Unmanned aerial vehicle inspection system
View Patent ↗Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial system inspection system. One of the methods is performed by a UAV and includes obtaining, from a user device, flight operation information describing an inspection of a vertical structure to be performed, the flight operation information including locations of one or more safe locations for vertical inspection. A location of the UAV is determined to correspond to a first safe location for vertical inspection. A first inspection of the structure is performed is performed at the first safe location, the first inspection including activating cameras. A second safe location is traveled to, and a second inspection of the structure is performed. Information associated with the inspection is provided to the user device.
1. A computerized method performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan associated with conducting an inspection of a structure, the flight plan comprising a first plurality of vertical inspection locations set at respective horizontal positions around the structure, wherein the first plurality of vertical inspection locations are each associated with a waypoint having a geospatial reference;
conducting an inspection for a vertical inspection location of the first plurality of vertical inspection locations according to the received flight plan, the inspection comprising:
navigating the UAV to the associated horizontal position at a first altitude;
navigating the UAV along a vertical direction at the associated horizontal position between the first altitude and a second altitude; and
obtaining, while at one or more altitudes during the navigation along the vertical direction, sensor information describing the structure,
wherein subsequent to obtaining sensor information describing the structure at the one or more altitudes, conducting an inspection for a subsequent vertical inspection location of the first plurality of inspection locations; and
navigating the UAV to a landing location.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein navigating the UAV along the vertical direction comprises:
ascending or descending along the vertical direction, and pointing one or more cameras substantially horizontally towards the structure, the horizontal corresponding to the ground.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein navigating the UAV along the vertical direction comprises:
ascending or descending along the vertical direction, and pointing one or more cameras at a particular angle above a horizontal plane towards the structure, the horizontal plane corresponding to the ground.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeating the inspection for remaining vertical inspection locations of the first plurality of vertical inspection locations, and collecting sensor data describing a 3-dimensional view of at least a portion of the structure.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein conducting an inspection further comprises:
maintaining the UAV at a minimum distance from the structure while conducting the inspection.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flight plan indicates a geofence envelope boundary the UAV is to enforce, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether the UAV may cross a geofence envelope boundary, and executing a contingency operation if the UAV determines the boundary has been crossed.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining sensor information comprises triggering one or more sensors comprising:
determining a value from accelerometers or rotational rate gyros of the UAV; and
if the value exceeds a threshold value, then triggering the one or more sensors again to obtain sensor information describing the structure.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, while at a particular altitude, sensor information describing the structure; and
maintaining the UAV in a holding position at the particular altitude until the UAV determines that the sensor information passes a quality criteria.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing visual odometry using sensor information obtained as the UAV moves along the vertical direction; and
correcting a position of the UAV while ascending or descending based on the performed visual odometry.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each geospatial reference associated with a vertical inspection location was determined, prior to the flight plan being received by the UAV, by (1) a user device while located at the respective horizontal position or (2) the UAV while located at the respective horizontal position.
11. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system comprising one or more processors, and a computer storage media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan associated with conducting an inspection of a structure, the flight plan comprising a first plurality of vertical inspection locations set at respective horizontal positions around the structure, wherein the first plurality of vertical inspection locations are each associated with a waypoint having a geospatial reference;
conducting an inspection for a vertical inspection location of the first plurality of vertical inspection locations according to the received flight plan, the inspection comprising:
navigating the UAV to the associated horizontal position at a first altitude;
navigating the UAV along a vertical direction at the associated horizontal position between the first altitude and a second altitude; and
obtaining, while at one or more altitudes during the navigation along the vertical direction, sensor information describing the structure; and
navigating the UAV to a landing location.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein navigating the UAV along the vertical direction comprises:
ascending or descending along the vertical direction, and pointing one or more cameras substantially horizontally towards the structure, the horizontal corresponding to the ground.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein navigating the UAV along the vertical direction comprises:
ascending or descending along the vertical direction, and pointing one or more cameras at a particular angle above a horizontal plane towards the structure, the horizontal plane corresponding to the ground.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
repeating the inspection for remaining vertical inspection locations of the first plurality of vertical inspection locations, and collecting sensor data describing a 3-dimensional view of at least a portion of the structure.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein conducting an inspection further comprises:
maintaining the UAV at a minimum distance from the structure while conducting the inspection.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the flight plan indicates a geofence envelope boundary the UAV is to enforce, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining whether the UAV may cross a geofence envelope boundary, and executing a contingency operation if the UAV determines the boundary has been crossed.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein obtaining sensor information comprises triggering one or more sensors comprising:
determining a value from accelerometers or rotational rate gyros of the UAV; and
if the value exceeds a threshold value, then triggering the one or more sensors again to obtain sensor information describing the structure.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
obtaining, while at a particular altitude, sensor information describing the structure; and
maintaining the UAV in a holding position at the particular altitude until the UAV determines that the sensor information passes a quality criteria.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:
performing visual odometry using sensor information obtained as the UAV moves along the vertical direction; and
correcting a position of the UAV while ascending or descending based on the performed visual odometry.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein each geospatial reference associated with a vertical inspection location was determined, prior to the flight plan being received by the UAV, by (1) a user device while located at the respective horizontal position or (2) the UAV while located at the respective horizontal position.
