Unmanned aerial vehicle rooftop inspection system
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 receiving, by the UAV, flight information describing a job to perform an inspection of a rooftop. A particular altitude is ascended to, and an inspection of the rooftop is performed including obtaining sensor information describing the rooftop. Location information identifying a damaged area of the rooftop is received. The damaged area of the rooftop is traveled to. An inspection of the damaged area of the rooftop is performed including obtaining detailed sensor information describing the damaged area. A safe landing location is traveled to.
1. A flight planning and analysis 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 pre-flight and post-flight operations for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV):
the pre-flight operations comprising:
creating a job for an aerial inspection of a property, comprising:
receiving location information of the property to be inspected, wherein the location information is an address of the property;
based on the location information, displaying, via a first user interface, imagery of the property;
determining an inspection area for the property, the inspection area having associated geo-spatial information describing a boundary of the inspection area; and
displaying, via the first user interface, the determined inspection area over the imagery of the property; and
assigning a particular operator to perform the job from a selection of operators; and
providing job information including the inspection area and the location information to a ground control station associated with the assigned operator,
wherein the ground control station is configured to present a user interface to the assigned operator, and enable, via the user interface, (1) modifications to the provided job information and/or (2) additions to the provided job information, and wherein the ground control station is configured to determine a flight pattern, based at least in part, on the job information,
and wherein the ground control station is configured for flight operations of the UAV for aerial inspection of the property based on the job information, and
obtain, based on the flight pattern, sensor data describing the property; and
the post-flight operations comprising:
receiving sensor data obtained by the UAV from the aerial inspection of the property;
generating at least one of a georectified imagery or a three-dimensional model of the property based on the received sensor data; and
displaying, via a second user interface, the georectified imagery or the three-dimensional model of the property.
2. The flight planning system of claim 1 , wherein determining an operator comprises:
determining the particular operator based on the availability of operators for a selected time period.
3. The flight planning system of claim 1 , wherein determining an operator comprises:
determining the particular operator based on the location of the job in relation to other jobs assigned to the operator.
4. The flight planning system of claim 1 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
determining one or more times to perform the job from a selection of recommended times to perform the job.
5. The flight planning system of claim 1 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
receiving, from the ground control station, confirmation of receipt of the job information.
6. The flight planning system of claim 1 , wherein enabling modifications to the job information comprises:
displaying, via the user interface of the ground control station, a representation of the inspection area;
receiving, via the user interface of the ground control station, modifications to the inspection area;
determining, by the ground control station, the flight pattern for the UAV based on the modified inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection based on the flight pattern.
7. The flight planning system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors also perform flight operations comprising:
receiving, by the ground control station, geo-spatial information identifying a safe take-off and/or a safe landing location for the UAV.
8. The flight planning system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors also perform flight operations comprising:
receiving, by the ground control station, a value for a safe altitude above which the UAV can travel freely without encountering obstructions within the inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection using the safe altitude to fly above obstructions.
9. The flight planning system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors also perform flight operations comprising:
determining, by the ground control station, a flight pattern for the UAV to follow based on the inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection according to the flight pattern.
10. The flight planning system of claim 9 , further comprising the flight operations of:
determining, by the ground control station, a flight pattern for the UAV to follow based on a desired ground sampling distance for images to be obtained by the UAV during the aerial survey.
11. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a system of one or more computers, cause the system to perform pre-flight and post-flight operations for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV):
the pre-flight operations comprising:
creating a job for an aerial inspection of a property, comprising:
receiving location information of the property to be inspected, wherein the location information is an address of the property;
based on the location information, displaying, via a first user interface, imagery of the property;
determining an inspection area for the property, the inspection area having associated geo-spatial information describing a boundary of the inspection area; and
displaying, via the first user interface, the determined inspection area over the imagery of the property; and
assigning a particular operator to perform the job from a selection of operators; and
providing job information including the inspection area and the location information to a ground control station associated with the assigned operator,
wherein the ground control station is configured to present a user interface, and enable, via the user interface, adjustments to the job information, and wherein the ground control station is configured to determine a flight pattern, based at least in part, on the adjusted job information,
and wherein the ground control station is configured for flight operations of the UAV for aerial inspection of the property based on the job information, and
obtain, based on the flight pattern, sensor data describing the property; and
the post-flight operations comprising:
receiving sensor data obtained by the UAV from the aerial inspection of the property;
generating at least one of a georectified imagery or a three-dimensional model of the property based on the received sensor data; and
displaying, via a second user interface, the georectified imagery or the three-dimensional model of the property.
12. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein determining an operator comprises:
determining the particular operator based on the availability of operators for a selected time period.
13. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
determining the particular operator based on the location of the job in relation to other jobs assigned to the operator.
14. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
determining one or more times to perform the job from a selection of recommended times to perform the job.
15. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
receiving, from the ground control station, confirmation of receipt of the job information.
16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein enabling adjustments to the job information comprises:
displaying, via the user interface of the ground control station, a representation of the inspection area;
receiving, via the user interface of the ground control station, modifications to the inspection area;
determining, by the ground control station, the flight pattern for the UAV based on the modified inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection based on the flight pattern.
17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that when executed by the system of the one or more computers, cause the system to perform flight operations for the UAV, the flight operations comprising:
receiving, by the ground control station, geo-spatial information identifying a safe take-off and/or a safe landing location for the UAV.
18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that when executed by the system of the one or more computers, cause the system to perform flight operations for the UAV, the flight operations comprising:
receiving, by the ground control station, a value for a safe altitude above which the UAV can travel freely without encountering obstructions within the inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection using the safe altitude to fly above obstructions.
19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , comprising instructions that when executed by the system of the one or more computers, cause the system to perform flight operations for the UAV, the flight operations comprising:
determining, by the ground control station, a flight pattern for the UAV to follow based on the inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection according to the flight pattern.
20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising the flight operations of:
determining, by the ground control station, a flight pattern for the UAV to follow based on a desired ground sampling distance for images to be obtained by the UAV during the aerial survey.
21. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein adjustments to the job information comprise (1) modifications to the job information and/or (2) additions to the job information.
22. A computerized method performed by a system of one or more computers, the method being performed in pre-flight and post-flight operations of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV):
the pre-flight operations comprising:
creating a job for an aerial inspection of a property, comprising:
receiving location information of the property to be inspected, wherein the location information is an address of the property;
based on the location information, displaying, via a first user interface, imagery of the property;
determining an inspection area for the property, the inspection area having associated geo-spatial information describing a boundary of the inspection area; and
displaying, via the first user interface, the determined inspection area over the imagery of the property; and
assigning a particular operator to perform the job from a selection of operators; and
providing job information including the inspection area and the location information to a ground control station associated with the assigned operator,
wherein the ground control station is configured to present a user interface, and enable, via the user interface, adjustments to the job information, and wherein the ground control station is configured to determine a flight pattern, based at least in part, on the job information,
and wherein the ground control station is configured for flight operations of the UAV for aerial inspection of the property based on the job information, and
obtain, based on the flight pattern, sensor data describing the property; and
the post-flight operations comprising:
receiving sensor data obtained by the UAV from the aerial inspection of the property;
generating at least one of a georectified imagery or a three-dimensional model of the property based on the received sensor data; and
displaying, via a second user interface, the georectified imagery or the three-dimensional model of the property.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining an operator comprises:
determining the particular operator based on the availability of operators for a selected time period.
24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
determining the particular operator based on the location of the job in relation to other jobs assigned to the operator.
25. The method of claim 22 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
determining one or more times to perform the job from a selection of recommended times to perform the job.
26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising the pre-flight operations of:
receiving, from the ground control station, confirmation of receipt of the job information.
27. The method of claim 22 , wherein enabling adjustments to the job information comprises:
displaying, via the user interface of the ground control station, a representation of the inspection area;
receiving, via the user interface of the ground control station, modifications to the inspection area;
determining, by the ground control station, the flight pattern for the UAV based on the modified inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection based on the flight pattern.
28. The method of claim 22 performed by the system of the one or more computers, further performing flight operations comprising:
receiving, by the ground control station, geo-spatial information identifying a safe take-off and/or a safe landing location for the UAV.
29. The method of claim 22 performed by the system of the one or more computers, further performing flight operations comprising:
receiving, by the ground control station, a value for a safe altitude above which the UAV can travel freely without encountering obstructions within the inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection using the safe altitude to fly above obstructions.
30. The method of claim 22 performed by the system of the one or more computers, further performing flight operations comprising:
determining, by the ground control station, a flight pattern for the UAV to follow based on the inspection area; and
instructing the UAV to perform the aerial inspection according to the flight pattern.
31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising the flight operations of:
determining, by the ground control station, a flight pattern for the UAV to follow based on a desired ground sampling distance for images to be obtained by the UAV during the aerial survey.
32. The method of claim 22 , wherein adjustments to the job information comprise (1) modifications to the job information and/or (2) additions to the job information.