Patent Application
20170197714
The invention generally relates drones. More specifically, the invention relates drones capable of operating in aqueous environments.
Drones are widely used in various applications such as reconnaissance, payload delivery, aerial photography, fire-fighting etc. Further, depending on operational requirements, drones may be designed with a variety of configurations. For instance, drones may be specially designed to possess features that enable them to withstand adverse effects of an operational environment. As an example, drones that may be required to operate under high temperatures, such as in forest fires, may be built with temperature resistant materials. Similarly, drones that may be required to operate under aqueous conditions may be designed with water-proof materials to protect water sensitive components, such as electronic circuitry in the drone.
Further, some drones may be designed to operate in different kinds of environments such as, land, air and water. For example, some drones may be equipped with landing gear that enables the drone to land on ground and carry out operations. Similarly, some drones may be equipped with buoyant structures that enable the drones to float on water. Furthermore, some hybrid drones may be capable of operating in both land and water. Such hybrid drones are also generally referred to as amphibious drones.
However, design of hybrid drones involves several challenges due to dissimilar and sometimes opposite characteristics of different environments. For instance, features implemented in a hybrid drone to enable operation in one environment may pose operational hurdles for the drone in another environment. As an example, the legs of a hybrid drone that enable landing on the ground may create drag while the hybrid drone is in flight.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved drones that are capable of efficiently operating in multiple environments.
This brief overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This brief overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this brief overview intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter's scope.
The present disclosure teaches drones that are capable of operating in aqueous environments such as swimming pool, pond, lake, sea, ocean, river and rain. Further, the drones may also be capable of operating on land and in air. In other words, the drones may be amphibious, being capable of operating in multiple environments such as air, land and water. Furthermore, the drones may be configured to efficiently operate in the multiple environments including an aqueous environments.
In order to enable the drone to operate in aqueous environments, the drone may be configured as resistant to adverse effects of an aqueous environment. For example, the drone may be constructed in such a manner that it may be impermeable to water, at depths of at least 1 m. For example, the drone may be hermetically sealed in order to prevent entry of water into the interior of the drone. As a result, water-sensitive components of the drones such as electronic circuitry, electric motor and battery may be isolated from any contact with water.
Furthermore, in order to enable the drone float on a water body, the drone may be configured to be buoyant. For instance, the drone may include a buoyant structure, such as a hollow frame, capable of naturally floating on a water body without requiring expenditure of energy in order to float. As an example, the drone may include a spherical enclosure with substantial hollow space containing a gas, such as air. As another example, propeller protectors included in the drone may also be configured to provide buoyancy to the drone. For example, the propeller protectors may be manufactured using a blow molding process resulting in hollowness.
Further, a material used to construct the drone may also afford buoyancy to the drone. As an example, a material, such as acrylic, with lower density than water, may be used to construct the drone to enable the drone to naturally float on a water body.
Alternatively, the drone may be configured to include an active floating mechanism that may use energy in order to enable the drone float on the water body. For example, the active floating mechanism may include an inflatable bladder configured to be filled with a gas, such as air. Further, a powered inflator may be included in the drone in order to compress the gas into the inflatable bladder enabling the drone to float on the water body.
Additionally, the drone may be configured to float on a water body with any one of two or more sides of the drone facing towards the water surface. In other words, the drone may be configured to float irrespective of which of the two or more sides may be facing towards the water surface. For example, the drone may include a spherical enclosure and a set of propulsion units connected to the spherical enclosure through struts so as to form a plane of symmetry separating the drone into two substantially symmetrical halves. Furthermore, the plane of symmetry may partition the drone into an upper side and a lower side. Accordingly, the drone may be configured to float with either the upper side or the lower side facing towards the water surface. The orientation of the propulsion mechanisms may be designed so to enable the drone for operation at any orientation.
Further, in order to enable the drone to stand on solid surfaces such as ground, the drone may include one or more retractable legs. A retractable leg may be configured to be set into one of an extended state and a retracted state. In the extended state, the retractable leg may be configured to make contact with the ground and support the weight of the drone in a stable manner. In the retracted state, the retractable leg may be configured to move away from the ground, such as, for example, by being pivoted. Alternatively, the retractable leg may be configured to be withdrawn into the drone or folded in order to attain the retracted state.
