UAV Mission Planning Using Artificial Lighting Maps at Night
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in low light environments due to limited functionality of their perception systems, which hinder safe and effective package delivery operations as they rely on insufficient artificial lighting for navigation and scene identification.
Innovation Solution
A system that models artificial light sources and local geometry to generate simulated aerial images, determining which areas are sufficiently illuminated, aiding in mission planning and operation by ensuring the availability of perception system modules during low light conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If UAV operates in low light environments, then delivery service coverage is expanded, but perception system functionality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of illumination conditions by generating simulated aerial images at candidate delivery sites before UAV arrival. This allows the mission planning system to identify sites with sufficient artificial lighting in advance, ensuring perception system functionality is maintained during actual delivery operations in low light environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces simulated aerial images as an intermediary between the UAV's perception system and the actual low light environment. By comparing real-time camera images with pre-generated simulated images that incorporate artificial lighting models, the system compensates for insufficient natural light, enabling reliable perception system operation during nighttime deliveries.
2Illumination intensity
If UAV relies on artificial lighting for navigation, then operation in low light environments becomes possible, but delivery accuracy deteriorates due to insufficient lighting
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of illumination sufficiency at candidate delivery sites by generating simulated images before UAV arrival. This allows the mission planning system to identify and select sites where artificial lighting provides adequate illumination for accurate package delivery, avoiding sites with insufficient lighting that would compromise delivery precision.
3Speed
If UAV flight path does not consider illumination conditions, then mission execution speed increases, but perception system operability deteriorates in low light areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of illumination conditions at all candidate delivery sites before mission execution by generating simulated aerial images. This advance preparation enables the mission planning system to identify sites with sufficient artificial lighting and incorporate this information into flight path optimization, ensuring perception system operability is maintained without sacrificing mission execution speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mission planning includes acquiring a target aerial image of a geographic area representative of the geographic area illuminated by one or more artificial light sources, identifying a location of the one or more artificial light sources based on the target aerial image, rendering a simulated aerial image representative of the geographic area illuminated by the one or more artificial light sources at night using a digital surface model of the geographic area, the location of the one or more artificial light sources, and an irradiance parameter for the one or more artificial light sources, identifying one or more regions within the geographic area as having sufficient lighting for UAV operation at night based on the simulated aerial image, and generating a mission plan for the UAV based on the one or more regions within the geographic area.