Autonomous collision avoidance system for unmanned aerial vehicles
View Patent ↗Autonomous collision avoidance systems for unmanned aerial vehicles are disclosed. Systems illustratively include a detect and track module, an inertial navigation system, and an auto avoidance module. The detect and track module senses a potential object of collision and generates a moving object track for the potential object of collision. The inertial navigation system provides information indicative of a position and a velocity of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The auto avoidance module receives the moving object track for the potential object of collision and the information indicative of the position and the velocity of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The auto avoidance module utilizes the information to generate a guidance maneuver that facilitates the unmanned aerial vehicle avoiding the potential object of collision.
1. A method for autonomously controlling a vehicle so as to avoid potential collisions, the method comprising:
detecting and tracking potential objects of collision by identifying directional finding angle information;
determining that at least one of the potential objects of collision will enter a path of the vehicle;
guiding the vehicle out of the path, wherein guiding the vehicle out of the path comprises putting the vehicle on a different path that allows the vehicle to miss the objects of collision by at least a predetermined miss distance, and wherein guiding the vehicle further comprises determining a zero effort miss distance, the zero effort miss distance being a function of the line of sight rate, a closing velocity and an amount of time until the vehicle has reached a closest point of approach to the potential objects of collision; and
wherein said determining and guiding are based on the directional finding angle information and a navigational state of the vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining comprises calculating a relative range, a relative range rate, a line of sight angle and a line of sight rate between the potential objects of collision and the vehicle based on the directional finding angle information and navigational states of the vehicle.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the line of sight angle is based on a trigonometric function of the relative range.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the line of sight rate is a function of the relative range and the relative range rate.
5. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising:
activating an alert flag based at least in part upon a determination that the vehicle is on course to enter within the predetermined distance relative to the potential object of collision; and
altering the course of the vehicle based at least in part on the activation of the alert flag.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the alert flag provides an indication of whether the vehicle is on course to collide head-on with the potential object of collision or whether the vehicle is on course to enter into another type of collision with the potential object of collision.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein altering the course comprises calculating a waypoint leg to alter the course of the vehicle.
8. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising returning the vehicle to a previous guidance mode by restoring a previous course of the vehicle after the vehicle has avoided the potential object of collision.
9. A method for autonomously controlling a vehicle so as to avoid potential collisions, the method comprising:
detecting and tracking potential objects of collision by identifying directional finding angle information;
determining that at least one of the potential objects of collision will enter a path of the vehicle;
guiding the vehicle out of the path;
wherein said determining and guiding are based on the directional finding angle information and a navigational state of the vehicle;
activating an alert flag based at least in part upon a determination that the vehicle is on course to enter within the predetermined distance relative to the potential object of collision;
altering the course of the vehicle based at least in part on the activation of the alert flag; and
wherein the alert flag provides an indication of whether the vehicle is on course to collide head-on with the potential object of collision or whether the vehicle is on course to enter into another type of collision with the potential object of collision.