An aerial vehicle configured for operating within indoor or outdoor spaces is equipped with acoustic sensors for detecting reflections of sound, or echoes, from objects. Distances and bearings to such objects may be calculated based on such echoes. The echoes may be reflections of sound actively emitted by the aerial vehicle, such as by a speaker, or sound radiating from operating components aboard the aerial vehicle, such as rotating motors or propellers. The echoes may be captured by multiple sensors such as microphones provided around the aerial vehicle and used to calculate distances or bearings to the objects, such as by trilateration, triangulation, or in any other manner. Such distances or bearings may also be utilized along with distances or bearings determined from cameras, range sensors, or other systems, and used to generate a navigation map of the space, or compared to a navigation map generated for that space.
Obstacle detection and localization of aerial vehicles using active or passive sonar
2025-07-22
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
Terrain obstacle avoidance sonar for autonomous vehicles
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