DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryan Hruska

Currently, small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are primarily used for capturing and down-linking real-time video. To date, their role as a low-cost airborne platform for capturing high-resolution, georeferenced still imagery has not been fully utilized. On-going work within the Unmanned Vehicle Systems Program at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is attempting to exploit this small UAV-acquired, still imagery potential. Initially, a UAV-based still imagery work flow model was developed that includes initial UAV mission planning, sensor selection, UAV/sensor integration, and imagery collection, processing, and analysis. Components to support each stage of the work flow are also being developed. Critical tomore » use of acquired still imagery is the ability to detect changes between images of the same area over time. To enhance the analysts’ change detection ability, a UAV-specific, GIS-based change detection system called SADI or System for Analyzing Differences in Imagery is under development. This paper will discuss the associated challenges and approaches to collecting still imagery with small UAVs. Additionally, specific components of the developed work flow system will be described and graphically illustrated using varied examples of small UAV-acquired still imagery.« less

ARM Unmanned Aerial Systems Implementation Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmid, Beat; Ivey, Mark

Recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) coupled with changes in the regulatory environment for operations of UAS in the National Airspace increase the potential value of UAS to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility. UAS include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and tethered balloon systems (TBS). The roles UAVs and TBSs could play within the ARM Facility, particularly science questions they could help address, have been discussed in several workshops, reports, and vision documents, including: This document describes the implementation of a robust and vigorous program for use of UAV and TBS formore » the science missions ARM supports.« less

Configuration and specifications of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for early site specific weed management.

PubMed

Torres-Sánchez, Jorge; López-Granados, Francisca; De Castro, Ana Isabel; Peña-Barragán, José Manuel

2013-01-01

A new aerial platform has risen recently for image acquisition, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This article describes the technical specifications and configuration of a UAV used to capture remote images for early season site- specific weed management (ESSWM). Image spatial and spectral properties required for weed seedling discrimination were also evaluated. Two different sensors, a still visible camera and a six-band multispectral camera, and three flight altitudes (30, 60 and 100 m) were tested over a naturally infested sunflower field. The main phases of the UAV workflow were the following: 1) mission planning, 2) UAV flight and image acquisition, and 3) image pre-processing. Three different aspects were needed to plan the route: flight area, camera specifications and UAV tasks. The pre-processing phase included the correct alignment of the six bands of the multispectral imagery and the orthorectification and mosaicking of the individual images captured in each flight. The image pixel size, area covered by each image and flight timing were very sensitive to flight altitude. At a lower altitude, the UAV captured images of finer spatial resolution, although the number of images needed to cover the whole field may be a limiting factor due to the energy required for a greater flight length and computational requirements for the further mosaicking process. Spectral differences between weeds, crop and bare soil were significant in the vegetation indices studied (Excess Green Index, Normalised Green-Red Difference Index and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index), mainly at a 30 m altitude. However, greater spectral separability was obtained between vegetation and bare soil with the index NDVI. These results suggest that an agreement among spectral and spatial resolutions is needed to optimise the flight mission according to every agronomical objective as affected by the size of the smaller object to be discriminated (weed plants or weed patches).

Configuration and Specifications of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Early Site Specific Weed Management

PubMed Central

Torres-Sánchez, Jorge; López-Granados, Francisca; De Castro, Ana Isabel; Peña-Barragán, José Manuel

2013-01-01

A new aerial platform has risen recently for image acquisition, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This article describes the technical specifications and configuration of a UAV used to capture remote images for early season site- specific weed management (ESSWM). Image spatial and spectral properties required for weed seedling discrimination were also evaluated. Two different sensors, a still visible camera and a six-band multispectral camera, and three flight altitudes (30, 60 and 100 m) were tested over a naturally infested sunflower field. The main phases of the UAV workflow were the following: 1) mission planning, 2) UAV flight and image acquisition, and 3) image pre-processing. Three different aspects were needed to plan the route: flight area, camera specifications and UAV tasks. The pre-processing phase included the correct alignment of the six bands of the multispectral imagery and the orthorectification and mosaicking of the individual images captured in each flight. The image pixel size, area covered by each image and flight timing were very sensitive to flight altitude. At a lower altitude, the UAV captured images of finer spatial resolution, although the number of images needed to cover the whole field may be a limiting factor due to the energy required for a greater flight length and computational requirements for the further mosaicking process. Spectral differences between weeds, crop and bare soil were significant in the vegetation indices studied (Excess Green Index, Normalised Green-Red Difference Index and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index), mainly at a 30 m altitude. However, greater spectral separability was obtained between vegetation and bare soil with the index NDVI. These results suggest that an agreement among spectral and spatial resolutions is needed to optimise the flight mission according to every agronomical objective as affected by the size of the smaller object to be discriminated (weed plants or weed patches). PMID:23483997

A Cloud Robotics Based Service for Managing RPAS in Emergency, Rescue and Hazardous Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvagni, Mario; Chiaberge, Marcello; Sanguedolce, Claudio; Dara, Gianluca

2016-04-01

Cloud robotics and cloud services are revolutionizing not only the ICT world but also the robotics industry, giving robots more computing capabilities, storage and connection bandwidth while opening new scenarios that blend the physical to the digital world. In this vision, new IT architectures are required to manage robots, retrieve data from them and create services to interact with users. Among all the robots this work is mainly focused on flying robots, better known as drones, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems). The cloud robotics approach shifts the concept of having a single local "intelligence" for every single UAV, as a unique device that carries out onboard all the computation and storage processes, to a more powerful "centralized brain" located in the cloud. This breakthrough opens new scenarios where UAVs are agents, relying on remote servers for most of their computational load and data storage, creating a network of devices where they can share knowledge and information. Many applications, using UAVs, are growing as interesting and suitable devices for environment monitoring. Many services can be build fetching data from UAVs, such as telemetry, video streaming, pictures or sensors data; once. These services, part of the IT architecture, can be accessed via web by other devices or shared with other UAVs. As test cases of the proposed architecture, two examples are reported. In the first one a search and rescue or emergency management, where UAVs are required for monitoring intervention, is shown. In case of emergency or aggression, the user requests the emergency service from the IT architecture, providing GPS coordinates and an identification number. The IT architecture uses a UAV (choosing among the available one according to distance, service status, etc.) to reach him/her for monitoring and support operations. In the meantime, an officer will use the service to see the current position of the UAV, its telemetry and video streaming from its camera. Data are stored for further use and documentation and can be shared to all the involved personal or services. The second case refer to imaging survey. An investigation area is selected using a map or a set of coordinates by a user that can be on the field on in a management facility. The cloud system elaborate this data and automatically compute a flight plan that consider the survey data requirements (i.e: picture ground resolution, overlapping) but also several environment constraints (i.e: no fly zones, possible hazardous areas, known obstacles, etc). Once the flight plan is loaded in the selected UAV the mission starts. During the mission, if a suitable data network coverage is available, the UAV transmit acquired images (typically low quality image to limit bandwidth) and shooting pose in order to perform a preliminary check during the mission and minimize failing in survey; if not, all data are uploaded asynchronously after the mission. The cloud servers perform all the tasks related to image processing (mosaic, ortho-photo, geo-referencing, 3D models) and data management.

Energy aware path planning in complex four dimensional environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarty, Anjan

This dissertation addresses the problem of energy-aware path planning for small autonomous vehicles. While small autonomous vehicles can perform missions that are too risky (or infeasible) for larger vehicles, the missions are limited by the amount of energy that can be carried on board the vehicle. Path planning techniques that either minimize energy consumption or exploit energy available in the environment can thus increase range and endurance. Path planning is complicated by significant spatial (and potentially temporal) variations in the environment. While the main focus is on autonomous aircraft, this research also addresses autonomous ground vehicles. Range and endurance of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be greatly improved by utilizing energy from the atmosphere. Wind can be exploited to minimize energy consumption of a small UAV. But wind, like any other atmospheric component , is a space and time varying phenomenon. To effectively use wind for long range missions, both exploration and exploitation of wind is critical. This research presents a kinematics based tree algorithm which efficiently handles the four dimensional (three spatial and time) path planning problem. The Kinematic Tree algorithm provides a sequence of waypoints, airspeeds, heading and bank angle commands for each segment of the path. The planner is shown to be resolution complete and computationally efficient. Global optimality of the cost function cannot be claimed, as energy is gained from the atmosphere, making the cost function inadmissible. However the Kinematic Tree is shown to be optimal up to resolution if the cost function is admissible. Simulation results show the efficacy of this planning method for a glider in complex real wind data. Simulation results verify that the planner is able to extract energy from the atmosphere enabling long range missions. The Kinematic Tree planning framework, developed to minimize energy consumption of UAVs, is applied for path planning in ground robots. In traditional path planning problem the focus is on obstacle avoidance and navigation. The optimal Kinematic Tree algorithm named Kinematic Tree* is shown to find optimal paths to reach the destination while avoiding obstacles. A more challenging path planning scenario arises for planning in complex terrain. This research shows how the Kinematic Tree* algorithm can be extended to find minimum energy paths for a ground vehicle in difficult mountainous terrain.

Planification de trajectoires pour une flotte d'UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ait El Cadi, Abdessamad

In this thesis we address the problem of coordinating and controlling a fleet of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) during a surveillance mission in a dynamic context. The problem is vast and is related to several scientific domains. We have studied three important parts of this problem: • modeling the ground with all its constraints; • computing a shortest non-holonomic continuous path in a risky environment with a presence of obstacles; • planning a surveillance mission for a fleet of UAVs in a real context. While investigating the scientific literature related to these topics, we have detected deficiencies in the modeling of the ground and in the computation of the shortest continuous path, two critical aspects for the planning of a mission. So after the literature review, we have proposed answers to these two aspects and have applied our developments to the planning of a mission of a fleet of UAVs in a risky environment with the presence of obstacles. Obstacles could be natural like mountain or any non flyable zone. We have first modeled the ground as a directed graph. However, instead of using a classic mesh, we opted for an intelligent modeling that reduces the computing time on the graph without losing accuracy. The proposed model is based on the concept of visibility graph, and it also takes into account the obstacles, the danger areas and the constraint of non-holonomy of the UAVs- the kinematic constraint of the planes that imposes a maximum steering angle. The graph is then cleaned to keep only the minimum information needed for the calculation of trajectories. The generation of this graph possibly requires a lot of computation time, but it is done only once before the planning and will not affect the performance of trajectory calculations. We have also developed another simpler graph that does not take into account the constraint of non-holonomy. The advantage of this second graph is that it reduces the computation time. However, it requires the use of a correction procedure to make the resulting trajectory non-holonomic. This correction is possible within the context of our missions, but not for all types of autonomous vehicles. Once the directed graph is generated, we propose the use of a procedure for calculating the shortest continuous non-holonomic path in a risky environment with the presence of obstacles. The directed graph already incorporates all the constraints, which makes it possible to model the problem as a shortest path problem with resource a resource constraint (the resource here is the amount of permitted risk). The results are very satisfactory since the resulting routes are non-holonomic paths that meet all constraints. Moreover, the computing time is very short. For cases based on the simpler graph, we have created a procedure for correcting the trajectory to make it non-holonomic. All calculations of non-holonomy are based on Dubins curves (1957). We have finally applied our results to the planning of a mission of a fleet of UAVs in a risky environment with the presence of obstacles. For this purpose, we have developed a directed multi-graph where, for each pair of targets (points of departure and return of the mission included), we calculate a series of shorter trajectories with different limits of risk -- from the risk-free path to the riskiest path. We then use a Tabu Search with two tabu lists. Using these procedures, we have been able to produce routes for a fleet of UAVs that minimize the cost of the mission while respecting the limit of risk and avoiding obstacles. Tests are conducted on examples created on the basis of descriptions given by the Canadian Defense and, also on some instances of the CVRP (Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem), those described by Christofides et Elion and those described by Christofides, Mingozzi et Toth. The results are of very satisfactory since all trajectories are non-holonomic and the improvement of the objective, when compared to a simple constructive method, achieves in some cases between 10 % and 43 %. We have even obtained an improvement of 69 %, but on a poor solution generated by a greedy algorithm. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Scalable autonomous operations of unmanned assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Sunghun

Although there have been great theoretical advances in the region of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) autonomy, applications of those theories into real world are still hesitated due to unexpected disturbances. Most of UAVs which are currently used are mainly, strictly speaking, Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPA) since most works related with the flight control, sensor data analysis, and decision makings are done by human operators. To increase the degree of autonomy, many researches are focused on developing Unmanned Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (UAAV) which can takeoff, fly to the interested area by avoiding unexpected obstacles, perform various missions with decision makings, come back to the base station, and land on by itself without any human operators. To improve the performance of UAVs, the accuracies of position and orientation sensors are enhanced by integrating a Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) or a solar compass to a UAV; Position sensor accuracy of a GPS sensor on a UAV is improved by referencing the position of a UGV which is calculated by using three GPS sensors and Weighted Centroid Localization (WCL) method; Orientation sensor accuracy is improved as well by using Three Pixel Theorem (TPT) and integrating a solar compass which composed of nine light sensors to a magnetic compass. Also, improved health management of a UAV is fulfilled by developing a wireless autonomous charging station which uses four pairs of transmitter and receiver magnetic loops with four robotic arms. For the software aspect, I also analyze the error propagation of the proposed mission planning hierarchy to achieve the safest size of the buffer zone. In addition, among seven future research areas regarding UAV, this paper mainly focuses on developing algorithms of path planning, trajectory generation, and cooperative tactics for the operations of multiple UAVs using GA based multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (mTSP) which is solved by dividing into m number of Traveling Salesman Problems (TSP) using two region division methods such as Uniform Region Division (URD) and K-means Voronoi Region Division (KVRD). The topic of the maximum fuel efficiency is also dealt to ensure the minimum amount fuel consumption to perform surveillance on a given region using multiple UAVs. Last but not least, I present an application example of cattle roundup with two UAVs and two animals using the feedback linearization controller.

Lessons Learned from NASA UAV Science Demonstration Program Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wegener, Steven S.; Schoenung, Susan M.

2003-01-01

During the summer of 2002, two airborne missions were flown as part of a NASA Earth Science Enterprise program to demonstrate the use of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform earth science. One mission, the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES), successfully measured lightning storms in the vicinity of Key West, Florida, during storm season using a high-altitude Altus(TM) UAV. In the other, a solar-powered UAV, the Pathfinder Plus, flew a high-resolution imaging mission over coffee fields in Kauai, Hawaii, to help guide the harvest.

Natural Language Based Multimodal Interface for UAV Mission Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandarana, Meghan; Meszaros, Erica L.; Trujillo, Anna; Allen, B. Danette

2017-01-01

As the number of viable applications for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems increases at an exponential rate, interfaces that reduce the reliance on highly skilled engineers and pilots must be developed. Recent work aims to make use of common human communication modalities such as speech and gesture. This paper explores a multimodal natural language interface that uses a combination of speech and gesture input modalities to build complex UAV flight paths by defining trajectory segment primitives. Gesture inputs are used to define the general shape of a segment while speech inputs provide additional geometric information needed to fully characterize a trajectory segment. A user study is conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy of the multimodal interface.

Mission control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles: a workload analysis.

PubMed

Dixon, Stephen R; Wickens, Christopher D; Chang, Dervon

2005-01-01

With unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 36 licensed pilots flew both single-UAV and dual-UAV simulated military missions. Pilots were required to navigate each UAV through a series of mission legs in one of the following three conditions: a baseline condition, an auditory autoalert condition, and an autopilot condition. Pilots were responsible for (a) mission completion, (b) target search, and (c) systems monitoring. Results revealed that both the autoalert and the autopilot automation improved overall performance by reducing task interference and alleviating workload. The autoalert system benefited performance both in the automated task and mission completion task, whereas the autopilot system benefited performance in the automated task, the mission completion task, and the target search task. Practical implications for the study include the suggestion that reliable automation can help alleviate task interference and reduce workload, thereby allowing pilots to better handle concurrent tasks during single- and multiple-UAV flight control.

UAV Research at NASA Langley: Towards Safe, Reliable, and Autonomous Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Carlos G.

2016-01-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are fundamental components in several aspects of research at NASA Langley, such as flight dynamics, mission-driven airframe design, airspace integration demonstrations, atmospheric science projects, and more. In particular, NASA Langley Research Center (Langley) is using UAVs to develop and demonstrate innovative capabilities that meet the autonomy and robotics challenges that are anticipated in science, space exploration, and aeronautics. These capabilities will enable new NASA missions such as asteroid rendezvous and retrieval (ARRM), Mars exploration, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), pollution measurements in historically inaccessible areas, and the integration of UAVs into our everyday lives all missions of increasing complexity, distance, pace, and/or accessibility. Building on decades of NASA experience and success in the design, fabrication, and integration of robust and reliable automated systems for space and aeronautics, Langley Autonomy Incubator seeks to bridge the gap between automation and autonomy by enabling safe autonomous operations via onboard sensing and perception systems in both data-rich and data-deprived environments. The Autonomy Incubator is focused on the challenge of mobility and manipulation in dynamic and unstructured environments by integrating technologies such as computer vision, visual odometry, real-time mapping, path planning, object detection and avoidance, object classification, adaptive control, sensor fusion, machine learning, and natural human-machine teaming. These technologies are implemented in an architectural framework developed in-house for easy integration and interoperability of cutting-edge hardware and software.

Autonomous soaring and surveillance in wind fields with an unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Chen

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play an active role in developing a low-cost, low-altitude autonomous aerial surveillance platform. The success of the applications needs to address the challenge of limited on-board power plant that limits the endurance performance in surveillance mission. This thesis studies the mechanics of soaring flight, observed in nature where birds utilize various wind patterns to stay airborne without flapping their wings, and investigates its application to small UAVs in their surveillance missions. In a proposed integrated framework of soaring and surveillance, a bird-mimicking soaring maneuver extracts energy from surrounding wind environment that improves surveillance performance in terms of flight endurance, while the surveillance task not only covers the target area, but also detects energy sources within the area to allow for potential soaring flight. The interaction of soaring and surveillance further enables novel energy based, coverage optimal path planning. Two soaring and associated surveillance strategies are explored. In a so-called static soaring surveillance, the UAV identifies spatially-distributed thermal updrafts for soaring, while incremental surveillance is achieved through gliding flight to visit concentric expanding regions. A Gaussian-process-regression-based algorithm is developed to achieve computationally-efficient and smooth updraft estimation. In a so-called dynamic soaring surveillance, the UAV performs one cycle of dynamic soaring to harvest energy from the horizontal wind gradient to complete one surveillance task by visiting from one target to the next one. A Dubins-path-based trajectory planning approach is proposed to maximize wind energy extraction and ensure smooth transition between surveillance tasks. Finally, a nonlinear trajectory tracking controller is designed for a full six-degree-of-freedom nonlinear UAV dynamics model and extensive simulations are carried to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed soaring and surveillance strategies.

Multisensor Equipped Uav/ugv for Automated Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batzdorfer, S.; Bobbe, M.; Becker, M.; Harms, H.; Bestmann, U.

2017-08-01

The usage of unmanned systems for exploring disaster scenarios has become more and more important in recent times as a supporting system for action forces. These systems have to offer a well-balanced relationship between the quality of support and additional workload. Therefore within the joint research project ANKommEn - german acronym for Automated Navigation and Communication for Exploration - a system for exploration of disaster scenarios is build-up using multiple UAV und UGV controlled via a central ground station. The ground station serves as user interface for defining missions and tasks conducted by the unmanned systems, equipped with different environmental sensors like cameras - RGB as well as IR - or LiDAR. Depending on the exploration task results, in form of pictures, 2D stitched orthophoto or LiDAR point clouds will be transmitted via datalinks and displayed online at the ground station or will be processed in short-term after a mission, e.g. 3D photogrammetry. For mission planning and its execution, UAV/UGV monitoring and georeferencing of environmental sensor data, reliable positioning and attitude information is required. This is gathered using an integrated GNSS/IMU positioning system. In order to increase availability of positioning information in GNSS challenging scenarios, a GNSS-Multiconstellation based approach is used, amongst others. The present paper focuses on the overall system design including the ground station and sensor setups on the UAVs and UGVs, the underlying positioning techniques as well as 2D and 3D exploration based on a RGB camera mounted on board the UAV and its evaluation based on real world field tests.

RT 128: New Project Incubator

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-04

functionality for this UAV type encompasses space and ground communication radios , onboard plan, mission data collection, mission data transmission...culture linked to the Cold War-related fervor of the Apollo program, however, was not fully addressed. As a result, NASA suffered yet another loss with...Insufficient Use of Lessons Learned. It is perhaps an undisputed fact among the safety community that codification of data and lessons learned

Augmented Reality Tool for the Situational Awareness Improvement of UAV Operators

PubMed Central

Ruano, Susana; Cuevas, Carlos; Gallego, Guillermo; García, Narciso

2017-01-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being extensively used nowadays. Therefore, pilots of traditional aerial platforms should adapt their skills to operate them from a Ground Control Station (GCS). Common GCSs provide information in separate screens: one presents the video stream while the other displays information about the mission plan and information coming from other sensors. To avoid the burden of fusing information displayed in the two screens, an Augmented Reality (AR) tool is proposed in this paper. The AR system has two functionalities for Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs: route orientation and target identification. Route orientation allows the operator to identify the upcoming waypoints and the path that the UAV is going to follow. Target identification allows a fast target localization, even in the presence of occlusions. The AR tool is implemented following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standards so that it can be used in different GCSs. The experiments show how the AR tool improves significantly the situational awareness of the UAV operators. PMID:28178189

Augmented Reality Tool for the Situational Awareness Improvement of UAV Operators.

PubMed

Ruano, Susana; Cuevas, Carlos; Gallego, Guillermo; García, Narciso

2017-02-06

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being extensively used nowadays. Therefore, pilots of traditional aerial platforms should adapt their skills to operate them from a Ground Control Station (GCS). Common GCSs provide information in separate screens: one presents the video stream while the other displays information about the mission plan and information coming from other sensors. To avoid the burden of fusing information displayed in the two screens, an Augmented Reality (AR) tool is proposed in this paper. The AR system has two functionalities for Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs: route orientation and target identification. Route orientation allows the operator to identify the upcoming waypoints and the path that the UAV is going to follow. Target identification allows a fast target localization, even in the presence of occlusions. The AR tool is implemented following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standards so that it can be used in different GCSs. The experiments show how the AR tool improves significantly the situational awareness of the UAV operators.

Delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.; Sullivan, Donald V.

2011-01-01

To support much of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Program science, NASA has acquired two Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Two major missions are currently planned using the Global Hawk: the Global Hawk Pacific (GloPac) and the Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) missions. This paper briefly describes GloPac and GRIP, the concept of operations and the resulting requirements and communication architectures. Also discussed are requirements for future missions that may use satellite systems and networks owned and operated by third parties.

NASA Global Hawk: A New Tool for Earth Science Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Phill

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Global Hawk, a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that NASA plans to use for Earth Sciences research. The Global Hawk is the world's first fully autonomous high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, and is capable of conducting long duration missions. Plans are being made for the use of the aircraft on missions in the Arctic, Pacific and Western Atlantic Oceans. There are slides showing the Global Hawk Operations Center (GHOC), Flight Control and Air Traffic Control Communications Architecture, and Payload Integration and Accommodations on the Global Hawk. The first science campaign, planned for a study of the Pacific Ocean, is reviewed.

Automated UAV-based video exploitation using service oriented architecture framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Se, Stephen; Nadeau, Christian; Wood, Scott

2011-05-01

Airborne surveillance and reconnaissance are essential for successful military missions. Such capabilities are critical for troop protection, situational awareness, mission planning, damage assessment, and others. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) gather huge amounts of video data but it is extremely labour-intensive for operators to analyze hours and hours of received data. At MDA, we have developed a suite of tools that can process the UAV video data automatically, including mosaicking, change detection and 3D reconstruction, which have been integrated within a standard GIS framework. In addition, the mosaicking and 3D reconstruction tools have also been integrated in a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework. The Visualization and Exploitation Workstation (VIEW) integrates 2D and 3D visualization, processing, and analysis capabilities developed for UAV video exploitation. Visualization capabilities are supported through a thick-client Graphical User Interface (GUI), which allows visualization of 2D imagery, video, and 3D models. The GUI interacts with the VIEW server, which provides video mosaicking and 3D reconstruction exploitation services through the SOA framework. The SOA framework allows multiple users to perform video exploitation by running a GUI client on the operator's computer and invoking the video exploitation functionalities residing on the server. This allows the exploitation services to be upgraded easily and allows the intensive video processing to run on powerful workstations. MDA provides UAV services to the Canadian and Australian forces in Afghanistan with the Heron, a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV system. On-going flight operations service provides important intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance information to commanders and front-line soldiers.

An Analysis of the Influence of Flight Parameters in the Generation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Orthomosaicks to Survey Archaeological Areas.