21. A computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors included in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), cause the UAV to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the UAV, a flight plan associated with conducting an inspection of a structure, the flight plan comprising a first plurality of vertical inspection locations set at respective horizontal positions around the structure, wherein the first plurality of vertical inspection locations are each associated with a waypoint having a geospatial reference;
conducting an inspection for a vertical inspection location of the first plurality of vertical inspection locations according to the received flight plan, the inspection comprising:
navigating the UAV to the associated horizontal position at a first altitude;
navigating the UAV along a vertical direction at the associated horizontal position between the first altitude and a second altitude; and
obtaining, while at one or more altitudes during the navigation along the vertical direction, sensor information describing the structure; and
navigating the UAV to a landing location.
22. The computer storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the flight plan indicates a geofence envelope boundary the UAV is to enforce, and wherein the operations further comprise:
determining whether the UAV may cross a geofence envelope boundary, and executing a contingency operation if the UAV determines the boundary has been crossed.
23. The computer storage medium of claim 21 , wherein obtaining sensor information comprises triggering one or more sensors comprising:
determining a value from accelerometers or rotational rate gyros of the UAV; and
if the value exceeds a threshold value, then triggering the one or more sensors again to obtain sensor information describing the structure.
24. The computer storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the operations further comprise:
ascending or descending along the vertical direction, and pointing one or more cameras substantially horizontally towards the structure, the horizontal corresponding to the ground.
25. The computer storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the operations further comprise:
ascending or descending along the vertical direction, and pointing one or more cameras at a particular angle above a horizontal plane towards the structure, the horizontal plane corresponding to the ground.
26. The computer storage medium of claim 21 , wherein the operations further comprise:
performing visual odometry using sensor information obtained as the UAV moves along the vertical direction; and
correcting a position of the UAV while ascending or descending based on the performed visual odometry.
27. The computer storage medium of claim 21 , wherein each geospatial reference associated with a vertical inspection location was determined, prior to the flight plan being received by the UAV, by (1) a user device while located at the respective horizontal position or (2) the UAV while located at the respective horizontal position.
28. A user device comprising one or more processors, and a computer storage media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the user device, information describing a job for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform an inspection of a structure;
receiving, by the user device, a selection of a plurality of vertical inspection locations for the UAV, the vertical inspection locations set at respective horizontal positions around the structure;
determining a flight pattern for the UAV, wherein the flight pattern comprises waypoints for the selected vertical inspection locations and a landing waypoint, wherein the waypoints have an associated geospatial location,
and wherein the flight pattern indicates that the UAV is to perform an inspection for each vertical inspection location that comprises the UAV navigating to the associated horizontal position at a first altitude, and while navigating along a vertical direction between the first altitude and a second altitude at the associated horizontal position, obtaining sensor information describing the structure; and
transmitting, to the UAV, flight information including the flight pattern via a wireless or wired connection.
29. The user device of claim 28 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a geofence envelope boundary, and including the geofence envelope boundary information with the flight information.
30. The user device of claim 28 , wherein each selection of a vertical inspection location includes determining, by the user device, a present horizontal position of the user device.