Patent ID: 11922819
Assignee: WONDER ROBOTICS LTD
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 15:
16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code, executable by at least one processor of a computer to perform a method for autonomously landing a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft comprising:
when the VTOL aircraft is below a first pre-determined height with respect to a reference, point, repeatedly:
(a) obtaining, from a first sensor of a sensor payload, first readings enabling generating a Three-Dimensional (3D) model of at least part of a scene visible by the first sensor;
(b) generating, based on at east part of the first readings, the 3D model of the at least part of the scene;

upon, and only upon, the VTOL aircraft descending below the second pre-determined height with respect to the reference point, the second pre-determined height being lower than the first pre-determined height with respect to the reference point, performing all of the following steps:
(c) identifying, using the 3D model, first potential landing areas for the VTOL aircraft, the first potential landing areas being landing areas within a landing zone on which the VTOL aircraft is capable of landing;
(d) generating maneuvering commands configured to cause maneuvering and descending of the VTOL aircraft towards a first selected landing area of the first potential landing areas;
(e) obtaining, from a second sensor of the sensor payload, a plurality of second readings, enabling identifying changes within the at least part of the scene visible by the first sensor, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are located on the bottom of the VTOL aircraft, and have a clear line-of-sight to objects below the VIOL aircraft;
(f) analyzing at least part of the second readings, at a second rate, different than a first rate at which the 3D model is generated, to obtain changes information indicative of the changes within the at least part of the scene, the analyzing not including an updating of the 3D model, and the changes being a motion of one or more of the objects within at least one of: (1) the landing zone or (2) a landing path of the VIOL aircraft;
(g) identifying, using the 3D model and the changes information, second potential landing areas for the VTOL aircraft, the second potential landing areas being the landing areas within the landing zone on which the VTOL aircraft is capable of landing;
(h) generating second maneuvering commands configured to cause maneuvering and descending of the VTOL aircraft towards a second selected landing area of the second potential landing areas; and
(i) repeating steps (a) to (h) until landing the VIOL aircraft;

wherein, upon the second potential landing areas not including the first selected landing area, due to the changes information, the second selected landing area is distinct from the first selected landing area.