PubMed

Mesas-Carrascosa, Francisco-Javier; Notario García, María Dolores; Meroño de Larriva, Jose Emilio; García-Ferrer, Alfonso

2016-11-01

This article describes the configuration and technical specifications of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a red-green-blue (RGB) sensor for the acquisition of images needed for the production of orthomosaics to be used in archaeological applications. Several flight missions were programmed as follows: flight altitudes at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 m above ground level; two forward and side overlap settings (80%-50% and 70%-40%); and the use, or lack thereof, of ground control points. These settings were chosen to analyze their influence on the spatial quality of orthomosaicked images processed by Inpho UASMaster (Trimble, CA, USA). Changes in illumination over the study area, its impact on flight duration, and how it relates to these settings is also considered. The combined effect of these parameters on spatial quality is presented as well, defining a ratio between ground sample distance of UAV images and expected root mean square of a UAV orthomosaick. The results indicate that a balance between all the proposed parameters is useful for optimizing mission planning and image processing, altitude above ground level (AGL) being main parameter because of its influence on root mean square error (RMSE).

An Analysis of the Influence of Flight Parameters in the Generation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Orthomosaicks to Survey Archaeological Areas

PubMed Central

Mesas-Carrascosa, Francisco-Javier; Notario García, María Dolores; Meroño de Larriva, Jose Emilio; García-Ferrer, Alfonso

2016-01-01

This article describes the configuration and technical specifications of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a red–green–blue (RGB) sensor for the acquisition of images needed for the production of orthomosaics to be used in archaeological applications. Several flight missions were programmed as follows: flight altitudes at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 m above ground level; two forward and side overlap settings (80%–50% and 70%–40%); and the use, or lack thereof, of ground control points. These settings were chosen to analyze their influence on the spatial quality of orthomosaicked images processed by Inpho UASMaster (Trimble, CA, USA). Changes in illumination over the study area, its impact on flight duration, and how it relates to these settings is also considered. The combined effect of these parameters on spatial quality is presented as well, defining a ratio between ground sample distance of UAV images and expected root mean square of a UAV orthomosaick. The results indicate that a balance between all the proposed parameters is useful for optimizing mission planning and image processing, altitude above ground level (AGL) being main parameter because of its influence on root mean square error (RMSE). PMID:27809293

Using Natural Language to Enable Mission Managers to Control Multiple Heterogeneous UAVs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.; Puig-Navarro, Javier; Mehdi, S. Bilal; Mcquarry, A. Kyle

2016-01-01

The availability of highly capable, yet relatively cheap, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is opening up new areas of use for hobbyists and for commercial activities. This research is developing methods beyond classical control-stick pilot inputs, to allow operators to manage complex missions without in-depth vehicle expertise. These missions may entail several heterogeneous UAVs flying coordinated patterns or flying multiple trajectories deconflicted in time or space to predefined locations. This paper describes the functionality and preliminary usability measures of an interface that allows an operator to define a mission using speech inputs. With a defined and simple vocabulary, operators can input the vast majority of mission parameters using simple, intuitive voice commands. Although the operator interface is simple, it is based upon autonomous algorithms that allow the mission to proceed with minimal input from the operator. This paper also describes these underlying algorithms that allow an operator to manage several UAVs.

Applying Spatial-Temporal Model and Game Theory to Asymmetric Threat Prediction

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

Genshe Chen, Denis Garagic, Xiaohuan Tan, Dongxu Li, Dan Shen, Mo Wei, Xu Wang, “Team Dynamics and Tactics for Mission Planning,” Proceedings...Cruz, Jr., Genshe Chen, Dongxu Li, and Denis Garagic, “Target Selection in UAV Cooperative Control Under Uncertain Environment: Genetic Algorithm

Real-time Collision Avoidance and Path Optimizer for Semi-autonomous UAVs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawary, A. F.; Razak, N. A.

2018-05-01

Whilst UAV offers a potentially cheaper and more localized observation platform than current satellite or land-based approaches, it requires an advance path planner to reveal its true potential, particularly in real-time missions. Manual control by human will have limited line-of-sights and prone to errors due to careless and fatigue. A good alternative solution is to equip the UAV with semi-autonomous capabilities that able to navigate via a pre-planned route in real-time fashion. In this paper, we propose an easy-and-practical path optimizer based on the classical Travelling Salesman Problem and adopts a brute force search method to re-optimize the route in the event of collisions using range finder sensor. The former utilizes a Simple Genetic Algorithm and the latter uses Nearest Neighbour algorithm. Both algorithms are combined to optimize the route and avoid collision at once. Although many researchers proposed various path planning algorithms, we find that it is difficult to integrate on a basic UAV model and often lacks of real-time collision detection optimizer. Therefore, we explore a practical benefit from this approach using on-board Arduino and Ardupilot controllers by manually emulating the motion of an actual UAV model prior to test on the flying site. The result showed that the range finder sensor provides a real-time data to the algorithm to find a collision-free path and eventually optimized the route successfully.

UAV Inspection of Electrical Transmission Infrastructure with Path Conformance Autonomy and Lidar-Based Geofences NASA Report on UTM Reference Mission Flights at Southern Company Flights November 2016

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Andrew J.; Schubert, Matthew; Rymer, Nicholas; Balachandran, Swee; Consiglio, Maria; Munoz, Cesar; Smith, Joshua; Lewis, Dexter; Schneider, Paul

2017-01-01

Flights at low altitudes in close proximity to electrical transmission infrastructure present serious navigational challenges: GPS and radio communication quality is variable and yet tight position control is needed to measure defects while avoiding collisions with ground structures. To advance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation technology while accomplishing a task with economic and societal benefit, a high voltage electrical infrastructure inspection reference mission was designed. An integrated air-ground platform was developed for this mission and tested in two days of experimental flights to determine whether navigational augmentation was needed to successfully conduct a controlled inspection experiment. The airborne component of the platform was a multirotor UAV built from commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software, and the ground component was a commercial laptop running open source software. A compact ultraviolet sensor mounted on the UAV can locate 'hot spots' (potential failure points in the electric grid), so long as the UAV flight path adequately samples the airspace near the power grid structures. To improve navigation, the platform was supplemented with two navigation technologies: lidar-to-polyhedron preflight processing for obstacle demarcation and inspection distance planning, and trajectory management software to enforce inspection standoff distance. Both navigation technologies were essential to obtaining useful results from the hot spot sensor in this obstacle-rich, low-altitude airspace. Because the electrical grid extends into crowded airspaces, the UAV position was tracked with NASA unmanned aerial system traffic management (UTM) technology. The following results were obtained: (1) Inspection of high-voltage electrical transmission infrastructure to locate 'hot spots' of ultraviolet emission requires navigation methods that are not broadly available and are not needed at higher altitude flights above ground structures. (2) The sensing capability of a novel airborne UV detector was verified with a standard ground-based instrument. Flights with this sensor showed that UAV measurement operations and recording methods are viable. With improved sensor range, UAVs equipped with compact UV sensors could serve as the detection elements in a self-diagnosing power grid. (3) Simplification of rich lidar maps to polyhedral obstacle maps reduces data volume by orders of magnitude, so that computation with the resultant maps in real time is possible. This enables real-time obstacle avoidance autonomy. Stable navigation may be feasible in the GPS-deprived environment near transmission lines by a UAV that senses ground structures and compares them to these simplified maps. (4) A new, formally verified path conformance software system that runs onboard a UAV was demonstrated in flight for the first time. It successfully maneuvered the aircraft after a sudden lateral perturbation that models a gust of wind, and processed lidar-derived polyhedral obstacle maps in real time. (5) Tracking of the UAV in the national airspace using the NASA UTM technology was a key safety component of this reference mission, since the flights were conducted beneath the landing approach to a heavily used runway. Comparison to autopilot tracking showed that UTM tracking accurately records the UAV position throughout the flight path.

Supervisory Presentation for Research, Information, Integration and Testing (SPRINT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-29

autonomous UAVs in subsequent tests. The Vigilant Spirit Control Station ( VSCS ) is a test bed designed by the Air Force Research Laboratory for studying... VSCS has tactical situation displays (i.e., geo-spatial maps), vehicle status displays, route planning interfaces for creating vehicle flight plans...is considered one of those novel displays; Figure 2). The model builder software was integrated into the VSCS that constructs a mission model that is

Actions, Observations, and Decision-Making: Biologically Inspired Strategies for Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Ippolito, Corey; Plice, Laura; Young, Larry A.; Lau, Benton

2003-01-01

This paper details the development and demonstration of an autonomous aerial vehicle embodying search and find mission planning and execution srrategies inspired by foraging behaviors found in biology. It begins by describing key characteristics required by an aeria! explorer to support science and planetary exploration goals, and illustrates these through a hypothetical mission profile. It next outlines a conceptual bio- inspired search and find autonomy architecture that implements observations, decisions, and actions through an "ecology" of producer, consumer, and decomposer agents. Moving from concepts to development activities, it then presents the results of mission representative UAV aerial surveys at a Mars analog site. It next describes hardware and software enhancements made to a commercial small fixed-wing UAV system, which inc!nde a ncw dpvelopnent architecture that also provides hardware in the loop simulation capability. After presenting the results of simulated and actual flights of bioinspired flight algorithms, it concludes with a discussion of future development to include an expansion of system capabilities and field science support.

A UAV System for Observing Volcanoes and Natural Hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saggiani, G.; Persiani, F.; Ceruti, A.; Tortora, P.; Troiani, E.; Giuletti, F.; Amici, S.; Buongiorno, M.; Distefano, G.; Bentini, G.; Bianconi, M.; Cerutti, A.; Nubile, A.; Sugliani, S.; Chiarini, M.; Pennestri, G.; Petrini, S.; Pieri, D.

2007-12-01

Fixed or rotary wing manned aircraft are currently the most commonly used platforms for airborne reconnaissance in response to natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions, oil spills, wild fires, earthquakes. Such flights are very often undertaken in hazardous flying conditions (e.g., turbulence, downdrafts, reduced visibility, close proximity to dangerous terrain) and can be expensive. To mitigate these two fundamental issues-- safety and cost--we are exploring the use of small (less than 100kg), relatively inexpensive, but effective, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for this purpose. As an operational test, in 2004 we flew a small autonomous UAV in the airspace above and around Stromboli Volcano. Based in part on this experience, we are adapting the RAVEN UAV system for such natural hazard surveillance missions. RAVEN has a 50km range, with a 3.5m wingspan, main fuselage length of 4.60m, and maximum weight of 56kg. It has autonomous flight capability and a ground control Station for the mission planning and control. It will carry a variety of imaging devices, including a visible camera, and an IR camera. It will also carry an experimental Fourier micro-interferometer based on MOEMS technology, (developed by IMM Institute of CNR), to detect atmospheric trace gases. Such flexible, capable, and easy-to-deploy UAV systems may significantly shorten the time necessary to characterize the nature and scale of the natural hazard threats if used from the outset of, and systematically during, natural hazard events. When appropriately utilized, such UAVs can provide a powerful new hazard mitigation and documentation tool for civil protection hazard responders. This research was carried out under the auspices of the Italian government, and, in part, under contract to NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Sensor-driven area coverage for an autonomous fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle.

PubMed

Paull, Liam; Thibault, Carl; Nagaty, Amr; Seto, Mae; Li, Howard

2014-09-01

Area coverage with an onboard sensor is an important task for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with many applications. Autonomous fixed-wing UAVs are more appropriate for larger scale area surveying since they can cover ground more quickly. However, their non-holonomic dynamics and susceptibility to disturbances make sensor coverage a challenging task. Most previous approaches to area coverage planning are offline and assume that the UAV can follow the planned trajectory exactly. In this paper, this restriction is removed as the aircraft maintains a coverage map based on its actual pose trajectory and makes control decisions based on that map. The aircraft is able to plan paths in situ based on sensor data and an accurate model of the on-board camera used for coverage. An information theoretic approach is used that selects desired headings that maximize the expected information gain over the coverage map. In addition, the branch entropy concept previously developed for autonomous underwater vehicles is extended to UAVs and ensures that the vehicle is able to achieve its global coverage mission. The coverage map over the workspace uses the projective camera model and compares the expected area of the target on the ground and the actual area covered on the ground by each pixel in the image. The camera is mounted on a two-axis gimbal and can either be stabilized or optimized for maximal coverage. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation results and real hardware implementation on a fixed-wing UAV show the effectiveness of the approach. By including the already developed automatic takeoff and landing capabilities, we now have a fully automated and robust platform for performing aerial imagery surveys.

Optimal trajectory planning for a UAV glider using atmospheric thermals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagabo, Wilson B.

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Glider (UAV glider) uses atmospheric energy in its different forms to remain aloft for extended flight durations. This UAV glider's aim is to extract atmospheric thermal energy and use it to supplement its battery energy usage and increase the mission period. Given an infrared camera identified atmospheric thermal of known strength and location; current wind speed and direction; current battery level; altitude and location of the UAV glider; and estimating the expected altitude gain from the thermal, is it possible to make an energy-efficient based motivation to fly to an atmospheric thermal so as to achieve UAV glider extended flight time? For this work, an infrared thermal camera aboard the UAV glider takes continuous forward-looking ground images of "hot spots". Through image processing a candidate atmospheric thermal strength and location is estimated. An Intelligent Decision Model incorporates this information with the current UAV glider status and weather conditions to provide an energy-based recommendation to modify the flight path of the UAV glider. Research, development, and simulation of the Intelligent Decision Model is the primary focus of this work. Three models are developed: (1) Battery Usage Model, (2) Intelligent Decision Model, and (3) Altitude Gain Model. The Battery Usage Model comes from the candidate flight trajectory, wind speed & direction and aircraft dynamic model. Intelligent Decision Model uses a fuzzy logic based approach. The Altitude Gain Model requires the strength and size of the thermal and is found a priori.

Meteorological and Remote Sensing Applications of High Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoenung, S. M.; Wegener, S. S.

1999-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are maturing in performance and becoming available for routine use in environmental applications including weather reconnaissance and remote sensing. This paper presents a discussion of UAV characteristics and unique features compared with other measurement platforms. A summary of potential remote sensing applications is provided, along with details for four types of tropical cyclone missions. Capabilities of platforms developed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program are reviewed, including the Altus, Perseus, and solar- powered Pathfinder, all of which have flown to over 57,000 ft (17 km). In many scientific missions, the science objectives drive the experimental design, thus defining the sensor payload, aircraft performance, and operational requirements. Some examples of science missions and the requisite UAV / payload system are given. A discussion of technology developments needed to fully mature UAV systems for routine operational use is included, along with remarks on future science and commercial UAV business opportunities.

Achieving Ships Mission Flexibility Through Designing, Printing And Operating Unmanned Systems With Additive Manufacturing And Delayed Differentiation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

the UAV’s reliability in fulfilling the mission as well as the build- time of the UAV. 14. SUBJECT TERMS design , print and operate, DPO...previously. There are opportunities to work on the design of the UAV to reduce the cognitive workload of the service member and time required to “print” and...the need arises to tailor the UAV for the specific mission. The modification of an existing design is expected to take a much shorter time than the

Hierarchical heuristic search using a Gaussian mixture model for UAV coverage planning.

PubMed

Lin, Lanny; Goodrich, Michael A

2014-12-01

During unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) search missions, efficient use of UAV flight time requires flight paths that maximize the probability of finding the desired subject. The probability of detecting the desired subject based on UAV sensor information can vary in different search areas due to environment elements like varying vegetation density or lighting conditions, making it likely that the UAV can only partially detect the subject. This adds another dimension of complexity to the already difficult (NP-Hard) problem of finding an optimal search path. We present a new class of algorithms that account for partial detection in the form of a task difficulty map and produce paths that approximate the payoff of optimal solutions. The algorithms use the mode goodness ratio heuristic that uses a Gaussian mixture model to prioritize search subregions. The algorithms search for effective paths through the parameter space at different levels of resolution. We compare the performance of the new algorithms against two published algorithms (Bourgault's algorithm and LHC-GW-CONV algorithm) in simulated searches with three real search and rescue scenarios, and show that the new algorithms outperform existing algorithms significantly and can yield efficient paths that yield payoffs near the optimal.

Electric Power System for High Altitude UAV Technology Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Electric powertrain technologies with application to high altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are assessed. One hundred twenty five solar electric UAV configurations and missions were simulated. Synergistic design opportunities were investigated with the premise that specific benefits may be realized, for example, if a single component can serve multiple functions, such as a battery being used for energy storage as well as for a structural component of the aircraft. For each UAV mission simulation, the airframe structure, powertrain configuration (type of solar cells, energy storage options) and performance baseline (1997 or 2001) were specified. It has been found that the use of the high efficiency (multijunction) solar cells or the use of the synergistic amorphous silicon solar cell configuration yields aircraft that can accomplish the majority of the missions of interest for any latitude between 0 deg and 55 deg, hence, a single versatile aircraft can be constructed and implemented to accomplish these missions.

Development and Implementation of Real-Time Information Delivery Systems for Emergency Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wegener, Steve; Sullivan, Don; Ambrosia, Vince; Brass, James; Dann, R. Scott

2000-01-01

The disaster management community has an on-going need for real-time data and information, especially during catastrophic events. Currently, twin engine or jet aircraft with limited altitude and duration capabilities collect much of the data. Flight safety is also an issue. Clearly, much of the needed data could be delivered via over-the-horizon transfer through a uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) platform to mission managers at various locations on the ground. In fact, because of the ability to stay aloft for long periods of time, and to fly above dangerous situations, UAV's are ideally suited for disaster missions. There are numerous situations that can be considered disastrous for the human population. Some, such as fire or flood, can continue over a period of days. Disaster management officials rely on data from the site to respond in an optimum way with warnings, evacuations, rescue, relief, and to the extent possible, damage control. Although different types of disasters call for different types of response, most situations can be improved by having visual images and other remotely sensed data available. "Disaster Management" is actually made up of a number of activities, including: - Disaster Prevention and Mitigation - Emergency Response Planning - Disaster Management (real-time deployment of resources, during an event) - Disaster / Risk Modeling All of these activities could benefit from real-time information, but a major focus for UAV-based technology is in real-time deployment of resources (i.e., emergency response teams), based on changing conditions at the location of the event. With all these potential benefits, it is desirable to demonstrate to user agencies the ability to perform disaster management missions as described. The following demonstration project is the first in a program designed to prove the feasibility of supporting disaster missions with UAV technology and suitable communications packages on-board. A several-year program is envisioned, in which a broad range of disaster-related activities are demonstrated to the appropriate user communities.

Establishing a Disruptive New Capability for NASA to Fly UAV's into Hazardous Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ely, Jay; Nguyen, Truong; Wilson, Jennifer; Brown, Robert; Laughter, Sean; Teets, Ed; Parker, Allen; Chan, Patrick Hon Man; Richards, Lance

2015-01-01

A 2015 NASA Aeronautics Mission "Seedling" Proposal is described for a Severe-Environment UAV (SE-UAV) that can perform in-situ measurements in hazardous atmospheric conditions like lightning, volcanic ash and radiation. Specifically, this paper describes the design of a proof-of-concept vehicle and measurement system that can survive lightning attachment during flight operations into thunderstorms. Elements from three NASA centers draw together for the SE-UAV concept. 1) The NASA KSC Genesis UAV was developed in collaboration with the DARPA Nimbus program to measure electric field and X-rays present within thunderstorms. 2) A novel NASA LaRC fiber-optic sensor uses Faraday-effect polarization rotation to measure total lightning electric current on an air vehicle fuselage. 3) NASA AFRC's state-of-the-art Fiber Optics and Systems Integration Laboratory is envisioned to transition the Faraday system to a compact, light-weight, all-fiber design. The SE-UAV will provide in-flight lightning electric-current return stroke and recoil leader data, and serve as a platform for development of emerging sensors and new missions into hazardous environments. NASA's Aeronautics and Science Missions are interested in a capability to perform in-situ volcanic plume measurements and long-endurance UAV operations in various weather conditions. (Figure 1 shows an artist concept of a SE-UAV flying near a volcano.) This paper concludes with an overview of the NASA Aeronautics Strategic Vision, Programs, and how a SE-UAV is envisioned to impact them. The SE-UAV concept leverages high-value legacy research products into a new capability for NASA to fly a pathfinder UAV into hazardous conditions, and is presented in the SPIE DSS venue to explore teaming, collaboration and advocacy opportunities outside NASA.

Establishing a disruptive new capability for NASA to fly UAV's into hazardous conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ely, Jay; Nguyen, Truong; Wilson, Jennifer; Brown, Robert; Laughter, Sean; Teets, Ed; Parker, Allen; Chan, Hon M.; Richards, Lance

2015-05-01

A 2015 NASA Aeronautics Mission "Seedling" Proposal is described for a Severe-Environment UAV (SE-UAV) that can perform in-situ measurements in hazardous atmospheric conditions like lightning, volcanic ash and radiation. Specifically, this paper describes the design of a proof-of-concept vehicle and measurement system that can survive lightning attachment during flight operations into thunderstorms. Elements from three NASA centers draw together for the SE-UAV concept. 1) The NASA KSC Genesis UAV was developed in collaboration with the DARPA Nimbus program to measure electric field and X-rays present within thunderstorms. 2) A novel NASA LaRC fiber-optic sensor uses Faraday-effect polarization rotation to measure total lightning electric current on an air vehicle fuselage. 3) NASA AFRC's state-of-the-art Fiber Optics and Systems Integration Laboratory is envisioned to transition the Faraday system to a compact, light-weight, all-fiber design. The SE-UAV will provide in-flight lightning electric-current return stroke and recoil leader data, and serve as a platform for development of emerging sensors and new missions into hazardous environments. NASA's Aeronautics and Science Missions are interested in a capability to perform in-situ volcanic plume measurements and long-endurance UAV operations in various weather conditions. (Figure 1 shows an artist concept of a SE-UAV flying near a volcano.) This paper concludes with an overview of the NASA Aeronautics Strategic Vision, Programs, and how a SE-UAV is envisioned to impact them. The SE-UAV concept leverages high-value legacy research products into a new capability for NASA to fly a pathfinder UAV into hazardous conditions, and is presented in the SPIE DSS venue to explore teaming, collaboration and advocacy opportunities outside NASA.

Development of a Novel, Two-Processor Architecture for a Small UAV Autopilot System,

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-26

is, and the control laws the user implements to control it. The flight control system board will contain the processor selected for this system...Unit (IMU). The IMU contains solid-state gyros and accelerometers and uses these to determine the attitude of the UAV within the three dimensions of...multiple-UAV swarming for combat support operations. The mission processor board will contain the processor selected to execute the mission

Earthbound Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAVS) As Planetary Science Testbeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieri, D. C.; Bland, G.; Diaz, J. A.; Fladeland, M. M.

2014-12-01

Recent advances in the technology of unmanned vehicles have greatly expanded the range of contemplated terrestrial operational environments for their use, including aerial, surface, and submarine. The advances have been most pronounced in the areas of autonomy, miniaturization, durability, standardization, and ease of operation, most notably (especially in the popular press) for airborne vehicles. Of course, for a wide range of planetary venues, autonomy at high cost of both money and risk, has always been a requirement. Most recently, missions to Mars have also featured an unprecedented degree of mobility. Combining the traditional planetary surface deployment operational and science imperatives with emerging, very accessible, and relatively economical small UAV platforms on Earth can provide flexible, rugged, self-directed, test-bed platforms for landed instruments and strategies that will ultimately be directed elsewhere, and, in the process, provide valuable earth science data. While the most direct transfer of technology from terrestrial to planetary venues is perhaps for bodies with atmospheres (and oceans), with appropriate technology and strategy accommodations, single and networked UAVs can be designed to operate on even airless bodies, under a variety of gravities. In this presentation, we present and use results and lessons learned from our recent earth-bound UAV volcano deployments, as well as our future plans for such, to conceptualize a range of planetary and small-body missions. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of students and colleagues at our home institutions, and the government of Costa Rica, without which our UAV deployments would not have been possible. This work was carried out, in part, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology under contract to NASA.

The payload bay in the nose of NASA's Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be able to carry up

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The payload bay in the nose of NASA's Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), shown here during final construction at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., will be able to carry up to 700 lbs. of sensors, imaging equipment and other instruments for Earth science missions. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Path planning and Ground Control Station simulator for UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajami, A.; Balmat, J.; Gauthier, J.-P.; Maillot, T.

In this paper we present a Universal and Interoperable Ground Control Station (UIGCS) simulator for fixed and rotary wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and all types of payloads. One of the major constraints is to operate and manage multiple legacy and future UAVs, taking into account the compliance with NATO Combined/Joint Services Operational Environment (STANAG 4586). Another purpose of the station is to assign the UAV a certain degree of autonomy, via autonomous planification/replanification strategies. The paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we describe the non-linear models of the fixed and rotary wing UAVs that we use in the simulator. In Section 3, we describe the simulator architecture, which is based upon interacting modules programmed independently. This simulator is linked with an open source flight simulator, to simulate the video flow and the moving target in 3D. To conclude this part, we tackle briefly the problem of the Matlab/Simulink software connection (used to model the UAV's dynamic) with the simulation of the virtual environment. Section 5 deals with the control module of a flight path of the UAV. The control system is divided into four distinct hierarchical layers: flight path, navigation controller, autopilot and flight control surfaces controller. In the Section 6, we focus on the trajectory planification/replanification question for fixed wing UAV. Indeed, one of the goals of this work is to increase the autonomy of the UAV. We propose two types of algorithms, based upon 1) the methods of the tangent and 2) an original Lyapunov-type method. These algorithms allow either to join a fixed pattern or to track a moving target. Finally, Section 7 presents simulation results obtained on our simulator, concerning a rather complicated scenario of mission.

