Aerial inspection in a movable object environment

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for inspection management in a movable object environment. An inspection application can receive data from an inspection application and use this data to generate one or more inspection missions. When a user selects an inspection mission in the inspection application, the inspection application can instruct a movable object to perform the selected inspection mission. The movable object can follow one or more dynamically generated paths around a target object and capture a plurality of images. The images can be viewed in a viewing application to perform an inspection of the target object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for performing inspection of a target object in a movable object environment, comprising:
 obtaining mission attributes associated with an inspection mission associated with a target object;   generating, by a movable object, a first inspection path including a first plurality of points located around the target object based on the mission attributes;   causing the movable object to move along the first inspection path based on the first plurality of points;   causing an inspection of the target object to be performed using one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object from at least one location associated with at least one point on the first inspection path; and   dynamically generating, by the movable object, a second inspection path including a second plurality of points, the second plurality of points determined during the inspection mission based on the mission attributes and a change in location of the movable object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to the inspection of the target object, obtaining second mission attributes associated with a second mission associated with the target object, the second mission to reinspect at least a portion of the target object;   generating a third inspection path including a third plurality of points located around at least the portion of the target object; and   causing a reinspection of at least the portion of the target object to be performed using the one or more sensing devices based on the second mission attributes.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dynamically generating, by the movable object, a second inspection path including a second plurality of points, the second plurality of points determined during the inspection mission based on the mission attributes and a change in location of the movable object, further comprises:
 updating the first inspection path based at least on environmental conditions or movable object attributes and the change in location of the movable object, wherein updating the first inspection path includes updating a location associated with at least one of the first plurality of points.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein obtaining mission attributes associated with an inspection mission associated with a target object, further comprises:
 causing the movable object to determine one or more attributes of the target object based on sensing data obtained from the one or more sensing devices.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more attributes of the target object include a width, a radius, a length, a profile, or a location of at least a portion of the target object. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein causing an inspection of the target object to be performed using one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object from at least one location associated with at least one point on the first inspection path, further comprises:
 causing an imaging device coupled to the movable object to capture an image of the target object from the at least one location associated with the at least one point. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the imaging device is included in a payload coupled to the movable object via a carrier that is controllable independently of the movable object. 
     
     
         8 . A system for performing inspection of a target object in a movable object environment, comprising:
 a movable object;   one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object;   one or more processors; and   a memory that stores one or more computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the movable object to:   obtain mission attributes associated with an inspection mission associated with a target object;   generate a first inspection path including a first plurality of points located around the target object based on the mission attributes;   move along the first inspection path based on the first plurality of points;   cause an inspection of the target object to be performed using one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object from at least one location associated with at least one point on the first inspection path; and   dynamically generate a second inspection path including a second plurality of points, the second plurality of points determined during the inspection mission based on the mission attributes and a change in location of the movable object.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the movable object to:
 in response to the inspection of the target object, obtain second mission attributes associated with a second mission associated with the target object, the second mission to reinspect at least a portion of the target object;   generate a third inspection path including a third plurality of points located around at least the portion of the target object; and   cause a reinspection of at least the portion of the target object to be performed using the one or more sensing devices based on the second mission attributes.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable instructions to dynamically generate a second inspection path including a second plurality of points, the second plurality of points determined during the inspection mission based on the mission attributes and a change in location of the movable object, when executed, further cause the movable object to:
 update the first inspection path based at least on environmental conditions or movable object attributes and the change in location of the movable object, wherein updating the first inspection path includes updating a location associated with at least one of the first plurality of points.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable instructions to obtain mission attributes associated with an inspection mission associated with a target object, when executed, further cause the movable object to:
 determine one or more attributes of the target object based on sensing data obtained from the one or more sensing devices.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more attributes of the target object include a width, a radius, a length, a profile, or a location of at least a portion of the target object. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the computer-executable instructions to cause an inspection of the target object to be performed using one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object from at least one location associated with at least one point on the first inspection path, when executed, further cause the movable object to:
 cause an imaging device coupled to the movable object to capture an image of the target object from the at least one location associated with the at least one point. 
 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the imaging device is included in a payload coupled to the movable object via a carrier that is controllable independently of the movable object. 
     
     
         15 . A computer readable storage medium including instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 obtain mission attributes associated with an inspection mission associated with a target object;   generate, by a movable object, a first inspection path including a first plurality of points located around the target object based on the mission attributes;   cause the movable object to move along the first inspection path based on the first plurality of points;   cause an inspection of the target object to be performed using one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object from at least one location associated with at least one point on the first inspection path; and   dynamically generate, by the movable object, a second inspection path including a second plurality of points, the second plurality of points determined during the inspection mission based on the mission attributes and a change in location of the movable object.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
 in response to the inspection of the target object, obtain second mission attributes associated with a second mission associated with the target object, the second mission to reinspect at least a portion of the target object;   generate a third inspection path including a third plurality of points located around at least the portion of the target object; and   cause a reinspection of at least the portion of the target object to be performed using the one or more sensing devices based on the second mission attributes.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions to dynamically generate a second inspection path including a second plurality of points, the second plurality of points determined during the inspection mission based on the mission attributes and a change in location of the movable object, when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:
 update the first inspection path based at least on environmental conditions or movable object attributes and the change in location of the movable object, wherein updating the first inspection path includes updating a location associated with at least one of the first plurality of points.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions to obtain mission attributes associated with an inspection mission associated with a target object, when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:
 cause the movable object to determine one or more attributes of the target object based on sensing data obtained from the one or more sensing devices.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more attributes of the target object include a width, a radius, a length, a profile, or a location of at least a portion of the target object. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein the instructions to cause an inspection of the target object to be performed using one or more sensing devices coupled to the movable object from at least one location associated with at least one point on the first inspection path, when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:
 cause an imaging device coupled to the movable object to capture an image of the target object from the at least one location associated with the at least one point, wherein the imaging device is included in a payload coupled to the movable object via a carrier that is controllable independently of the movable object.