Vehicle controller

1 . An apparatus for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the apparatus being moveable with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for intercepting a first control signal transmitted from a remote controller intended for the unmanned aerial vehicle, the first control signal containing an instruction to perform a first manoeuvre;

a memory for storing a route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow, wherein the route is based on an initial route input from an external device;

a processor configured to:

determine characteristics of the first control signal intercepted by the receiver which was intended for the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the characteristics of the intercepted first control signal include at least one of a channel or a frequency on which the first control signal is transmitted from the remote controller; and

generate a second control signal, wherein the second control signal comprises an instruction for the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a second manoeuvre to follow the route, where in a first case the first manoeuvre is the same as the second manoeuvre and in a second case the first manoeuvre is different from the second manoeuvre; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the second control signal, arranged to have the determined characteristics including the at least one of a channel or a frequency on which the first control signal is transmitted from the remote controller, to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a navigation system for generating navigation data,

wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit the navigation data to a server, and the receiver is arranged to receive the route from the server.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is arranged to determine the route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow based on the initial route input from the external device and a current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and store the route in the memory.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , comprising at least one sensor, wherein determining the route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow comprises modifying either the initial route or a stored route based on data generated by the at least one sensor.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is arranged to receive a plurality of routes, determine the route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow by performing route deconfliction on the plurality of routes, and store the determined route in the memory.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a coupling means for coupling the apparatus to an outside surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the coupling means comprises an adhesive layer.

8 . A system for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

at least one unmanned aerial vehicle for receiving the second control signal from the apparatus and carrying out the second manoeuvre instructed by the second control signal, a respective apparatus being coupled to a respective unmanned aerial vehicle.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , comprising a server configured to transmit each of a plurality of routes to a respective apparatus coupled to a respective unmanned aerial vehicle that will follow a respective route.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the server comprises a route deconfliction algorithm for performing route deconfliction on a plurality of routes and generating the route for the respective unmanned aerial vehicle to follow.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the server is configured to retrieve object data and use the object data to perform the route deconfliction, such that the unmanned aerial vehicle does not collide with objects associated with the object data when following the route.

12 . The system according to claim 9 wherein the at least one apparatus is arranged to transmit navigation data relating to the respective unmanned aerial vehicle to the server; and

the server being configured to use the navigation data relating to a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to extrapolate routes for those unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein performing route deconfliction comprises generating a route for an unmanned aerial vehicle which does not intersect any of the extrapolated routes.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a spectrum analyser which is configured to determine the characteristics of the first control signal intercepted by the receiver.

14 . A method of controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, an initial route from an external device;

intercepting a first control signal from a remote controller intended for the unmanned aerial vehicle by a vehicle controller which is moveable with the unmanned aerial vehicle, the first control signal containing an instruction to perform a first manoeuvre;

storing a route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow, the route stored is based on the initial route;

determining characteristics of the first control signal intercepted which was intended for the unmanned aerial vehicle wherein the characteristics include a frequency and/or channel on which the intercepted first control signal is transmitted and the determining of the characteristics comprises determining the frequency and/or channel on which the first control signal was transmitted;

generating a second control signal, wherein the second control signal comprises an instruction for the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a second manoeuvre to follow the route, where in a first case the first manoeuvre is the same as the second manoeuvre and in a second case the first manoeuvre is different from the second manoeuvre; and

transmitting the second control signal, arranged to have the determined characteristics including the at least one of a channel or a frequency on which the first control signal is transmitted from the remote controller, to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising mechanically coupling the vehicle controller to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising receiving the route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow wirelessly from a server, where the server receives the initial route from the external device.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , comprising transmitting navigation data to the server and using the navigation data to plan the route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow.

18 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising determining the route for the unmanned aerial vehicle to follow by performing route deconfliction on a plurality of routes and storing the determined route.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , comprising retrieving object data and using the object data to perform route deconfliction, such that the unmanned aerial vehicle does not collide with objects associated with the object data when following the route.

20 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising:

sensing at least one object in a path of the unmanned aerial vehicle using at least one sensor; and

determining the route by modifying either the initial route or the stored route based on a location of the sensed at least one object such that the unmanned aerial vehicle does not collide with the at least one object.

21 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising receiving the second control signal and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to perform the second manoeuvre instructed by the second control signal.