Smart Cruise Control: UAV sensor operator intent estimation and its application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Hui; Butler, Darren; Kumar, Rakesh

2006-05-01

Due to their long endurance, superior mobility and the low risk posed to the pilot and sensor operator, UAVs have become the preferred platform for persistent ISR missions. However, currently most UAV based ISR missions are conducted through manual operation. Event the simplest tasks, such as vehicle tracking, route reconnaissance and site monitoring, need the sensor operator's undivided attention and constant adjustment of the sensor control. The lack of autonomous behaviour greatly limits of the effectiveness and the capability of UAV-based ISR, especially the use of a large number of UAVs simultaneously. Although fully autonomous UAV based ISR system is desirable, it is still a distant dream due to the complexity and diversity of combat and ISR missions. In this paper, we propose a Smart Cruise Control system that can learn UAV sensor operator's intent and use it to complete tasks automatically, such as route reconnaissance and site monitoring. Using an operator attention model, the proposed system can estimate the operator's intent from how they control the sensor (e.g. camera) and the content of the imagery that is acquired. Therefore, for example, from initially manually controlling the UAV sensor to follow a road, the system can learn not only the preferred operation, "tracking", but also the road appearance, "what to track" in real-time. Then, the learnt models of both road and the desired operation can be used to complete the task automatically. We have demonstrated the Smart Cruise Control system using real UAV videos where roads need to be tracked and buildings need to be monitored.

Dryden's David Bushman explains the capabilities of the Altus UAV to NASA Langley's Charles Hudgins

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-05-27

David Bushman, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mission manager in NASA Dryden's Airborne Science Program, explains the capabilities of the Altus UAV to Charles Hudgins of NASA Langley's Chemistry and Dynamics Branch.

Multi-Objective UAV Mission Planning Using Evolutionary Computation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

on a Solution Space. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 4.3. Crowding distance calculation. Dark points are non-dominated solutions. [14...SPEA2 was devel- oped by Zitzler [64] as an improvement to the original SPEA algorithm [65]. SPEA2 Figure 4.3: Crowding distance calculation. Dark ...thesis, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2003. Adviser-Maja J. Mataric . 114 21. Homberger, Joerg and Hermann Gehring. “Two Evolutionary Metaheuristics for the

UAV Swarm Mission Planning Development Using Evolutionary Algorithms - Part I

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

desired behaviors in autonomous vehicles is a difficult problem at best and in general prob- ably impossible to completely resolve in complex dynamic...associated behaviors. Various techniques inspired by biological self-organized systems as found in forging insects and flocking birds, revolve around...swarms of heterogeneous vehicles in a distributed simulation system with animated graphics. Statistical measurements and observations indicate that bio

Adaptable mission planning for kino-dynamic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Lawrence A. M.; Jimenez, Tony R.; Williams, Brian C.

Autonomous systems can perform tasks that are dangerous, monotonous, or even impossible for humans. To approach the problem of planning for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) we present a hierarchical method that combines a high-level planner with a low-level planner. We pose the problem of high-level planning as a Selective Traveling Salesman Problem (STSP) and select the order in which to visit our science sites. We then use a kino-dynamic path planner to create a large number of intermediate waypoints. This is a complete system that combines high and low level planning to achieve a goal. This paper demonstrates the benefits gained by adaptable high-level plans versus static and greedy plans.

The control of a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system for a small unmanned aerial vehicle using a CMAC neural network.

PubMed

Harmon, Frederick G; Frank, Andrew A; Joshi, Sanjay S

2005-01-01

A Simulink model, a propulsion energy optimization algorithm, and a CMAC controller were developed for a small parallel hybrid-electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The hybrid-electric UAV is intended for military, homeland security, and disaster-monitoring missions involving intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The Simulink model is a forward-facing simulation program used to test different control strategies. The flexible energy optimization algorithm for the propulsion system allows relative importance to be assigned between the use of gasoline, electricity, and recharging. A cerebellar model arithmetic computer (CMAC) neural network approximates the energy optimization results and is used to control the parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system. The hybrid-electric UAV with the CMAC controller uses 67.3% less energy than a two-stroke gasoline-powered UAV during a 1-h ISR mission and 37.8% less energy during a longer 3-h ISR mission.

Mission Specification and Control for Unmanned Aerial and Ground Vehicles for Indoor Target Discovery and Tracking

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

open garage leading to the building interior. The UAV is positioned north of a potential ingress to the building. As the mission begins, the UAV...camera, the difficulty in detecting and navigating around obstacles using this non- stereo camera necessitated a precomputed map of all obstacles and

UAV Mission Planning under Uncertainty

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

algorithm , adapted from [13] . 57 4-5 Robust Optimization considers only a subset of the feasible region . 61 5-1 Overview of simulation with parameter...incorporates the robust optimization method suggested by Bertsimas and Sim [12], and is solved with a standard Branch- and-Cut algorithm . The chapter... algorithms , and the heuristic methods of Local Search methods and Simulated Annealing. With each method, we attempt to give a review of research that has

Planning and Management of Real-Time Geospatialuas Missions Within a Virtual Globe Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebiker, S.; Eugster, H.; Flückiger, K.; Christen, M.

2011-09-01

This paper presents the design and development of a hardware and software framework supporting all phases of typical monitoring and mapping missions with mini and micro UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). The developed solution combines state-of-the art collaborative virtual globe technologies with advanced geospatial imaging techniques and wireless data link technologies supporting the combined and highly reliable transmission of digital video, high-resolution still imagery and mission control data over extended operational ranges. The framework enables the planning, simulation, control and real-time monitoring of UAS missions in application areas such as monitoring of forest fires, agronomical research, border patrol or pipeline inspection. The geospatial components of the project are based on the Virtual Globe Technology i3D OpenWebGlobe of the Institute of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). i3D OpenWebGlobe is a high-performance 3D geovisualisation engine supporting the web-based streaming of very large amounts of terrain and POI data.

Coordinating UAV information for executing national security-oriented collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isenor, Anthony W.; Allard, Yannick; Lapinski, Anna-Liesa S.; Demers, Hugues; Radulescu, Dan

2014-10-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being used by numerous nations for defence-related missions. In some cases, the UAV is considered a cost-effective means to acquire data such as imagery over a location or object. Considering Canada's geographic expanse, UAVs are also being suggested as a potential platform for use in surveillance of remote areas, such as northern Canada. However, such activities are typically associated with security as opposed to defence. The use of a defence platform for security activities introduces the issue of information exchange between the defence and security communities and their software applications. This paper explores the flow of information from the system used by the UAVs employed by the Royal Canadian Navy. Multiple computers are setup, each with the information system used by the UAVs, including appropriate communication between the systems. Simulated data that may be expected from a typical maritime UAV mission is then fed into the information system. The information structures common to the Canadian security community are then used to store and transfer the simulated data. The resulting data flow from the defence-oriented UAV system to the security-oriented information structure is then displayed using an open source geospatial application. Use of the information structures and applications relevant to the security community avoids the distribution restrictions often associated with defence-specific applications.

Multi-Criteria GIS Analyses with the Use of Uavs for the Needs of Spatial Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawieska, D.; Markiewicz, J.; Turek, A.; Bakuła, K.; Kowalczyk, M.; Kurczyński, Z.; Ostrowski, W.; Podlasiak, P.

2016-06-01

Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAVs) in agriculture, forestry, or other environmental contexts has recently become common. However, in the case of spatial planning, the role of UAVs still seems to be underestimated. At present, sections of municipal development use UAVs mainly for promotional purposes (films, folders, brochures, etc.). The use of UAVs for spatial management provides results, first of all, in the form of savings in human resources and time; however, more frequently, it is also connected with financial savings (given the decreasing cost of UAVs and photogrammetric software). The performed research presented here relates to the possibilities of using UAVs to update planning documents, and, in particular, to update the study of conditions and directions of spatial management and preparation of local plans for physical management. Based on acquired photographs with a resolution of 3 cm, a cloud of points is generated, as well as 3D models and the true orthophotomap. These data allow multi-criteria spatial analyses. Additionally, directions of development and changes in physical management are analysed for the given area.

Uav-Mapping - a User Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayr, W.

2011-09-01

This paper reports on first hand experiences in operating an unmanned airborne system (UAS) for mapping purposes in the environment of a mapping company. Recently, a multitude of activities in UAVs is visible, and there is growing interest in the commercial, industrial, and academic mapping user communities and not only in those. As an introduction, the major components of an UAS are identified. The paper focuses on a 1.1kg UAV which is integrated and gets applied on a day-to-day basis as part of an UAS in standard aerial imaging tasks for more than two years already. We present the unmanned airborne vehicle in some detail as well as the overall system components such as autopilot, ground station, flight mission planning and control, and first level image processing. The paper continues with reporting on experiences gained in setting up constraints such a system needs to fulfill. Further on, operational aspects with emphasis on unattended flight mission mode are presented. Various examples show the applicability of UAS in geospatial tasks, proofing that UAS are capable delivering reliably e.g. orthomosaics, digital surface models and more. Some remarks on achieved accuracies give an idea on obtainable qualities. A discussion about safety features puts some light on important matters when entering unmanned flying activities and rounds up this paper. Conclusions summarize the state of the art of an operational UAS from the point of the view of the author.

Integration of Multiple UAVs for Collaborative ISR Missions in an Urban Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

URBAN ENVIRONMENT UAVS .............................3  1.  Qube UAS ......................................4  2.  SQ-4...93  INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST ...................................97  ix LIST OF FIGURES   Qube UAS by Aerovironment. From [7...laboratory setup. From [31].....................47    Sonar sensor....................................49 Figure 25.   Reflectors on the UAV

Wireless Command-and-Control of UAV-Based Imaging LANs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herwitz, Stanley; Dunagan, S. E.; Sullivan, D. V.; Slye, R. E.; Leung, J. G.; Johnson, L. F.

2006-01-01

Dual airborne imaging system networks were operated using a wireless line-of-sight telemetry system developed as part of a 2002 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imaging mission over the USA s largest coffee plantation on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. A primary mission objective was the evaluation of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) 802.11b wireless technology for reduction of payload telemetry costs associated with UAV remote sensing missions. Predeployment tests with a conventional aircraft demonstrated successful wireless broadband connectivity between a rapidly moving airborne imaging local area network (LAN) and a fixed ground station LAN. Subsequently, two separate LANs with imaging payloads, packaged in exterior-mounted pressure pods attached to the underwing of NASA's Pathfinder-Plus UAV, were operated wirelessly by ground-based LANs over independent Ethernet bridges. Digital images were downlinked from the solar-powered aircraft at data rates of 2-6 megabits per second (Mbps) over a range of 6.5 9.5 km. An integrated wide area network enabled payload monitoring and control through the Internet from a range of ca. 4000 km during parts of the mission. The recent advent of 802.11g technology is expected to boost the system data rate by about a factor of five.

Technology Challenges in Small UAV Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Logan, Michael J.; Vranas, Thomas L.; Motter, Mark; Shams, Qamar; Pollock, Dion S.

2005-01-01

Development of highly capable small UAVs present unique challenges for technology protagonists. Size constraints, the desire for ultra low cost and/or disposable platforms, lack of capable design and analysis tools, and unique mission requirements all add to the level of difficulty in creating state-of-the-art small UAVs. This paper presents the results of several small UAV developments, the difficulties encountered, and proposes a list of technology shortfalls that need to be addressed.

UAV State Estimation Modeling Techniques in AHRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razali, Shikin; Zhahir, Amzari

2017-11-01

Autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system is depending on state estimation feedback to control flight operation. Estimation on the correct state improves navigation accuracy and achieves flight mission safely. One of the sensors configuration used in UAV state is Attitude Heading and Reference System (AHRS) with application of Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) or feedback controller. The results of these two different techniques in estimating UAV states in AHRS configuration are displayed through position and attitude graphs.

Budget Uav Systems for the Prospection of - and Medium-Scale Archaeological Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostrowski, W.; Hanus, K.

2016-06-01

One of the popular uses of UAVs in photogrammetry is providing an archaeological documentation. A wide offer of low-cost (consumer) grade UAVs, as well as the popularity of user-friendly photogrammetric software allowing obtaining satisfying results, contribute to facilitating the process of preparing documentation for small archaeological sites. However, using solutions of this kind is much more problematic for larger areas. The limited possibilities of autonomous flight makes it significantly harder to obtain data for areas too large to be covered during a single mission. Moreover, sometimes the platforms used are not equipped with telemetry systems, which makes navigating and guaranteeing a similar quality of data during separate flights difficult. The simplest solution is using a better UAV, however the cost of devices of such type often exceeds the financial capabilities of archaeological expeditions. The aim of this article is to present methodology allowing obtaining data for medium scale areas using only a basic UAV. The proposed methodology assumes using a simple multirotor, not equipped with any flight planning system or telemetry. Navigating of the platform is based solely on live-view images sent from the camera attached to the UAV. The presented survey was carried out using a simple GoPro camera which, from the perspective of photogrammetric use, was not the optimal configuration due to the fish eye geometry of the camera. Another limitation is the actual operational range of UAVs which in the case of cheaper systems, rarely exceeds 1 kilometre and is in fact often much smaller. Therefore the surveyed area must be divided into sub-blocks which correspond to the range of the drone. It is inconvenient since the blocks must overlap, so that they will later be merged during their processing. This increases the length of required flights as well as the computing power necessary to process a greater number of images. These issues make prospection highly inconvenient, but not impossible. Our paper presents our experiences through two case studies: surveys conducted in Nepal under the aegis of UNESCO, and works carried out as a part of a Polish archaeological expedition in Cyprus, which both prove that the proposed methodology allows obtaining satisfying results. The article is an important voice in the ongoing debate between commercial and academic archaeologists who discuss the balance between the required standards of conducting archaeological works and economic capabilities of archaeological missions.

Dhaksha, the Unmanned Aircraft System in its New Avatar-Automated Aerial Inspection of INDIA'S Tallest Tower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, K. S.; Rasheed, A. Mohamed; Krishna Kumar, R.; Giridharan, M.; Ganesh

2013-08-01

DHAKSHA, the unmanned aircraft system (UAS), developed after several years of research by Division of Avionics, Department of Aerospace Engineering, MIT Campus of Anna University has recently proved its capabilities during May 2012 Technology demonstration called UAVforge organised by Defence Research Project Agency, Department of Defence, USA. Team Dhaksha with its most stable design outperformed all the other contestants competing against some of the best engineers from prestigi ous institutions across the globe like Middlesex University from UK, NTU and NUS from Singapore, Tudelft Technical University, Netherlands and other UAV industry participants in the world's toughest UAV challenge. This has opened up an opportunity for Indian UAVs making a presence in the international scenario as well. In furtherance to the above effort at Fort Stewart military base at Georgia,USA, with suitable payloads, the Dhaksha team deployed the UAV in a religious temple festival during November 2012 at Thiruvannamalai District for Tamil Nadu Police to avail the instant aerial imagery services over the crowd of 10 lakhs pilgrims and also about the investigation of the structural strength of the India's tallest structure, the 300 m RCC tower during January 2013. The developed system consists of a custom-built Rotary Wing model with on-board navigation, guidance and control systems (NGC) and ground control station (GCS), for mission planning, remote access, manual overrides and imagery related computations. The mission is to fulfill the competition requirements by using an UAS capable of providing complete solution for the stated problem. In this work the effort to produce multirotor unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for civilian applications at the MIT, Avionics Laboratory is presented

Sensor-Oriented Path Planning for Multiregion Surveillance with a Single Lightweight UAV SAR

PubMed Central

Li, Jincheng; Chen, Jie; Wang, Pengbo; Li, Chunsheng

2018-01-01

In the surveillance of interested regions by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), system performance relies greatly on the motion control strategy of the UAV and the operation characteristics of the onboard sensors. This paper investigates the 2D path planning problem for the lightweight UAV synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system in an environment of multiple regions of interest (ROIs), the sizes of which are comparable to the radar swath width. Taking into account the special requirements of the SAR system on the motion of the platform, we model path planning for UAV SAR as a constrained multiobjective optimization problem (MOP). Based on the fact that the UAV route can be designed in the map image, an image-based path planner is proposed in this paper. First, the neighboring ROIs are merged by the morphological operation. Then, the parts of routes for data collection of the ROIs can be located according to the geometric features of the ROIs and the observation geometry of UAV SAR. Lastly, the route segments for ROIs surveillance are connected by a path planning algorithm named the sampling-based sparse A* search (SSAS) algorithm. Simulation experiments in real scenarios demonstrate that the proposed sensor-oriented path planner can improve the reconnaissance performance of lightweight UAV SAR greatly compared with the conventional zigzag path planner. PMID:29439447

Sensor-Oriented Path Planning for Multiregion Surveillance with a Single Lightweight UAV SAR.

PubMed

Li, Jincheng; Chen, Jie; Wang, Pengbo; Li, Chunsheng

2018-02-11

In the surveillance of interested regions by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), system performance relies greatly on the motion control strategy of the UAV and the operation characteristics of the onboard sensors. This paper investigates the 2D path planning problem for the lightweight UAV synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system in an environment of multiple regions of interest (ROIs), the sizes of which are comparable to the radar swath width. Taking into account the special requirements of the SAR system on the motion of the platform, we model path planning for UAV SAR as a constrained multiobjective optimization problem (MOP). Based on the fact that the UAV route can be designed in the map image, an image-based path planner is proposed in this paper. First, the neighboring ROIs are merged by the morphological operation. Then, the parts of routes for data collection of the ROIs can be located according to the geometric features of the ROIs and the observation geometry of UAV SAR. Lastly, the route segments for ROIs surveillance are connected by a path planning algorithm named the sampling-based sparse A* search (SSAS) algorithm. Simulation experiments in real scenarios demonstrate that the proposed sensor-oriented path planner can improve the reconnaissance performance of lightweight UAV SAR greatly compared with the conventional zigzag path planner.

Formation Flying for Satellites and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrill, Garrick

2015-01-01

The shrinking size of satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is enabling lower cost missions. As sensors and electronics continue to downsize, the next step is multiple vehicles providing different perspectives or variations for more precise measurements. While flying a single satellite or UAV autonomously is a challenge, flying multiple vehicles in a precise formation is even more challenging. The goal of this project is to develop a scalable mesh network between vehicles (satellites or UAVs) to share real-time position data and maintain formations autonomously. Newly available low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf credit card size computers will be used as the basis for this network. Mesh networking techniques will be used to provide redundant links and a flexible network. The Small Projects Rapid Integration and Test Environment Lab will be used to simulate formation flying of satellites. UAVs built by the Aero-M team will be used to demonstrate the formation flying in the West Test Area. The ability to test in flight on NASA-owned UAVs allows this technology to achieve a high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) (TRL-4 for satellites and TRL-7 for UAVs). The low cost of small UAVs and the availability of a large test range (West Test Area) dramatically reduces the expense of testing. The end goal is for this technology to be ready to use on any multiple satellite or UAV mission.

Multi-target Detection, Tracking, and Data Association on Road Networks Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barkley, Brett E.

A cooperative detection and tracking algorithm for multiple targets constrained to a road network is presented for fixed-wing Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) with a finite field of view. Road networks of interest are formed into graphs with nodes that indicate the target likelihood ratio (before detection) and position probability (after detection). A Bayesian likelihood ratio tracker recursively assimilates target observations until the cumulative observations at a particular location pass a detection criterion. At this point, a target is considered detected and a position probability is generated for the target on the graph. Data association is subsequently used to route future measurements to update the likelihood ratio tracker (for undetected target) or to update a position probability (a previously detected target). Three strategies for motion planning of UAVs are proposed to balance searching for new targets with tracking known targets for a variety of scenarios. Performance was tested in Monte Carlo simulations for a variety of mission parameters, including tracking on road networks with varying complexity and using UAVs at various altitudes.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles unique cost estimating requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, P.; Apgar, H.; Stukes, S.; Sterk, S.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as drones, are aerial platforms that fly without a human pilot onboard. UAVs are controlled autonomously by a computer in the vehicle or under the remote control of a pilot stationed at a fixed ground location. There are a wide variety of drone shapes, sizes, configurations, complexities, and characteristics. Use of these devices by the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, civil and commercial organizations continues to grow. UAVs are commonly used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR). They are also use for combat operations, and civil applications, such as firefighting, non-military security work, surveillance of infrastructure (e.g. pipelines, power lines and country borders). UAVs are often preferred for missions that require sustained persistence (over 4 hours in duration), or are “ too dangerous, dull or dirty” for manned aircraft. Moreover, they can offer significant acquisition and operations cost savings over traditional manned aircraft. Because of these unique characteristics and missions, UAV estimates require some unique estimating methods. This paper describes a framework for estimating UAV systems total ownership cost including hardware components, software design, and operations. The challenge of collecting data, testing the sensitivities of cost drivers, and creating cost estimating relationships (CERs) for each key work breakdown structure (WBS) element is discussed. The autonomous operation of UAVs is especially challenging from a software perspective.

Human-Automation Collaborative RRT for UAV Mission Path Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS( ES ) Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Department of... ES ) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release...También quiero agradecerle a mi madre, Gloria, mi hermana, Glorianna, mi padre, mis abuelitos, y mis tios por todo el amor y apoyo que me han dado toda

A Communications-based Mission Planning Tool Concept for Low-cost Tactical UXV Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

communication with its base station. Significance to defence and security The Royal Canadian Navy ( RCN ) makes extensive use of unmanned aerial...further concepts for their use in RCN operations, such as off-board jamming. Communication with UAVs or USVs (UXVs) will be lost if the UXV travels too...conditions that allow communications to be extended to areas beyond the expected operating range of the UXV. This should benefit RCN operations and would

Integrated optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle task allocation and path planning under steady wind.

PubMed

Luo, He; Liang, Zhengzheng; Zhu, Moning; Hu, Xiaoxuan; Wang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Wind has a significant effect on the control of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), resulting in changes in their ground speed and direction, which has an important influence on the results of integrated optimization of UAV task allocation and path planning. The objective of this integrated optimization problem changes from minimizing flight distance to minimizing flight time. In this study, the Euclidean distance between any two targets is expanded to the Dubins path length, considering the minimum turning radius of fixed-wing UAVs. According to the vector relationship between wind speed, UAV airspeed, and UAV ground speed, a method is proposed to calculate the flight time of UAV between targets. On this basis, a variable-speed Dubins path vehicle routing problem (VS-DP-VRP) model is established with the purpose of minimizing the time required for UAVs to visit all the targets and return to the starting point. By designing a crossover operator and mutation operator, the genetic algorithm is used to solve the model, the results of which show that an effective UAV task allocation and path planning solution under steady wind can be provided.

Integrated optimization of unmanned aerial vehicle task allocation and path planning under steady wind

PubMed Central

Liang, Zhengzheng; Zhu, Moning; Hu, Xiaoxuan; Wang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Wind has a significant effect on the control of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), resulting in changes in their ground speed and direction, which has an important influence on the results of integrated optimization of UAV task allocation and path planning. The objective of this integrated optimization problem changes from minimizing flight distance to minimizing flight time. In this study, the Euclidean distance between any two targets is expanded to the Dubins path length, considering the minimum turning radius of fixed-wing UAVs. According to the vector relationship between wind speed, UAV airspeed, and UAV ground speed, a method is proposed to calculate the flight time of UAV between targets. On this basis, a variable-speed Dubins path vehicle routing problem (VS-DP-VRP) model is established with the purpose of minimizing the time required for UAVs to visit all the targets and return to the starting point. By designing a crossover operator and mutation operator, the genetic algorithm is used to solve the model, the results of which show that an effective UAV task allocation and path planning solution under steady wind can be provided. PMID:29561888

Observations of C-band Brightness Temperature from the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) During GRIP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Buckley, C. D.; Jones, W. L.; Biswas, S.; May, C.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.;

Research on performance requirements of turbofan engine used on carrier-based UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Shufan; Li, Benwei; Zhang, Wenlong; Wu, Heng; Feng, Tang

2017-05-01

According to the mission requirements of the carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a mode level flight was established to calculate the thrust requirements from altitude 9 km to 13 km. Then, the estimation method of flight profile was used to calculate the weight of UAV in each stage to get the specific fuel consumption requirements of the UAV in standby stage. The turbofan engine of carrier-based UAV should meet the thrust and specific fuel consumption requirements. Finally, the GSP software was used to verify the simulation of a small high-bypass turbofan engine. The conclusion is useful for the turbofan engine selection of carrier-based UAV.

Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Rangeland Resources Monitoring in a Changing Regulatory Environment (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rango, A.; Vivoni, E. R.; Browning, D. M.; Anderson, C.; Laliberte, A. S.

