Advanced science.  Applied technology.

Search

Unmanned Ground/Aerial Vehicle System Having Autonomous Ground Vehicle that Remotely Controls One or More Aerial Vehicles: 9,625,904

Abstract: 

An unmanned vehicle system, having at least one autonomous ground vehicle (A-GV) and at least one remote controlled aerial vehicle (RC-AV). The A-GV autonomously navigates across the ground, and on-board perception sensors, whose field of view that contains at least a portion of the ground ahead of the direction of travel of the ground vehicle as well as the RC-GV. The RC-AV flies in response to commands received from the control system of the A-GV. The RC-AV has on-board in-sky perception sensors having a field of view that contains at least a portion of the ground path to be followed by the ground vehicle. The control system of the A-GV locate the aerial vehicle, receives perception data from the on-ground perception sensors and the in-sky perception sensors, and uses combined perception data to determine a ground path for itself and for the RC-AV. 

Patent Number: 
9,625,904
Date Of Issue: 
04/18/2017
Inventors: 

Ryan D. Lamm; Christopher I. Mentzer; Kristopher C. Kozak; Marc C. Alban; Jason C. Gassaway; Richard D. Garcia