System, apparatus and method for automatic environmental data collection and analysis

1. A system for automatic environmental data collection and analysis comprising:

an unmanned vehicle associated with a geographical survey entity; and

a server in communication with the unmanned vehicle, comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor configured to:

receive, using the communication interface, a geographic survey request from a first computing device;

determine whether one or more sets of existing geographic survey data stored in a memory is sufficient to satisfy the geographic survey request;

in response to determining the geographic survey request can be satisfied with the one or more sets of existing geographic survey data:

analyze the one or more of the sets of existing geographic survey data to generate a processed geographic survey data; and

transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device; and

in response to determining the geographic survey request cannot be satisfied with the one or more of the sets of existing geographic survey data:

translate the geographic survey request into mission data for collecting geographic survey data, wherein the mission data comprises data for instructing the unmanned vehicle to collect the geographic survey data;

transmit, using the communication interface, the mission data to a second computing device associated with the geographic survey entity;

receive, using the communication interface, the geographic survey data collected by the geographic survey entity using the mission data and the unmanned vehicle;

analyze the geographic survey data to generate processed geographic survey data; and,

transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic survey request comprises one or more of: a location to survey; transect data; buffer data; mission definition data; and a request for one or more of: volume of a body of water; depth of the body of water; sediment in the body of water; fish locations in the body of water; traffic patterns; surface area; average temperatures; approximate triangular meshes; perimeter estimation; area estimation; cross-section extraction; historical trending; gradient computation; building plans; 2D (two dimensional) building plans; environmental contamination; water quality; air quality; positions of salient objects; soil chemistry; flow rates; and 3D (three dimensional) models of the environment.

3. A system for automatic environmental data collection and analysis comprising:

an unmanned vehicle associated with a geographical survey entity; and

a server in communication with the unmanned vehicle, comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor configured to:

receive, using the communication interface, a geographic survey request from a first computing device;

compare the geographic survey request with sets of existing geographic survey data stored in a memory;

if the geographic survey request corresponds to one or more of the sets of existing geographic survey data, then:

analyze the one or more of the sets existing geographic data to generate a processed geographic survey data; and

transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device; and

if the geographic survey request does not correspond to one or more of the sets of existing geographic survey data, then:

translate the geographic survey request into mission data for collecting geographic survey data, wherein the mission data comprises data for instructing the unmanned vehicle to collect the geographic survey data;

transmit, using the communication interface, the mission data to a second computing device associated with the geographic survey entity;

receive, using the communication interface, the geographic survey data collected by the geographic survey entity using the mission data and the unmanned vehicle;

analyze the geographic survey data to generate processed geographic survey data; and,

transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device;

wherein the processor is further configured to: check whether the geographic survey request comprises a viable geographic survey request; and, response to determining that the geographic survey request comprises unviable geographic survey request, transmit another request for updated geographic survey data.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the another request for updated geographic survey data comprises a suggested viable geographic survey request.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: generate an estimate of one or more of a time and a cost to provide the processed geographic survey data; transmit the estimate to the first computing device prior to transmitting the mission data to a second computing device; and proceed with transmitting the mission data to a second computing device when an acceptance of the estimate is received from the first computing device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is one of a robot, an unmanned survey craft, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and an unmanned ground vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the geographic survey data comprises one or more of: bathymetric data; distance data; fish location data; traffic data; perimeter estimation; area estimation; cross-section extraction; historical trending; gradient computation; building plans; 2D (two dimensional) building plans; environmental contamination; water quality; air quality; positions of salient objects; soil chemistry; flow rates; and 3D (three dimensional) models of the environment.

8. A method comprising:

at a server comprising a processor and a communication interface; operating the processor to:

receive, using the communication interface, a geographic survey request from a first computing device;

determining whether one or more sets of existing geographic survey data stored in a memory is sufficient to satisfy the geographic survey request;

in response to determining the geographic survey request cannot be satisfied with the one or more of the sets of existing geographic survey data:

translate the geographic survey request into mission data for collecting geographic survey data, wherein the mission data comprises data for instructing an unmanned vehicle to collect geographic survey data; and

transmit, using the communication interface, the mission data to a second computing device associated with a geographic survey entity;

control the unmanned vehicle associated with the second computing device to collect the geographic survey data based on the mission data; and

receive using the communication interface, the geographic survey data collected by the geographic survey entity using the mission data;

analyze the geographic survey data to generate processed geographic survey data; and,

transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the geographic survey request comprises one or more of: a location to survey; transect data; buffer data; mission definition data; and a request for one or more of: volume of a body of water; depth of the body of water; sediment in the body of water; fish locations in the body of water; traffic patterns; surface area; average temperatures; approximate triangular meshes; perimeter estimation; area estimation; cross-section extraction; historical trending; gradient computation; building plans; 2D (two dimensional) building plans; environmental contamination; water quality; air quality; positions of salient objects; soil chemistry; flow rates; and 3D (three dimensional) models of the environment.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: operating the processor to checking whether the geographic survey request comprises a viable geographic survey request; and, in response to determining the geographic survey request comprises unviable geographic survey request, transmitting another request for updated geographic survey data.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the another request for updated geographic survey data comprises a suggested viable geographic survey request.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: operating the processor to generate an estimate of one or more of a time and a cost to provide the processed geographic survey data; transmitting the estimate to the first computing device prior to transmitting the mission data to a second computing device; and proceed with transmitting the mission data to a second computing device when an acceptance of the estimate is received from the first computing device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the unmanned vehicle is one of a robot, an unmanned survey craft, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and an unmanned ground vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the geographic survey data comprises one or more of: bathymetric data; distance data; fish location data; traffic data; perimeter estimation; area estimation; cross-section extraction; historical trending; gradient computation; building plans; 2D (two dimensional) building plans; environmental contamination; water quality; air quality; positions of salient objects; soil chemistry; flow rates; and 3D (three dimensional) models of the environment.