In some cases, the retracted state of the one or more retractable legs may be such that presence of the retractable legs may not pose substantial hindrance to an operation of the drone during flight or in aqueous environments. For example, by pivoting the retractable legs to lie in substantially the same plane as that of the drone, drag effects due to the retractable legs may be minimized as compared to when the retractable legs are in the extended state. In other words, by pivoting the retractable legs, a total surface area presented to a flow of fluid such as air or water, may be minimized. As a result, the drone may be enabled to operate in air and water more efficiently and reduced resistance.
Additionally, in order to change a state of the retractable legs between the extended state and the retracted state, the drone may include one or more leg-actuators coupled to the retractable legs. For example, a leg-actuator may be implemented using an electric motor whose shaft may be coupled to the retractable legs in such a way that activation of the electric motor may move the retractable legs from the extended state to the retracted state. Similarly, in some cases, activation of the electric motor may move the retractable legs from the retracted state to the extended state.
Further, the retractable legs may be configured to naturally remain in one of the extended state or the retracted state without requiring expenditure of energy. For example, the retractable legs may be configured to be in the extended state without application of power to the drone. However, in order to change the state of the retractable legs to the retracted state, energy may be expended, such as by activating the electric motor.
Further, the retractable legs may be configured to be set into one of the extended state and the retracted state automatically. For instance, the drone may include sensors configured to sense a context of operation and accordingly alter the state of the retractable legs. As an example, a proximity sensor included in the drone may be configured to sense the ground as the drone approaches landing and the leg-actuators may be automatically activated in order to extend the retractable legs. Similarly, the proximity sensor may detect an increasing distance from the ground during take-off and the leg-actuators may be automatically activated in order to retract the retractable legs.
Additionally, the drone may include an upper camera situated on an upper side of the drone and a lower camera situated on the lower side of the drone. Accordingly, images, such as pictures or videos, of objects lying on either side of the drone may be captured. For instance, when the drone is in flight, the upper camera may be able to capture images of the sky and the lower camera may be able to capture images of the ground. Similarly, when the drone is floating on a water body, the upper camera may be able to capture images of objects above the water surface and the lower camera may be able to capture images of objects below the water surface. Further, the upper camera and the lower camera may be configured to capture images simultaneously.
In various embodiments, the upper camera and the lower camera may be supported by gimbals in order to provide a stable orientation, such as horizontal level. Each camera may have a wide range of rotation (e.g., three hundred and sixty degree rotation ability) along the horizontal access and at least one hundred and eighty degree hemispherical rotation capability. Additionally, the upper camera and the lower camera may be mounted on a rotatable member. As a result, an orientation of the upper camera and the lower camera may be individually or synchronously controlled. Consequently, the drone may be able to perform operations such as surveillance with a greater degree of control.
Additionally, the drone may include a set of propulsion units for propelling the drone. For instance, the drone may be implemented as a quadcopter with a set of four propulsion units. Each propulsion unit may include an electric motor, a propeller blade rotatably coupled to the electric motor and a propeller protector configured to protect the propeller blade from impacts. Furthermore, the propulsion units may be configured be enable operation of the drone in aqueous environments. For instance, the electric motor and the propeller blade may be water-resistant.
Further, the drone may include a battery to power the propulsion units. The battery may be rechargeable. Furthermore, the battery may be configured to be charged in a short duration of time. Additionally, the battery may be configured to provide a flight duration of substantially long time, such as, for example, 20 minutes.
Consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure, the drone may also include a controller, such as a processor, to control operation of the drone. For instance, the controller may be configured to activate the propulsion units in order to propel the drone. Further, the controller may also be configured to control orientation of the upper camera and the lower camera. Similarly, the controller may be configured to control the leg-actuators in order to change the state of the retractable legs during landing and take-off.
The controller may be configured to steer the drone in a trajectory to follow an object. For instance, the controller may be configured to process images captured by the upper camera or the lower camera and detect an object of interest. Further, the controller may be configured to steer the drone in such a way that the object of interest remains within the field of view of either the upper camera or the lower camera.
Further, the drone may also include a positioning unit such as a GPS receiver configured to detect a position of the drone. In an auto-pilot mode, the controller may be configured to control a trajectory of the drone based on the position of the drone. For instance, a predetermined flight path may be provided to the controller in terms of position co-ordinates and the controller may periodically monitor the position of the drone to ensure that the drone follows the flight path within an acceptable level of tolerance.
