Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) in forestry imaging and assessment applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569875-B2
Application number	US-201715812448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 29, 2017
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A method includes controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over a forestry worksite and capture imagery information with an image capture component. The imagery information is used to generate a set of ground disturbance metrics, each having a value indicative of a measure of ground disturbance at a different geographic location in the forestry worksite. Alternatively, the imagery information is used to generate a set of slope metrics or a firefighting metric. According to the ground disturbance, slope, and firefighting metrics, the method is used to generate an action signal, such as an action signal that controls movement of a mobile machine operating at the forestry worksite, among others.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over a forestry worksite and capture imagery information with an image capture component;
generating a set of soil disturbance metrics, each having a value indicative of a measure of a machine-induced soil disturbance at a different geographic location in the forestry worksite, based on the imagery information; and
generating an action signal based on the values of the soil disturbance metrics in the set.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein generating a set of soil disturbance metrics comprises:
identifying, from the imagery information, a given geographic location that has a soil disturbance indicator indicative of likely soil disturbance; and
identifying, as the value of the soil disturbance metric, a level of disturbance of the soil at the given geographic location, the disturbance of the soil being measured as a difference in a surface smoothness of the soil at the geographic location relative to a surface smoothness of the soil at other proximate geographic locations.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein generating an action signal comprises:
comparing the value of the soil disturbance metric at the given geographic location to a threshold soil disturbance value.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein an action signal comprises:
if the value of the soil disturbance metric at the given geographic location exceeds the threshold soil disturbance value, then generating an action signal identifying the given geographic location as a soil disturbance location for which corrective action is to be taken.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein generating an action signal comprises:
identifying a type of soil disturbance at the soil disturbance location based on the imagery information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein generating an action signal comprises:
selecting a corrective action to address the soil disturbance at the soil disturbance location, based on the type of soil disturbance at the soil disturbance location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein selecting a corrective action comprises:
identifying a machine at the forestry worksite that can perform the corrective action.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein generating an action signal comprises:
generating a communication signal to the identified machine at the forestry worksite identifying the corrective action to take.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein generating the communication signal comprises:
identifying the soil disturbance location where the selected corrective action is to be performed by the identified machine at the forestry worksite.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:
controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over a forestry worksite, after a machine has operated on the worksite, and obtain sensor information indicative of a condition of the worksite;
generating a set of soil disturbance metrics, each having a value indicative of a measure of soil disturbance at a different geographic location in the forestry worksite, based on the sensor information; and
generating an action signal based on the values of the soil disturbance metrics in the set.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the condition comprises a topography of the worksite.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein generating a set of soil disturbance metrics comprises:
identifying, from the sensor information, a given geographic location that has a soil disturbance indicator indicative of likely soil disturbance; and
identifying, as the value of the soil disturbance metric, a level of disturbance of the soil at the given geographic location, the disturbance of the soil being measured as a difference in a height of the soil at the given geographic location relative to a height of the soil at other proximate geographic locations.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein generating an action signal comprises:
comparing the value of the soil disturbance metric at the given geographic location to a threshold soil disturbance value, wherein the threshold soil disturbance value comprises a level of acceptable soil height deviation across the worksite.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein an action signal comprises:
identifying, if the soil disturbance metric exceeds the threshold soil disturbance level, the given geographic location as a soil disturbance location for Which corrective action is to be taken.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein generating an action signal comprises:
identifying a type of soil disturbance at the soil disturbance location based on the sensor information; and
determining if the soil disturbance is machine induced.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein generating an action signal comprises:
if the soil disturbance is machine induced, then selecting a corrective action to address the soil disturbance at the soil disturbance location.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein selecting a corrective action comprises:
identifying a machine at the worksite that can perform the corrective action.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein generating an action signal comprises:
generating a communication signal to the identified machine at the worksite indicating the corrective action to take.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein generating the communication signal comprises:
identifying the soil disturbance location where the selected corrective action is to be performed.

20. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving a request to perform a soil disturbance assessment of a forestry worksite;
generating a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle based on the request;
controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly over the forestry worksite and capture imagery information with an image capture component based on the flight path;
generating a map of the forestry worksite having a measured level of soil disturbance based on the imagery information;
identifying a threshold value of soil disturbance;
comparing the measured value of soil disturbance to the threshold value of soil disturbance;
detecting a level of soil disturbance beyond the threshold value of soil disturbance;
identifying a particular sub-area of the forestry worksite that requires repair;
determining a corrective action to repair the particular sub-area of the forestry worksite;
identifying a mobile machine within the worksite capable of carrying out the corrective action;
generating an action signal indicative of the corrective action to the identified mobile machine; and
updating the map of the forestry worksite.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Flood Matthew J
• Cherney Mark J
• Kahler Andrew W
• Lawler Richard

Classifications

• A01G23/00 Primary

  Forestry · CPC title

• G06V20/17

  taken from planes or by drones · CPC title

• G06Q50/02

  Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining · CPC title

• G06Q10/00

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G01C9/005

  specially adapted for use in aircraft · CPC title