2013-12-01

It is taking longer than expected to realize the immense potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)for civil applications due to the complexity of regulations being developed by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) that can be applied to both manned and unmanned flight in the National Airspace System (NAS). As a result, FAA has required that for all UAV flights in the NAS, an external pilot must maintain line-of-sight contact with the UAV. Properly trained observers must also be present to assist the external pilot in collision avoidance. Additionally, in order to fly in the NAS, formal approval must be requested from FAA through application for a Certificate of Authorization (COA for government applicants or a Special Airworthiness Certificate (SAC) in the experimental category for non-government applicants. Flight crews of UAVs must pass exams also required for manned airplane pilots. Although flight crews for UAVs are not required to become manned airplane pilots, UAV flight missions are much more efficient if one or two of the UAV flight crew are also manned aircraft pilots so they can serve as the UAV mission commander. Our group has performed numerous UAV flights within the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico. Two developments with Jornada UAVs can be recommended to other UAV operators that would increase flight time experience and study areas covered by UAV images. First, do not overlook the possibility of obtaining permission to fly in Restricted Military Airspace (RMA). At the Jornada, our airspace is approximately 50% NAS and 50% RMA. With experiments ongoing in both types of airspace, we can fly in both areas and continue to increase UAV flights. Second, we have developed an air- and-ground vehicle approach for long distance, continuous pilot transport that always maintains line-of-sight requirements. This allows flying several target areas on a single mission and increasing the number of acquired UAV images - over 90,000 UAV images have now been acquired at Jornada. Most of our UAV flights have taken place over rangelands or watersheds in the western U.S. These flights have been successful used for classification of vegetation cover and type, measuring gaps between vegetation patches, identifing locations of potentially erosive soil, deriving digital elevation models, and monitoring plant phenology.. These measurements can be directly compared to more costly and time-intensive traditional techniques used in rangeland health determinations. New UAVs are becoming available with increased sensor payload capacity. At Jornada we have concentrated on flying at low altitudes (~215 m) to acquire hyperspatial resolutions with digital cameras of about 5-6 cm. We also fly a six band multispectral camera with spatial resolution of ~ 13 cm. We have recently acquired a larger Bat-4 UAV to go with the Bat-3 UAV. The major improvement associated with this upgrade is an increase in sensor payload from 1.4 kg to 14 kg. We are surveying the type of sensors that we could add to best increase our information content.

NASA Experience with UAS Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curry, Robert E.; Jennison, Chris

2007-01-01

Viewgraphs of NASA's Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as it applies to Earth science missions is presented. The topics include: 1) Agenda; 2) Background; 3) NASA Science Aircraft Endurance; 4) Science UAS Development Challenges; 5) USCG Alaskan Maritime Surveillance; 6) NOAA/NASA UAV Demonstration Project; 7) Western States Fire Mission; 8) Esperanza Fire Emergency Response; 9) Ikhana (Predator B); 10) UAV Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR); 11) Global Hawk; and 12) Related Technologies

Mission-Oriented Sensor Arrays and UAVs - a Case Study on Environmental Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueira, N. M.; Freire, I. L.; Trindade, O.; Simões, E.

2015-08-01

This paper presents a new concept of UAV mission design in geomatics, applied to the generation of thematic maps for a multitude of civilian and military applications. We discuss the architecture of Mission-Oriented Sensors Arrays (MOSA), proposed in Figueira et Al. (2013), aimed at splitting and decoupling the mission-oriented part of the system (non safety-critical hardware and software) from the aircraft control systems (safety-critical). As a case study, we present an environmental monitoring application for the automatic generation of thematic maps to track gunshot activity in conservation areas. The MOSA modeled for this application integrates information from a thermal camera and an on-the-ground microphone array. The use of microphone arrays technology is of particular interest in this paper. These arrays allow estimation of the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of the incoming sound waves. Information about events of interest is obtained by the fusion of the data provided by the microphone array, captured by the UAV, fused with information from the termal image processing. Preliminary results show the feasibility of the on-the-ground sound processing array and the simulation of the main processing module, to be embedded into an UAV in a future work. The main contributions of this paper are the proposed MOSA system, including concepts, models and architecture.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): a new tool in counterterrorism operations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dörtbudak, Mehmet F.

2015-05-01

Terrorism is not a new phenomenon to the world, yet it remains difficult to define and counter. Countering terrorism requires several measures that must be taken simultaneously; however, counterterrorism strategies of many countries mostly depend on military measures. In the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the United States (U.S.) has started and led the campaign of Global War on Terrorism. They have invaded Afghanistan and Iraq and have encountered insurgencies run by terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda and its affiliates. The U.S. made the utilization of Air and Space Power very intensively during these operations. In order to implement operations; Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets were used to collect the necessary information. Before the successful insertion of a small number of U.S. Special Operation Force (SOF) teams into Afghanistan, the U.S. Air Force attacked al-Qaeda and Taliban's targets such as infrastructure, airfields, ground forces, command-control facilities etc. As soon as the U.S. troops got on the ground and started to marshal to Kabul, the Air Force supported them by attacking jointly determined targets. The Air Force continued to carry out the missions and played a significant role to achieve the objective of operation during all the time. This is not the only example of utilization of Air and Space Power in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. All around the world, many countries have also made the utilization of Air Power in different missions ranging from ISR to attacking. Thinking that terrorism has a psychological dimension and losing a pilot during operations may result in decreasing the population support to operations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) started to be used by practitioners and took priority over other assets. Although UAVs have been on the theatre for a long time used for ISR mission in conventional conflicts, with the advent of drones, UAVs have also started to be used for attack missions in counterterrorism operations. In this study, it is aimed to determine whether UAVs are appropriate assets that can be used in counterterrorism operations. The study starts by examining the term terrorism and counterterrorism and discusses the role of the Air and Space Power in counterterrorism operations. After proposing that UAVs are appropriate assets for counterterrorism operations, it continues by explaining types and common usage concepts of UAVs. The advantages and disadvantages of UAVs are put forward from the counterterrorism operations' perspectives. It finally examines the utilization of UAVs in counterterrorism operations. In this context, as much as obtained from open sources, countries' roadmaps, usage concepts, experience, and current structure are examined to determine whether UAVs are appropriate assets in counterterrorism operations. When the advantages of UAVs and the disadvantages of manned systems are analyzed, other findings of our survey will show us that UAVs will be increasingly used in counterterrorism operations

Multi-UAV Collaborative Sensor Management for UAV Team Survivability

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

Multi-UAV Collaborative Sensor Management for UAV Team Survivability Craig Stoneking, Phil DiBona , and Adria Hughes Lockheed Martin Advanced...Command, Aviation Applied Technology Directorate. REFERENCES [1] DiBona , P., Belov, N., Pawlowski, A. (2006). “Plan-Driven Fusion: Shaping the

Tactical Reconnaissance: UAVS Versus Manned Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-03-01

level missions under the missile and radar detection envelope. It flew 1651 missions with a return rate of 87.2%. 3 The development of newer and more... level . The organizational structure of manned aircraft squadrons is therefore time tested and clearly defined. 12 By contrast UAV operations have had a ... a high level of information and sensor technology is available today it has been integrated to only a fraction of its combat potential following the

The left wing of NASA's Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) rests in a jig during construction at G

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The left wing of NASA's Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) rests in a jig during construction at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

High Altitude Long Endurance UAV Analysis of Alternatives and Technology Requirements Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nickol, Craig L.; Guynn, Mark D.; Kohout, Lisa L.; Ozoroski, Thomas A.

2007-01-01

An Analysis of Alternatives and a Technology Requirements Study were conducted for two mission areas utilizing various types of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). A hurricane science mission and a communications relay mission provided air vehicle requirements which were used to derive sixteen potential HALE UAV configurations, including heavier-than-air (HTA) and lighter-than-air (LTA) concepts with both consumable fuel and solar regenerative propulsion systems. A HTA diesel-fueled wing-body-tail configuration emerged as the preferred concept given near-term technology constraints. The cost effectiveness analysis showed that simply maximizing vehicle endurance can be a sub-optimum system solution. In addition, the HTA solar regenerative configuration was utilized to perform both a mission requirements study and a technology development study. Given near-term technology constraints, the solar regenerative powered vehicle was limited to operations during the long days and short nights at higher latitudes during the summer months. Technology improvements are required in energy storage system specific energy and solar cell efficiency, along with airframe drag and mass reductions to enable the solar regenerative vehicle to meet the full mission requirements.

Assembly and Initial Analysis of a Database of the Characteristics of Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

sea level (evaluated for turbojet- and turbofan -powered UAVs and targets only) R range (km) ferryR ferry range (km) radiusR mission radius (km...operating airspeed for manned turbofan -powered aircraft, and a power law for birds derived by Alerstam et al. [22...UAVs in the Database; and ratio of operating to maximum airspeed for turbojet- or turbofan -powered UAVs with mmax > 103 kg

Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) 2009 Expedition Crew Perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cusack, Stacy; Ferrone, Kristine; Garvin, Christy; Kramer, W. Vernon; Palaia, Joseph, IV; Shiro, Brian

2009-01-01

The Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS), located on the rim of the Haughton Crater on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic, is a simulated Mars habitat that provides operational constraints similar to those which will be faced by future human explorers on Mars. In July 2009, a six-member crew inhabited the isolated habitation module and conducted the twelfth FMARS mission. The crew members conducted frequent EVA operations wearing mock space suits to conduct field experiments under realistic Mars-like conditions. Their scientific campaign spanned a wide range of disciplines and included many firsts for Mars analog research. Among these are the first use of a Class IV medical laser during a Mars simulation, helping to relieve crew stress injuries during the mission. Also employed for the first time in a Mars simulation at FMARS, a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) was used by the space-suited explorers, aiding them in their search for mineral resources. Sites identified by the UAV were then visited by geologists who conducted physical geologic sampling. For the first time, explorers in spacesuits deployed passive seismic equipment to monitor earthquake activity and characterize the planet's interior. They also conducted the first geophysical electromagnetic survey as analog Mars pioneers to search for water and characterize geological features under the surface. The crew collected hydrated minerals and attempted to produce drinkable water from the rocks. A variety of equipment was field tested as well, including new cameras that automatically geotag photos, data-recording GPS units, a tele-presence rover (operated from Florida), as well as MIT-developed mission planning software. As plans develop to return to the Moon and go on to Mars, analog facilities like FMARS can provide significant benefit to NASA and other organizations as they prepare for robust human space exploration. The authors will present preliminary results from these studies as well as their perspectives on topics including human factors, logistics, EVA operations, and the use of social media throughout the mission.

Commercial UAV operations in civil airspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newcome, Laurence R.

2000-11-01

The Federal Aviation Administration is often portrayed as the major impediment to unmanned aerial vehicle expansion into civil government and commercial markets. This paper describes one company's record for successfully negotiating the FAA regulations and obtaining authorizations for several types of UAVs to fly commercial reconnaissance missions in civil airspace. The process and criteria for obtaining such authorizations are described. The mishap records of the Pioneer, Predator and Hunter UAVs are examined in regard to their impact on FAA rule making. The paper concludes with a discussion of the true impediments to UAV penetration of commercial markets to date.

A biomimetic, energy-harvesting, obstacle-avoiding, path-planning algorithm for UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, Snorri

This dissertation presents two new approaches to energy harvesting for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). One method is based on the Potential Flow Method (PFM); the other method seeds a wind-field map based on updraft peak analysis and then applies a variant of the Bellman-Ford algorithm to find the minimum-cost path. Both methods are enhanced by taking into account the performance characteristics of the aircraft using advanced performance theory. The combined approach yields five possible trajectories from which the one with the minimum energy cost is selected. The dissertation concludes by using the developed theory and modeling tools to simulate the flight paths of two small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (sUAV) in the 500 kg and 250 kg class. The results show that, in mountainous regions, substantial energy can be recovered, depending on topography and wind characteristics. For the examples presented, as much as 50% of the energy was recovered for a complex, multi-heading, multi-altitude, 170 km mission in an average wind speed of 9 m/s. The algorithms constitute a Generic Intelligent Control Algorithm (GICA) for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles that enables an extraction of atmospheric energy while completing a mission trajectory. At the same time, the algorithm. automatically adjusts the flight path in order to avoid obstacles, in a fashion not unlike what one would expect from living organisms, such as birds and insects. This multi-disciplinary approach renders the approach biomimetic, i.e. it constitutes a synthetic system that “mimics the formation and function of biological mechanisms and processes.”.

A performance study of unmanned aerial vehicle-based sensor networks under cyber attack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puchaty, Ethan M.

In UAV-based sensor networks, an emerging area of interest is the performance of these networks under cyber attack. This study seeks to evaluate the performance trade-offs from a System-of-Systems (SoS) perspective between various UAV communications architecture options in the context two missions: tracking ballistic missiles and tracking insurgents. An agent-based discrete event simulation is used to model a sensor communication network consisting of UAVs, military communications satellites, ground relay stations, and a mission control center. Network susceptibility to cyber attack is modeled with probabilistic failures and induced data variability, with performance metrics focusing on information availability, latency, and trustworthiness. Results demonstrated that using UAVs as routers increased network availability with a minimal latency penalty and communications satellite networks were best for long distance operations. Redundancy in the number of links between communication nodes helped mitigate cyber-caused link failures and add robustness in cases of induced data variability by an adversary. However, when failures were not independent, redundancy and UAV routing were detrimental in some cases to network performance. Sensitivity studies indicated that long cyber-caused downtimes and increasing failure dependencies resulted in build-ups of failures and caused significant degradations in network performance.

Comparing Methods for UAV-Based Autonomous Surveillance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freed, Michael; Harris, Robert; Shafto, Michael

2004-01-01

We describe an approach to evaluating algorithmic and human performance in directing UAV-based surveillance. Its key elements are a decision-theoretic framework for measuring the utility of a surveillance schedule and an evaluation testbed consisting of 243 scenarios covering a well-defined space of possible missions. We apply this approach to two example UAV-based surveillance methods, a TSP-based algorithm and a human-directed approach, then compare them to identify general strengths, and weaknesses of each method.

UAV field demonstration of social media enabled tactical data link

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Christopher C.; Xu, Da; Martin, Sean R.; Castelli, Jonathan C.; Newman, Andrew J.

2015-05-01

This paper addresses the problem of enabling Command and Control (C2) and data exfiltration functions for missions using small, unmanned, airborne surveillance and reconnaissance platforms. The authors demonstrated the feasibility of using existing commercial wireless networks as the data transmission infrastructure to support Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) autonomy functions such as transmission of commands, imagery, metadata, and multi-vehicle coordination messages. The authors developed and integrated a C2 Android application for ground users with a common smart phone, a C2 and data exfiltration Android application deployed on-board the UAVs, and a web server with database to disseminate the collected data to distributed users using standard web browsers. The authors performed a mission-relevant field test and demonstration in which operators commanded a UAV from an Android device to search and loiter; and remote users viewed imagery, video, and metadata via web server to identify and track a vehicle on the ground. Social media served as the tactical data link for all command messages, images, videos, and metadata during the field demonstration. Imagery, video, and metadata were transmitted from the UAV to the web server via multiple Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, and similar media accounts. The web server reassembled images and video with corresponding metadata for distributed users. The UAV autopilot communicated with the on-board Android device via on-board Bluetooth network.

Multiple UAV Cooperation for Wildfire Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zhongjie

Wildfires have been a major factor in the development and management of the world's forest. An accurate assessment of wildfire status is imperative for fire management. This thesis is dedicated to the topic of utilizing multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to cooperatively monitor a large-scale wildfire. This is achieved through wildfire spreading situation estimation based on on-line measurements and wise cooperation strategy to ensure efficiency. First, based on the understanding of the physical characteristics of the wildfire propagation behavior, a wildfire model and a Kalman filter-based method are proposed to estimate the wildfire rate of spread and the fire front contour profile. With the enormous on-line measurements from on-board sensors of UAVs, the proposed method allows a wildfire monitoring mission to benefit from on-line information updating, increased flexibility, and accurate estimation. An independent wildfire simulator is utilized to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Second, based on the filter analysis, wildfire spreading situation and vehicle dynamics, the influence of different cooperation strategies of UAVs to the overall mission performance is studied. The multi-UAV cooperation problem is formulated in a distributed network. A consensus-based method is proposed to help address the problem. The optimal cooperation strategy of UAVs is obtained through mathematical analysis. The derived optimal cooperation strategy is then verified in an independent fire simulation environment to verify its effectiveness.

The development of a UGV-mounted automated refueling system for VTOL UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wills, Mike; Burmeister, Aaron; Nelson, Travis; Denewiler, Thomas; Mullens, Kathy

2006-05-01

This paper describes the latest efforts to develop an Automated UAV Mission System (AUMS) for small vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). In certain applications such as force protection, perimeter security, and urban surveillance a VTOL UAV can provide far greater utility than fixed-wing UAVs or ground-based sensors. The VTOL UAV can operate much closer to an object of interest and can provide a hover-and-stare capability to keep its sensors trained on an object, while the fixed wing UAV would be forced into a higher altitude loitering pattern where its sensors would be subject to intermittent blockage by obstacles and terrain. The most significant disadvantage of a VTOL UAV when compared to a fixed-wing UAV is its reduced flight endurance. AUMS addresses this disadvantage by providing forward staging, refueling, and recovery capabilities for the VTOL UAV through a host unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which serves as a launch/recovery platform and service station. The UGV has sufficient payload capacity to carry UAV fuel for multiple launch, recovery, and refuel iterations. The UGV also provides a highly mobile means of forward deploying a small UAV into hazardous areas unsafe for personnel, such as chemically or biologically contaminated areas. Teaming small UAVs with large UGVs can decrease risk to personnel and expand mission capabilities and effectiveness. There are numerous technical challenges being addressed by these development efforts. Among the challenges is the development and integration of a precision landing system compact and light enough to allow it to be mounted on a small VTOL UAV while providing repeatable landing accuracy to safely land on the AUMS. Another challenge is the design of a UGV-transportable, expandable, self-centering landing pad that contains hardware and safety devices for automatically refueling the UAV. A third challenge is making the design flexible enough to accommodate different types of VTOL UAVs, such as the AAI iSTAR ducted-fan vehicle and small helicopter UAVs. Finally, a common command-and-control architecture which supports the UAV, UGV, and AUMS must be developed and interfaced with these systems to allow fully autonomous collaborative behaviors. Funded by the Joint Robotics Program, AUMS is part of a joint effort with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Army Missile Research Development and Engineering Command. The objective is to develop and demonstrate UGVUAV teaming concepts and work with the warfighter to ensure that future upgrades are focused on operational requirements. This paper describes the latest achievements in AUMS development and some of the military program and first responder situations that could benefit from this system.

Get-in-the-Zone (GITZ) Transition Display Format for Changing Camera Views in Multi-UAV Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

the multi-UAV operator will witch between dynamic and static missions, each potentially involving very different scenario environments and task...another. Inspired by cinematography techniques to help audiences maintain spatial understanding of a scene across discrete film cuts, use of a

a Fast Approach for Stitching of Aerial Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moussa, A.; El-Sheimy, N.

2016-06-01

The last few years have witnessed an increasing volume of aerial image data because of the extensive improvements of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These newly developed UAVs have led to a wide variety of applications. A fast assessment of the achieved coverage and overlap of the acquired images of a UAV flight mission is of great help to save the time and cost of the further steps. A fast automatic stitching of the acquired images can help to visually assess the achieved coverage and overlap during the flight mission. This paper proposes an automatic image stitching approach that creates a single overview stitched image using the acquired images during a UAV flight mission along with a coverage image that represents the count of overlaps between the acquired images. The main challenge of such task is the huge number of images that are typically involved in such scenarios. A short flight mission with image acquisition frequency of one second can capture hundreds to thousands of images. The main focus of the proposed approach is to reduce the processing time of the image stitching procedure by exploiting the initial knowledge about the images positions provided by the navigation sensors. The proposed approach also avoids solving for all the transformation parameters of all the photos together to save the expected long computation time if all the parameters were considered simultaneously. After extracting the points of interest of all the involved images using Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) algorithm, the proposed approach uses the initial image's coordinates to build an incremental constrained Delaunay triangulation that represents the neighborhood of each image. This triangulation helps to match only the neighbor images and therefore reduces the time-consuming features matching step. The estimated relative orientation between the matched images is used to find a candidate seed image for the stitching process. The pre-estimated transformation parameters of the images are employed successively in a growing fashion to create the stitched image and the coverage image. The proposed approach is implemented and tested using the images acquired through a UAV flight mission and the achieved results are presented and discussed.

Employing UAVs to Acquire Detailed Vegetation and Bare Ground Data for Assessing Rangeland Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rango, A.; Laliberte, A.; Herrick, J. E.; Winters, C.

2007-12-01

Because of its value as a historical record (extending back to the mid 1930s), aerial photography is an important tool used in many rangeland studies. However, these historical photos are not very useful for detailed analysis of rangeland health because of inadequate spatial resolution and scheduling limitations. These issues are now being resolved by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) over rangeland study areas. Spatial resolution improvements have been rapid in the last 10 years from the QuickBird satellite through improved aerial photography to the new UAV coverage and have utilized improved sensors and the more simplistic approach of low altitude flights. Our rangeland health experiments have shown that the low altitude UAV digital photography is preferred by rangeland scientists because it allows, for the first time, their identification of vegetation and land surface patterns and patches, gap sizes, bare soil percentages, and vegetation type. This hyperspatial imagery (imagery with a resolution finer than the object of interest) is obtained at about 5cm resolution by flying at an altitude of 150m above the surface of the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico. Additionally, the UAV provides improved temporal flexibility, such as flights immediately following fires, floods, and other catastrophic disturbances, because the flight capability is located near the study area and the vehicles are under the direct control of the users, eliminating the additional steps associated with budgets and contracts. There are significant challenges to improve the data to make them useful for operational agencies, namely, image distortion with inexpensive, consumer grade digital cameras, difficulty in detecting sufficient ground control points in small scenes (152m by 114m), accuracy of exterior UAV information on X,Y, Z, roll, pitch, and heading, the sheer number of images collected, and developing reliable relationships with ground-based data across a broad range of topographies and plant communities. Our efforts are currently focused on developing a complete and efficient workflow for UAV operational missions consisting of flight planning, image acquisition, image rectification and mosaicking, and image classification. The remote sensing capability is being incorporated into existing rangeland health assessment and monitoring protocols.

UAV Mission Optimization through Hybrid-Electric Propulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackwelder, Philip Scott

Hybrid-electric powertrain leverages the superior range of petrol based systems with the quiet and emission free benefits of electric propulsion. The major caveat to hybrid-electric powertrain in an airplane is that it is inherently heavier than conventional petroleum powertrain due mostly to the low energy density of battery technology. The first goal of this research is to develop mission planning code to match powertrain components for a small-scale unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to complete a standard surveillance mission within a set of user input parameters. The second goal is to promote low acoustic profile loitering through mid-flight engine starting. The two means by which midmission engine starting will be addressed is through reverse thrust from the propeller and a servo actuated gear to couple and decouple the engine and motor. The mission planning code calculates the power required to complete a mission and assists the user in sourcing powertrain components including the propeller, motor, battery, motor controller, engine and fuel. Reverse thrust engine starting involves characterizing an off the shelf variable pitch propeller and using its torque coefficient to calculate the advance ratio required to provide sufficient torque and speed to start an engine. Geared engine starting works like the starter in a conventional automobile. A servo actuated gear will couple the motor to the engine to start it and decouple once the engine has started. Reverse thrust engine starting was unsuccessful due to limitations of available off the shelf variable pitch propellers. However, reverse thrust engine starting could be realized through a custom larger diameter propeller. Geared engine starting was a success, though the system was unable to run fully as intended. Due to counter-clockwise crank rotation of the engine and the right-hand threads on the crankshaft, cranking the engine resulted in the nut securing the engine starter gear to back off as the engine cranked. A second nut was added to secure the starter gear but at the expense of removing the engine drive pulley. Removing the engine pulley meant that the starter gear must remain engaged to transmit torque to the propeller shaft as opposed to the engine pulley. This issue can be resolved using different hardware, however changing the mounting hardware would require additional modifications to the associated component which time would not permit. Though battery technology still proves to be the main constraint of electrified powertrain, careful design and mission planning can help minimize the weight penalties incurred. The mission planning code complements previous research by comparing the weight penalties of a blended climb versus an engine only climb and selecting the lightest option. Though reverse thrust engine starting proved unsuccessful, the success of geared engine starting now allows the engine to be shut off during loiter reducing both acoustic profile and fuel consumption during loiter.

Optimal Path Planning and Control of Quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Area Coverage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Jiankun

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft without a human pilot on board. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by computers onboard the vehicle, or remotely by a pilot on the ground, or by another vehicle. In recent years, UAVs have been used more commonly than prior years. The example includes areo-camera where a high speed camera was attached to a UAV which can be used as an airborne camera to obtain aerial video. It also could be used for detecting events on ground for tasks such as surveillance and monitoring which is a common task during wars. Similarly UAVs can be used for relaying communication signal during scenarios when regular communication infrastructure is destroyed. The objective of this thesis is motivated from such civilian operations such as search and rescue or wildfire detection and monitoring. One scenario is that of search and rescue where UAV's objective is to geo-locate a person in a given area. The task is carried out with the help of a camera whose live feed is provided to search and rescue personnel. For this objective, the UAV needs to carry out scanning of the entire area in the shortest time. The aim of this thesis to develop algorithms to enable a UAV to scan an area in optimal time, a problem referred to as "Coverage Control" in literature. The thesis focuses on a special kind of UAVs called "quadrotor" that is propelled with the help of four rotors. The overall objective of this thesis is achieved via solving two problems. The first problem is to develop a dynamic control model of quadrtor. In this thesis, a proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID) based feedback control system is developed and implemented on MATLAB's Simulink. The PID controller helps track any given trajectory. The second problem is to design a trajectory that will fulfill the mission. The planed trajectory should make sure the quadrotor will scan the whole area without missing any part to make sure that the quadrotor will find the lost person in the area. The generated trajectory should also be optimal. This is achieved via making some assumptions on the form of the trajectory and solving the optimization problem to obtain optimal parameters of the trajectory. The proposed techniques are validated with the help of numerous simulations.

a Three-Dimensional Simulation and Visualization System for Uav Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Y.; Qu, Y.; Cui, T.

