Examples for flight navigation determination are presented herein. An example may involve obtaining a target destination for an aircraft and determining an initial flight path between a current location and the target destination. The flight path may include a series of waypoints for guiding navigation. The example may further involve obtaining terrain information that represents elevations of obstacles along the initial flight path and modifying the initial flight path to generate a revised flight path using the terrain information. The revised flight path may include modifications to the series of waypoints of the initial flight path such that navigation of the revised flight path avoids obstacles positioned along the initial flight path. The obstacles may have an elevation that exceeds an adjustable threshold elevation that depends on the initial flight path. The example may further involve providing the revised flight path to a navigation system of the aircraft.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for determining a flight plan for an aircraft, including: determining one or more regions that intersect an initial flight path and comprise at least one terrain feature having an elevation greater than an elevation threshold; for each respective region: determining a flight area based on the initial flight path and an elevation threshold line; determining one or more segments of the initial flight path that comprise one or more terrain features having an elevation greater than the elevation threshold; and determining a modified flight path for each respective segment by: determining a plurality of descent gradients along the respective segment; and moving the respective segment of the initial flight path in the safe descent direction if any of the plurality of descent gradients would collide with any of the one or more terrain features.

An approach is provided for dynamic obstacle data in a collision probability map. The approach, for example, involves monitoring a flight of an aerial vehicle through a three-dimensional (3D) space that is partitioned into 3D shapes of varying resolutions. The approach also involves detecting an entry of the aerial vehicle into one 3D shape of the plurality of 3D shapes. The approach further involves, on detecting an exit of the aerial vehicle form the one 3D shape, recording a 3D shape identifier (ID) of the one 3D shape and at least one of a first timestamp indicating the entry, a second timestamp indicating the exit, a duration of stay in the one 3D shape, dimensions of the aerial vehicle, or a combination thereof as a dynamic obstacle observation record. The approach further involves transmitting the dynamic obstacle observation record to another device (e.g., a server for creating the collision probability map).

A flight management system for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), in which the UAV is equipped for cellular fourth generation (4G) flight control. The UAV caches on-board a 4G modem, an antenna connected to the modern for providing for downlink wireless RF. A computer is connected to the modem. A 4G infrastructure to support sending via uplink and receiving via downlink from and to the UAV. The infrastructure further includes 4G base stations capable of communicating with the UAV along its flight path. An antenna in the base station is capable of supporting a downlink to the UAV. A control centre accepts navigation related data from the uplink. In addition, the control centre further includes a connection to the 4G Infrastructure for obtaining downlinked data. A computer for calculating location of the UAV using navigation data from the downlink.

A method and system for continuously re-planning a vehicle's path, in the face of stationary and moving obstacles, dynamically calculates a new path in real time which is both efficient and maintains minimum safety clearances relative to obstacles. Repulsion signals emanating from obstacles and propagating through delineated sections of a grid representing a geographic space are summed along with values representing the relative distance of the sections from the vehicle origin and vehicle destination. The grid sections having optimal values according to a predetermined criteria represent an efficient and safe travel path between the vehicle origin and destination.

Boundary information for a three-dimensional (3D) flying space is obtained. An input associated with steering a vehicle is received from an input device and location information associated with the vehicle is received from a location sensor. A control signal for the vehicle is generated based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information. In the event the input would cause the vehicle to cross the boundary of the 3D flying space if obeyed, the control signal for the vehicle is generated so that the vehicle is prevented from crossing the boundary of the 3D flying space. In response to receiving an indication associated with the vehicle landing, the boundary information is modified so that the 3D flying space includes a landing pathway.

A method, apparatus and system are provided for operating one or more drones in a building. In the context of a method, information is determined that includes at least one of real time information or predictive information. The real time information is indicative of a position of at least one individual in the building, while the predictive information is indicative of a predicted location of the at least one individual in the building at a certain time. The method also includes controlling the one or more drones in the building according to the at least one of the real time information or the predictive information to avoid the at least one individual while the drone is performing a task.

A method of performing deconfliction comprises receiving a request to accept a first operational intent associated with a first unmanned aircraft system, determining whether a conflict exists between the first operational intent and one or more scheduled operational intents, and if a conflict exists between the first operational intent and a second operational intent associated with a second unmanned aircraft system, transmitting data associated with the conflict to a first operator of the first unmanned aircraft system and a second operator of the second unmanned aircraft system, and transmitting information to the first and second operator allowing them to negotiate a resolution of the conflict. If a conflict does not exist, the first operational intent may be accepted. Bids may also be received for a right to utilize a volume of airspace at a particular time and the right may be granted to a highest bidder.

A method is provided for detecting and avoiding conflict along a current route of a robot. The method includes accessing or determining trajectories of the robot and a nearby moving object forward in time from their respective current positions, and detecting a conflict from a comparison of the trajectories. The method includes selecting a maneuver to avoid the conflict, and outputting an indication of the maneuver for use in at least one of guidance, navigation or control of the robot to avoid the conflict. Selection of the maneuver includes determining a plurality of angles that describe the conflict such as those at which the robot and moving object observe one another, and/or an angle between their trajectories, and evaluating the plurality of angles to select the maneuver.

A method for multimodal transportation based on an air vehicle may include confirming, by a transportation management server, freight transfer approval information provided by a freight transfer object that approaches a take-off and landing facility, setting a freight stop zone in response to a demand for freight handling of the freight transfer object, and processing freight loading or unloading of the freight transfer object based on freight information corresponding to the freight transfer object.