Scanning environments and tracking unmanned aerial vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for scanning environments and tracking unmanned aerial vehicles within the scanned environments are disclosed. A method in accordance with a particular embodiment includes using a rangefinder off-board an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to identify points in a region. The method can further include forming a computer-based map of the region with the points and using the rangefinder and a camera to locate the UAV as it moves in the region. The location of the UAV can be compared with locations on the computer-based map and, based upon the comparison, the method can include transmitting guidance information to the UAV. In a further particular embodiment, two-dimensional imaging data is used in addition to the rangefinder data to provide color information to points in the region.

1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, if executed by a computing system having a memory and a processor, cause the computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
 providing information characterizing a visual representation of a three-dimensional model of the environment, the environment including a plurality of objects;   receiving input related to a proposed flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment, wherein the input includes one or more regions of interest;   receiving a predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment, with the predicted trajectory calculated based at least in part on the received input, one or more characteristics for pointing a sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle toward the one or more regions of interest, and one or more flight characteristics of the unmanned aerial vehicle;   determining whether the predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment is free of collisions;   if the predicted trajectory is determined to be not free of collisions, revising the predicted trajectory to avoid a collision; and   providing at least part of the revised trajectory to the unmanned aerial vehicle for a flight.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23  wherein the information is provided for presentation to a user, and wherein the input is received from the user. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the input is a first input, and wherein the method further comprises:
 based on a second input from the user, shifting a viewpoint from which the user views the visual representation of the three-dimensional model of the environment.   
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein in the method further comprises:
 generating the three-dimensional model of the environment at least in part by scanning the environment with at least one of a camera or a rangefinder.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein in the method further comprises:
 generating the three-dimensional model of the environment based at least in part on information collected from at least one of a camera, a rangefinder, a tilt encoder, and a pan encoder, at least in part by:
 capturing images of the environment; 
 generating depth data for objects within the captured images at least in part by determining, estimating, or both determining and estimating the distance from the rangefinder to each of a plurality of the objects; and 
 transforming the generated depth data to Cartesian coordinates based at least in part on information collected from the tilt encoder and the pan encoder. 
   
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein in the method further comprises:
 importing the three-dimensional model of the environment.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein in the method further comprises:
 generating the three-dimensional model of the environment at least in part by extracting spatial information from images captured by at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicle or another unmanned aerial vehicle.   
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the received input comprises:
 for an individual region of interest, a distance away from the region of interest that the unmanned aerial vehicle is to fly.   
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein determining whether the predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment is free of collisions comprises:
 comparing the three-dimensional model of the environment to the predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment to determine whether the unmanned aerial vehicle would make contact with an object in the environment.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein in the method further comprises:
 if the predicted trajectory is determined to be not free of collisions, providing an alert.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the alert includes at least one of:
 an audible signal;   a flashing light; or   displaying an interfering portion of the predicted trajectory in a different manner than a non-interfering portion of the predicted trajectory.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the received input includes at least one of a proximity constraint and a speed for the unmanned aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein in the method further comprises:
 causing the unmanned aerial vehicle to begin a flight in accordance with the predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment; and:   tracking the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment with a first tracker.   
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the method further comprises:
 handing off responsibility for tracking the unmanned aerial vehicle from the first scanner to a second tracker while the unmanned aerial vehicle is in flight.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein tracking the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment comprises combining corner cube interferometry with output from a laser-based position sensing device to generate position estimates for the unmanned aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein the method further comprises:
 while tracking the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment, comparing the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment to the predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment.   
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the method further comprises:
 adjusting the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to determining, based on the comparing, that the unmanned aerial vehicle has deviated from the predicted trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle through the environment.