Computer vision collision avoidance in drilling operations

Abstract

A system and method for automatically preventing a collision between objects is described. One or more images of a working space may be collected, and a first object may be identified based on the one or more images. Three-dimensional coordinates of the first object may be determined, and a virtual boundary enclosing the identified first object in a three-dimensional coordinate system may be generated based on the three-dimensional coordinates of the first object, wherein the virtual boundary specifies a volume in the working space that a second object in the working space should not occupy. The coordinates in the three-dimensional coordinate system corresponding to the generated virtual boundary may be transmitted to a second processor, and the second processor may control the second object to perform an operation in the working space that includes the first object without contacting the virtual boundary of the first object.

1 .- 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method, comprising:
 collecting, with one or more image capturing devices, one or more images of a working space, wherein the working space includes an area with a plurality of humans and one or more tools located in the working space;   identifying, with a first processor, a first object based, at least in part, on the one or more images, wherein the first object is a human, and wherein the identifying includes identifying an identity of the human based, at least in part, on the one or more images; and   determining, with the first processor, coordinates of the first object within the working space based, at least in part, on the one or more images.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising generating, with the first processor, a virtual boundary enclosing the identified first object in a three-dimensional coordinate system based, at least in part, on the determined coordinates of the first object. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein identifying the identity of the human includes comparing, with the first processor, the one or more images with a plurality of stored images of humans. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of comparing includes comparing physical features of the human in the one or more images with physical features in the plurality of stored images of humans. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more image capturing devices includes at least one of a still image capturing device and a video image capturing device. 
     
     
         10 . A system, comprising:
 one or more image capturing devices configured to collect one or more images of a working space; and   a first processor configured to receive the one or more images and to perform the steps of:   collecting, with the one or more image capturing devices, one or more images of a working space, wherein the working space includes a drill floor with a plurality of humans and one or more tools located in the working space;
 identifying, with a first processor, a first object based, at least in part, on the one or more images, wherein the first object is a human and identifying an identity of the human based, at least in part, on the one or more images; 
 determining, with the first processor, coordinates of the first object within the working space based, at least in part, on the one or more images; and 
 determining, with the first processor, whether the human is authorized to be in the working space based, at least in part, on the identity of the human. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first processor is further configured to perform the step of generating, with the first processor, a virtual boundary enclosing the identified first object in a three-dimensional coordinate system based, at least in part, on the determined coordinates of the first object, wherein the virtual boundary specifies a volume in the working space that a second object in the working space should not occupy. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein identifying the identity of the human includes comparing, with the first processor, the one or more images with a plurality of stored images of humans. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the step of comparing includes comparing physical features of the human in the one or more images with physical features in the plurality of stored images of humans. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first and second objects is a moving object in the working space and the steps of collecting, identifying, determining coordinates, and determining whether the human is authorized are automatically repeated one or more times. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable medium including code to perform steps comprising:
 collecting, with one or more image capturing devices, one or more images of a working space, wherein the working space includes a drill floor with a plurality of humans and one or more tools located in the working space; 
 identifying, with a first processor, a first object based, at least in part, on the one or more images, wherein the first object is a human and identifying an identity of the human based, at least in part, on the one or more images; 
 determining, with the first processor, coordinates of the first object within the working space based, at least in part, on the one or more images, wherein determining includes determining coordinates of the first object based on a two-dimensional coordinate system associated with the one or more images and transforming the coordinates of the first object from coordinates in a two-dimensional coordinate system associated with the one or more images to a three-dimensional coordinate system; and 
 determining, with the first processor, whether the human is authorized to be in the working space based, at least in part, on the identity of the human. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein identifying the identity of the human includes comparing, with the first processor, the one or more images with a plurality of stored images of humans.