2017-08-01

Nowadays UAVs has been widely used for large-scale surveying and mapping. Compared with manned aircraft, UAVs are more cost-effective and responsive. However, UAVs are usually more sensitive to wind condition, which greatly influences their positions and orientations. The flight height of a UAV is relative low, and the relief of the terrain may result in serious occlusions. Moreover, the observations acquired by the Position and Orientation System (POS) are usually less accurate than those acquired in manned aerial photogrammetry. All of these factors bring in uncertainties to UAV photogrammetry. To investigate these uncertainties, a three-dimensional simulation and visualization system has been developed. The system is demonstrated with flight plan evaluation, image matching, POS-supported direct georeferencing, and ortho-mosaicing. Experimental results show that the presented system is effective for flight plan evaluation. The generated image pairs are accurate and false matches can be effectively filtered. The presented system dynamically visualizes the results of direct georeferencing in three-dimensions, which is informative and effective for real-time target tracking and positioning. The dynamically generated orthomosaic can be used in emergency applications. The presented system has also been used for teaching theories and applications of UAV photogrammetry.

Energy-Efficient Systems Eliminate Icing Danger for UAVs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2010-01-01

Ames Research Center engineer Leonard Haslim invented an anti-icing t echnology called an electroexpulsive separation system, which uses m echanical force to shatter potentially dangerous ice buildup on an ai rcraft surface. Temecula, California-based Ice Management Systems (no w known as IMS-ESS) licensed the technology from Ames and has discov ered a niche market for the lightweight, energy-efficient technology: unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). IMS-ESS systems now prevent damagi ng ice accumulation on military UAVs, allowing the vehicles to carry out crucial missions year round.

Ikhana: A NASA Unmanned Aerial System Supporting Long-Duration Earth Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent R.

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews Ikhana's project goals: (1) Develop an airborne platform to conduct Earth observation and atmospheric sampling science missions both nationally and internationally, (2) develop and demonstrate technologies that improve the capability of UAVs to conduct science collection missions, (3) develop technologies that improve manned and unmanned aircraft systems, and (4) support important national UAV development activities. The criteria that guided the selection of the aircraft are listed. The payload areas on Ikhana are shown and the network that connects the systems are also reviewed. The data recorder is shown. Also the diagram of the Airborne Research Test System (ARTS) is reviewed. The Mobile Ground Control Station and the Mobile Ku SatCom Antenna are also shown and described.

Uncertainty management for aerial vehicles: Coordination, deconfliction, and disturbance rejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panyakeow, Prachya

The presented dissertation aims to develop control algorithms that deal with three types of uncertainties managements. First, we examine the situation when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) fly through uncertain environments that contain both stationary and moving obstacles. Moreover, a guarantee of collision avoidance is necessary when UAVs operate in close proximity of each other. Second, we look at the communication uncertainty among the network of cooperative UAVs and the efforts to establish and maintain the connectivity throughout their entire missions. Third, we explore the scenario when the aircraft flies through wind gust. The introduction of an appropriate control scheme to actively alleviate the gust loads can result into weight reduction and consequently lower the fuel cost. In the first part of this dissertation, we develop a deconfliction algorithm that guarantees collision avoidance between a pair of constant speed unicycle-type UAVs as well as convergence to the desired destination for each UAV in presence of static obstacles. We use a combination of navigation and swirling functions to direct the unicycle vehicles along the planned trajectories while avoiding inter-vehicle collisions. The main feature of our contribution is proposing means of designing a deconfliction algorithm for unicycle vehicles that more closely capture the dynamics of constant speed UAVs as opposed to double integrator models. Specifically, we consider the issue of UAV turn-rate constraints and proceed to explore the selection of key algorithmic parameters in order to minimize undesirable trajectories and overshoots induced by the avoidance algorithm. The avoidance and convergence analysis of the proposed algorithm is then performed for two cooperative UAVs and simulation results are provided to support the viability of the proposed framework for more general mission scenarios. For the uncertainty of the UAV network, we provides two approaches to establish connectivity among a collection of UAVs that are initially scattered in space. The goal is to find shortest trajectories that bring the UAVs to a connected formation where they are in the range of detection of one another and headed in the same direction to maintain the connectivity. Pontryagin Minimum Principle (PMP) is utilized to determine the control law and path synthesis for the UAVs under the turn-rate constraints. We introduce an algorithm to search for the optimal solution when the final network topology is specified; followed by a nonlinear programming method in which the final configuration is emerged from the optimization routine under the constraints that the final topology is connected. Each method has its own advantages based on the size of corporative networks. For the uncertainty due to gust turbulence, we choose a model predictive control (MPC) technique to address gust load alleviation (GLA) for a flexible aircraft. MPC is a discrete method based on repeated online optimization that allows direct consideration of control actuator constraints into the feedback computation. Gust alleviation systems are dependent on how the structural flexibility of the aircraft affects its dynamics. Hence, we develop a six-degree-of-freedom flexible aircraft model that can integrate rigid body dynamic with structural deflection. The structural stick-and-beam model is utilized for the calculation of aeroelastic mode shapes and airframe loads. Another important feature of MPC for GLA design is the ability to include the preview of gust information ahead of the aircraft nose into the prediction process. This helps raising the prediction accuracy and consequently improves the load alleviation performance. Finally, the aircraft is modified by the addition of the flap-array, a composition of small trailing edge flaps throughout the entire span of the wings. These flaps are used in conjunction with the distributed spoilers. With the availability of the control surfaces closer to the wing root, the MPC with flap-array can reduce the wing bending moment from different mode shapes and achieve better load alleviation performance than the original aircraft.

A Natural Interaction Interface for UAVs Using Intuitive Gesture Recognition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandarana, Meghan; Trujillo, Anna; Shimada, Kenji; Allen, Danette

2016-01-01

The popularity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasing as technological advancements boost their favorability for a broad range of applications. One application is science data collection. In fields like Earth and atmospheric science, researchers are seeking to use UAVs to augment their current portfolio of platforms and increase their accessibility to geographic areas of interest. By increasing the number of data collection platforms UAVs will significantly improve system robustness and allow for more sophisticated studies. Scientists would like be able to deploy an available fleet of UAVs to fly a desired flight path and collect sensor data without needing to understand the complex low-level controls required to describe and coordinate such a mission. A natural interaction interface for a Ground Control System (GCS) using gesture recognition is developed to allow non-expert users (e.g., scientists) to define a complex flight path for a UAV using intuitive hand gesture inputs from the constructed gesture library. The GCS calculates the combined trajectory on-line, verifies the trajectory with the user, and sends it to the UAV controller to be flown.

An Ecological Approach to the Design of UAV Ground Control Station (GCS) Status Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dowell, Susan; Morphew, Ephimia; Shively, Jay

2003-01-01

Use of UAVs in military and commercial applications will continue to increase. However, there has been limited research devoted to UAV GCS design. The current study employed an ecological approach to interfac e design. Ecological Interface Design (EID) can be characterized as r epresenting the properties of a system, such that an operator is enco uraged to use skill-based behavior when problem solving. When more ef fortful cognitive processes become necessary due to unfamiliar situations, the application of EID philosophy supports the application of kn owledge-based behavior. With advances toward multiple UAV command and control, operators need GCS interfaces designed to support understan ding of complex systems. We hypothesized that use of EID principles f or the display of UAV status information would result in better opera tor performance and situational awareness, while decreasing workload. Pilots flew a series of missions with three UAV GCS displays of statu s information (Alphanumeric, Ecological, and Hybrid display format). Measures of task performance, Situational Awareness, and workload dem onstrated the benefits of using an ecological approach to designing U AV GCS displays. The application of ecological principles to the design of UAV GCSs is a promising area for improving UAV operations.

Applying Unmanned Airborne Sampling Technology to Active Volcanoes: Successes, Challenges, and Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieri, D. C.; Diaz, J. A.; Buongiorno, M. F.

2016-12-01

Over the last three years, we have conducted in situ sampling of airborne volcanic emissions for the calibration and validation of remote sensing data and derivative ash and gas transport models, as well as for proximal and distal hazard evaluations. We are collaboratively operating currently in three main locales: (a) Costa Rica: Turrialba Volcano; (b) Italy: Vulcano Island and La Sofatara Crater; and (c) the United States: Kilauea Volcano and the Salton Sea Geothermal Zone. During 2014-2016 we systematically deployed fixed wing UAVs and aerostats into the phreato-magmatic plume at Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica, for time-series 3D SO2 profiles during overpasses of the ASTER radiometer onboard the NASA Terra platform. To date we have completed more than 50 aerostat and/or unmanned fixed and/or rotary wing sampling missions. Preliminary science results have been published by Pieri and Diaz (2015; DyDESS), Diaz et al. (2015; JASMS), and Xi et al. (2016, JVGR). We conducted field measurements of H2S, CO2, and SO2 and other species with INGV quad-copters to lift a UCR Multi-gas sensor into the phreatic gas jet at La Sofatara Crater, Pozzuoli, Italy in October 2014 and at Isole Vulcano in August 2015. At La Solfatara, our results documented 8000ppmv (max) up to 200 ft above the vent, and at Vulcano we noted CO2 concentrations approximately 2x ambient up to 100ft above the main crater. Deployment of the ARC SIERRA-B UAV and Dragon Eye mini-UAVs is now planned for the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in October 2016. We have integrated the UCR 20kg mass-spectrometer into SIERRA-B for flight certification in August 2016. We will also conduct near simultaneous airborne sensor-web observations with Dragon Eye UAVs using targeted electrochemical sensors, including sensors for SO2, H2S, CO2, and NH3, along with simultaneous aerostat (tethered balloon/kite-borne) observations using electrochemical sensors, focused on gas emissions from sub-aerial mud volcano fields. Finally, we will deploy Dragon Eye over Kilauea Volcano in January-February 2017 to measure volcanogenic SO2 emissions, the rate of SO2 to H2SO4 hydrolysis, and the emission of CO2This work was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of CA Institute of Technology, under contract to the Earth Surface & Interior Focus Area within the NASA Science Mission Directorate.

UAV visual signature suppression via adaptive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrett, Ron; Melkert, Joris

2005-05-01

Visual signature suppression (VSS) methods for several classes of aircraft from WWII on are examined and historically summarized. This study shows that for some classes of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs), primary mission threats do not stem from infrared or radar signatures, but from the amount that an aircraft visually stands out against the sky. The paper shows that such visual mismatch can often jeopardize mission success and/or induce the destruction of the entire aircraft. A psycho-physioptical study was conducted to establish the definition and benchmarks of a Visual Cross Section (VCS) for airborne objects. This study was centered on combining the effects of size, shape, color and luminosity or effective illumance (EI) of a given aircraft to arrive at a VCS. A series of tests were conducted with a 6.6ft (2m) UAV which was fitted with optically adaptive electroluminescent sheets at altitudes of up to 1000 ft (300m). It was shown that with proper tailoring of the color and luminosity, the VCS of the aircraft dropped from more than 4,200cm2 to less than 1.8cm2 at 100m (the observed lower limit of the 20-20 human eye in this study). In laypersons terms this indicated that the UAV essentially "disappeared". This study concludes with an assessment of the weight and volume impact of such a Visual Suppression System (VSS) on the UAV, showing that VCS levels on this class UAV can be suppressed to below 1.8cm2 for aircraft gross weight penalties of only 9.8%.

A meta-analysis of human-system interfaces in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm management.

PubMed

Hocraffer, Amy; Nam, Chang S

2017-01-01

A meta-analysis was conducted to systematically evaluate the current state of research on human-system interfaces for users controlling semi-autonomous swarms composed of groups of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAV swarms pose several human factors challenges, such as high cognitive demands, non-intuitive behavior, and serious consequences for errors. This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 27 UAV swarm management papers focused on the human-system interface and human factors concerns, providing an overview of the advantages, challenges, and limitations of current UAV management interfaces, as well as information on how these interfaces are currently evaluated. In general allowing user and mission-specific customization to user interfaces and raising the swarm's level of autonomy to reduce operator cognitive workload are beneficial and improve situation awareness (SA). It is clear more research is needed in this rapidly evolving field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distributed UAV-Swarm Real-Time Geomatic Data Collection Under Dynamically Changing Resolution Requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, Miguel; Hildmann, Hanno; Solmaz, Gürkan

2017-08-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions as far back as the Vietnam War, but with the recent rapid increase in autonomy, precision and performance capabilities - and due to the massive reduction in cost and size - UAVs have become pervasive products, available and affordable for the general public. The use cases for UAVs are in the areas of disaster recovery, environmental mapping & protection and increasingly also as extended eyes and ears of civil security forces such as fire-fighters and emergency response units. In this paper we present a swarm algorithm that enables a fleet of autonomous UAVs to collectively perform sensing tasks related to environmental and rescue operations and to dynamically adapt to e.g. changing resolution requirements. We discuss the hardware used to build our own drones and the settings under which we validate the proposed approach.

Optimization of a Turboprop UAV for Maximum Loiter and Specific Power Using Genetic Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinc, Ali

2016-09-01

In this study, a genuine code was developed for optimization of selected parameters of a turboprop engine for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by employing elitist genetic algorithm. First, preliminary sizing of a UAV and its turboprop engine was done, by the code in a given mission profile. Secondly, single and multi-objective optimization were done for selected engine parameters to maximize loiter duration of UAV or specific power of engine or both. In single objective optimization, as first case, UAV loiter time was improved with an increase of 17.5% from baseline in given boundaries or constraints of compressor pressure ratio and burner exit temperature. In second case, specific power was enhanced by 12.3% from baseline. In multi-objective optimization case, where previous two objectives are considered together, loiter time and specific power were increased by 14.2% and 9.7% from baseline respectively, for the same constraints.

Tracking, aiming, and hitting the UAV with ordinary assault rifle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Racek, František; Baláž, Teodor; Krejčí, Jaroslav; Procházka, Stanislav; Macko, Martin

2017-10-01

The usage small-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is significantly increasing nowadays. They are being used as a carrier of military spy and reconnaissance devices (taking photos, live video streaming and so on), or as a carrier of potentially dangerous cargo (intended for destruction and killing). Both ways of utilizing the UAV cause the necessity to disable it. From the military point of view, to disable the UAV means to bring it down by a weapon of an ordinary soldier that is the assault rifle. This task can be challenging for the soldier because he needs visually detect and identify the target, track the target visually and aim on the target. The final success of the soldier's mission depends not only on the said visual tasks, but also on the properties of the weapon and ammunition. The paper deals with possible methods of prediction of probability of hitting the UAV targets.

Migration strategies for service-enabling ground control stations for unmanned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroculick, Joseph B.

2011-06-01

Future unmanned systems will be integrated into the Global Information Grid (GIG) and support net-centric data sharing, where information in a domain is exposed to a wide variety of GIG stakeholders that can make use of the information provided. Adopting a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach to package reusable UAV control station functionality into common control services provides a number of benefits including enabling dynamic plug and play of components depending on changing mission requirements, supporting information sharing to the enterprise, and integrating information from authoritative sources such as mission planners with the UAV control stations data model. It also allows the wider enterprise community to use the services provided by unmanned systems and improve data quality to support more effective decision-making. We explore current challenges in migrating UAV control systems that manage multiple types of vehicles to a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). Service-oriented analysis involves reviewing legacy systems and determining which components can be made into a service. Existing UAV control stations provide audio/visual, navigation, and vehicle health and status information that are useful to C4I systems. However, many were designed to be closed systems with proprietary software and hardware implementations, message formats, and specific mission requirements. An architecture analysis can be performed that reviews legacy systems and determines which components can be made into a service. A phased SOA adoption approach can then be developed that improves system interoperability.

Autonomous Soaring Flight Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Michael J.

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on autonomous soaring flight results for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)'s is shown. The topics include: 1) Background; 2) Thermal Soaring Flight Results; 3) Autonomous Dolphin Soaring; and 4) Future Plans.

Using Distance Sensors to Perform Collision Avoidance Maneuvres on Uav Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raimundo, A.; Peres, D.; Santos, N.; Sebastião, P.; Souto, N.

2017-08-01

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and its applications are growing for both civilian and military purposes. The operability of an UAV proved that some tasks and operations can be done easily and at a good cost-efficiency ratio. Nowadays, an UAV can perform autonomous missions. It is very useful to certain UAV applications, such as meteorology, vigilance systems, agriculture, environment mapping and search and rescue operations. One of the biggest problems that an UAV faces is the possibility of collision with other objects in the flight area. To avoid this, an algorithm was developed and implemented in order to prevent UAV collision with other objects. "Sense and Avoid" algorithm was developed as a system for UAVs to avoid objects in collision course. This algorithm uses a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), to detect objects facing the UAV in mid-flights. This light sensor is connected to an on-board hardware, Pixhawk's flight controller, which interfaces its communications with another hardware: Raspberry Pi. Communications between Ground Control Station and UAV are made via Wi-Fi or cellular third or fourth generation (3G/4G). Some tests were made in order to evaluate the "Sense and Avoid" algorithm's overall performance. These tests were done in two different environments: A 3D simulated environment and a real outdoor environment. Both modes worked successfully on a simulated 3D environment, and "Brake" mode on a real outdoor, proving its concepts.

Technician Shawn Warren carefully smoothes out the composite skin of an instrument fairing atop the

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Technician Shawn Warren carefully smoothes out the composite skin of an instrument fairing atop the upper fuselage of the Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., facility at Adelanto, Calif. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Earth Science Capability Demonstration Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation reviewing the Earth Science Capability Demonstration Project is shown. The contents include: 1) ESCD Project; 2) Available Flight Assets; 3) Ikhana Procurement; 4) GCS Layout; 5) Baseline Predator B Architecture; 6) Ikhana Architecture; 7) UAV Capability Assessment; 8) The Big Picture; 9) NASA/NOAA UAV Demo (5/05 to 9/05); 10) NASA/USFS Western States Fire Mission (8/06); and 11) Suborbital Telepresence.

Closing the Gap Between Research and Field Applications for Multi-UAV Cooperative Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

IMU Inertial Measurement Units INCOSE International Council on Systems Engineering ISR Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance ISTAR...light-weight and low-cost inertial measurement units ( IMUs ) are widely adopted for navigation of small- scale UAVs. Low-costs IMUs are characterized...by high measurement noises and large measurement biases. Hence pure initial navigation using low-cost IMUs drifts rapidly. In practice, inertial

Neural network control of a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system for a small unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmon, Frederick G.

2005-11-01

Parallel hybrid-electric propulsion systems would be beneficial for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for military, homeland security, and disaster-monitoring missions. The benefits, due to the hybrid and electric-only modes, include increased time-on-station and greater range as compared to electric-powered UAVs and stealth modes not available with gasoline-powered UAVs. This dissertation contributes to the research fields of small unmanned aerial vehicles, hybrid-electric propulsion system control, and intelligent control. A conceptual design of a small UAV with a parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system is provided. The UAV is intended for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. A conceptual design reveals the trade-offs that must be considered to take advantage of the hybrid-electric propulsion system. The resulting hybrid-electric propulsion system is a two-point design that includes an engine primarily sized for cruise speed and an electric motor and battery pack that are primarily sized for a slower endurance speed. The electric motor provides additional power for take-off, climbing, and acceleration and also serves as a generator during charge-sustaining operation or regeneration. The intelligent control of the hybrid-electric propulsion system is based on an instantaneous optimization algorithm that generates a hyper-plane from the nonlinear efficiency maps for the internal combustion engine, electric motor, and lithium-ion battery pack. The hyper-plane incorporates charge-depletion and charge-sustaining strategies. The optimization algorithm is flexible and allows the operator/user to assign relative importance between the use of gasoline, electricity, and recharging depending on the intended mission. A MATLAB/Simulink model was developed to test the control algorithms. The Cerebellar Model Arithmetic Computer (CMAC) associative memory neural network is applied to the control of the UAVs parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system. The CMAC neural network approximates the hyper-plane generated from the instantaneous optimization algorithm and produces torque commands for the internal combustion engine and electric motor. The CMAC neural network controller saves on the required memory as compared to a large look-up table by two orders of magnitude. The CMAC controller also prevents the need to compute a hyper-plane or complex logic every time step.

Use of Model-Based Design Methods for Enhancing Resiliency Analysis of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, Lenora A.

The most common traditional non-functional requirement analysis is reliability. With systems becoming more complex, networked, and adaptive to environmental uncertainties, system resiliency has recently become the non-functional requirement analysis of choice. Analysis of system resiliency has challenges; which include, defining resilience for domain areas, identifying resilience metrics, determining resilience modeling strategies, and understanding how to best integrate the concepts of risk and reliability into resiliency. Formal methods that integrate all of these concepts do not currently exist in specific domain areas. Leveraging RAMSoS, a model-based reliability analysis methodology for Systems of Systems (SoS), we propose an extension that accounts for resiliency analysis through evaluation of mission performance, risk, and cost using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) modeling and design trade study variability modeling evaluation techniques. This proposed methodology, coined RAMSoS-RESIL, is applied to a case study in the multi-agent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) domain to investigate the potential benefits of a mission architecture where functionality to complete a mission is disseminated across multiple UAVs (distributed) opposed to being contained in a single UAV (monolithic). The case study based research demonstrates proof of concept for the proposed model-based technique and provides sufficient preliminary evidence to conclude which architectural design (distributed vs. monolithic) is most resilient based on insight into mission resilience performance, risk, and cost in addition to the traditional analysis of reliability.

Photovoltaic electric power applied to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geis, J.; Arnold, J.H.

1994-09-01

Photovoltaic electric-powered flight is receiving a great deal of attention in the context of the United States` Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program. This paper addresses some of the enabling technical areas and their potential solutions. Of particular interest are the long-duration, high-altitude class of UAV`s whose mission it is to achieve altitudes between 60,000 and 100,000 feet, and to remain at those altitudes for prolonged periods performing various mapping and surveillance activities. Addressed herein are studies which reveal the need for extremely light-weight and efficient solar cells, high-efficiency electric motor-driven propeller modules, and power management and distribution control elements. Sincemore » the potential payloads vary dramatically in their power consumption and duty cycles, a typical load profile has been selected to provide commonality for the propulsion power comparisons. Since missions vary widely with respect to ground coverage requirements, from repeated orbiting over a localized target to long-distance routes over irregular terrain, the authors have also averaged the power requirements for on-board guidance and control power, as well as ground control and communication link utilization. In the context of the national technology reinvestment program, wherever possible they modeled components and materials which have been qualified for space and defense applications, yet are compatible with civilian UAV activities. These include, but are not limited to, solar cell developments, electric storage technology for diurnal operation, local and ground communications, power management and distribution, and control servo design. And finally, the results of tests conducted by Wright Laboratory on ultralight, highly efficient MOCVD GaAs solar cells purchased from EPI Materials Ltd. (EML) of the UK are presented. These cells were also used for modeling the flight characteristics of UAV aircraft.« less

Development and Integration of a Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and a Wireless Sensor Network to Monitor Greenhouse Gases

PubMed Central

Malaver, Alexander; Motta, Nunzio; Corke, Peter; Gonzalez, Felipe

2015-01-01

Measuring gases for environmental monitoring is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation and large numbers of sensors. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) currently represent the best alternative to monitor large, remote, and difficult access areas, as these technologies have the possibility of carrying specialized gas sensing systems. This paper presents the development and integration of a WSN and an UAV powered by solar energy in order to enhance their functionality and broader their applications. A gas sensing system implementing nanostructured metal oxide (MOX) and non-dispersive infrared sensors was developed to measure concentrations of CH4 and CO2. Laboratory, bench and field testing results demonstrate the capability of UAV to capture, analyze and geo-locate a gas sample during flight operations. The field testing integrated ground sensor nodes and the UAV to measure CO2 concentration at ground and low aerial altitudes, simultaneously. Data collected during the mission was transmitted in real time to a central node for analysis and 3D mapping of the target gas. The results highlights the accomplishment of the first flight mission of a solar powered UAV equipped with a CO2 sensing system integrated with a WSN. The system provides an effective 3D monitoring and can be used in a wide range of environmental applications such as agriculture, bushfires, mining studies, zoology and botanical studies using a ubiquitous low cost technology. PMID:25679312

Development and integration of a solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle and a wireless sensor network to monitor greenhouse gases.

PubMed

Malaver, Alexander; Motta, Nunzio; Corke, Peter; Gonzalez, Felipe

2015-02-11

Measuring gases for environmental monitoring is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation and large numbers of sensors. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) currently represent the best alternative to monitor large, remote, and difficult access areas, as these technologies have the possibility of carrying specialized gas sensing systems. This paper presents the development and integration of a WSN and an UAV powered by solar energy in order to enhance their functionality and broader their applications. A gas sensing system implementing nanostructured metal oxide (MOX) and non-dispersive infrared sensors was developed to measure concentrations of CH4 and CO2. Laboratory, bench and field testing results demonstrate the capability of UAV to capture, analyze and geo-locate a gas sample during flight operations. The field testing integrated ground sensor nodes and the UAV to measure CO2 concentration at ground and low aerial altitudes, simultaneously. Data collected during the mission was transmitted in real time to a central node for analysis and 3D mapping of the target gas. The results highlights the accomplishment of the first flight mission of a solar powered UAV equipped with a CO2 sensing system integrated with a WSN. The system provides an effective 3D monitoring and can be used in a wide range of environmental applications such as agriculture, bushfires, mining studies, zoology and botanical studies using a ubiquitous low cost technology.