Additionally, the drone may include proximity sensors to detect obstacles. Further, the controller may be configured to steer the drone away from the obstacles based on signals from the proximity sensors. As a result, the drone may be able to maneuver in congested areas while avoiding impacts with other objects. Sensors may be further configured at the sides of each propeller guards so as to, for example, detect proximity to nearby objects. In turn, this may enable the drone to better navigate obstacles that may be in its path.
A drone equipped with one or more of the foregoing features may enable the drone to operate efficiently in multiple environments including aqueous environments.
Both the foregoing brief overview and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing brief overview and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings contain representations of various trademarks and copyrights owned by the Applicants. In addition, the drawings may contain other marks owned by third parties and are being used for illustrative purposes only. All rights to various trademarks and copyrights represented herein, except those belonging to their respective owners, are vested in and the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retains and reserves all rights in its trademarks and copyrights included herein, and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.
Furthermore, the drawings may contain text or captions that may explain certain embodiments of the present disclosure. This text is included for illustrative, non-limiting, explanatory purposes of certain embodiments detailed in the present disclosure. In the drawings:
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure, and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.
Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.”
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header.
The present disclosure includes many aspects and features. Moreover, while many aspects and features relate to, and are described in, the context of film production, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to use only in this context.
Referring to
The buoyant structure 102 in general may assume a variety of forms. In some embodiments, the buoyant structure 102 may be of an aerodynamic form configured to execute a streamlined motion within a fluid such as air or water. Further, the buoyant structure 102 may be of a form that provides a substantial amount of hollow space within the buoyant structure 102. For example, the buoyant structure 102 may be in the form of a spherical enclosure, as exemplarily illustrated in
Further, the buoyant structure 102 may be constructed from a material that provides buoyancy to the drone 100. For instance, the buoyant structure 102 may be constructed from a material having lower density compared to that of water. Examples of such materials may include, but are not limited to, plastics such as acrylic.
Additionally, the buoyant structure 102 may be configured to have water-resistant properties. For instance, in some embodiments, the buoyant structure 102 may be hermetically sealed. Further, in some embodiments, an outer surface of the buoyant stricture 102 may be configured to have hydrophobic properties. As a result, wetting of the outer surface of the buoyant structure 102 may be minimized. This may be advantageous in the case where one or more cameras are situated inside the buoyant structure.
Further, the drone 100 may include one or more propulsion units 104, such as 104a and 104b, configured to propel the drone. In some embodiments, the propulsion units may be powered by one or more sources of energy such as, but not limited to, electrical energy from a battery, fuel such as gasoline, solar power, wind power and electromagnetic energy such as RF waves.
Further, in some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units 104 may be configured to propel the drone 100 in one or more environments, including an aqueous environment. For example, in some embodiments, a first propulsion unit 104 may be configured to propel the drone 100 in air and a second propulsion unit 104 may be configured to propel the drone 100 while in water. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a propulsion unit 104 may be configured to propel the drone 100 in each of air, water and land. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units may include a wheel configured to support the drone 100 on a solid surface such as ground and also enable propulsion along the solid surface.
In some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units 104 may include one or more motors 118, such as 118a and 118b, and one or more propellers 114, such as propeller 114a and 114b. The one or more motors 118 may be configured to be powered by electrical energy supplied, for example, from a battery included in the drone 100. Further, the one or more motors 118 may be configured to rotate the one or more propellers 114 in one or more of clockwise direction and anti-clockwise direction. Accordingly, a direction of thrust generated by rotating the one or more propellers 114 may be controlled. Further, in some embodiments, each of the one or more motors 118 may be configured to be controlled independently. Accordingly, a speed and a direction of rotation of a first propeller 114, such as propeller 114a, may be different from a speed and a direction of rotation of a second propeller 114, such as propeller 114b. However, in some embodiments, each of the one or more motors 118 may be configured to be controlled synchronously. Accordingly, a single control signal may cause each of the one or more propellers 114 to rotate in the same direction and speed.
