Unmanned aerial vehicles
A UAV comprises a camera and a controller. The controller is configured to: (a) receive image data from the camera, (b) determine, based on the received image data, whether or not a predetermined visibility condition associated with an operator of the UAV is satisfied, and (c) perform a predetermined action to attempt to operate in accordance with a predetermined visibility state with respect to the operator of the UAV based on a result of the determination.
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
one or more cameras, the one or more cameras configured to capture image data and output the image data, wherein the image data represents an object to be tracked; and
a controller configured to:
receive the output image data from at least one of the one or more cameras;
analyse the received output image data;
determine, from the analysis of the received output image data, if the object to be tracked satisfies a predetermined visibility condition with respect to the one or more cameras, wherein the visibility condition is a visual line of sight between the one or more cameras and the object;
attempt to maintain the predetermined visibility condition autonomously; and
cause an alert to be transmitted to and configured to be received by an operator to indicate whether the predetermined visibility condition is satisfied or is not satisfied, wherein the alert is selected from the croup consisting of a visual alert, an audible alert and a haptic alert.
2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the object to be tracked includes at least a first and a second object to be tracked, and wherein the controller is configured to distinguish between the at least the first and the second object to be tracked represented in the received output image data.
3. The UAV according of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control an orientation of some or all of the one or more cameras when the one or more cameras is greater than one, the control being with respect to a body of the UAV to attempt to capture the image data in which the object to be tracked is visible.
4. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the UAV comprises a collision-avoidance mechanism.
5. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the object to be tracked comprises the operator of the UAV.
6. The UVA of claim 1 , wherein the object to be tracked comprises a vehicle.
7. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the UAV is configured to recognise a gesture made by the operator of the UAV and to interpret the gesture as a control command.
8. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the UAV is a quadrotor helicopter.
9. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cameras comprise at least two upwards-facing cameras.
10. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the object to be tracked comprises an animal.