Data Acquisition (DAQ) system dedicated for remote sensing applications on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keleshis, C.; Ioannou, S.; Vrekoussis, M.; Levin, Z.; Lange, M. A.

2014-08-01

Continuous advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the increased complexity of their applications raise the demand for improved data acquisition systems (DAQ). These improvements may comprise low power consumption, low volume and weight, robustness, modularity and capability to interface with various sensors and peripherals while maintaining the high sampling rates and processing speeds. Such a system has been designed and developed and is currently integrated on the Autonomous Flying Platforms for Atmospheric and Earth Surface Observations (APAESO/NEA-YΠOΔOMH/NEKΠ/0308/09) however, it can be easily adapted to any UAV or any other mobile vehicle. The system consists of a single-board computer with a dual-core processor, rugged surface-mount memory and storage device, analog and digital input-output ports and many other peripherals that enhance its connectivity with various sensors, imagers and on-board devices. The system is powered by a high efficiency power supply board. Additional boards such as frame-grabbers, differential global positioning system (DGPS) satellite receivers, general packet radio service (3G-4G-GPRS) modems for communication redundancy have been interfaced to the core system and are used whenever there is a mission need. The onboard DAQ system can be preprogrammed for automatic data acquisition or it can be remotely operated during the flight from the ground control station (GCS) using a graphical user interface (GUI) which has been developed and will also be presented in this paper. The unique design of the GUI and the DAQ system enables the synchronized acquisition of a variety of scientific and UAV flight data in a single core location. The new DAQ system and the GUI have been successfully utilized in several scientific UAV missions. In conclusion, the novel DAQ system provides the UAV and the remote-sensing community with a new tool capable of reliably acquiring, processing, storing and transmitting data from any sensor integrated on an UAV.

Optimal design of UAV's pod shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Qun; Jia, Hong-guang

2011-08-01

In the modern war, UAV(unmanned aircraft system) plays a more and more important role in the army. UAVs always carry electrical-optical reconnaissance systems. These systems are used to accomplish the missions of observing and reconnaissance the battlefield. For traditional UAV, the shape of the pod on UAV is sphericity. In addition, the pod of UAV not only has the job of observing and reconnaissance the battlefield, but its shape also has impact on the UAV's drag when it flies in the air. In this paper, two different kinds of pod models are set up, one is the traditional sphericity model, the other is a new model. Unstructured grid is used on the flow field. Using CFD(computational fluid dynamic) method, the results of the drags of the different kinds of pod are got. The drag's relationship between the pod and the UAV is obtained by comparing the results of simulations. After analyzing the results we can get: when UAV flies at low speed(0.3Ma{0.7Ma), the drag's difference between the two kinds of pod is little, the pod's drag takes a small part of the UAV's whole drag which is only about 14%. At transonic speed(0.8Ma{1.2Ma), the drag's difference between these two kinds of pod is getting bigger and bigger along with the speed goes higher. The traditional pod's drag is 1/3 of the UAV's whole drag value, but for the new pod, it is only 1/5. At supersonic speed(1.3Ma{2.0Ma), the traditional pod's drag goes up rapidly, but the new kind of pod's drag goes up slowly. This makes the difference between the two kinds of UAVs' total drag comes greater. For example, at 2Ma, the total drag of new UAV is only 2/3 of the traditional UAV. These results show: when the UAV flies at low speed, these two kinds of pod have little difference in drag. But if it flies at supersonic speed, the pod has great impact on the UAV's total drag, so the designer of UAV's pod should pay more attention on the out shape.

Concept design of a disaster response unmanned aerial vehicle for India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vashi, Y.; Jai, U.; Atluri, R.; Sunjii, M.; Kashyap, Y.; Ashok, V.; Khilari, S.; Jain, K.; Aravind Raj, S.

2017-12-01

The Indian sub-continent experiences frequent flooding, earthquakes and landslides. During the times of peril, live surveillance of the disaster zone facilitates the disaster agencies in locating and aiding the affected people. For this reason, development of a micro unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be an optimal solution. This article provides a conceptualization of a UAV model that meets the need of the country. A comparison of different aircraft components and their optimization and sensitivity analyses are presented. In the end, this research produces a preliminary design of UAV that can accomplish surveillance and payload dropping missions in disaster affected areas.

A Technology Analysis to Support Acquisition of UAVs for Gulf Coalition Forces Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

their selection of the most suitable and cost-effective unmanned aerial vehicles to support detection operations. This study uses Map Aware Non ...being detected by Gulf Coalition Forces and improved time to detect them, support the use of UAVs in detection missions. Computer experimentations and...aerial vehicles to support detection operations. We use Map Aware Non - Uniform Automata, an agent-based simulation software platform, for the

Guidance and Control of an Autonomous Soaring Vehicle with Flight Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Michael J.

2007-01-01

A guidance and control method was developed to detect and exploit thermals for energy gain. Latency in energy rate estimation degraded performance. The concept of a UAV harvesting energy from the atmosphere has been shown to be feasible with existing technology. Many UAVs have similar mission constraints to birds and sailplanes. a) Surveillance; b) Point to point flight with minimal energy; and c) Increased ground speed.

Use of the RoboFlag synthetic task environment to investigate workload and stress responses in UAV operation.

PubMed

Guznov, Svyatoslav; Matthews, Gerald; Funke, Gregory; Dukes, Allen

2011-09-01

Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is an increasingly important element of military missions. However, controlling UAVs may impose high stress and workload on the operator. This study evaluated the use of the RoboFlag simulated environment as a means for profiling multiple dimensions of stress and workload response to a task requiring control of multiple vehicles (robots). It tested the effects of two workload manipulations, environmental uncertainty (i.e., UAV's visual view area) and maneuverability, in 64 participants. The findings confirmed that the task produced substantial workload and elevated distress. Dissociations between the stress and performance effects of the manipulations confirmed the utility of a multivariate approach to assessment. Contrary to expectations, distress and some aspects of workload were highest in the low-uncertainty condition, suggesting that overload of information may be an issue for UAV interface designers. The strengths and limitations of RoboFlag as a methodology for investigating stress and workload responses are discussed.

Real-time UAV trajectory generation using feature points matching between video image sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, Younggi; Song, Jeongheon; Han, Dongyeob

2017-09-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), equipped with navigation systems and video capability, are currently being deployed for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance mission. In this paper, we present a systematic approach for the generation of UAV trajectory using a video image matching system based on SURF (Speeded up Robust Feature) and Preemptive RANSAC (Random Sample Consensus). Video image matching to find matching points is one of the most important steps for the accurate generation of UAV trajectory (sequence of poses in 3D space). We used the SURF algorithm to find the matching points between video image sequences, and removed mismatching by using the Preemptive RANSAC which divides all matching points to outliers and inliers. The inliers are only used to determine the epipolar geometry for estimating the relative pose (rotation and translation) between image sequences. Experimental results from simulated video image sequences showed that our approach has a good potential to be applied to the automatic geo-localization of the UAVs system

Computational analysis of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abudarag, Sakhr; Yagoub, Rashid; Elfatih, Hassan; Filipovic, Zoran

2017-01-01

A computational analysis has been performed to verify the aerodynamics properties of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The UAV-SUST has been designed and fabricated at the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at Sudan University of Science and Technology in order to meet the specifications required for surveillance and reconnaissance mission. It is classified as a medium range and medium endurance UAV. A commercial CFD solver is used to simulate steady and unsteady aerodynamics characteristics of the entire UAV. In addition to Lift Coefficient (CL), Drag Coefficient (CD), Pitching Moment Coefficient (CM) and Yawing Moment Coefficient (CN), the pressure and velocity contours are illustrated. The aerodynamics parameters are represented a very good agreement with the design consideration at angle of attack ranging from zero to 26 degrees. Moreover, the visualization of the velocity field and static pressure contours is indicated a satisfactory agreement with the proposed design. The turbulence is predicted by enhancing K-ω SST turbulence model within the computational fluid dynamics code.

An Evaluation of Protocols for UAV Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivancic, William D.; Stewart, David E.; Sullivan, Donald V.; Finch, Patrick E.

2012-01-01

This paper identifies data transport needs for current and future science payloads deployed on the NASA Global Hawk Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicle (UAV). The NASA Global Hawk communication system and operational constrains are presented. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) mission is used to provide the baseline communication requirements as a variety of payloads were utilized in this mission. User needs and desires are addressed. Protocols are matched to the payload needs and an evaluation of various techniques and tradeoffs are presented. Such techniques include utilization rate-base selective negative acknowledgement protocols and possible use of protocol enhancing proxies. Tradeoffs of communication architectures that address ease-of-use and security considerations are also presented.

Towards Autonomous Modular UAV Missions: The Detection, Geo-Location and Landing Paradigm

PubMed Central

Kyristsis, Sarantis; Antonopoulos, Angelos; Chanialakis, Theofilos; Stefanakis, Emmanouel; Linardos, Christos; Tripolitsiotis, Achilles; Partsinevelos, Panagiotis

2016-01-01

Nowadays, various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications become increasingly demanding since they require real-time, autonomous and intelligent functions. Towards this end, in the present study, a fully autonomous UAV scenario is implemented, including the tasks of area scanning, target recognition, geo-location, monitoring, following and finally landing on a high speed moving platform. The underlying methodology includes AprilTag target identification through Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) parallelized processing, image processing and several optimized locations and approach algorithms employing gimbal movement, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) readings and UAV navigation. For the experimentation, a commercial and a custom made quad-copter prototype were used, portraying a high and a low-computational embedded platform alternative. Among the successful targeting and follow procedures, it is shown that the landing approach can be successfully performed even under high platform speeds. PMID:27827883

Towards Autonomous Modular UAV Missions: The Detection, Geo-Location and Landing Paradigm.

PubMed

Kyristsis, Sarantis; Antonopoulos, Angelos; Chanialakis, Theofilos; Stefanakis, Emmanouel; Linardos, Christos; Tripolitsiotis, Achilles; Partsinevelos, Panagiotis

2016-11-03

Nowadays, various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications become increasingly demanding since they require real-time, autonomous and intelligent functions. Towards this end, in the present study, a fully autonomous UAV scenario is implemented, including the tasks of area scanning, target recognition, geo-location, monitoring, following and finally landing on a high speed moving platform. The underlying methodology includes AprilTag target identification through Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) parallelized processing, image processing and several optimized locations and approach algorithms employing gimbal movement, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) readings and UAV navigation. For the experimentation, a commercial and a custom made quad-copter prototype were used, portraying a high and a low-computational embedded platform alternative. Among the successful targeting and follow procedures, it is shown that the landing approach can be successfully performed even under high platform speeds.

Visual signature reduction of unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Z. W.; Ma, Z. X.; Jayawijayaningtiyas; Ngoh, J. H. H.

2016-10-01

With the emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in multiple tactical defence missions, there was a need for an efficient visual signature suppression system for a more efficient stealth operation. One of our studies experimentally investigated the visual signature reduction of UAVs achieved through an active camouflage system. A prototype was constructed with newly developed operating software, Cloak, to provide active camouflage to the UAV model. The reduction of visual signature was analysed. Tests of the devices mounted on UAVs were conducted in another study. A series of experiments involved testing of the concept as well as the prototype. The experiments were conducted both in the laboratory and under normal environmental conditions. Results showed certain degrees of blending with the sky to create a camouflage effect. A mini-UAV made mostly out of transparent plastic was also designed and fabricated. Because of the transparency of the plastic material, the visibility of this UAV in the air is very small, and therefore the UAV is difficult to be detected. After re-designs and tests, eventually a practical system to reduce the visibility of UAVs viewed by human observers from the ground was developed. The system was evaluated during various outdoor tests. The scene target-to-background lightness contrast and the scene target-to-background colour contrast of the adaptive control system prototype were smaller than 10% at a stand-off viewing distance of 20-50 m.

Calibration and Extension of a Discrete Event Operations Simulation Modeling Multiple Un-Manned Aerial Vehicles Controlled by a Single Operator

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

within systems of UAVs and between UAVs and the operators that use them. The next step for small UAVs in this direction is for one operator to be able...Team’s testing efforts, both in the planning and execution stages. The flight tests would never have taken place without the tremendous assistance...1 1.2 Unmanned Aerial Systems

Solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reinhardt, K.C.; Lamp, T.R.; Geis, J.W.

1996-12-31

An analysis was performed to determine the impact of various power system components and mission requirements on the size of solar-powered high altitude long endurance (HALE)-type aircraft. The HALE unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has good potential for use in many military and civil applications. The primary power system components considered in this study were photovoltaic (PV) modules for power generation and regenerative fuel cells for energy storage. The impact of relevant component performance on UAV size and capability were considered; including PV module efficiency and mass, power electronics efficiency, and fuel cell specific energy. Mission parameters such as time ofmore » year, flight altitude, flight latitude, and payload mass and power were also varied to determine impact on UAV size. The aircraft analysis method used determines the required aircraft wing aspect ratio, wing area, and total mass based on maximum endurance or minimum required power calculations. The results indicate that the capacity of the energy storage system employed, fuel cells in this analysis, greatly impacts aircraft size, whereas the impact of PV module efficiency and mass is much less important. It was concluded that an energy storage specific energy (total system) of 250--500 Whr/kg is required to enable most useful missions, and that PV cells with efficiencies greater than {approximately} 12% are suitable for use.« less

Tropical Cyclone Reconnaissance Over the Western North Pacific with the Global Hawk: Operational Requirements, Benefits, and Feasibility

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Science mission conducted using the Global Hawk. Ten specialized instruments were installed on the aircraft to explore the upper troposphere and...shorelines and evaluate the potential for marine enforcement surveillance. The HALE UAV used in situ measurements of gases such as ozone , halocarbons...at altitudes of 65000 ft measurements may be obtained through the entire depth of the troposphere . Like many UAVs mentioned previously, the Global

NASA UAV Airborne Science Capabilities in Support of Water Resource Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fladeland, Matthew

2015-01-01

This workshop presentation focuses on potential uses of unmanned aircraft observations in support of water resource management and agriculture. The presentation will provide an overview of NASA Airborne Science capabilities with an emphasis on past UAV missions to provide context on accomplishments as well as technical challenges. I will also focus on recent NASA Ames efforts to assist in irrigation management and invasive species management using airborne and satellite datasets.

Extending the Endurance, Missions and Capabilities of Most UAVs Using Advanced Flexible/Ridged Solar Cells and New High Power Density Batteries Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

68 3. Photovoltaic Effect ..........................69 4. Factors Affecting Cell Efficiency ............69 D. THIN-FILM...resistance. (After [3])...........................................120  xvi Table 21.  Average battery capacity (AH) and battery energy capacity (WH...which is directly limited by the on-board battery capacity . The other key drawbacks are the weight and size of the mini- xviii UAV, which restrict the

Development of a Low-Cost UAV Doppler Radar Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knuble, Joseph; Li, Lihua; Heymsfield, Gerry

2005-01-01

A viewgraph presentation on the design of a low cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) doppler radar data system is presented. The topics include: 1) Science and Mission Background; 2) Radar Requirements and Specs; 3) Radar Realization: RF System; 4) Processing of RF Signal; 5) Data System Design Process; 6) Can We Remove the DSP? 7) Determining Approximate Speed Requirements; 8) Radar Realization: Data System; 9) Data System Operation; and 10) Results.

On parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system for unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, J. Y.; Gonzalez, L. F.

2012-05-01

This paper presents a review of existing and current developments and the analysis of Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems (HEPS) for small fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Efficient energy utilisation on an UAV is essential to its functioning, often to achieve the operational goals of range, endurance and other specific mission requirements. Due to the limitations of the space available and the mass budget on the UAV, it is often a delicate balance between the onboard energy available (i.e. fuel) and achieving the operational goals. One technology with potential in this area is with the use of HEPS. In this paper, information on the state-of-art technology in this field of research is provided. A description and simulation of a parallel HEPS for a small fixed-wing UAV by incorporating an Ideal Operating Line (IOL) control strategy is described. Simulation models of the components in a HEPS were designed in the MATLAB Simulink environment. An IOL analysis of an UAV piston engine was used to determine the most efficient points of operation for this engine. The results show that an UAV equipped with this HEPS configuration is capable of achieving a fuel saving of 6.5%, compared to the engine-only configuration.

Differential-Evolution Control Parameter Optimization for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Path Planning

PubMed Central

Kok, Kai Yit; Rajendran, Parvathy

2016-01-01

The differential evolution algorithm has been widely applied on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) path planning. At present, four random tuning parameters exist for differential evolution algorithm, namely, population size, differential weight, crossover, and generation number. These tuning parameters are required, together with user setting on path and computational cost weightage. However, the optimum settings of these tuning parameters vary according to application. Instead of trial and error, this paper presents an optimization method of differential evolution algorithm for tuning the parameters of UAV path planning. The parameters that this research focuses on are population size, differential weight, crossover, and generation number. The developed algorithm enables the user to simply define the weightage desired between the path and computational cost to converge with the minimum generation required based on user requirement. In conclusion, the proposed optimization of tuning parameters in differential evolution algorithm for UAV path planning expedites and improves the final output path and computational cost. PMID:26943630

Scanning Rocket Impact Area with an UAV: First Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, C. C. C.; Costa, D. A. L. M.; Junior, V. L. S.; Silva, B. R. F.; Leite, D. L.; Junor, C. E. B. S.; Liberator, B. A.; Nogueira, M. B.; Senna, M. D.; Santiago, G. S.; Dantas, J. B. D.; Alsina, P. J.; Albuquerque, G. L. A.

2015-09-01

This paper presents the first subsystems developed for an UAV used in safety procedures of sounding rockets campaigns. The aim of this UAV is to scan the rocket impact area in order to search for unexpected boats. To achieve this mission, designers developed an image recognition algorithm, two human-machine interfaces and two communication links, one to control the drone and the other for receiving telemetry data. In this paper, developers take all major engineering decisions in order to overcome the project constraints. A secondary goal of the project is to encourage young people to take part in Brazilian space program. For this reason, most of designers are undergraduate students under supervision of experts.

A Camera-Based Target Detection and Positioning UAV System for Search and Rescue (SAR) Purposes

PubMed Central

Sun, Jingxuan; Li, Boyang; Jiang, Yifan; Wen, Chih-yung

2016-01-01

Wilderness search and rescue entails performing a wide-range of work in complex environments and large regions. Given the concerns inherent in large regions due to limited rescue distribution, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based frameworks are a promising platform for providing aerial imaging. In recent years, technological advances in areas such as micro-technology, sensors and navigation have influenced the various applications of UAVs. In this study, an all-in-one camera-based target detection and positioning system is developed and integrated into a fully autonomous fixed-wing UAV. The system presented in this paper is capable of on-board, real-time target identification, post-target identification and location and aerial image collection for further mapping applications. Its performance is examined using several simulated search and rescue missions, and the test results demonstrate its reliability and efficiency. PMID:27792156

GPS Remote Sensing Measurements Using Aerosonde UAV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, Michael S.; Katzberg, Stephen J.; Lawrence, R. W.

2005-01-01

In February 2004, a NASA-Langley GPS Remote Sensor (GPSRS) unit was flown on an Aerosonde unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia. Using direct and surface-reflected 1.575 GHz coarse acquisition (C/A) coded GPS signals, remote sensing measurements were obtained over land and portions of open water. The strength of the surface-reflected GPS signal is proportional to the amount of moisture in the surface, and is also influenced by surface roughness. Amplitude and other characteristics of the reflected signal allow an estimate of wind speed over open water. In this paper we provide a synopsis of the instrument accommodation requirements, installation procedures, and preliminary results from what is likely the first-ever flight of a GPS remote sensing instrument on a UAV. The correct operation of the GPSRS unit on this flight indicates that Aerosonde-like UAV's can serve as platforms for future GPS remote sensing science missions.

A Camera-Based Target Detection and Positioning UAV System for Search and Rescue (SAR) Purposes.

PubMed

Sun, Jingxuan; Li, Boyang; Jiang, Yifan; Wen, Chih-Yung

2016-10-25

Wilderness search and rescue entails performing a wide-range of work in complex environments and large regions. Given the concerns inherent in large regions due to limited rescue distribution, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based frameworks are a promising platform for providing aerial imaging. In recent years, technological advances in areas such as micro-technology, sensors and navigation have influenced the various applications of UAVs. In this study, an all-in-one camera-based target detection and positioning system is developed and integrated into a fully autonomous fixed-wing UAV. The system presented in this paper is capable of on-board, real-time target identification, post-target identification and location and aerial image collection for further mapping applications. Its performance is examined using several simulated search and rescue missions, and the test results demonstrate its reliability and efficiency.

Fault detection and multiclassifier fusion for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Weizhong

2001-03-01

UAVs demand more accurate fault accommodation for their mission manager and vehicle control system in order to achieve a reliability level that is comparable to that of a pilot aircraft. This paper attempts to apply multi-classifier fusion techniques to achieve the necessary performance of the fault detection function for the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (LMSW) UAV Mission Manager. Three different classifiers that meet the design requirements of the fault detection of the UAAV are employed. The binary decision outputs from the classifiers are then aggregated using three different classifier fusion schemes, namely, majority vote, weighted majority vote, and Naieve Bayes combination. All of the three schemes are simple and need no retraining. The three fusion schemes (except the majority vote that gives an average performance of the three classifiers) show the classification performance that is better than or equal to that of the best individual. The unavoidable correlation between the classifiers with binary outputs is observed in this study. We conclude that it is the correlation between the classifiers that limits the fusion schemes to achieve an even better performance.

Visual navigation of the UAVs on the basis of 3D natural landmarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpenko, Simon; Konovalenko, Ivan; Miller, Alexander; Miller, Boris; Nikolaev, Dmitry

2015-12-01

This work considers the tracking of the UAV (unmanned aviation vehicle) on the basis of onboard observations of natural landmarks including azimuth and elevation angles. It is assumed that UAV's cameras are able to capture the angular position of reference points and to measure the angles of the sight line. Such measurements involve the real position of UAV in implicit form, and therefore some of nonlinear filters such as Extended Kalman filter (EKF) or others must be used in order to implement these measurements for UAV control. Recently it was shown that modified pseudomeasurement method may be used to control UAV on the basis of the observation of reference points assigned along the UAV path in advance. However, the use of such set of points needs the cumbersome recognition procedure with the huge volume of on-board memory. The natural landmarks serving as such reference points which may be determined on-line can significantly reduce the on-board memory and the computational difficulties. The principal difference of this work is the usage of the 3D reference points coordinates which permits to determine the position of the UAV more precisely and thereby to guide along the path with higher accuracy which is extremely important for successful performance of the autonomous missions. The article suggests the new RANSAC for ISOMETRY algorithm and the use of recently developed estimation and control algorithms for tracking of given reference path under external perturbation and noised angular measurements.

Research on fast algorithm of small UAV navigation in non-linear matrix reductionism method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao; Fang, Jiancheng; Sheng, Wei; Cao, Juanjuan

2008-10-01

The low Reynolds numbers of small UAV will result in unfavorable aerodynamic conditions to support controlled flight. And as operated near ground, the small UAV will be affected seriously by low-frequency interference caused by atmospheric disturbance. Therefore, the GNC system needs high frequency of attitude estimation and control to realize the steady of the UAV. In company with the dimensional of small UAV dwindling away, its GNC system is more and more taken embedded designing technology to reach the purpose of compactness, light weight and low power consumption. At the same time, the operational capability of GNC system also gets limit in a certain extent. Therefore, a kind of high speed navigation algorithm design becomes the imminence demand of GNC system. Aiming at such requirement, a kind of non-linearity matrix reduction approach is adopted in this paper to create a new high speed navigation algorithm which holds the radius of meridian circle and prime vertical circle as constant and linearizes the position matrix calculation formulae of navigation equation. Compared with normal navigation algorithm, this high speed navigation algorithm decreases 17.3% operand. Within small UAV"s mission radius (20km), the accuracy of position error is less than 0.13m. The results of semi-physical experiments and small UAV's auto pilot testing proved that this algorithm can realize high frequency attitude estimation and control. It will avoid low-frequency interference caused by atmospheric disturbance properly.

An Intuitive Graphical User Interface for Small UAS

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

reduced from two to one . The stock displays, including video with text overlay on one and FalconView on the other, are replaced with a single, graphics...INTRODUCTION Tactical UAVs such as the Raven, Puma and Wasp are often used by dismounted warfighters on missions that require a high degree of mobility by...the operators on the ground. The current ground control stations (GCS) for the Wasp, Raven and Puma tactical UAVs require two people and two user

Robust Satisficing Decision Making for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Complex Missions under Severe Uncertainty

PubMed Central

Ji, Xiaoting; Niu, Yifeng; Shen, Lincheng

2016-01-01

This paper presents a robust satisficing decision-making method for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) executing complex missions in an uncertain environment. Motivated by the info-gap decision theory, we formulate this problem as a novel robust satisficing optimization problem, of which the objective is to maximize the robustness while satisfying some desired mission requirements. Specifically, a new info-gap based Markov Decision Process (IMDP) is constructed to abstract the uncertain UAV system and specify the complex mission requirements with the Linear Temporal Logic (LTL). A robust satisficing policy is obtained to maximize the robustness to the uncertain IMDP while ensuring a desired probability of satisfying the LTL specifications. To this end, we propose a two-stage robust satisficing solution strategy which consists of the construction of a product IMDP and the generation of a robust satisficing policy. In the first stage, a product IMDP is constructed by combining the IMDP with an automaton representing the LTL specifications. In the second, an algorithm based on robust dynamic programming is proposed to generate a robust satisficing policy, while an associated robustness evaluation algorithm is presented to evaluate the robustness. Finally, through Monte Carlo simulation, the effectiveness of our algorithms is demonstrated on an UAV search mission under severe uncertainty so that the resulting policy can maximize the robustness while reaching the desired performance level. Furthermore, by comparing the proposed method with other robust decision-making methods, it can be concluded that our policy can tolerate higher uncertainty so that the desired performance level can be guaranteed, which indicates that the proposed method is much more effective in real applications. PMID:27835670

Robust Satisficing Decision Making for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Complex Missions under Severe Uncertainty.