In some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units 104 may be connected to the buoyant structure 102 by one or more struts 116, such as 116a and 116b. In some embodiments, the one or more struts 116 may be configured to rigidly connect the one or more propulsion units 104 to the buoyant structure 102 as illustrated in
Accordingly, for instance, the strut 116a may include a movable part 802a and a fixed part 804a as illustrated in
Further, each of joint 806a and 806b may be configured to be changed from an unfolded state as illustrated in
Further, in some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units 104 may be configured to enable the drone 100 to lift off from water. For instance, in some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units 104 may be connected to the buoyant structure 102 in such a way that when the drone 100 is floating on a water surface, there may be sufficient clearance space between propulsion units 104 and the water surface. For example, as exemplarily illustrated in
Further, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may be able to take-off from the water surface with substantially the same amount of energy expended as when taking-off from the ground. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may be so configured, that a substantially greater amount of energy may be expended in lifting off the drone 100 from a water surface as compared to lifting off the drone from the ground.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the one or more propulsion units 104 may be configured to propel the drone 100 while floating on a water body. For instance, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may include a propulsion unit 104 configured to be lowered into a water body while floating as illustrated exemplarily in
As shown in
Further, in some embodiments, each component of the propulsion unit 104, such as the motor 118, the propeller 114 and the propeller protector 120 may be hermetically sealed. Accordingly, the propeller 114 may be configured to be rotated under water and create sufficient thrust to propel the drone 100 while the drone 100 is floating on the water surface.
Further, in some other embodiments, the drone 100 may include a water propulsion unit, exemplarily illustrated as 902 in
Furthermore, the drone 100 may include an upper camera 106 disposed on an upper side of the drone. The upper side of the drone 100 may be a part of the drone 100, such as, for example, an upper half of the drone 100 facing away from the ground when the drone 100 is standing on the ground. Similarly, the upper side of the drone 100 may be a part of the drone 100, such as, for example, an upper half of the drone 100 facing away from the water surface when the drone 100 is floating on water. In some embodiments, the upper side of the drone 100 may include one or more of an exterior surface of the drone 100 and an interior space of the drone 100, such as a part of the interior space of buoyant structure 102. Accordingly, in some embodiments the upper camera 106 may be disposed on the exterior surface of the drone 100 while in some other embodiments, the upper camera 106 may be disposed within the interior space of the buoyant structure 102 as exemplarily illustrated in
Further, a position of the upper camera 106 in relation the buoyant structure 102 may be based on operational requirements of the drone 100. For example, in some embodiments, the upper camera 106 may be located on a central region of the upper side of the drone 100 as illustrated exemplarily in
Additionally, the drone 100 may include a lower camera 108 disposed on a lower side of the drone 100. The lower side of the drone 100 may be a part of the drone 100, such as, for example, a lower half of the drone 100 facing towards the ground when the drone 100 is standing on the ground. Similarly, the lower side of the drone 100 may be a part of the drone 100, such as, for example, a lower half of the drone 100 facing towards the water surface when the drone 100 is floating on water. In some embodiments, the lower side of the drone 100 may include one or more of an exterior surface of the drone 100 and an interior space of the drone 100, such as a part of the interior space of buoyant structure 102. Accordingly, in some embodiments the lower camera 108 may be disposed on the exterior surface of the drone 100 while in some other embodiments, the lower camera 108 may be disposed within the interior space of the buoyant structure 102 as exemplarily illustrated in
Further, each of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may be configured to capture images. For example, each of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may include an image sensor configured to capture images based on light radiation such as, for example, visible light and infrared light. Accordingly, the drone 100 may be capable of operating in light such as during day and in low light conditions such as during night. Further, each of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may be configured to capture still images and video. Additionally, in some embodiments, one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may be configured to capture panoramic images.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, each of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may be configured to capture images simultaneously. Accordingly, each of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may be configured to operate synchronously based on a common control signal.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include at least one camera-actuator configured to control one or more of a position and an orientation of one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108. For instance, a camera-actuator may be configured to rotate the upper camera 106 in order to orient the optical axis 602 in a range of angles, such as for example, 0 to 180 degrees in relation to the ground or the water surface. As a result, one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 may be able to capture images from several advantageous viewpoints.
