Generating a three-dimensional model of an industrial plant using an unmanned aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10250821-B2
Application number	US-201314091920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

Generating a three-dimensional model of an industrial plant using an unmanned aerial vehicle is described herein. One method includes capturing, using an unmanned aerial vehicle, a number of visual images of an industrial plant, capturing, using the unmanned aerial vehicle, a number of infrared images of the industrial plant, and forming a three-dimensional model of the industrial plant by combining the number of visual images and the number of infrared images.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of generating a three-dimensional model of a site, the method comprising:
capturing, using a single unmanned aerial vehicle, a number of visual images of the site;
capturing, using the single unmanned aerial vehicle, a number of infrared images of the site,
wherein the number of visual images and the number of infrared images captured using the single unmanned aerial vehicle include a number of lateral images of all objects of the site captured by the single unmanned aerial vehicle while travelling along a route between a plurality of the objects of the site, including between tanks of the site, at different heights of the site;
determining a relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling along the route between the plurality of objects of the site, wherein the relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle is determined using the captured visual and infrared images and a known initial position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle at a beginning of the route stored in the single unmanned aerial vehicle;
determining dimensions, including heights, of the plurality of the objects of the site based on the number of lateral images and based on data from a pressure sensor or an ultrasound sensor; and
forming a three-dimensional model of the site based on the dimensions of the plurality of the objects of the site and based on the relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling along the pre-programmed route by combining the number of visual images and the number of infrared images.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of visual images and the number of infrared images include a number of images captured from a number of different heights above the site.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing, by the single unmanned aerial vehicle, the number of visual images, the number of infrared images, time when each of the number of visual images and number of infrared images are captured, an orientation of a camera on the single unmanned aerial vehicle when each image of the number of lateral images was captured, and location of the single unmanned aerial vehicle when each of the number of visual images and number of infrared images are captured,
wherein forming the three-dimensional model of the site is further based on the time when each of the number of visual images and number of infrared images are captured, the orientation of the camera when each image of the number of lateral images is captured, and location of the single unmanned aerial vehicle when each of the number of visual images and number of infrared images are captured.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the single unmanned aerial vehicle, the number of visual images, the number of infrared images, time when each of the number of visual images and number of infrared images are captured, and location of the single unmanned aerial vehicle when each of the number of visual images and number of infrared images are captured, to a computing device.

5. A method of generating a three-dimensional model of an industrial plant, the method comprising:
capturing, using a single unmanned aerial vehicle, a number of images of an industrial plant by travelling the single unmanned aerial vehicle along different routes and capturing images at different heights along the routes,
wherein the number of images captured using the single unmanned aerial vehicle include a number of lateral images of all objects of the industrial plant captured by the single unmanned aerial vehicle while travelling between a plurality of the objects of the industrial plant, including between process plants of the industrial plant, at different heights of the industrial plant;
determining a relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling along the different routes between the plurality of objects of the industrial plant, wherein the relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle is determined using the captured images and a known initial position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle at a beginning of each of the different routes stored in the single unmanned aerial vehicle;
determining dimensions, including heights, of the plurality of the objects of the industrial plant based on the number of lateral images and based on data from a pressure sensor or an ultrasound sensor; and
forming a three-dimensional model of the industrial plant based on the dimensions of the plurality of the objects of the industrial plant and based on the relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling along the pre-programmed route by combining the number of images.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising capturing the number of lateral images from a number of different directions,
wherein forming the three-dimensional model of the industrial plant is further based on a time when each of the number of images are captured, the number of different directions, and an orientation of a camera when each image of the number of images was captured.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the number of lateral images provide lateral depths of the objects of the industrial plant.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the number of images include a number of visual images.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the number of images include a number of infrared images.

10. A single unmanned aerial vehicle for generating a three-dimensional model of a site, the single unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a memory;
a pressure sensor or an ultrasound sensor configured to determine dimensions of objects of the site; and
a processor configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to cause the single unmanned aerial vehicle to:
travel along a pre-programmed route above the site;
capture a number of images of the site while travelling along the pre-programmed route, wherein the number of images captured using the single unmanned aerial vehicle include a number of lateral images of all objects of the site captured by the single unmanned aerial vehicle while travelling between a plurality of objects of the site, including between tanks and process plants of the site, at different heights of the site;
determine a relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling along the pre-programmed route, wherein the relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle is determined using the captured images and a known initial position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle at a beginning of the pre-programmed route stored in the memory of the single unmanned aerial vehicle;
determine dimensions, including heights, of the plurality of the objects of the site based on the number of lateral images and based on data from the pressure sensor or the ultrasound sensor; and
store the number of images, the dimensions of the plurality of the objects of the site and the relative position of the single unmanned aerial vehicle while the single unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling along the pre-programmed route.

11. The single unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to store the number of images by transmitting the number of images to a remote location.

12. The single unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the pre-programmed route and the number of images are stored in the memory.

13. The single unmanned aeri

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Pulleti Uday K
• Gonia Patrick
• Mahasenan Arun Vijayakumari

Classifications

• B64U20/87 Primary

  Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals · CPC title

• B64C39/02

  characterised by special use · CPC title

• H04N5/33 Primary

  Transforming infrared radiation (cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20) · CPC title

• B64C2201/02

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H04N23/20

  for generating image signals from infrared radiation only · CPC title