Systems, methods, and apparatus for testing UAV devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12387483-B2
Application number	US-202218057661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2022
Priority date	Nov 21, 2022
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods are presented for testing a device. One method includes activating an actuator device to cause a carriage, coupled to a device, to be moved in one or more directions along a guide rail, wherein the device includes at least one processing device and one or more sensor devices. The method may also comprise receiving, by the device, one or more input commands and executing, by the device based on the one or more input commands, a software application to generate an output while the device is moving in the one or more directions. Further, the method may comprise verifying the execution of the software application on the device based on the output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A testing apparatus for testing a device comprising:
a frame;
a guide rail supported by the frame;
a reference object positioned relative to the frame;
a carriage configured to be movably mounted to the guide rail, wherein the device is configured to be coupled to the carriage, wherein the device includes a processing device and sensor devices, wherein the sensor devices comprise: (i) an image capture device configured to capture an image of the reference object and (ii) an inertial measurement unit (IMU);
an actuator device configured to cause the carriage to move along the guide rail;
a computing device in communication with the actuator device, wherein the actuator device is configured to be activated based on commands from the computing device to cause the carriage to move in one or more directions; and
the device, wherein the device is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the processing device, IMU data from the IMU while the carriage moves the device relative to the reference object;
receiving, by the processing device, image data from the image capture device while the carriage moves the device relative to the reference object; and
testing, using the processing device, motion estimation software of the device by determining an estimate of motion of the device based on the IMU data and the image data.

2. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carriage is moved between a first position and a second position.

3. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the IMU is configured to measure a velocity and orientation of the device.

4. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , further including a light source coupled to the frame, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate the reference object during capture of the image data by the image capture device.

5. The testing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes.

6. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator device comprises a stepper motor.

7. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a drive belt coupled to the carriage, wherein the drive belt is driven by the actuator device to cause the carriage to move back and forth.

8. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply unit configured to supply power to the device.

9. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to operate based on inputs or commands from the computing device.

10. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is configured to generate inputs for the device.

11. The test apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a computing system from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), wherein the computing system is configured to process sensor data from the sensor devices, and wherein the sensor devices are positioned on the device at positions corresponding to positions of UAV sensor devices on the UAV.

12. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to test the motion estimation software by comparing (i) the estimate of motion of the device to (ii) a reference motion performed by the carriage during capture of the IMU data and the image data.

13. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the IMU data is synchronized with the image data.

14. The testing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion estimation software forms part of a software release for one or more aerial vehicles, and wherein the testing of the motion estimation software is performed prior to deployment of the software release onto the one or more aerial vehicles.

15. A method of testing a device using a testing apparatus that includes (i) a frame, (ii) a guide rail supported by the frame, (iii) a reference object positioned relative to the frame, and (iv) a carriage movably mounted to the guide rail, the method comprising:
activating an actuator device to cause the carriage, coupled to the device, to be moved in one or more directions along the guide rail, wherein the device includes a processing device and sensor devices, wherein the sensor devices comprise: (i) an image capture device configured to capture an image of the reference object and (ii) an inertial measurement unit (IMU);
receiving, by the processing device, IMU data from the IMU while the carriage moves the device relative to the reference object;
receiving, by the processing device, image data from the image capture device while the carriage moves the device relative to the reference object;
testing, using the processing device, motion estimation a software of the device by determining an estimate of motion of the device based on the IMU data and the image data; and
verifying the motion estimation software based on the estimate of motion of the device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
calibrating the image capture device based on the image data.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
executing, by a host computer, a test program to generate inputs for the device.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the device is moved between a first position and a second position for a period of time.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the estimate of motion of the device comprises:
determining one or more of a position of the device or a velocity of the device based on the IMU data and the image data.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to perform functions comprising:
activating an actuator device to cause a carriage, coupled to a device, to be moved in one or more directions along a guide rail, wherein the device includes a processing device and sensor devices, wherein the carriage and the guide rail form part of a testing apparatus that comprises a frame that supports the guide rail and a reference object positioned relative to the frame, and wherein the sensor devices comprise: (i) an image capture device configured to capture an image of the reference object and (ii) an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and
causing the device to test motion estimation software of the device by:
causing the device to receive, by the processing device, IMU data from the IMU while the carriage moves the device relative to the reference object;
causing the device to receive, by the processing device, image data from the image capture device while the carriage moves the device relative to the reference object; and
causing the device to determine an estimate of motion of the device based on the IMU data and the image data; and

verifying the motion estimation software based on the estimate of motion of the device.

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Krafka Kyle
• Shannon Trevor

Classifications

• B64U20/87 Primary

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

• B64U20/77

  the body being formed integrally with wings or rotor supports · CPC title

• G06V20/17 Primary

  taken from planes or by drones · CPC title