Further, in some embodiments, an optical axis 602 of the upper camera 106 may be coincident with an optical axis 604 of the lower camera 108 as exemplarily illustrated in
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include one or more gimbals, exemplarily illustrated as 1102 in
In some embodiments, the buoyant structure 102 may include a spherical enclosure configured to enclose each of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 as exemplarily illustrated in
Further, in some embodiments, the buoyant structure 102 may include a propeller protector 120, such as 120a and 120b as illustrated in
Additionally, in some embodiments, the buoyant structure 102 may include an inflatable bladder. Also, the drone 100 may further include an inflator configured to inflate the inflatable bladder. Furthermore, the drone 100 may be configured to sink in water based on an inflation state of the inflatable bladder as exemplarily illustrated in
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the buoyant structure 102 may include a ballast tank configured to allow water from the water body into the buoyant structure 102 causing the drone 100 to sink. Further, the ballast tank may also be configured to pump out the water from the buoyant structure 102 in order to enable the drone 100 to rise towards the surface of the water body. As a result, by controlling the water level in the ballast tank, the drone 100 may be positioned below the water surface at any depth.
Furthermore, the drone 100 may include one or more legs 110 configured to enable the drone 100 to stand on a solid surface 112, such as the ground. Each leg 110 may include a first end configured to be connected to a part of the drone 100, such as the buoyant structure 102. Further, each leg 110 may include a second end configured to come in contact with the solid surface 112. Additionally, the one or more legs 110 may be sufficiently rigid in order to stably support the weight of the drone 100 while landed on the solid surface 112.
Additionally, the drone 100 may include one or more leg-actuators 202 coupled to the one or more legs 110. Further, the one or more leg-actuators 202 may be configured to change a state of the one or more legs 110 to one of an extended state and a retracted state.
In the extended state, the legs 110 may be configured to make contact with the solid surface 112 and support the weight of the drone 100 in a stable manner. In the retracted state, the legs 110 may be configured to move away from the solid surface 112, such as, for example, by being pivoted. For example, as illustrated in
Alternatively, in some embodiments, the legs 110 may be configured to be withdrawn into the drone 100 or folded in order to attain the retracted state. For example, the legs 110 may be telescopic structures with a fixed end attached to a part of the drone 100 while a movable end is configured to come in contact with the solid surface 112. Further, a length of the telescopic structures may be controlled by activating the leg-actuators. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the legs 110 may be completely withdrawn into an interior space of the drone 100 such as the buoyant structure 102 as exemplarily illustrated in
In some embodiments, one of the extended state and the retracted state may be a natural state of the legs 110. Further, no energy may be expended in order to maintain the legs 100 in the natural state. However, in some embodiments, in order to change and maintain a state other than the natural state, energy may be expended.
For example, as exemplarily illustrated in
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may include a single leg 110 as shown exemplarily in
In some embodiments, the one or more legs 110 may include a plurality of legs 110, such as, for example, four legs as illustrated in
Further, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may be configured to float on a water body with one of the upper side and the lower side facing towards the surface of the water body. In other words, the drone 100 may possess operational symmetry, with respect to floating, along a plane dividing the drone 100 into the upper side and the lower side. As a result, landing of the drone 100 over a water body may be performed without regard to which side of the drone 100 is facing towards the surface of the water body.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the one or more legs 110 may be configured to enable the drone 100 to stand on the solid surface 112 with one of the upper side and the lower side facing towards the solid surface 112. In other words, the drone 100 may possess operational symmetry, with respect to standing on the ground, along a plane dividing the drone 100 into the upper side and the lower side.
For example, each leg 110 of the drone 100 as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include a radio transceiver configured to communicate data over radio waves. Further, the drone 100 may also include a processor configured to control one or more of the one or more propulsion units 104, the upper camera 106, the lower camera 108, the one or more leg-actuators 202 and the radio transceiver. Further, the processor may be communicatively coupled with a memory storage. In some embodiments, the processor and the memory storage may be implemented in the form of a computing device, such as, for example, computing device 1500 as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include an enclosure configured to enclose each of the upper camera 106, the lower camera 108, the one or more leg-actuators 202, the radio transceiver and the processor. Further, the enclosure may be hermetically sealed.
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include one or more proximity sensors. Further, the processor may be configured to control the one or more propulsion units 104 based on an output of the one or more proximity sensors. As a result, collision of the drone 100 with external objects may be avoided. Additionally, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include a wireless controller configured to control operation of the drone 100. Further, the wireless controller may include an input device configured to receive a control input. Additionally, the wireless controller may include a radio transceiver configured to communicate data over radio waves. Further, the data may include each of the control input and images captured by one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108.
