Visual Motion Detection for GPS-Denied Drone Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned vehicles, or drones, face challenges in navigating and avoiding collisions in environments without GPS signals, requiring autonomous motion detection and collision avoidance systems that can function effectively without positioning references.
Innovation Solution
A motion detection system utilizing a network of sensors and processor circuitry that implements differential equations and correlator circuitry to determine directional motion, invariant to temporal and spatial contrast variations, allowing for accurate angular velocity detection and collision avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS signals are used for navigation and position tracking, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the system cannot operate in environments without GPS signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (motion detector with sensor array) that mediates between the drone and the environment when GPS is unavailable. The sensor array detects environmental features and motion, providing positional information without direct GPS dependency, thus enabling operation in GPS-denied environments while maintaining navigation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electronic GPS-based positioning system with a motion detection system using sensor arrays that measure physical motion and environmental interactions. This substitution enables the drone to determine position and orientation through mechanical motion sensing rather than satellite signal reception
2Reliability
If complex sensor arrays and processing circuitry are implemented for autonomous motion detection, then collision avoidance capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the motion detection system into distinct functional components: sensor array for environmental sensing, correlator circuitry for signal processing, and processor circuitry for motion calculation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to achieve reliable collision avoidance
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor array and processing circuitry serve multiple functions: detecting environmental features for navigation, measuring motion for collision avoidance, and providing positional information when GPS is unavailable. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems, managing complexity while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Examples relate to detectors for determining motion from visual cues, said determining being invariant to changes in at least one of temporal and spatial frequencies of said visual cues.