Techniques for sharing mapping data between an unmanned aerial vehicle and a ground vehicle

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for sharing sensor information between multiple vehicles. A system for sharing sensor information between multiple vehicles, can include an aerial vehicle including a first computing device and first scanning sensor, and a ground vehicle including a second computing device and second scanning. The aerial vehicle can use the first scanning sensor to obtain first scanning data and transmit the first scanning data to the second computing device. The ground vehicle can receive the first scanning data from the first computing device, obtain second scanning data from the second scanning sensor, identify an overlapping portion of the first scanning data and the second scanning data based on at least one reference object in the scanning data, and execute a navigation control command based on one or more roadway objects identified in the overlapping portion of the first scanning data and the second scanning data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for generating a map based on sensor information from multiple vehicles, comprising:
 an aerial vehicle including a first computing device;   a first scanning sensor coupled to the aerial vehicle;   a ground vehicle including a second computing device:   a second scanning sensor coupled to the ground vehicle;   the first computing device including at least one processor and a scanning manager, the scanning manager including first instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the scanning manager to: 
 obtain first scanning data from the first scanning sensor from an overhead perspective; and 
 transmit the first scanning data to the second computing device; and 
   the second computing device including at least one processor and a detection manager, the detection manager including second instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the detection manager to: 
 receive the first scanning data from the first computing device; 
 identify one or more roadway objects in the first scanning data; 
 map one or more positions associated with the one or more roadway objects in the first scanning data to second scanning data obtained from a second scanning sensor from a forward perspective, and 
 execute a navigation control command based on the one or more roadway objects mapped to the second scanning data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein to map the one or more positions associated with the one or more roadway objects in the first scanning data to second scanning data obtained from a second scanning sensor from a forward perspective, the second instructions, when executed, further cause the detection manager to: 
 transform the second scanning data from the forward perspective to the overhead perspective to generate transformed second scanning data;   calibrate the transformed second scanning data based on a reference object represented in the transformed second scanning data and the first scanning data,   identify the one or more positions associated with the one or more roadway objects in the transformed second scanning data; and   convert the one or more positions associated with the one or more roadway objects in the transformed second scanning data to the forward perspective by performing a reverse perspective transformation.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first scanning sensor includes an imaging sensor and the second scanning sensor includes an imaging sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first scanning data includes first mapping data generated based on image data collected by the first scanning sensor and wherein the second scanning data includes second mapping data generated based on image data collected by the second scanning sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the second instructions, when executed, further cause the detection manager to: combine the first mapping data with the second mapping data to increase a coverage area of a local map maintained by the ground vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first scanning sensor includes a first LiDAR sensor and the second scanning sensor includes a second LiDAR sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first scanning data includes first mapping data generated based on point cloud data collected by the first scanning sensor and wherein the second scanning data includes second mapping data generated based on point cloud data collected by the second scanning sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the second instructions, when executed, further cause the detection manager to combine the first mapping data with the second mapping data to increase a coverage area of a local map maintained by the ground vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: one or more ground vehicles in communication with the aerial vehicle, the one or more ground vehicles to each receive the first scanning data from the aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: one or more aerial vehicles in communication with the ground vehicle, wherein each aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicles obtains third scanning data and transmits the third scanning data to the ground vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . A system for generating a map based on sensor information from multiple vehicles, comprising: 
 an aerial vehicle including a first computing device,   a first scanning sensor coupled to the aerial vehicle;   a ground vehicle including a second computing device;   a second scanning sensor coupled to the ground vehicle;   the first computing device including at least one processor and a scanning manager, the scanning manager including first instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the scanning manager to: 
 obtain first scanning data from the first scanning sensor from an overhead perspective; and 
 transmit the first scanning data to the second computing device; and 
 the second computing device including at least one processor and a detection manager, the detection manager including second instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the detection manager to: 
 receive the first scanning data from the first computing device; 
 generate a local map based at least in part on the first scanning data and 
 execute a navigation control command based at least in part on the local map. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the second instructions, when executed, further cause the detection manager to: 
 obtain second scanning data from the second scanning sensor, wherein the second scanning data is obtained from the second scanning sensor from a forward perspective.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein to generate a local map based at least in part on the first scanning data, the second instructions, when executed, further cause the detection manager to: 
 transform the second scanning data from the forward perspective to the overhead perspective to obtain transformed second scanning data based at least in part on the first scanning data; and   generate the local map based on the transformed second scanning data.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein to generate a local map based at least in part on the first scanning data, the second instructions, when executed, further cause the detection manager to: 
 identify a portion of the first scanning data that corresponds to a portion of the second scanning data, wherein the portion of the first scanning data and the portion of the second scanning data include a representation of a same area of a roadway environment; and   generate the local map based on the identified portion of the first scanning data.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first scanning sensor includes an imaging sensor and the second scanning sensor includes an imaging sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first scanning data includes first mapping data generated based on image data collected by the first scanning sensor and wherein the second scanning data includes second mapping data generated based on image data collected by the second scanning sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first scanning sensor includes a first LiDAR sensor and the second scanning sensor includes a second LiDAR sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first scanning data includes first mapping data generated based on point cloud data collected by the first scanning sensor and wherein the second scanning data includes second mapping data generated based on point cloud data collected by the second scanning sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising: one or more ground vehicles in communication with the aerial vehicle, the one or more ground vehicles to each receive the first scanning data from the aerial vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising: one or more aerial vehicles in communication with the ground vehicle, wherein each aerial vehicle from the one or more aerial vehicles obtains third scanning data and transmits the third scanning data to the ground vehicle.