Furthermore, the wireless controller may include a display device configured to display images captured by one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108. Accordingly, a user operating the wireless controller may be able to view the images and control the orientation or position of one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 in order to obtain images as per the user's needs. Further, in some embodiments, the display device may be configured to provide a split screen view showing an image from the upper camera 106 on one portion of the display screen while showing an image from the lower camera 108 on another portion of the display screen.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include a controller enclosure configured to enclose the wireless controller. Additionally, the controller enclosure may be hermetically sealed. As a result, the wireless controller may be submerged under water while still being operational. Accordingly, a user submerged under water may be enabled to control the drone 100 floating on the water surface. For example, the user may create a selfie-video using the drone 100 while being submerged under water.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to perform image processing of images captured by one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108. Further, the processor may be configured to control one or more of the one or more propulsion units 104, the upper camera 106, the lower camera 108, the one or more leg-actuators 202 and the radio transceiver based on a result of the image processing.
In some embodiments, the image processing may include detection of one or more of a solid body and a water body. Further, the processor may be further configured to control the one or more leg-actuators 202 based on the detection. For example, while the drone 100 is approaching the ground, one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 facing towards the ground may capture images of the ground. Subsequently, based on analysis of successive images, the processor may be configured to automatically determine that the drone 100 is approaching the ground. Further, a time at which the drone 100 may be likely to land on the ground may also be predicted based on a rate of descent and a distance from the ground. In some embodiments, the distance from the ground may be determined based on a ranging sensor included in the drone 100. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the distance may be determined based on an altimeter included in the drone 100. Accordingly, the processor may activate the leg-actuators 202 in order to change the state of the legs 110 to the extended state in preparation to landing.
In some embodiments, the processor may be further configured to perform image correction on images captured by one or more of the upper camera 106 and the lower camera 108 facing towards a water body. Further, image correction may compensate for a water based distortion in the images. The water based distortion may be caused by optical properties of the water body. As a result, images obtained by the drone 100 while floating on the water surface or while being submerged in a water body may be improved.
In some embodiments, the drone 100 may further include one or more water sensors disposed on one or more of the upper side and the lower side of the drone 100. Additionally, the drone 100 may include an upper light source disposed on the upper side of the drone 100. Further, the drone 100 may include a lower light source disposed on the lower side of the drone 100. Furthermore, one or more of the upper light source and the lower light source may be configured to be activated based on an output of the at least one water sensor. As a result, illumination may be provided into the water body in order to improve quality of images of objects lying within the water body. Further, since one or more of the upper light source and the lower source may be selectively activated, energy from a source, such as a battery included in the drone 100 may be used efficiently.
Further disclosed is drone 100 capable of operating in aqueous environment, such as illustrated in
With reference to
Computing device 1500 may have additional features or functionality. For example, computing device 1500 may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in
Computing device 1500 may also contain a communication connection 1516 that may allow device 1500 to communicate with other computing devices 1518, such as over a network in a distributed computing environment, for example, an intranet or the Internet. Communication connection 1516 is one example of communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media. The term computer readable media as used herein may include both storage media and communication media.
As stated above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored in system memory 1504, including operating system 1505. While executing on processor 1502, programming modules 1506 (e.g., drone control application 1520) may perform processes including, for example, one or more operations of drone 100 as described above. The aforementioned process is an example, and processor 1502 may perform other processes. Other programming modules that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may include electronic mail and contacts applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, slide presentation applications, drawing or computer-aided application programs, etc.
Generally, consistent with embodiments of the disclosure, program modules may include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that may perform particular tasks or that may implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. Embodiments of the disclosure may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems.
Embodiments of the disclosure, for example, may be implemented as a computer process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage media readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. The computer program product may also be a propagated signal on a carrier readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process. Accordingly, the present disclosure may be embodied in hardware and/or in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.). In other words, embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable or computer-readable storage medium having computer-usable or computer-readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
The computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific computer-readable medium examples (a non-exhaustive list), the computer-readable medium may include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Note that the computer-usable or computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.
Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
While certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described, other embodiments may exist. Furthermore, although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums, data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, solid state storage (e.g., USB drive), or a CD-ROM, a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. Further, the disclosed methods' stages may be modified in any manner, including by reordering stages and/or inserting or deleting stages, without departing from the disclosure.
All rights including copyrights in the code included herein are vested in and the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retains and reserves all rights in the code included herein, and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.
While the specification includes examples, the disclosure's scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the disclosure.
Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawing disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the disclosures are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claims such additional disclosures is reserved.
