A flight management system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in which the UAV is equipped for cellular fourth generation (4G) flight control. The UAV carries on-board a 4G modem, an antenna connected to the modem for providing for downlink wireless RF. A computer is connected to the modem. A 4G infrastructure to support sending via uplink and receiving via downlink from and to the UAV. The infrastructure further includes 4G base stations capable of communicating with the UAV along its flight path. An antenna in the base station is capable of supporting a downlink to the UAV. A control centre accepts navigation related data from the uplink. In addition, the control centre further includes a connection to the 4G infrastructure for obtaining downlinked data. A computer for calculating location of the UAV using navigation data as from the downlink.

Flight management system for uavs

An unmanned aerial vehicle and associated methods for inspecting infrastructure assets includes a multirotor, electrically driven helicopter apparatus and power supply; a flight computer; positioning and collision avoidance equipment; and at least one sensor such as a camera. The flight computer is programmed for automated travel to and inspection of selected waypoints, at which condition data is collected for further analysis. The method also includes protocols for segmenting the flight path to accomplish sequential inspection of a linear asset such as a power line using limited-range equipment.

Unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring infrastructure assets

A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code causes a processor at a first vehicle (e.g., a first autonomous vehicle) to generate a first planned path based on a current position of the first vehicle and a mission requirement assigned to the first vehicle. A first planned path associated with a second vehicle (e.g., a second autonomous vehicle), which is based on a current position of the second vehicle and a mission requirement assigned to the second vehicle, is received at the first vehicle. After the first planned path associated with the second vehicle is received, a second planned path is generated based on the first planned path associated with the second vehicle and at least one of the mission requirement assigned to the first vehicle or the first planned path of the first vehicle. The second planned path of the first vehicle is transmitted to the second vehicle.

Autonomous vehicle and method for coordinating the paths of multiple autonomous vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicle inspection system

Providing separation management of vehicles is disclosed. In an embodiment, a separation management system includes a data input module for receiving and filtering aircraft information and airspace information related to a control aircraft and a relevant aircraft, the aircraft information enabling the calculation of a trajectory window for each aircraft. A conflict monitoring module may be included in the system for monitoring the trajectory window for each aircraft with respect to time and probabilistic location, the conflict monitoring module determining when a trajectory overlap occurs resulting from the intersection of the trajectory window for the control aircraft and the relevant aircraft. In addition, the system may include a separation routing module for rerouting the control aircraft when a trajectory overlap for the control aircraft is detected by the conflict monitoring module.

Automated separation manager

A system and a method for automatically avoiding collisions between own aircraft and other aircraft. The system comprises a computing unit (10), computing an fly away path for own aircraft, a sender (12), sending the computed own fly away path to the other aircraft, a receiver (14), receiving fly away paths from the other aircraft, and a collision handler (18), detecting an approaching collision bases on the own fly away path and the fly away paths received from the other aircraft, and activating a fly away maneuver upon detecting an approaching collision. The collision handler is adapted to receive information about commanded maneuvers of own aircraft, and to detect an approaching collision based on own aircraft maneuvers commanded during a time period between sending the computed own fly away path to the other aircraft and detecting the approaching collision.

A system and a method for automatic air collision avoidance

A collision avoidance system including a receiver configured to receive navigational data regarding intruding aerial vehicle and own aircraft. Storage is configured to store a plurality of predefined escape trajectories. A processor is configured to compare at least a subset of the predefined escape trajectories with a presumed trajectory of the intruding aerial vehicle and to select one of the predefined escape trajectories based on the comparison. The predefined escape trajectories are pre-simulated, wherein each escape trajectory is associated to a set of navigational data and to an escape maneuver direction.

Collision avoidance system and a method for determining an escape manoeuvre trajectory for collision avoidance

The invention relates to a range estimation device for use in an aerial platform comprising at least one passive sensor, a trajectory determination unit and a control system. The range estimation device comprises a control unit arranged to indicate to the control system to perform own-ship manoeuvring of said aerial platform such that the characteristics of passive sensor measurements from said at least one passive sensor enable a range estimation to a target to be determined. The range estimation device is characterized by the control unit being arranged to determine the characteristics of the own-ship manoeuvring based on the range uncertainty estimations to the target. The invention also relates to a method and a computer program product for use in range estimation device.

A range estimation device

A vehicle control system and method combining control allocation and phase compensation for forming a phase compensated actuator command signal (x) based on a control demand signal (u). The system further comprises feedback means including a matrix multiplication unit for forming an estimated behaviour signal (y'), from a control efficiency matrix and said actuator command signal (x). The estimated behaviour signal is fed to a second summation unit (225) for forming a difference signal e. Said difference signal e from the summation unit (225) is processed by a filter unit (240) for forming a feedback signal (δ) which is connected to a first summation unit (210) for forming a modified control demand signal (u'), such that u' is adjusted to always represent a control demand realisable by the vehicle. Said modified control demand signal (u') of the first summation unit (210) is further connected to the second summation unit (225) and to a control allocator (220) which output is then connected to the matrix multiplier to form a feedback loop.

Vehicle control system and method using control allocation and phase compensation

A method for estimating, from a platform, at least one parameter of an intruder. Consecutive frames of image data at different times of the intruder utilizing at least one passive sensor are generated. A direction from the platform to the intruder is determined based on the generated consecutive frames of image data. A time period remaining until a potential collision between the platform and the intruder is estimated. An angular extent of the intruder, as viewed by the passive sensor, is estimated based on the image data. At least one of a first relative location vector to a minimum intruder associated with the intruder or a second relative location vector to a maximum intruder associated with the intruder is estimated. An arrangement for generating input data to a sense-and-avoid system on-board a platform, a computer program, a computer program product and a platform carrying the arrangement are also provided.

Bengt-Göran Sundqvist

Papers

A system and a method for automatic air collision avoidance

Collision avoidance system and a method for determining an escape manoeuvre trajectory for collision avoidance

A range estimation device

Vehicle control system and method using control allocation and phase compensation

Method and arrangement for estimating at least one parameter of an intruder