud or LiDAR sensor system.

18. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the control system can operate in a profile tracking mode, wherein the data processor determines a path for the UAV that is a predetermined distance from the detected structure and follows the profile of said detected structure, wherein the flight controller implements said path so as to constrainmovement of the UAV in said profile tracking mode to be within a plane that is at the predetermined distance from the structure.

19. The UAV of claim 18, wherein an angular orientation for the UAV, such as a yaw angle, is determined in said profile tracking mode according to the profile of the structure.

20. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the control system is operable in a structure collision avoidance mode of operation and / or a structure homing mode of operation in which the UAV is controlled to move towards the detected structure until the predetermined distance is reached.

21. The UAV of any preceding claim, wherein the UAV comprises an orientation sensor and the control system controls the orientation of the UAV relative to the profile of the structure.

22. A data carrier for a control system of a UAV having a plurality of propulsive rotors, one or more sensor for detecting a profile of a structure within a predetermined vicinity of the UAV, and a depth sensor for detecting a visible feature of the environment beyond the predetermined vicinity of the UAV, the data carrier comprising machine readable instructions for the control of one or more computer processors to:receive the output of the one or more sensor and the depth sensor;determine a distance between the UAV and a point on the profile of the structure;log the visible feature as reference point and to determine yaw readings for the UAV based on the reference point; and,output control instructions for control of the propulsive rotors based on the determined yaw readings.

23. A control system for a UAV comprising the machine readable instructions and / or data carrier of claim 22, e.g. in the form of a tangible data store.s

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