Messaging-enabled unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carries a camera, sends data from the camera, and receives commands. The UAV is connected to a messaging platform. Pictures or video clips received from the UAV are selected and placed in messages broadcast by an account associated with the UAV. Video footage from the camera is live-streamed in a card-type message. Account holders of the messaging platform may control the UAV with commands embedded in messages and directed towards an account associated with the UAV. Controllable elements of the UAV include UAV location, camera orientation, camera subject, UAV-mounted lighting, a UAV-mounted display, a UAV-mounted projector, UAV-mounted speakers, and a detachable payload. UAV control may be determined through democratic means. Some UAV functionality may be triggered through aggregated engagements on the messaging platform. The UAV may include a display screen and/or a microphone to provide for telepresence or interview functionality.
1. A method performed by a real-time messaging platform having a plurality of user accounts, the real-time messaging platform configured to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
identifying, from a plurality of messages authored by respective user accounts of respective user account holders of the real-time messaging platform and broadcast by the messaging platform as part of multiple message streams, one or more messages that each include a respective request that the UAV perform a respective particular operation, wherein the multiple message streams comprise messages that are readable by multiple user account holders of the messaging platform through respective user accounts subscribed to the multiple message streams;
selecting, from the identified messages, at least one particular operation from among the respective requests based on engagements by user account holders of the real-time messaging platform with the identified messages, wherein the identified messages are part of one or more message streams of the multiple message streams subscribed to by respective user accounts of the user account holders;
generating one or more UAV commands for the UAV to perform the at least one particular operation; and
sending, to the UAV, the generated UAV commands.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the respective request of each of the one or more messages is embedded in text of the message.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having message text and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying in the one or more messages having message text one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having portions of message text preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by one or more special characters, and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying in the one or more messages having portions of message text preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by one or more special characters one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein a special character in the one or more special characters is a hashtag symbol.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having embedded audio and identifying the one or more messages comprises:
generating for each message in the one or more messages having embedded audio, an instance of processed text from the respective embedded audio; and
identifying in the instance of processed text for each message in the one or more messages having embedded audio, one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
7. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having an image or video comprising text and identifying the one or more messages comprises:
generating for each message in the one or more messages having a respective image or video comprising text, an instance of processed text from the respective image or video; and
identifying in the instance of processed text for each message in the one or more messages having an image or video comprising text, one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the UAV is associated with a UAV identifier and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying messages that include the UAV identifier.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying messages authored by one or more user accounts of the real-time messaging platform in a list of authorized user accounts.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting the particular operation of the request included by the identified message with a highest number of engagements out of all of the identified messages.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the engagements by the user account holders comprise engaging accounts rebroadcasting one or more messages in the identified messages and wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting a particular operation from a request included by the identified message rebroadcasted a highest number of times out of all identified messages.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the engagements comprises engaging accounts sending an approval signal to one or more messages in the identified messages and selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting the particular operation from the request included by the identified message that received a highest number of approval signals out of all of the identified messages.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting particular operations of requests of the identified messages with a number of engagements meeting a predetermined threshold.
14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers implementing a real-time messaging platform configured to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), cause the one or more computers to perform actions comprising:
identifying, from a plurality of messages authored by respective user accounts of respective user account holders of the real-time messaging platform and broadcast by the messaging platform as part of multiple message streams, one or more messages that each include a respective request that the UAV perform a respective particular operation, wherein the multiple message streams comprise messages that are readable by multiple user account holders of the messaging platform through respective user accounts subscribed to the multiple message streams;
selecting, from the identified messages, at least one particular operation from among the respective requests based on engagements by user account holders of the real-time messaging platform with the identified messages, wherein the identified messages are part of one or more message streams of the multiple message streams subscribed to by respective user accounts of the user account holders;
generating one or more UAV commands for the UAV to perform the at least one particular operation; and
sending, to the UAV, the generated UAV commands.
15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the respective request of each of the one or more messages is embedded in text of the message.
16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having message text and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying in the one or more messages having message text one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
17. The computer readable storage medium product of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having portions of message text preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by one or more special characters, and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying in the one or more messages having portions of message text preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by one or more special characters one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the UAV is associated with a UAV identifier and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying messages that include the UAV identifier.
19. The computer readable medium storage product of claim 14 , wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting the particular operation of the request included by the identified message with a highest number of engagements out of all of the identified messages.
20. A system comprising a real-time messaging platform having a plurality of user accounts, the real-time messaging platform being implemented on one or more computers configured to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by performing actions comprising:
identifying, from a plurality of messages authored by respective user accounts of respective user account holders of the real-time messaging platform and broadcast by the messaging platform as part of multiple message streams, one or more messages that each include a respective request that the UAV perform a respective particular operation, wherein the multiple message streams comprise messages that are readable by multiple user account holders of the messaging platform through respective user accounts subscribed to the multiple message streams;
selecting, from the identified messages, at least one particular operation from among the respective requests based on engagements by user account holders of the real-time messaging platform with the identified messages, wherein the identified messages are part of one or more message streams of the multiple message streams subscribed to by respective user accounts of the user account holders;
generating one or more UAV commands for the UAV to perform the at least one particular operation; and
sending, to the UAV, the generated UAV commands.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the respective request of each of the one or more messages is embedded in text of the message.
22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having message text and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying in the one or more messages having message text one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having portions of message text preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by one or more special characters, and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying in the one or more messages having portions of message text preceded, succeeded, or bracketed by one or more special characters one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of messages includes one or more messages having embedded audio and identifying the one or more messages comprises:
generating for each message in the one or more messages having embedded audio, an instance of processed text from the respective embedded audio; and
identifying in the instance of processed text for each message in the one or more messages having embedded audio, one or more instances of text included in a list of possible commands.
25. The system of claim 20 , wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting particular operations of requests of the identified messages with a number of engagements meeting a predetermined threshold.
26. The system of claim 20 , wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting the particular operation of the request included by the identified message with a highest number of engagements out of all of the identified messages.
27. The system of claim 20 , wherein the engagements by the user account holders comprise engaging accounts rebroadcasting one or more messages in the identified messages and wherein selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting a particular operation from a request included by the identified message rebroadcasted a highest number of times out of all identified messages.
28. The system of claim 20 , wherein the engagements comprises engaging accounts sending an approval signal to one or more messages in the identified messages and selecting at least one particular operation comprises selecting the particular operation from the request included by the identified message that received a highest number of approval signals out of all of the identified messages.
29. The system of claim 20 , wherein the UAV is associated with a UAV identifier and identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying messages that include the UAV identifier.
30. The system of claim 20 , wherein identifying the one or more messages comprises identifying messages authored by one or more user accounts of the real-time messaging platform in a list of authorized user accounts.