Helicopter obstacle avoidance with slung load
Load volume predication for slung loads of aerial vehicles are disclosed. A system can identify parameters of a load. The system can determine a volume occupied by a superposition of locations of the cone. The system can receive from sensors or models, characteristics of an environment associated with the aerial vehicle or the load. The system can detect an obstacle in the environment. The system can take a navigational action in response to detecting the obstacle.
1. A system, comprising:
one or more processors, coupled with memory, to:
predict, based on one or more parameters of a load slung from an aerial vehicle, a volume to be occupied by the load;
establish, based on a map of a terrain, stored in the memory, and the volume predicted to be occupied by the load slung from the aerial vehicle, a route from a first location to a second location configured to avoid a collision between one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle; and
execute an action to navigate the aerial vehicle along the route to avoid the collision between the one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the action comprising an autonomous navigation of the aerial vehicle along the route.
2. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
the one or more processors to identify the one or more parameters comprising a length of a cable from which the load is slung from the aerial vehicle, and dimensions of the load.
3. The system of claim 1 , comprising the one or more processors to:
receive data from a machine-readable code captured by a scanning device; and
determine the one or more parameters based on the data of the machine-readable code.
4. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
the one or more processors to receive, via a user interface of the aerial vehicle, the one or parameters.
5. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
the one or more processors to establish the route with a function that balances a distance of the route with an amount of acceleration of the load slung from the aerial vehicle.
6. The system of claim 1 , comprising the one or more processors to:
subsequent to establishment of the route and departure of the aerial vehicle from the first location, obtain data detected by one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle;
predict a second volume for the load slung from the aerial vehicle based on the data; and
modify, responsive to the second volume, the route to generate a second route to the second location.
7. The system of claim 1 , comprising the one or more processors to:
establish the route prior to traversal of the route by the aerial vehicle;
detect, from a sensor of the aerial vehicle, a wind speed subsequent to departure of the aerial vehicle from the first location;
predict, based on the wind speed, a second volume for the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the second volume greater than the volume; and
modify, based on the second volume greater than the volume, the route to generate a second route configured to avoid the collision between the one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the second route longer than the route.
8. The system of claim 1 , comprising the one or more processors to:
receive, from a sensor of the aerial vehicle subsequent to departure from the first location and prior to arrival at the second location, a measurement of an angle between an axis that is perpendicular to a bottom of the aerial vehicle and a cable from which the load is slung;
predict, based on the angle, a second volume for the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the second volume less than the volume; and
modify, based on the second volume less than the volume, the route to generate a second route configured to avoid the collision between the one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the second route shorter than the route.
9. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
the one or more processors to execute the action comprising to present, via a graphical user interface on a display device within the aerial vehicle, the route.
10. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
the one or more processors to execute the action comprising to navigate, autonomously, the aerial vehicle along the route from the first location to the second location.
11. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a global planner executed by the one or more processors to:
retrieve, from the memory, a world model for the terrain; and
establish, prior to lift-off of the aerial vehicle, the route based on the world model and the volume predicted to be occupied by the load slung from the aerial vehicle; and
a local motion planner executed by the one or more processors to:
receive, from one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle subsequent to lift-off of the aerial vehicle, data corresponding to at least one of an angle of a cable attached to the load, a wind speed, or aircraft motion;
update, based on the data, the volume;
determine, based on the updated volume, a probability of collision between the load and an obstacle in the terrain along the route; and
modify, responsive to the probability of collision greater than or equal to a threshold, the route to reduce the probability of collision to less than the threshold.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerial vehicle comprises a helicopter or an unmanned aerial vehicle.
13. A method, comprising:
predicting, by one or more processors coupled with memory, based on one or more parameters of a load slung from an aerial vehicle, a volume to be occupied by the load;
establishing, by the one or more processors, based on a map of a terrain stored in the memory and the volume predicted to be occupied by the load slung from the aerial vehicle, a route from a first location to a second location configured to avoid a collision between one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle; and
executing, by the one or more processors, an action to navigate the aerial vehicle along the route to avoid the collision between the one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the action comprising an autonomous navigation of the aerial vehicle along the route.
14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
identifying, by the one or more processors, the one or more parameters comprising a length of a cable from which the load is slung from the aerial vehicle, and dimensions of the load.
15. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors, data from a machine-readable code captured by a scanning device; and
determining, by the one or more processors, the one or more parameters based on the data of the machine-readable code.
16. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
obtaining, by the one or more processors subsequent to establishing the route and departure of the aerial vehicle from the first location, data detected by one or more sensors of the aerial vehicle;
predicting, by the one or more processors, a second volume for the load slung from the aerial vehicle based on the data; and
modifying, by the one or more processors responsive to the second volume, the route to generate a second route to the second location.
17. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
establishing, by the one or more processors, the route prior to traversal of the route by the aerial vehicle;
detecting, by the one or more processors from a sensor of the aerial vehicle, a wind speed subsequent to departure of the aerial vehicle from the first location;
predicting, by the one or more processors based on the wind speed, a second volume for the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the second volume greater than the volume; and
modifying, by the one or more processors based on the second volume greater than the volume, the route to generate a second route configured to avoid the collision between the one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the second route longer than the route.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein executing the action comprises:
presenting, by the one or more processors, via a graphical user interface on a display device within the aerial vehicle, the route.
19. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a cable having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first end of the cable is coupled to a bottom portion of the aerial vehicle and the second end is coupled to a load that is slung from the aerial vehicle via the cable; and
a flight system comprising one or more processors coupled with memory, the flight system to:
predict, based on one or more parameters of a load slung from the aerial vehicle, a volume to be occupied by the load;
establish, based on a map of a terrain, stored in the memory, and the volume predicted to be occupied by the load slung from the aerial vehicle, a route from a first location to a second location configured to avoid a collision between one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle; and
execute an action to navigate the aerial vehicle along the route to avoid the collision between the one or more obstacles in the terrain and the load slung from the aerial vehicle, the action comprising an autonomous navigation of the aerial vehicle along the route.
20. The aerial vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the flight system is further configured to:
receive data from a machine-readable code captured by a scanning device; and
determine the one or more parameters based on the data of the machine-readable code.