UAV Landing Terrain Evaluation for Flat Surface Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in landing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) lies in the need for skilled human operators to manually control the landing process, which can result in damage due to rough landings caused by human error, especially when the operator lacks direct visual perception of the flight trajectory and attitude.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a computer-implemented method that uses visual sensors, such as cameras, to automatically evaluate the terrain by extracting depth information and selecting a suitable landing spot through stereo matching techniques, allowing the UAV to identify and descend onto a flat or smooth surface without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control by human operators is used for landing UAVs, then the landing process can be controlled with human judgment, but the risk of damage due to rough landings increases because operators lack direct visual perception of flight trajectory and attitude
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV performs self-landing by automatically evaluating terrain and controlling its own descent using onboard visual sensors and processing units, eliminating the need for human operators to directly control the landing process while improving safety through machine-based precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical control with an automated visual-based control system that uses image capture, depth information extraction, and automatic terrain evaluation to substitute human judgment with machine-based automated decision-making for landing control
2Measurement precision
If automated terrain evaluation using visual sensors and stereo matching is implemented, then the precision of landing spot selection is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The visual sensors and processing unit serve multiple functions including terrain evaluation, depth information extraction, landing spot identification, and flight trajectory monitoring, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a depth map (a simplified representation) from stereo images to model the terrain, using this copied visual information for terrain evaluation rather than directly processing complex raw image data, reducing computational complexity while maintaining precision
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
This solution enables UAVs to automatically and efficiently identify a target landing spot, reducing the risk of damage from uneven or tilted surfaces and eliminating the need for human operator expertise during the landing process.
Implementation Method 1
at least one image of the landing surface obtained by the movable object
Implementation Method 2
performing a stereo matching on the at least two images of the landing surface to generate depth information of matching pixels
Data Source
AI summary
Automatic terrain evaluation of landing surfaces, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative method includes receiving a request to land a movable object and, in response to the request, identifying a target landing area on a landing surface based on at least one image of the landing surface obtained by the movable object. The method can further include directing the movable object to land at the target landing area.