Point-of-Regard UAV Control for Precise 3D Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for controlling unmanned vehicles (ground, aerial, and marine) are either extremely difficult to master, such as the manual first person view approach, or cumbersome, like consumer drone flight methods, which fail to provide intuitive and accurate flight to specific points in space, especially in complex environments.
Innovation Solution
The system couples vehicle controls with point of regard (PoR) in a 2D plane, translated to a continuously updating flight vector in a 3D space, allowing for intuitive and precise maneuvering of unmanned vehicles in various environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual first person view (FPV) control is used, then direct control over vehicle motion is achieved, but the operation becomes extremely difficult to master requiring months to years of training
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary control system that translates simple user inputs (pointing direction) into complex vehicle control commands. The system acts as a mediator between the user's intuitive pointing action and the vehicle's multi-axis motion control, eliminating the need for users to directly manage complex flight dynamics while maintaining precise control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical stick-based control system with an optical/gaze-based control mechanism. Instead of requiring physical manipulation of control sticks to adjust thrust, pitch, yaw, and roll, the system uses the user's pointing direction (via display module interaction) to automatically compute and execute the appropriate vehicle motion vectors, substituting mechanical control with computational geometry and optical tracking
2Measurement precision
If consumer drone flight control is used, then operation becomes easier, but the ability to achieve accurate flight to specific point in space is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the control interface from a 2D display plane to 3D spatial navigation. By mapping the 2D pointing direction on the display module to a 3D flight vector that accounts for altitude, horizontal position, and approach angle, the system enables precise three-dimensional positioning while maintaining the simplicity of two-dimensional pointing interaction
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the vehicle's position and adjusts the flight vector to ensure accurate arrival at the target point. The real-time feedback loop compares the vehicle's actual trajectory with the computed optimal path, automatically correcting deviations to maintain precision without requiring manual intervention from the user
3Productivity
If high speed flight is achieved, then productivity increases, but precision control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control that automatically adjusts vehicle speed and trajectory based on real-time conditions. The system can transition between high-speed cruise mode for efficient long-distance travel and precision mode for accurate target acquisition, optimizing both productivity and positioning precision according to the operational phase and environmental factors
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to systems, methods and programs for maneuvering unmanned vehicles. More specifically, the disclosure relates to systems, methods and programs for controlling maneuverability of unmanned vehicles (ground, aerial and marine) by coupling vehicle controls with point of regard (PoR) in a 2D plane, translated to a continuously updating flight vector in a 3D space, based on 12 DOF head pose and/or hand gesture of a user.