Abstract: The imaging assembly includes: a multi-band sensor (5), comprising a plurality of light sensors (7) each for measuring a light intensity returned by a target (8) in a predetermined frequency band; a sunlight detector (9), comprising a plurality of control sensors (11) each for measuring an ambient light intensity in one of the predetermined bands of frequencies of the multi-band sensor (5) each associated with a band-pass filtre; an electronic module (13) configured so as to calculate at least one characteristic variable value of the light intensity returned by the target (8) in each predetermined frequency band; the sunlight detector (9) comprising a box casing (21), the control sensors (11) being attached to the box casing (21), the band-pass filtres (17) being attached to the box casing (21) each one so as to be facing the photosensitive surface of the associated control sensor.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: This present invention describes a novel vision-based control strategy for autonomous cruise flight in possibly cluttered environments such as—but not limited to—cities, forests, valleys, or mountains. The present invention is to provide an autopilot that relies exclusively on visual and gyroscopic information, with no requirement for explicit state estimation nor additional stabilisation mechanisms.