Abstract: A system can include a flight controller for an aircraft that includes an electric motor that drives blades with a variable pitch, where the flight controller receives a command to change a flight characteristic of the aircraft and creates a torque command and a revolutions per minute (RPM) command. The system can also include a propulsion assembly, where the propulsion assembly creates a current command based at least in part on the torque command and the RPM command, creates a blade pitch command based at least in part on the torque command and the RPM command, communicates the current command to the electric motor to change a mechanical output of the electric motor, and communicates the blade pitch command to blade actuators to control the pitch of the blades. The current command and the blade pitch command cause the blades of the aircraft to rotate at a predetermined RPM.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for managing data from vehicles. For instance, the method may include receiving vehicle data from a vehicle of a plurality of vehicles; obtaining collective vehicle data and vehicle parameters; performing an analysis on the vehicle data, the collective vehicle data, and the vehicle parameters to: detect a vehicle parameter event, or detect an environment change; and in response to detecting the vehicle parameter event or the environment change, transmitting a status message to a service associated with the vehicle.

Abstract: Techniques for collision avoidance using an object contour are discussed. A trajectory associated with a vehicle may be received. Sensor data can be received from a sensor associated with the vehicle. A bounding contour may be determined and associated with an object represented in the sensor data. Based on the trajectory, a simulated position of the vehicle can be determined. Additionally, a predicted position of the bounding contour can be determined. Based on the simulated position of the vehicle and the predicted position of the bounding contour, a distance between the vehicle and the object may be determined. An action can be performed based on the distance between the vehicle and the object.

Abstract: A crash detection device for mounting on a flying object having a parachute or paraglider deployment device. The crash detection device includes a sensor for measuring a parameter related to a flying state of the flying object. The sensor is configured for acquiring data of the parameter in a normal mode in which the data is acquired at a sampling frequency of less than 1 kHz, and in an abnormal mode in which the data is acquired at the sampling frequency of 1 kHz or more. The crash detection device further includes a detector coupled to the sensor and configured for verifying proper operation of the sensor; and a controller configured for receiving from the sensor values of the parameter and for determining flying state of the flying object.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for executing safe-return of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) moving along a path having a plurality of communication waypoints in the event of a communication failure. In an aspect, the proposed method can include the steps of detecting, at the UAV, a communication failure; enabling the UAV to return to last healthy communication waypoint location; and based on status of the communication failure, enabling the UAV to return to its home location.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to systems and methods for indoor positioning. The method includes obtaining a first location of a subject at a first time point. The method also includes determining one or more motion parameters associated with the subject at least based on one or more sensors carried by the subject. The method further includes determining, based on the first location of the subject and the one or more motion parameters associated with the subject, a second location of the subject at a second time point after the first time point. The method still further includes adjusting, at least based on surroundings information associated with the subject at the second time point, the second location of the subject to determine a target location of the subject.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a system of a delivery device for combining sensor data from various types of sensors to generate a map that enables the delivery device to navigate from a first location to a second location to deliver an item to the second location. The system obtains data from RGB, LIDAR, and depth sensors and combines this sensor data according to various algorithms to detect objects in an environment of the delivery device, generate point cloud and pose information associated with the detected objects, and generates object boundary data for the detected objects. The system further identifies object states for the detected object and generates the map for the environment based on the detected object, the generated object proposal data, the labeled point cloud data, and the object states. The generated map may be provided to other systems to navigate the delivery device.

Abstract: Agricultural machines utilize global positioning systems (GPS) to acquire the location of the machine as well as the location of an event, which may be based upon an operation of the agricultural machine. Because of the possibility of outage and/or inaccuracy of the GPS, a GPS augmentation system can be included with the agricultural machine. The GPS augmentation system can supplement the location determination of the GPS, or can be used in place of the GPS when the GPS is not available. An unmanned vehicle can also be used as part of the augmentation system to provide additional information for the location of the agricultural machine and/or the event.

Abstract: A control apparatus is equipped with a control unit. The control unit acquires information on a sound in at least one room arranged along an outer wall of a building. The control unit moves an uninhabited airborne vehicle along the outer wall of the building, based on the information on the sound.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate a path plan. An example method includes generating guidance lines for a next path of a vehicle based on an edge of a current path, generating a first path plan of a field within a field boundary, the first path plan generated using a first degree heading, generating a second path plan of the field within the field boundary, the second path plan generated using a second degree heading, and when the first path plan includes a first cost lower than a second cost of the second path plan, transmitting the first path plan to a vehicle to control the vehicle.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a method is provided to determine whether an autonomous system is ready to be deployed or is otherwise ready for use, scene-based metrics, or metrics based on instances of scenarios. Scene-based metrics are mapped, or otherwise translated, to distance-based metrics such that substantially standard distance-based metrics may be used to gate the readiness of an autonomy system for deployment.

