METHOD FOR ACQUIRING IMAGES FROM ARBITRARY PERSPECTIVES WITH UAVS EQUIPPED WITH FIXED IMAGERS

摘要

A method for acquiring images of a photographic target from arbitrary perspectives with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with at least one image acquisition device having a fixed acquisition direction with respect to the vehicle, said UAV having automatic navigation means allowing to reach an arbitrary location and automatic attitude control means allowing to transiently reach an arbitrary orientation in space, said photographic target being outside the current field of view of the acquisition device while the UAV flies along a predefined flying path, this method comprising: computing a target UAV position and an orientation in space required to acquire a desired image from a set of parameters, navigating to said target UAV position, modifying an attitude of the UAV in order to modify the acquisition direction to point toward the photographic target, acquiring images, and starting a recovery phase by controlling the UAV back to cruise attitude and navigate back along the predefined flying path.

主权项

1. A method for acquiring images of a photographic target from arbitrary perspectives with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with at least one image acquisition device having a fixed acquisition direction with respect to the vehicle, said UAV having an automatic navigation system that allows the UAV to reach an arbitrary location and automatic attitude control system that allows the UAV to transiently reach an arbitrary orientation in space, said photographic target being outside the current field of view of the acquisition device while the UAV flies along a predefined flying path, the method comprising the steps of:
computing a target UAV position and an orientation in space required to acquire a desired slanted image from a set of parameters pertaining to the desired photographic target, a desired perspective and a relative orientation of the image acquisition device with respect to the UAV; navigating, using the automatic navigation system, to said target UAV position; modifying an attitude, which comprises at least one of a pitch, roll or yaw angle, of the UAV in order to modify the acquisition direction to point toward the photographic target; acquiring images when the acquisition direction points toward the photographic target with the desired perspective; and starting a recovery phase by controlling the UAV back to the predefined flying path.