PubMed

Ji, Xiaoting; Niu, Yifeng; Shen, Lincheng

2016-01-01

This paper presents a robust satisficing decision-making method for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) executing complex missions in an uncertain environment. Motivated by the info-gap decision theory, we formulate this problem as a novel robust satisficing optimization problem, of which the objective is to maximize the robustness while satisfying some desired mission requirements. Specifically, a new info-gap based Markov Decision Process (IMDP) is constructed to abstract the uncertain UAV system and specify the complex mission requirements with the Linear Temporal Logic (LTL). A robust satisficing policy is obtained to maximize the robustness to the uncertain IMDP while ensuring a desired probability of satisfying the LTL specifications. To this end, we propose a two-stage robust satisficing solution strategy which consists of the construction of a product IMDP and the generation of a robust satisficing policy. In the first stage, a product IMDP is constructed by combining the IMDP with an automaton representing the LTL specifications. In the second, an algorithm based on robust dynamic programming is proposed to generate a robust satisficing policy, while an associated robustness evaluation algorithm is presented to evaluate the robustness. Finally, through Monte Carlo simulation, the effectiveness of our algorithms is demonstrated on an UAV search mission under severe uncertainty so that the resulting policy can maximize the robustness while reaching the desired performance level. Furthermore, by comparing the proposed method with other robust decision-making methods, it can be concluded that our policy can tolerate higher uncertainty so that the desired performance level can be guaranteed, which indicates that the proposed method is much more effective in real applications.

Performance Characterization of a Lithium-ion Gel Polymer Battery Power Supply System for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha M.; Manzo, Michelle A.; Logan, Michael J.

2004-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are currently under development for NASA missions, earth sciences, aeronautics, the military, and commercial applications. The design of an all electric power and propulsion system for small UAVs was the focus of a detailed study. Currently, many of these small vehicles are powered by primary (nonrechargeable) lithium-based batteries. While this type of battery is capable of satisfying some of the mission needs, a secondary (rechargeable) battery power supply system that can provide the same functionality as the current system at the same or lower system mass and volume is desired. A study of commercially available secondary battery cell technologies that could provide the desired performance characteristics was performed. Due to the strict mass limitations and wide operating temperature requirements of small UAVs, the only viable cell chemistries were determined to be lithium-ion liquid electrolyte systems and lithium-ion gel polymer electrolyte systems. Two lithium-ion gel polymer cell designs were selected as candidates and were tested using potential load profiles for UAV applications. Because lithium primary batteries have a higher specific energy and energy density, for the same mass and volume allocation, the secondary batteries resulted in shorter flight times than the primary batteries typically provide. When the batteries were operated at lower ambient temperatures (0 to -20 C), flight times were even further reduced. Despite the reduced flight times demonstrated, for certain UAV applications, the secondary batteries operated within the acceptable range of flight times at room temperature and above. The results of this testing indicate that a secondary battery power supply system can provide some benefits over the primary battery power supply system. A UAV can be operated for hundreds of flights using a secondary battery power supply system that provides the combined benefits of rechargeability and an inherently safer chemistry.

Advanced Broadband Links for TIER III UAV Data Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griethe, Wolfgang; Gregory, Mark; Heine, Frank; Kampfner, Hartmut

2011-08-01

Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicle (UAV) are getting more and more importance because of their prominent role as national reconnaissance systems, for disaster monitoring, and environmental mapping. However, the existence of reliable and robust data links are indispensable for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) missions. In particular for Beyond Line-Of-Sight operations (BLOS) of Tier III UAVs, satellite data links are a key element since extensive sensor data have to be transmitted preferably in real-time or near real-time.The paper demonstrates that the continuously increasing number of UAS and the intensified use of high resolution sensors will reveal RF-bandwidth as a limitating factor in the communication chain of Tier III UAVs. The RF-bandwidth gap can be partly closed by use of high-order modulation, of course, but much more progress in terms of bandwidth allocation can be achieved by using optical transmission technology. Consequently, the paper underlines that meanwhile this technology has been sufficiently verified in space, and shows that optical links are suited as well for broadband communications of Tier III UAVs. Moreover, the advantages of LaserCom in UAV scenarios and its importance for Network Centric Warfare (NCW) as well as for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligens, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) are emphasized. Numerous practical topics and design requirements, relevant for the establishment of optical links onboard of Tier III UAVs, are discussed.

Development of a GPS/INS/MAG navigation system and waypoint navigator for a VTOL UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meister, Oliver; Mönikes, Ralf; Wendel, Jan; Frietsch, Natalie; Schlaile, Christian; Trommer, Gert F.

2007-04-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) can be used for versatile surveillance and reconnaissance missions. If a UAV is capable of flying automatically on a predefined path the range of possible applications is widened significantly. This paper addresses the development of the integrated GPS/INS/MAG navigation system and a waypoint navigator for a small vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned four-rotor helicopter with a take-off weight below 1 kg. The core of the navigation system consists of low cost inertial sensors which are continuously aided with GPS, magnetometer compass, and a barometric height information. Due to the fact, that the yaw angle becomes unobservable during hovering flight, the integration with a magnetic compass is mandatory. This integration must be robust with respect to errors caused by the terrestrial magnetic field deviation and interferences from surrounding electronic devices as well as ferrite metals. The described integration concept with a Kalman filter overcomes the problem that erroneous magnetic measurements yield to an attitude error in the roll and pitch axis. The algorithm provides long-term stable navigation information even during GPS outages which is mandatory for the flight control of the UAV. In the second part of the paper the guidance algorithms are discussed in detail. These algorithms allow the UAV to operate in a semi-autonomous mode position hold as well an complete autonomous waypoint mode. In the position hold mode the helicopter maintains its position regardless of wind disturbances which ease the pilot job during hold-and-stare missions. The autonomous waypoint navigator enable the flight outside the range of vision and beyond the range of the radio link. Flight test results of the implemented modes of operation are shown.

Photovoltaic electric power applied to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geis, Jack; Arnold, Jack H.

1994-01-01

Photovoltaic electric-powered flight is receiving a great deal of attention in the context of the United States' Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program. This paper addresses some of the enabling technical areas and their potential solutions. Of particular interest are the long-duration, high-altitude class of UAV's whose mission it is to achieve altitudes between 60,000 and 100,000 feet, and to remain at those altitudes for prolonged periods performing various mapping and surveillance activities. Addressed herein are studies which reveal the need for extremely light-weight and efficient solar cells, high-efficiency electric motor-driven propeller modules, and power management and distribution control elements. Since the potential payloads vary dramatically in their power consumption and duty cycles, a typical load profile has been selected to provide commonality for the propulsion power comparisons. Since missions vary widely with respect to ground coverage requirements, from repeated orbiting over a localized target to long-distance routes over irregular terrain, we have also averaged the power requirements for on-board guidance and control power, as well as ground control and communication link utilization. In the context of the national technology reinvestment program, wherever possible we modeled components and materials which have been qualified for space and defense applications, yet are compatible with civilian UAV activities. These include, but are not limited to, solar cell developments, electric storage technology for diurnal operation, local and ground communications, power management and distribution, and control servo design. And finally, the results of tests conducted by Wright Laboratory on ultralight, highly efficient MOCVD GaAs solar cells purchased from EPI Materials Ltd. (EML) of the UK are presented. These cells were also used for modeling the flight characteristics of UAV aircraft.

Photovoltaic electric power applied to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geis, Jack; Arnold, Jack H.

1994-09-01

Photovoltaic electric-powered flight is receiving a great deal of attention in the context of the United States' Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program. This paper addresses some of the enabling technical areas and their potential solutions. Of particular interest are the long-duration, high-altitude class of UAV's whose mission it is to achieve altitudes between 60,000 and 100,000 feet, and to remain at those altitudes for prolonged periods performing various mapping and surveillance activities. Addressed herein are studies which reveal the need for extremely light-weight and efficient solar cells, high-efficiency electric motor-driven propeller modules, and power management and distribution control elements. Since the potential payloads vary dramatically in their power consumption and duty cycles, a typical load profile has been selected to provide commonality for the propulsion power comparisons. Since missions vary widely with respect to ground coverage requirements, from repeated orbiting over a localized target to long-distance routes over irregular terrain, we have also averaged the power requirements for on-board guidance and control power, as well as ground control and communication link utilization. In the context of the national technology reinvestment program, wherever possible we modeled components and materials which have been qualified for space and defense applications, yet are compatible with civilian UAV activities. These include, but are not limited to, solar cell developments, electric storage technology for diurnal operation, local and ground communications, power management and distribution, and control servo design. And finally, the results of tests conducted by Wright Laboratory on ultralight, highly efficient MOCVD GaAs solar cells purchased from EPI Materials Ltd. (EML) of the UK are presented. These cells were also used for modeling the flight characteristics of UAV aircraft.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Dynamic-Tracking Directional Wireless Antennas for Low Powered Applications that Require Reliable Extended Range Operations in Time Critical Scenarios

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scott G. Bauer; Matthew O. Anderson; James R. Hanneman

2005-10-01

The proven value of DOD Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will ultimately transition to National and Homeland Security missions that require real-time aerial surveillance, situation awareness, force protection, and sensor placement. Public services first responders who routinely risk personal safety to assess and report a situation for emergency actions will likely be the first to benefit from these new unmanned technologies. ‘Packable’ or ‘Portable’ small class UAVs will be particularly useful to the first responder. They require the least amount of training, no fixed infrastructure, and are capable of being launched and recovered from the point of emergency. All UAVs requiremore » wireless communication technologies for real- time applications. Typically on a small UAV, a low bandwidth telemetry link is required for command and control (C2), and systems health monitoring. If the UAV is equipped with a real-time Electro-Optical or Infrared (EO/Ir) video camera payload, a dedicated high bandwidth analog/digital link is usually required for reliable high-resolution imagery. In most cases, both the wireless telemetry and real-time video links will be integrated into the UAV with unity gain omni-directional antennas. With limited on-board power and payload capacity, a small UAV will be limited with the amount of radio-frequency (RF) energy it transmits to the users. Therefore, ‘packable’ and ‘portable’ UAVs will have limited useful operational ranges for first responders. This paper will discuss the limitations of small UAV wireless communications. The discussion will present an approach of utilizing a dynamic ground based real-time tracking high gain directional antenna to provide extend range stand-off operation, potential RF channel reuse, and assured telemetry and data communications from low-powered UAV deployed wireless assets.« less

Video change detection for fixed wing UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartelsen, Jan; Müller, Thomas; Ring, Jochen; Mück, Klaus; Brüstle, Stefan; Erdnüß, Bastian; Lutz, Bastian; Herbst, Theresa

2017-10-01

In this paper we proceed the work of Bartelsen et al.1 We present the draft of a process chain for an image based change detection which is designed for videos acquired by fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). From our point of view, automatic video change detection for aerial images can be useful to recognize functional activities which are typically caused by the deployment of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), e.g. excavations, skid marks, footprints, left-behind tooling equipment, and marker stones. Furthermore, in case of natural disasters, like flooding, imminent danger can be recognized quickly. Due to the necessary flight range, we concentrate on fixed wing UAVs. Automatic change detection can be reduced to a comparatively simple photogrammetric problem when the perspective change between the "before" and "after" image sets is kept as small as possible. Therefore, the aerial image acquisition demands a mission planning with a clear purpose including flight path and sensor configuration. While the latter can be enabled simply by a fixed and meaningful adjustment of the camera, ensuring a small perspective change for "before" and "after" videos acquired by fixed wing UAVs is a challenging problem. Concerning this matter, we have performed tests with an advanced commercial off the shelf (COTS) system which comprises a differential GPS and autopilot system estimating the repetition accuracy of its trajectory. Although several similar approaches have been presented,23 as far as we are able to judge, the limits for this important issue are not estimated so far. Furthermore, we design a process chain to enable the practical utilization of video change detection. It consists of a front-end of a database to handle large amounts of video data, an image processing and change detection implementation, and the visualization of the results. We apply our process chain on the real video data acquired by the advanced COTS fixed wing UAV and synthetic data. For the image processing and change detection, we use the approach of Muller.4 Although it was developed for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), it enables a near real time video change detection for aerial videos. Concluding, we discuss the demands on sensor systems in the matter of change detection.

An Evidence Theoretic Approach to Design of Reliable Low-Cost UAVs

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-28

given period. For complex systems with various stages of missions, “ success ” becomes hard to define. For a UAV, for example, is success defined as...For this reason, the proposed methods in this thesis investigate probability of failure (PoF ) rather than probability of success . Further, failure will...reduction in system PoF . Figure 25 illustrates this; a single component 43 (A) from the original system (Figure 25a) is modified to act in a subsystem with

Visualization of Air Particle Dynamics in an Engine Inertial Particle Separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Jason; Zhang, Wei

2015-11-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are regularly deployed around the world in support of military, civilian and humanitarian efforts. Due to their unique mission profiles, these advanced UAVs utilize various internal combustion engines, which consume large quantities of air. Operating these UAVs in areas with high concentrations of sand and dust can be hazardous to the engines, especially during takeoff and landing. In such events, engine intake filters quickly become saturated and clogged with dust particles, causing a substantial decrease in the UAVs' engine performance and service life. Development of an Engine Air Particle Separator (EAPS) with high particle separation efficiency is necessary for maintaining satisfactory performance of the UAVs. Inertial Particle Separators (IPS) have been one common effective method but they experience complex internal particle-laden flows that are challenging to understand and model. This research employs an IPS test rig to simulate dust particle separation under different flow conditions. Soda lime glass spheres with a mean diameter of 35-45 microns are used in experiments as a surrogate for airborne particulates encountered during flight. We will present measurements of turbulent flow and particle dynamics using flow visualization techniques to understand the multiphase fluid dynamics in the IPS device. This knowledge can contribute to design better performing IPS systems for UAVs. Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44115.

Development and Testing of a Two-UAV Communication Relay System.

PubMed

Li, Boyang; Jiang, Yifan; Sun, Jingxuan; Cai, Lingfeng; Wen, Chih-Yung

2016-10-13

In the development of beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems, communication between the UAVs and the ground control station (GCS) is of critical importance. The commonly used economical wireless modules are restricted by the short communication range and are easily blocked by obstacles. The use of a communication relay system provides a practical way to solve these problems, improving the performance of UAV communication in BLOS and cross-obstacle operations. In this study, a communication relay system, in which a quadrotor was used to relay radio communication for another quadrotor was developed and tested. First, the UAVs used as the airborne platform were constructed, and the hardware for the communication relay system was selected and built up. Second, a set of software programs and protocol for autonomous mission control, communication relay control, and ground control were developed. Finally, the system was fully integrated into the airborne platform and tested both indoor and in-flight. The Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) and noise value in two typical application scenarios were recorded. The test results demonstrated the ability of this system to extend the communication range and build communication over obstacles. This system also shows the feasibility to coordinate multiple UAVs' communication with the same relay structure.

Consensus-based distributed estimation in multi-agent systems with time delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelmawgoud, Ahmed

During the last years, research in the field of cooperative control of swarm of robots, especially Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV); have been improved due to the increase of UAV applications. The ability to track targets using UAVs has a wide range of applications not only civilian but also military as well. For civilian applications, UAVs can perform tasks including, but not limited to: map an unknown area, weather forecasting, land survey, and search and rescue missions. On the other hand, for military personnel, UAV can track and locate a variety of objects, including the movement of enemy vehicles. Consensus problems arise in a number of applications including coordination of UAVs, information processing in wireless sensor networks, and distributed multi-agent optimization. We consider a widely studied consensus algorithms for processing sensed data by different sensors in wireless sensor networks of dynamic agents. Every agent involved in the network forms a weighted average of its own estimated value of some state with the values received from its neighboring agents. We introduced a novelty of consensus-based distributed estimation algorithms. We propose a new algorithm to reach a consensus given time delay constraints. The proposed algorithm performance was observed in a scenario where a swarm of UAVs measuring the location of a ground maneuvering target. We assume that each UAV computes its state prediction and shares it with its neighbors only. However, the shared information applied to different agents with variant time delays. The entire group of UAVs must reach a consensus on target state. Different scenarios were also simulated to examine the effectiveness and performance in terms of overall estimation error, disagreement between delayed and non-delayed agents, and time to reach a consensus for each parameter contributing on the proposed algorithm.

Cloud-Assisted UAV Data Collection for Multiple Emerging Events in Distributed WSNs.

PubMed

Cao, Huiru; Liu, Yongxin; Yue, Xuejun; Zhu, Wenjian

2017-08-07

In recent years, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have been widely applied for data collection and image capture. Specifically, UAVs have been integrated with wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to create data collection platforms with high flexibility. However, most studies in this domain focus on system architecture and UAVs' flight trajectory planning while event-related factors and other important issues are neglected. To address these challenges, we propose a cloud-assisted data gathering strategy for UAV-based WSN in the light of emerging events. We also provide a cloud-assisted approach for deriving UAV's optimal flying and data acquisition sequence of a WSN cluster. We validate our approach through simulations and experiments. It has been proved that our methodology outperforms conventional approaches in terms of flying time, energy consumption, and integrity of data acquisition. We also conducted a real-world experiment using a UAV to collect data wirelessly from multiple clusters of sensor nodes for monitoring an emerging event, which are deployed in a farm. Compared against the traditional method, this proposed approach requires less than half the flying time and achieves almost perfect data integrity.

An UAV scheduling and planning method for post-disaster survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, G. Q.; Zhou, X. G.; Yin, J.; Xiao, Q. Y.

2014-11-01

Annually, the extreme climate and special geological environments lead to frequent natural disasters, e.g., earthquakes, floods, etc. The disasters often bring serious casualties and enormous economic losses. Post-disaster surveying is very important for disaster relief and assessment. As the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing with the advantage of high efficiency, high precision, high flexibility, and low cost, it is widely used in emergency surveying in recent years. As the UAVs used in emergency surveying cannot stop and wait for the happening of the disaster, when the disaster happens the UAVs usually are working at everywhere. In order to improve the emergency surveying efficiency, it is needed to track the UAVs and assign the emergency surveying task for each selected UAV. Therefore, a UAV tracking and scheduling method for post-disaster survey is presented in this paper. In this method, Global Positioning System (GPS), and GSM network are used to track the UAVs; an emergency tracking UAV information database is built in advance by registration, the database at least includes the following information, e.g., the ID of the UAVs, the communication number of the UAVs; when catastrophe happens, the real time location of all UAVs in the database will be gotten using emergency tracking method at first, then the traffic cost time for all UAVs to the disaster region will be calculated based on the UAVs' the real time location and the road network using the nearest services analysis algorithm; the disaster region is subdivided to several emergency surveying regions based on DEM, area, and the population distribution map; the emergency surveying regions are assigned to the appropriated UAV according to shortest cost time rule. The UAVs tracking and scheduling prototype is implemented using SQLServer2008, ArcEnginge 10.1 SDK, Visual Studio 2010 C#, Android, SMS Modem, and Google Maps API.

Applications of UAVs for Remote Sensing of Critical Infrastructure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wegener, Steve; Brass, James; Schoenung, Susan

2003-01-01

The surveillance of critical facilities and national infrastructure such as waterways, roadways, pipelines and utilities requires advanced technological tools to provide timely, up to date information on structure status and integrity. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are uniquely suited for these tasks, having large payload and long duration capabilities. UAVs also have the capability to fly dangerous and dull missions, orbiting for 24 hours over a particular area or facility providing around the clock surveillance with no personnel onboard. New UAV platforms and systems are becoming available for commercial use. High altitude platforms are being tested for use in communications, remote sensing, agriculture, forestry and disaster management. New payloads are being built and demonstrated onboard the UAVs in support of these applications. Smaller, lighter, lower power consumption imaging systems are currently being tested over coffee fields to determine yield and over fires to detect fire fronts and hotspots. Communication systems that relay video, meteorological and chemical data via satellite to users on the ground in real-time have also been demonstrated. Interest in this technology for infrastructure characterization and mapping has increased dramatically in the past year. Many of the UAV technological developments required for resource and disaster monitoring are being used for the infrastructure and facility mapping activity. This paper documents the unique contributions from NASA;s Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program to these applications. ERAST is a UAV technology development effort by a consortium of private aeronautical companies and NASA. Details of demonstrations of UAV capabilities currently underway are also presented.

Unmanned air vehicle (UAV) ultra-persitence research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dron, S. B.

2012-03-01

Sandia National Laboratories and Northrop Grumman Corporation Integrated Systems, Unmanned Systems (NGIS UMS) collaborated to further ultra-persistence technologies for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The greatest shortfalls in UAV capabilities have been repeatedly identified as (1) insufficient flight persistence or 'hang time,' (2) marginal electrical power for running higher power avionics and payload systems, and (3) inadequate communications bandwidth and reach. NGIS UMS requested support from Sandia to develop an ultra-persistent propulsion and power system (UP3S) for potential incorporation into next generation UAV systems. The team members tried to determine which energy storage and power generation concepts could most effectively pushmore » UAV propulsion and electrical power capabilities to increase UAV sortie duration from days to months while increasing available electrical power at least two-fold. Primary research and development areas that were pursued included these goals: perform general system engineering and integration analyses; develop initial thermal and electrical power estimates; provide mass, volume, dimensional, and balance estimates; conduct preliminary safety assessments; assess logistics support requirements; perform, preliminary assessments of any security and safeguards; evaluate options for removal, replacement, and disposition of materials; generally advance the potential of the UP3S concept. The effort contrasted and compared eight heat sources technologies, three power conversion, two dual cycle propulsion system configurations, and a single electrical power generation scheme. Overall performance, specific power parameters, technical complexities, security, safety, and other operational features were successfully investigated. Large and medium sized UAV systems were envisioned and operational flight profiles were developed for each concept. Heat source creation and support challenges for domestic and expeditionary operations were considered. Fundamental cost driver analysis was also performed. System development plans were drafted in order to determine where the technological and programmatic critical paths lay. As a result of this effort, UAVs were to be able to provide far more surveillance time and intelligence information per mission while reducing the high cost of support activities. This technology was intended to create unmatched global capabilities to observe and preempt terrorist and weapon of mass destruction (WMD) activities. Various DOE laboratory and contractor personnel and facilities could have been used to perform detailed engineering, fabrication, assembly and test operations including follow-on operational support. Unfortunately, none of the results will be used in the near-term or mid-term future. NGIS UMS and SNL felt that the technical goals for the project were accomplished. NGIS UMS was quite pleased with the results of analysis and design although it was disappointing to all that the political realities would not allow use of the results. Technology and system designs evaluated under this CRADA had previously never been applied to unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Based upon logistic support cost predictions, because the UAVs would not have had to refuel as often, forward basing support costs could have been reduced due to a decrease in the number and extent of support systems and personnel being required to operate UAVs in remote areas. Basic application of the advanced propulsion and power approach is well understood and industry now understands the technical, safety, and political issues surrounding implementation of these strategies. However, the overall economic impact was not investigated. The results will not be applied/implemented. No near-term benefit to industry or the taxpayer will be encountered as a result of these studies.« less

Autonomous Control of a Quadrotor UAV Using Fuzzy Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sureshkumar, Vijaykumar

UAVs are being increasingly used today than ever before in both military and civil applications. They are heavily preferred in "dull, dirty or dangerous" mission scenarios. Increasingly, UAVs of all kinds are being used in policing, fire-fighting, inspection of structures, pipelines etc. Recently, the FAA gave its permission for UAVs to be used on film sets for motion capture and high definition video recording. The rapid development in MEMS and actuator technology has made possible a plethora of UAVs that are suited for commercial applications in an increasingly cost effective manner. An emerging popular rotary wing UAV platform is the Quadrotor A Quadrotor is a helicopter with four rotors, that make it more stable; but more complex to model and control. Characteristics that provide a clear advantage over other fixed wing UAVs are VTOL and hovering capabilities as well as a greater maneuverability. It is also simple in construction and design compared to a scaled single rotorcraft. Flying such UAVs using a traditional radio Transmitter-Receiver setup can be a daunting task especially in high stress situations. In order to make such platforms widely applicable, a certain level of autonomy is imperative to the future of such UAVs. This thesis paper presents a methodology for the autonomous control of a Quadrotor UAV using Fuzzy Logic. Fuzzy logic control has been chosen over conventional control methods as it can deal effectively with highly nonlinear systems, allows for imprecise data and is extremely modular. Modularity and adaptability are the key cornerstones of FLC. The objective of this thesis is to present the steps of designing, building and simulating an intelligent flight control module for a Quadrotor UAV. In the course of this research effort, a Quadrotor UAV is indigenously developed utilizing the resources of an online open source project called Aeroquad. System design is comprehensively dealt with. A math model for the Quadrotor is developed and a simulation environment is built in the MATLAB/Simulink framework. The Fuzzy flight controller development is discussed intensively. Validation of the math model developed is presented using actual flight data. Excellent attitude tracking is demonstrated for near hover flight regimes. The responses are analyzed and future work involving implementation is discussed.

