Patent ID: 9162753
Filing Date: 2015-10-20
Classification: B64C,B64D,G05D,G08G,H02G

Abstract:
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle apparatus for conducting an inspection of selected points of interest within an infrastructure asset, comprising: A multirotor helicopter comprising an electric drive apparatus and at least one battery for supplying electric power thereto; A flight computer adapted to control the helicopter; A collision avoidance protocol for generating first input to the flight computer; A global positioning system receiver for generating second input to the flight computer; and A sensor and associated memory for acquiring and storing data from said sensor as part of the inspection, said memory receiving said second input from said global positioning system receiver and associating said second input with said data; Wherein the flight computer is programmed to direct the helicopter autonomously according to the inputs through a substantially predetermined flight path comprising a series of waypoints, the locations of which and maneuvering instructions are stored in said flight computer, said helicopter proceeding from each waypoint of said plural waypoints to a next waypoint of said plural waypoints in turn, then executing at said each waypoint said maneuvering instructions before proceeding to said next waypoint, to complete the inspection.