The present invention discloses a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mounted on a law enforcement vehicle for the purposes of interfacing with occupants of a stopped vehicle after being pulled over for a traffic violation or routine stop. The drone is equipped with a navigation system, obstacle-avoidance sensors, a telepresence system (a camera, microphone, speaker and screen), and a robotic arm with a secure box and a device for estimating blood alcohol content. Once a suspect vehicle has been pulled over by a law enforcement officer, without leaving the safety of a law enforcement vehicle, the officer deploys the drone to perform a visual check of the interior of the suspect vehicle for dangerous items, ascertain if an occupant's face triggers any flags on a central database, administer a sobriety test, collect the necessary documents and deliver a citation to the driver via the secure box.

The present invention discloses a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mounted on a law enforcement vehicle for the purposes of interfacing with occupants of a stopped vehicle after being pulled over for a traffic violation or routine stop. The drone is equipped with a navigation system, obstacle-avoidance sensors, a telepresence system (a camera, microphone, speaker and screen), and a robotic arm with a secure box and a device for estimating blood alcohol content. Once a suspect vehicle has been pulled over by a law enforcement officer, without leaving the safety of a law enforcement vehicle, the officer deploys the drone to perform a visual check of the interior of the suspect vehicle for dangerous items, ascertain if an occupant's face triggers any flags on a central database, administer a sobriety test, collect the necessary documents and deliver a citation to the driver via the secure box.

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle within a flight operating space. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes one or more sensor arrays on each spar. The method includes determining, using a plurality of sensor arrays, a flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method also includes receiving, by at least one sensor array of the plurality of sensor arrays, sensor data identifying at least one object in the operating space. The sensor data is transmitted over a communications bus connecting components of the UAV. The method further includes determining, by one or more processors onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight path around the at least one object. The method also includes generating, by the one or more onboard processors, a first signal to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate within the operating space around the at least one object.

A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle within a flight operating space. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes one or more sensor arrays on each spar. The method includes determining, using a plurality of sensor arrays, a flight path for the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method also includes receiving, by at least one sensor array of the plurality of sensor arrays, sensor data identifying at least one object in the operating space. The sensor data is transmitted over a communications bus connecting components of the UAV. The method further includes determining, by one or more processors onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight path around the at least one object. The method also includes generating, by the one or more onboard processors, a first signal to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to navigate within the operating space around the at least one object.

A modular underwater vehicle includes a hull having a series of modular sections, defining an interior housing, a propulsor coupled to a stern of the hull, a series of control surfaces coupled to the propulsor or the stern of the hull, and a power supply, a processor, and a nonvolatile memory device in the interior housing. The nonvolatile memory device has instructions stored therein which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to supply power from the power supply to drive the propulsor and to actuate the plurality of control surfaces. At least one modular section of the series of modular sections is detachable.

A modular underwater vehicle includes a hull having a series of modular sections, defining an interior housing, a propulsor coupled to a stern of the hull, a series of control surfaces coupled to the propulsor or the stern of the hull, and a power supply, a processor, and a nonvolatile memory device in the interior housing. The nonvolatile memory device has instructions stored therein which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to supply power from the power supply to drive the propulsor and to actuate the plurality of control surfaces. At least one modular section of the series of modular sections is detachable.

An object sensing apparatus includes an object sensing unit to sense an object using a direct wave, being a reflected wave received by a sensor having transmitted a probing wave among a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and an indirect wave, being a reflected wave received by a sensor different from the sensor having transmitted the probing wave among the ultrasonic sensors, and a temperature change detection unit to detect a predetermined temperature change state where temperature change of a predetermined value or more has occurred or a possibility of the temperature change occurs in an ambient temperature of the moving object. When the predetermined temperature change state is detected by the temperature change detection unit, the object sensing unit performs sensing suppression control not to sense the object using the indirect wave or to make it difficult to sense the object using the indirect wave.

An object sensing apparatus includes an object sensing unit to sense an object using a direct wave, being a reflected wave received by a sensor having transmitted a probing wave among a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, and an indirect wave, being a reflected wave received by a sensor different from the sensor having transmitted the probing wave among the ultrasonic sensors, and a temperature change detection unit to detect a predetermined temperature change state where temperature change of a predetermined value or more has occurred or a possibility of the temperature change occurs in an ambient temperature of the moving object. When the predetermined temperature change state is detected by the temperature change detection unit, the object sensing unit performs sensing suppression control not to sense the object using the indirect wave or to make it difficult to sense the object using the indirect wave.

A parking assistance device includes: distance sensors for transmitting detection waves toward a side of a host vehicle while the host vehicle is traveling and receiving reflected waves of the detection waves; a reflection point calculating unit for calculating reflection points indicating positions where the detection waves have been reflected; a grouping unit for grouping the reflection points; a reference distance setting unit for setting a reference distance corresponding to a distance between a host vehicle position indicating the position of the traveling host vehicle and a reflection point group set by grouping; and an object determining unit for setting an object determining threshold value to be compared with the reference distance and determining whether an object corresponding to the reflection point group is a parked vehicle or a parking reference object by comparing the reference distance with the object determining threshold value.

Disclosed are an automobile ultrasonic blind area detection device and detection method for preventing ground misdetection and misinformation. The detection device comprises a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, each ultrasonic sensor is arranged to form a certain angle with the longitudinal center line of an automobile, the detection directions of the ultrasonic sensors are spaced by set angles to respectively correspond to different directions from the far end to the near end of a side lane blind area; the detection distances of the ultrasonic sensors are different, and decrease gradually from the far end to the near end of the side lane blind area; ground misdetection signals of the ultrasonic sensors are shielded, and useful signals detected by the ultrasonic sensors are extracted and combined into far-near continuous long-distance detection signals to cover an automobile side lane exterior mirror blind area and a visible area behind the blind area more widely. The detection device and the detection method can cover the automobile side lane exterior mirror blind area and the visible area behind the blind area more widely, and effectively ensure the detection performance of a blind spot monitoring system.