Ground-Based UAV Tracking Using Environmental Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in safely and accurately navigating complex environments, such as near buildings or trees, due to the weight, bulk, and power requirements of existing control systems, which impact their range and payload capacity.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a scanner and controller for scanning environments, planning flight paths, and tracking UAVs, using a combination of cameras and rangefinders to create a computer-based model of the environment and provide real-time positional feedback to adjust the UAV's flight path, allowing for precise navigation and collision avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing control systems are used for UAV navigation in complex environments, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but weight and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ground-based scanning system as an intermediary that performs environmental mapping and collision detection externally. The scanner creates a computer-based model of the environment and provides real-time positional feedback to the UAV, allowing the UAV to navigate safely without carrying heavy onboard control hardware. This mediator approach transfers the collision avoidance function from the UAV to the ground system.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground-based scanner creates a computer-based model (copy) of the physical environment. This digital replica allows the system to plan flight paths and detect potential collisions virtually before the UAV executes maneuvers, enabling safe navigation without requiring the UAV to carry complex real-time processing hardware.
2Reliability
If existing control systems are used for UAV navigation in complex environments, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The ground-based scanning system acts as an external intermediary that handles the computationally intensive tasks of environmental modeling and collision detection. By moving these power-consuming operations to the ground system, the UAV's own power consumption is reduced while maintaining collision avoidance capability through real-time positional feedback from the scanner.
Solution Approach 2:
The computer-based model created by the scanner serves as a power-efficient copy of the environment that can be processed on the ground. This allows complex navigation decisions to be made externally, reducing the energy burden on the UAV's onboard systems while still enabling accurate collision avoidance.
3Measurement precision
If existing control systems are used for UAV navigation, then navigation accuracy in complex environments is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ground-based scanner serves as an intermediary that performs complex environmental analysis and flight path planning. The scanner's controller handles the complexity of creating 3D models, identifying obstacles, and calculating safe trajectories, while the UAV simply follows guidance based on real-time positional feedback, thereby maintaining navigation accuracy without increasing onboard complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The computer-based model of the environment provides a simplified digital representation that captures all necessary spatial information for navigation. This copy allows complex navigation decisions to be made externally based on the model, while the UAV executes relatively simple maneuvers based on positional feedback, reducing onboard computational complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables UAVs to safely and accurately navigate complex environments by creating a computer-based model of the environment, planning flight paths, and providing real-time positional feedback, reducing the risk of collisions and improving mission precision.
Implementation Method 1
using a combination of cameras and rangefinders to create a computer-based model of the environment
Implementation Method 2
using a combination of cameras and rangefinders to create a computer-based model of the environment
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for scanning environments and tracking unmanned aerial vehicles within the scanned environments are disclosed. A method in accordance with a particular embodiment includes using a rangefinder off-board an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to identify points in a region. The method can further include forming a computer-based map of the region with the points and using the rangefinder and a camera to locate the UAV as it moves in the region. The location of the UAV can be compared with locations on the computer-based map and, based upon the comparison, the method can include transmitting guidance information to the UAV. In a further particular embodiment, two-dimensional imaging data is used in addition to the rangefinder data to provide color information to points in the region.