Abstract: Systems and methods for landmark-based localization of an autonomous vehicle (“AV”) are described herein. Implementations can generate a first predicted location of a landmark based on a pose instance of a pose of the AV and a stored location of the landmark, generate a second predicted location of the landmark relative to the AV based on an instance of LIDAR data, generate a correction instance based on the comparing, and use the correction instance in generating additional pose instance(s). Systems and methods for validating localization of a vehicle are also described herein. Implementations can obtain driving data from a past episode of locomotion of the vehicle, generate a pose-based predicted location of a landmark in an environment of the vehicle, and compare the pose-based predicted location to a stored location of the landmark in the environment of the vehicle to validate a pose instance of a pose of the vehicle.

Abstract: Among other things, we describe systems and method for improving vehicle operations using movable sensors. A vehicle can be configured with one or more sensors having the capability to be extended and/or rotated. The one or more movable sensors can be caused to move based on a determined context of the vehicle, to capture additional data associated with the environment in which the vehicle is operating.

Abstract: An example system includes a positioning surveillance system (PSS) to identify locations of objects that are movable throughout a space. The PSS is configured to identify the locations without requiring a line-of-sight between the objects. A control system is configured to determine distances based on the locations of the objects in the space and to communicate information to the objects that is based on the distances. The information is usable by the objects for collision avoidance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a searchlight mounted to an aerial vehicle. The systems and methods receive angular data representing a directional angle of a beam of the searchlight and location data representing a global location of the aerial vehicle from a sensor system of the aerial vehicle. The systems and methods determine coverage of the beam of the searchlight on ground based on the angular data and the location data. Based on the coverage of the beam, the aerial vehicle is controlled to change the global location, the display is controlled to depict the coverage of the beam on a map including historical coverage of the beam, and/or the searchlight actuator is controlled to adjust the direction of the beam.

Abstract: A measurement device includes a processor coupled to a memory storing instructions. The processor is configured to acquire positional information of a measurement object stored in a storage unit, acquire point group information of points indicating a surrounding feature acquired by an external sensor, output reliability of the positional information of the measurement object indicating a center position of the measurement object existing in a predetermined range based on the point group information of points existing in the predetermined range, the predetermined range being determined based on a position of a movable body, and estimate a movable body position based on the positional information of the measurement object and the center position of the measurement object, wherein the processor determines the center position by calculating an average value of the point group information existing in the predetermined range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for updating a point cloud. The method may include: determining an area point cloud matching newly added point clouds from historical point clouds to be updated based on a set formed by a pose of a point cloud acquisition device acquiring the newly added point clouds. The method may further include: merging the newly added point clouds into the matched area point cloud to obtain merged historical point clouds. The method may further include: performing global optimization on the merged historical point clouds based on a pose of each point cloud in the merged historical point clouds to obtain updated point clouds.

Abstract: A delivery system includes a cooking station, a meal serving station, a drone, a meal conveying device configured to convey a meal from the cooking station to the meal serving station, and a controlling portion. A character of a theme park is displayed on the drone. The controlling portion causes the drone to fly from the cooking station to the meal serving station and causes the meal conveying device to convey the meal from the cooking station to the meal serving station such that, just after the drone has arrived at the meal serving station, the meal conveyed by the meal conveying device is served to a visitor from the meal serving station.

Abstract: A method may include receiving a request for a first set of data to be gathered by an unmanned aircraft system. A first unmanned aircraft system may be identified that is capable of gathering the first data. A request may be transmitted to the first unmanned aircraft system to gather the first set of data. The first set of data gathered by the first unmanned aircraft system may be received.

Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic vehicle in a delivery environment includes causing the robotic vehicle to deploy from an autonomous vehicle (AV) at a first AV position in the delivery environment. The method further includes localizing, via a robotic vehicle controller, an initial position within a global reference map using a robot vehicle perception system, receiving, from the AV, a 3-dimensional (3D) augmented map and localizing an updated position in the delivery environment based on the 3D augmented map and the global reference map. The robot vehicle perception system senses obstacle characteristics, and generates a unified 3D augmented map with robot-sensed obstacle characteristics. The method further includes generating a dynamic path plan to a package delivery destination using the unified 3D augmented map, and actuating the robot vehicle to the package delivery destination according to the dynamic path plan.