A technique for user interaction with an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is described. In an example embodiment, perception inputs from one or more sensor devices are processed to build a shared virtual environment that is representative of a physical environment. The sensor devices used to generate perception inputs can include image capture devices onboard an autonomous aerial vehicle that is in flight through the physical environment. The shared virtual environment can provide a continually updated representation of the physical environment which is accessible to multiple network-connected devices, including multiple UAVs and multiple mobile computing devices. The shared virtual environment can be used, for example, to display visual augmentations at network-connected user devices and guide autonomous navigation by the UAV.

In some embodiments, a method of planning a navigation route for an autonomous vehicle is provided. A computing system receives mission information including a start location and a goal location. The computing system generates a representation of an operation area that includes the start location and the goal location. The computing system updates the representation of the operation area based on one or more temporary obstacles. The computing system provides the representation of the operation area, the start location, and the goal location as input to a machine-learning model to generate a cost-to-go map of the operation area. The computing system determines the navigation route using the cost-to-go map of the operation area.

Systems and methods for energy-aware flight mission planning and control in unmanned aerial vehicles. The system includes a flight control center with machine learning-based modules for path planning and weather analysis, ensuring optimal routes considering energy consumption and weather conditions. Dynamic programming allows for the calculation of energy-efficient 3D paths. This approach allows for adaptable mission planning, offering alternative paths, and real-time adjustments based on telemetry data and weather predictions. UAV mission efficiency and safety is enhanced, improving unmanned aerial vehicle operations.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a vehicle energy monitoring (VEM) platform configured to monitor one or more vehicles. An onboard VEM system associated with a vehicle is communicably coupled to a remote vehicle operation hub associated with the VEM platform and can monitor a current energy expenditure of the vehicle as the vehicle executes a trip plan. A vehicle performance prediction model is configured to determine a predicted energy expenditure of a vehicle. Embodiments are also configured to generate, based on output from the vehicle performance prediction model, a predicted energy visualization representing the predicted energy expenditure, where the predicted energy visualization corresponds to a defined leg between a plurality of flight phases associated with the trip plan, and where the predicted energy visualization is displayed on a situation interface in relation to the defined leg between the plurality of flight phases.

An alternate landing site selector system and apparatus utilizing a hierarchy calculator for automatically ranking a plurality of alternate landing sites by assigning a suitability value to each of the alternate landing sites corresponding to that site's suitability for landing, wherein the assigned suitability value is based on at least distance from the aircraft, runway length, terrain, or weather conditions. The system may assist the pilot (crew) in resolving or reducing the urgency of an emergency or in executing a proposed solution to a given emergency, or may direct the aircraft autopilot in executing the suggested (and selected) solution. In either case, the system of the present invention provides the pilot with time to consider an emergency and its resolution (while the aircraft is directed toward a safe configuration or flight condition. The present invention may also ascertain the configuration of an aircraft from changes in the aircraft's position over time, or update an aircraft in preparation for a particular flight or flight condition.

An alternate landing site selector system and apparatus utilizing a hierarchy calculator for automatically ranking a plurality of alternate landing sites by assigning a suitability value to each of the alternate landing sites corresponding to that site's suitability for landing, wherein the assigned suitability value is based on at least distance from the aircraft, runway length, terrain, or weather conditions. The system may assist the pilot (crew) in resolving or reducing the urgency of an emergency or in executing a proposed solution to a given emergency, or may direct the aircraft autopilot in executing the suggested (and selected) solution. In either case, the system of the present invention provides the pilot with time to consider an emergency and its resolution (while the aircraft is directed toward a safe configuration or flight condition. The present invention may also ascertain the configuration of an aircraft from changes in the aircraft's position over time, or update an aircraft in preparation for a particular flight or flight condition.

A safety monitor arranged to: receive a flight plan comprising a plurality of waypoints for an aircraft to follow on a flight mission; receive hazard data corresponding to one or more hazards; generate an aircraft occupancy region comprising a four-dimensional volume corresponding to a range of possible spatial and temporal coordinates for the aircraft along the flight plan; generate a hazard occupancy region comprising a four-dimensional volume corresponding to a range of possible spatial and temporal coordinates associated with the one or more hazards; and determine whether there is an overlap between the four-dimensional volume of the aircraft occupancy region and the hazard occupancy region.

Systems and methods for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) collision prevention are provided. The method includes receiving an indication of a location as a no crash zone (NCZ), calculating a trajectory for flight of a vehicle including a plurality of location points, generating a risk score for each location point of the plurality of location points, generating, based on the generated risk scores for each of the location points, a flight risk value for the trajectory of the flight of the vehicle, determining the flight risk value is below a risk threshold, and loading the trajectory to the vehicle.

Systems and methods for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) collision prevention are provided. The method includes receiving an indication of a location as a no crash zone (NCZ), calculating a trajectory for flight of a vehicle including a plurality of location points, generating a risk score for each location point of the plurality of location points, generating, based on the generated risk scores for each of the location points, a flight risk value for the trajectory of the flight of the vehicle, determining the flight risk value is below a risk threshold, and loading the trajectory to the vehicle.

Example implementations are directed to a method and system for collision avoidance for an aircraft traversing a flight path. The method and system described herein provides an architecture to address the full gamut of complexity that arises when dealing with possible conflicts during aircraft flight. The collision avoidance method and system disclosed herein first receives multiple streams of potential conflict information that not only considers direct obstacles on the flight path of the aircraft, but also considers contextual obstacles that are within a perimeter of the flight path. Once the possible objects are considered, a plurality of alternate flight paths are calculated and the alternate flight path with an acceptable miss distance with a possible obstacle (and minimized deviation from the original flight path) is selected and the aircraft traversing the flight path deviates from the original flight path to the alternate flight path to avoid the collision(s).