An unmanned aerial vehicle is described and includes a computer carried by the unmanned aerial vehicle to control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle and at least one sensor. The unmanned aerial vehicle is caused to fly to a specific location within a facility, where the unmanned aerial vehicle enters a hover mode, where the unmanned aerial vehicle remains in a substantially fixed location hovering over the specific location within the facility and sends raw or processing results of sensor data from the sensor to a remote server system.

An information processing method executed by one processor or executed by a plurality of processors in cooperation, the method includes: an estimation step of estimating a relative position or a relative attitude of an aerial vehicle with respect to a moving body; an acquisition step of acquiring information related to a distance between the moving body and the aerial vehicle; and a switching step of switching an estimation method for estimating the relative position or the relative attitude of the aerial vehicle, based on the information related to the distance.

An information processing method executed by one processor or executed by a plurality of processors in cooperation, the method includes: an estimation step of estimating a relative position or a relative attitude of an aerial vehicle with respect to a moving body; an acquisition step of acquiring information related to a distance between the moving body and the aerial vehicle; and a switching step of switching an estimation method for estimating the relative position or the relative attitude of the aerial vehicle, based on the information related to the distance.

The sensing system S extracts a target area to be subjected to short-distance sensing by the UGV 2 on the basis of the long-distance sensing data obtained by the UAV 1 in the air performing long-distance sensing on a lower place, perform movement control for moving the UGV 2 toward the target area. And then, the sensing system S acquires short-distance sensing data obtained by performing short-distance sensing on the whole or a part of the target area by the UGV 2 that has moved according to the movement control.

The sensing system S extracts a target area to be subjected to short-distance sensing by the UGV 2 on the basis of the long-distance sensing data obtained by the UAV 1 in the air performing long-distance sensing on a lower place, perform movement control for moving the UGV 2 toward the target area. And then, the sensing system S acquires short-distance sensing data obtained by performing short-distance sensing on the whole or a part of the target area by the UGV 2 that has moved according to the movement control.

A moving body includes an imaging device to image a recognition target, a recognition section to recognize the recognition target based on imaging data of the imaging device, an imaging control section to, when the recognition target is not recognized by the recognition section, change an imaging condition of the imaging device stepwise so that the recognition target is recognized by the recognition section, store the imaging condition when the recognition target is recognized by the recognition section in a storage device, and, when the recognition target or another recognition target is imaged by the imaging device under the same or similar situation, apply the imaging condition stored in the storage device.

A system including an image capture module and a handheld module. The image capture module includes a body; an image sensor; and a mechanical stabilization system comprising a first gimbal, a second gimbal, and a third gimbal connected to the body and configured to control an orientation of the image sensor of the image capture module relative to the body. The handheld module defines a slot that is keyed to the body of the image capture module. The image capture module, when located within the handheld module, has a low profile so that the third gimbal is protected from damage by the handheld module.

A system including an image capture module and a handheld module. The image capture module includes a body; an image sensor; and a mechanical stabilization system comprising a first gimbal, a second gimbal, and a third gimbal connected to the body and configured to control an orientation of the image sensor of the image capture module relative to the body. The handheld module defines a slot that is keyed to the body of the image capture module. The image capture module, when located within the handheld module, has a low profile so that the third gimbal is protected from damage by the handheld module.

An aircraft control apparatus (20) includes a display unit (210), a display (220), an input unit (230), a selection unit (240), and a command generation unit (250). The command generation unit (250) acquires an image that has been generated by an image capture unit (350) of an aircraft (30). The display unit (210) displays, on the display (220), the image acquired by the command generation unit (250). The image includes at least one electric wire or at least one pipe that could be an inspection target. The input unit (230) displays, according to an input from a user, a line within the image displayed on the display (220). The selection unit (240) selects an inspection target by use of the line displayed by the input unit (230). The command generation unit (250) generates command information for the aircraft to photograph the inspection target while moving along the inspection target, and transmitting the command information to the aircraft (30).

The present invention relates to an autonomous follower vehicle configured for following a guide element. The autonomous follower vehicle wirelessly determines the location of the guide element, maps the location of the guide element over time as a path, and controls a drive system on the autonomous vehicle to follow the same path traversed by the guide element, preferably using inertial navigation.