Flying digital assistant with passive rf subject detection and tracking

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for tracking a subject in a physical environment using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) guided by device-free radio frequency (RF) localization. Wireless transmitters emit RF signals through the environment, and wireless monitors detect changes in the RF signals caused by interference when the subject passes through the environment. A processing unit analyzes the detected changes to estimate a position of the subject without requiring the subject to carry a transmitting device. The processing unit generates control commands to cause the UAV to autonomously maneuver such that an onboard image capture device maintains the subject within a field of view. The subject type and orientation are classified based on RF signal characteristics, and tracking may be refined by fusing the estimated position with data from an inertial measurement unit or image capture device of the UAV.