US Patent 10472091 Method and apparatus using a drone to input vehicle data

An unmanned aerial vehicle is operated to utilize one or more tools included in an attachment assembly to obtain state measurements on an object being analyzed by the unmanned aerial vehicle. The attachment assembly can include one or more of a digital camera for capturing a digital image (or a series of images), a color meter for measuring a paint color, a thermographic camera for measuring infrared radiation, an electronic nose device for measuring odors, or an electronic distance measuring device for measuring a distance between objects. An operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle is then modified based on the obtained state measurements.