Assessing the consistency of UAV-derived point clouds and images acquired at different altitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozcan, O.

2016-12-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) offer several advantages in terms of cost and image resolution compared to terrestrial photogrammetry and satellite remote sensing system. Nowadays, UAVs that bridge the gap between the satellite scale and field scale applications were initiated to be used in various application areas to acquire hyperspatial and high temporal resolution imageries due to working capacity and acquiring in a short span of time with regard to conventional photogrammetry methods. UAVs have been used for various fields such as for the creation of 3-D earth models, production of high resolution orthophotos, network planning, field monitoring and agricultural lands as well. Thus, geometric accuracy of orthophotos and volumetric accuracy of point clouds are of capital importance for land surveying applications. Correspondingly, Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, which is frequently used in conjunction with UAV, recently appeared in environmental sciences as an impressive tool allowing for the creation of 3-D models from unstructured imagery. In this study, it was aimed to reveal the spatial accuracy of the images acquired from integrated digital camera and the volumetric accuracy of Digital Surface Models (DSMs) which were derived from UAV flight plans at different altitudes using SfM methodology. Low-altitude multispectral overlapping aerial photography was collected at the altitudes of 30 to 100 meters and georeferenced with RTK-GPS ground control points. These altitudes allow hyperspatial imagery with the resolutions of 1-5 cm depending upon the sensor being used. Preliminary results revealed that the vertical comparison of UAV-derived point clouds with respect to GPS measurements pointed out an average distance at cm-level. Larger values are found in areas where instantaneous changes in surface are present.

NASA Earth Science Research and Applications Using UAVs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guillory, Anthony R.

2003-01-01

The NASA Earth Science Enterprise sponsored the UAV Science Demonstration Project, which funded two projects: the Altus Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) and the UAV Coffee Harvest Optimization experiment. These projects were intended to begin a process of integrating UAVs into the mainstream of NASA s airborne Earth Science Research and Applications programs. The Earth Science Enterprise is moving forward given the positive science results of these demonstration projects to incorporate more platforms with additional scientific utility into the program and to look toward a horizon where the current piloted aircraft may not be able to carry out the science objectives of a mission. Longer duration, extended range, slower aircraft speed, etc. all have scientific advantages in many of the disciplines within Earth Science. The challenge we now face are identifying those capabilities that exist and exploiting them while identifying the gaps. This challenge has two facets: the engineering aspects of redesigning or modifying sensors and a paradigm shift by the scientists.

GPS navigation algorithms for Autonomous Airborne Refueling of Unmanned Air Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanafseh, Samer Mahmoud

Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) have recently generated great interest because of their potential to perform hazardous missions without risking loss of life. If autonomous airborne refueling is possible for UAVs, mission range and endurance will be greatly enhanced. However, concerns about UAV-tanker proximity, dynamic mobility and safety demand that the relative navigation system meets stringent requirements on accuracy, integrity, and continuity. In response, this research focuses on developing high-performance GPS-based navigation architectures for Autonomous Airborne Refueling (AAR) of UAVs. The AAR mission is unique because of the potentially severe sky blockage introduced by the tanker. To address this issue, a high-fidelity dynamic sky blockage model was developed and experimentally validated. In addition, robust carrier phase differential GPS navigation algorithms were derived, including a new method for high-integrity reacquisition of carrier cycle ambiguities for recently-blocked satellites. In order to evaluate navigation performance, world-wide global availability and sensitivity covariance analyses were conducted. The new navigation algorithms were shown to be sufficient for turn-free scenarios, but improvement in performance was necessary to meet the difficult requirements for a general refueling mission with banked turns. Therefore, several innovative methods were pursued to enhance navigation performance. First, a new theoretical approach was developed to quantify the position-domain integrity risk in cycle ambiguity resolution problems. A mechanism to implement this method with partially-fixed cycle ambiguity vectors was derived, and it was used to define tight upper bounds on AAR navigation integrity risk. A second method, where a new algorithm for optimal fusion of measurements from multiple antennas was developed, was used to improve satellite coverage in poor visibility environments such as in AAR. Finally, methods for using data-link extracted measurements as an additional inter-vehicle ranging measurement were also introduced. The algorithms and methods developed in this work are generally applicable to realize high-performance GPS-based navigation in partially obstructed environments. Navigation performance for AAR was quantified through covariance analysis, and it was shown that the stringent navigation requirements for this application are achievable. Finally, a real-time implementation of the algorithms was developed and successfully validated in autopiloted flight tests.

Automated UAV-based mapping for airborne reconnaissance and video exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Se, Stephen; Firoozfam, Pezhman; Goldstein, Norman; Wu, Linda; Dutkiewicz, Melanie; Pace, Paul; Naud, J. L. Pierre

2009-05-01

Airborne surveillance and reconnaissance are essential for successful military missions. Such capabilities are critical for force protection, situational awareness, mission planning, damage assessment and others. UAVs gather huge amount of video data but it is extremely labour-intensive for operators to analyse hours and hours of received data. At MDA, we have developed a suite of tools towards automated video exploitation including calibration, visualization, change detection and 3D reconstruction. The on-going work is to improve the robustness of these tools and automate the process as much as possible. Our calibration tool extracts and matches tie-points in the video frames incrementally to recover the camera calibration and poses, which are then refined by bundle adjustment. Our visualization tool stabilizes the video, expands its field-of-view and creates a geo-referenced mosaic from the video frames. It is important to identify anomalies in a scene, which may include detecting any improvised explosive devices (IED). However, it is tedious and difficult to compare video clips to look for differences manually. Our change detection tool allows the user to load two video clips taken from two passes at different times and flags any changes between them. 3D models are useful for situational awareness, as it is easier to understand the scene by visualizing it in 3D. Our 3D reconstruction tool creates calibrated photo-realistic 3D models from video clips taken from different viewpoints, using both semi-automated and automated approaches. The resulting 3D models also allow distance measurements and line-of- sight analysis.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Alien Plant Species Detection and Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvořák, P.; Müllerová, J.; Bartaloš, T.; Brůna, J.

2015-08-01

Invasive species spread rapidly and their eradication is difficult. New methods enabling fast and efficient monitoring are urgently needed for their successful control. Remote sensing can improve early detection of invading plants and make their management more efficient and less expensive. In an ongoing project in the Czech Republic, we aim at developing innovative methods of mapping invasive plant species (semi-automatic detection algorithms) by using purposely designed unmanned aircraft (UAV). We examine possibilities for detection of two tree and two herb invasive species. Our aim is to establish fast, repeatable and efficient computer-assisted method of timely monitoring, reducing the costs of extensive field campaigns. For finding the best detection algorithm we test various classification approaches (object-, pixel-based and hybrid). Thanks to its flexibility and low cost, UAV enables assessing the effect of phenological stage and spatial resolution, and is most suitable for monitoring the efficiency of eradication efforts. However, several challenges exist in UAV application, such as geometrical and radiometric distortions, high amount of data to be processed and legal constrains for the UAV flight missions over urban areas (often highly invaded). The newly proposed UAV approach shall serve invasive species researchers, management practitioners and policy makers.

Using Natural Language to Enhance Mission Effectiveness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trujillo, Anna C.; Meszaros, Erica

2016-01-01

The availability of highly capable, yet relatively cheap, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is opening up new areas of use for hobbyists and for professional-related activities. The driving function of this research is allowing a non-UAV pilot, an operator, to define and manage a mission. This paper describes the preliminary usability measures of an interface that allows an operator to define the mission using speech to make inputs. An experiment was conducted to begin to enumerate the efficacy and user acceptance of using voice commands to define a multi-UAV mission and to provide high-level vehicle control commands such as "takeoff." The primary independent variable was input type - voice or mouse. The primary dependent variables consisted of the correctness of the mission parameter inputs and the time needed to make all inputs. Other dependent variables included NASA-TLX workload ratings and subjective ratings on a final questionnaire. The experiment required each subject to fill in an online form that contained comparable required information that would be needed for a package dispatcher to deliver packages. For each run, subjects typed in a simple numeric code for the package code. They then defined the initial starting position, the delivery location, and the return location using either pull-down menus or voice input. Voice input was accomplished using CMU Sphinx4-5prealpha for speech recognition. They then inputted the length of the package. These were the option fields. The subject had the system "Calculate Trajectory" and then "Takeoff" once the trajectory was calculated. Later, the subject used "Land" to finish the run. After the voice and mouse input blocked runs, subjects completed a NASA-TLX. At the conclusion of all runs, subjects completed a questionnaire asking them about their experience in inputting the mission parameters, and starting and stopping the mission using mouse and voice input. In general, the usability of voice commands is acceptable. With a relatively well-defined and simple vocabulary, the operator can input the vast majority of the mission parameters using simple, intuitive voice commands. However, voice input may be more applicable to initial mission specification rather than for critical commands such as the need to land immediately due to time and feedback constraints. It would also be convenient to retrieve relevant mission information using voice input. Therefore, further on-going research is looking at using intent from operator utterances to provide the relevant mission information to the operator. The information displayed will be inferred from the operator's utterances just before key phrases are spoken. Linguistic analysis of the context of verbal communication provides insight into the intended meaning of commonly heard phrases such as "What's it doing now?" Analyzing the semantic sphere surrounding these common phrases enables us to predict the operator's intent and supply the operator's desired information to the interface. This paper also describes preliminary investigations into the generation of the semantic space of UAV operation and the success at providing information to the interface based on the operator's utterances.

Autonomous agricultural remote sensing systems with high spatial and temporal resolutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Haitao

In this research, two novel agricultural remote sensing (RS) systems, a Stand-alone Infield Crop Monitor RS System (SICMRS) and an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) based RS system have been studied. A high-resolution digital color and multi-spectral camera was used as the image sensor for the SICMRS system. An artificially intelligent (AI) controller based on artificial neural network (ANN) and an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was developed. Morrow Plots corn field RS images in the 2004 and 2006 growing seasons were collected by the SICMRS system. The field site contained 8 subplots (9.14 m x 9.14 m) that were planted with corn and three different fertilizer treatments were used among those subplots. The raw RS images were geometrically corrected, resampled to 10cm resolution, removed soil background and calibrated to real reflectance. The RS images from two growing seasons were studied and 10 different vegetation indices were derived from each day's image. The result from the image processing demonstrated that the vegetation indices have temporal effects. To achieve high quality RS data, one has to utilize the right indices and capture the images at the right time in the growing season. Maximum variations among the image data set are within the V6-V10 stages, which indicated that these stages are the best period to identify the spatial variability caused by the nutrient stress in the corn field. The derived vegetation indices were also used to build yield prediction models via the linear regression method. At that point, all of the yield prediction models were evaluated by comparing the R2-value and the best index model from each day's image was picked based on the highest R 2-value. It was shown that the green normalized difference vegetation (GNDVI) based model is more sensitive to yield prediction than other indices-based models. During the VT-R4 stages, the GNDVI based models were able to explain more than 95% potential corn yield consistently for both seasons. The VT-R4 stages are the best period of time to estimate the corn yield. The SICMS system is only suitable for the RS research at a fixed location. In order to provide more flexibility of the RS image collection, a novel UAV based system has been studied. The UAV based agricultural RS system used a light helicopter platform equipped with a multi-spectral camera. The UAV control system consisted of an on-board and a ground station subsystem. For the on-board subsystem, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) based UAV navigation system was designed and implemented. The navigation system, using low cost inertial sensors, magnetometer, GPS and a single board computer, was capable of providing continuous estimates of UAV position and attitude at 50 Hz using sensor fusion techniques. The ground station subsystem was designed to be an interface between a human operator and the UAV to implement mission planning, flight command activation, and real-time flight monitoring. The navigation system is controlled by the ground station, and able to navigate the UAV in the air to reach the predefined waypoints and trigger the multi-spectral camera. By so doing, the aerial images at each point could be captured automatically. The developed UAV RS system can provide a maximum flexibility in crop field RS image collection. It is essential to perform the geometric correction and the geocoding before an aerial image can be used for precision farming. An automatic (no Ground Control Point (GCP) needed) UAV image georeferencing algorithm was developed. This algorithm can do the automatic image correction and georeferencing based on the real-time navigation data and a camera lens distortion model. The accuracy of the georeferencing algorithm was better than 90 cm according to a series test. The accuracy that has been achieved indicates that, not only is the position solution good, but the attitude error is extremely small. The waypoints planning for UAV flight was investigated. It suggested that a 16.5% forward overlap and a 15% lateral overlap were required to avoiding missing desired mapping area when the UAV flies above 45 m high with 4.5 mm lens. A whole field mosaic image can be generated according to the individual image georeferencing information. A 0.569 m mosaic error has been achieved and this accuracy is sufficient for many of the intended precision agricultural applications. With careful interpretation, the UAV images are an excellent source of high spatial and temporal resolution data for precision agricultural applications. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Minerva: An Integrated Geospatial/Temporal Toolset for Real-time Science Decision Making and Data Collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lees, D. S.; Cohen, T.; Deans, M. C.; Lim, D. S. S.; Marquez, J.; Heldmann, J. L.; Hoffman, J.; Norheim, J.; Vadhavk, N.

2016-12-01

Minerva integrates three capabilities that are critical to the success of NASA analogs. It combines NASA's Exploration Ground Data Systems (xGDS) and Playbook software, and MIT's Surface Exploration Traverse Analysis and Navigation Tool (SEXTANT). Together, they help to plan, optimize, and monitor traverses; schedule and track activity; assist with science decision-making and document sample and data collection. Pre-mission, Minerva supports planning with a priori map data (e.g., UAV and satellite imagery) and activity scheduling. During missions, xGDS records and broadcasts live data to a distributed team who take geolocated notes and catalogue samples. Playbook provides live schedule updates and multi-media chat. Post-mission, xGDS supports data search and visualization for replanning and analysis. NASA's BASALT (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) and FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) projects use Minerva to conduct field science under simulated Mars mission conditions including 5 and 15 minute one-way communication delays. During the recent BASALT-FINESSE mission, two field scientists (EVA team) executed traverses across volcanic terrain to characterize and sample basalts. They wore backpacks with communications and imaging capabilities, and carried field portable spectrometers. The Science Team was 40 km away in a simulated mission control center. The Science Team monitored imaging (video and still), spectral, voice, location and physiological data from the EVA team via the network from the field, under communication delays. Minerva provided the Science Team with a unified context of operations at the field site, so they could make meaningful remote contributions to the collection of 10's of geotagged samples. Minerva's mission architecture will be presented with technical details and capabilities. Through the development, testing and application of Minerva, we are defining requirements for the design of future capabilities to support human and human-robotic missions to deep space and Mars.

Developing UGVs for the FCS program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamsickas, Gary M.; Ward, John N.

2003-09-01

The FCS Operational Requirements Document (ORD) identifies unmanned systems as a key component of the FCS Unit of Action. FCS unmanned systems include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV), Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) and Unattended Munitions (UM). Unmanned systems are intended to enhance the Unit of Action across the full range of operations when integrated with manned platforms. Unmanned systems will provide the commander with tools to gather battlespace information while significantly reducing overall soldier risk. Unmanned systems will be used in some cases to augment or replace human intervention to perform many of the dirty, dull and dangerous missions presently performed by soldiers and to serve as a combat multiplier for mission performance, force protection and survivability. This paper focuses on the application of UGVs within the FCS Unit of Action. There are three different UGVs planned to support the FCS Unit of Action; the Soldier Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV); The Multi-role Utility Logistics Equipment (MULE) platform; and the Armed Robotic Vehicle (ARV).

AvantGuard: An Instrument to Explore Autonomy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

Machinexii (FSM) concept  was long ago borrowed from process control engineering by workers in the field of  artificial   intelligence .  The FSM proposes that...UAVs and their human supervisors are in high demand as the mission of the Armed Services adapts to  the challenges of asymmetric conflict.  Intelligence ...system records  intelligence . Some is historic, some is automatic and most is the result  of the human and UAVs cooperating in the mission.  Time A

Fleets of enduring drones to probe atmospheric phenomena with clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacroix, Simon; Roberts, Greg; Benard, Emmanuel; Bronz, Murat; Burnet, Frédéric; Bouhoubeiny, Elkhedim; Condomines, Jean-Philippe; Doll, Carsten; Hattenberger, Gautier; Lamraoui, Fayçal; Renzaglia, Alessandro; Reymann, Christophe

2016-04-01

A full spatio-temporal four-dimensional characterization of the microphysics and dynamics of cloud formation including the onset of precipitation has never been reached. Such a characterization would yield a better understanding of clouds, e.g. to assess the dominant mixing mechanism and the main source of cloudy updraft dilution. It is the sampling strategy that matters: fully characterizing the evolution over time of the various parameters (P, T, 3D wind, liquid water content, aerosols...) within a cloud volume requires dense spatial sampling for durations of the order of one hour. A fleet of autonomous lightweight UAVs that coordinate themselves in real-time as an intelligent network can fulfill this purpose. The SkyScanner project targets the development of a fleet of autonomous UAVs to adaptively sample cumuli, so as to provide relevant data to address long standing questions in atmospheric science. It mixes basic researches and experimental developments, and gathers scientists in UAV conception, in optimal flight control, in intelligent cooperative behaviors, and of course atmospheric scientists. Two directions of researches are explored: optimal UAV conception and control, and optimal control of a fleet of UAVs. The design of UAVs for atmospheric science involves the satisfaction of trade-offs between payload, endurance, ease of deployment... A rational conception scheme that integrates the constraints to optimize a series of criteria, in particular energy consumption, would yield the definition of efficient UAVs. This requires a fine modeling of each involved sub-system and phenomenon, from the motor/propeller efficiency to the aerodynamics at small scale, including the flight control algorithms. The definition of mission profiles is also essential, considering the aerodynamics of clouds, to allow energy harvesting schemes that exploit thermals or gusts. The conception also integrates specific sensors, in particular wind sensor, for which classic technologies are challenged at the low speeds of lightweight UAVs. The overall control of the fleet so as to gather series of synchronized data in the cloud volume is a poorly informed and highly constrained adaptive sampling problem, in which the UAV motions must be defined to maximize the amount of gathered information and the mission duration. The overall approach casts the problem in a hierarchy of two modeling and decision stages. A macroscopic parametrized model of the cloud is built from the gathered data and exploited at the higher level by an operator, who sets information gathering goals. A subset of the UAV fleet is allocated to each goal, considering the current fleet state. These high level goals are handled by the lower level, which autonomously optimizes the selected UAVs trajectories using an on-line updated dense model of the variables of interest. Building the models involves Gaussian processes techniques (kriging) to fuse the gathered data with a generic cumulus conceptual model, the latter being defined from thorough statistics on realistic MesoNH cloud simulations. The model is exploited by a planner to generate trajectories that minimize the uncertainty in the map, while steering the vehicles within the air flows to save energy.

Using Multiattribute Utility Copulas in Support of UAV Search and Destroy Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

1, ..., n. (2.3) where ai = a(1 − li) and bi = 1 − ai = ali + b. This implies the same mathe- matical properties of a strictly increasing cumulative...and DTMC defined target movement. Abdelhafiz et al. [6] present several instances of the multi-objective UAV mis- sion planning problem where the

Hydrology with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrologic remote sensing currently depends on expensive and infrequent aircraft observations for validation of operational satellite products, typically conducted during field campaigns that also include ground-based measurements. With the advent of new, hydrologically-relevant satellite missions, ...

Multi-objective four-dimensional vehicle motion planning in large dynamic environments.

PubMed

Wu, Paul P-Y; Campbell, Duncan; Merz, Torsten

2011-06-01

This paper presents Multi-Step A∗ (MSA∗), a search algorithm based on A∗ for multi-objective 4-D vehicle motion planning (three spatial and one time dimensions). The research is principally motivated by the need for offline and online motion planning for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). For UAVs operating in large dynamic uncertain 4-D environments, the motion plan consists of a sequence of connected linear tracks (or trajectory segments). The track angle and velocity are important parameters that are often restricted by assumptions and a grid geometry in conventional motion planners. Many existing planners also fail to incorporate multiple decision criteria and constraints such as wind, fuel, dynamic obstacles, and the rules of the air. It is shown that MSA∗ finds a cost optimal solution using variable length, angle, and velocity trajectory segments. These segments are approximated with a grid-based cell sequence that provides an inherent tolerance to uncertainty. The computational efficiency is achieved by using variable successor operators to create a multiresolution memory-efficient lattice sampling structure. The simulation studies on the UAV flight planning problem show that MSA∗ meets the time constraints of online replanning and finds paths of equivalent cost but in a quarter of the time (on average) of a vector neighborhood-based A∗.

From large-eddy simulation to multi-UAVs sampling of shallow cumulus clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamraoui, Fayçal; Roberts, Greg; Burnet, Frédéric

2016-04-01

In-situ sampling of clouds that can provide simultaneous measurements at satisfying spatio-temporal resolutions to capture 3D small scale physical processes continues to present challenges. This project (SKYSCANNER) aims at bringing together cloud sampling strategies using a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on Large-eddy simulation (LES). The multi-UAV-based field campaigns with a personalized sampling strategy for individual clouds and cloud fields will significantly improve the understanding of the unresolved cloud physical processes. An extensive set of LES experiments for case studies from ARM-SGP site have been performed using MesoNH model at high resolutions down to 10 m. The carried out simulations led to establishing a macroscopic model that quantifies the interrelationship between micro- and macrophysical properties of shallow convective clouds. Both the geometry and evolution of individual clouds are critical to multi-UAV cloud sampling and path planning. The preliminary findings of the current project reveal several linear relationships that associate many cloud geometric parameters to cloud related meteorological variables. In addition, the horizontal wind speed indicates a proportional impact on cloud number concentration as well as triggering and prolonging the occurrence of cumulus clouds. In the framework of the joint collaboration that involves a Multidisciplinary Team (including institutes specializing in aviation, robotics and atmospheric science), this model will be a reference point for multi-UAVs sampling strategies and path planning.

Are estimates of wind characteristics based on measurements with Pitot tubes and GNSS receivers mounted on consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles applicable in meteorological studies?

PubMed

Niedzielski, Tomasz; Skjøth, Carsten; Werner, Małgorzata; Spallek, Waldemar; Witek, Matylda; Sawiński, Tymoteusz; Drzeniecka-Osiadacz, Anetta; Korzystka-Muskała, Magdalena; Muskała, Piotr; Modzel, Piotr; Guzikowski, Jakub; Kryza, Maciej

2017-09-01

The objective of this paper is to empirically show that estimates of wind speed and wind direction based on measurements carried out using the Pitot tubes and GNSS receivers, mounted on consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), may accurately approximate true wind parameters. The motivation for the study is that a growing number of commercial and scientific UAV operations may soon become a new source of data on wind speed and wind direction, with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. The feasibility study was carried out within an isolated mountain meadow of Polana Izerska located in the Izera Mountains (SW Poland) during an experiment which aimed to compare wind characteristics measured by several instruments: three UAVs (swinglet CAM, eBee, Maja) equipped with the Pitot tubes and GNSS receivers, wind speed and direction meters mounted at 2.5 and 10 m (mast), conventional weather station and vertical sodar. The three UAVs performed seven missions along spiral-like trajectories, most reaching 130 m above take-off location. The estimates of wind speed and wind direction were found to agree between UAVs. The time series of wind speed measured at 10 m were extrapolated to flight altitudes recorded at a given time so that a comparison was made feasible. It was found that the wind speed estimates provided by the UAVs on a basis of the Pitot tube/GNSS data are in agreement with measurements carried out using dedicated meteorological instruments. The discrepancies were recorded in the first and last phases of UAV flights.

Study on the aerodynamic behavior of a UAV with an applied seeder for agricultural practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felismina, Raimundo; Silva, Miguel; Mateus, Artur; Malça, Cândida

2017-06-01

It is irrefutable that the use of Unmanned Airborne Vehicle Systems (UAVs) in agricultural tasks and on the analysis of health and vegetative conditions represents a powerful tool in modern agriculture. To contribute to the growth of the agriculture economic sector a seeder to be coupled to any type of UAV was previously developed and designed by the authors. This seeder allows for the deposition of seeds with positional accuracy, i.e., seeds are accurately deposited at pre-established distances between plants [1]. This work aims at analyzing the aerodynamic behavior of UAV/Seeder assembly to determine the suitable inclination - among 0°, 15° and 30° - for its takeoff and for its motion during the seeding operation and, in turn, to define the suitable flight plan that increases the batteries autonomy. For this the ANSYS® FLUENT computational tool was used to simulate a wind tunnel which has as principle the Navier-Stokes differential equations, that designates the fluid flow around the UAV/Seeder assembly. The aerodynamic results demonstrated that for take-off the UAV inclination of 30° is the aerodynamically most favorable position due to the lower aerodynamic drag during the climb. Concerning flying motion during the seeding procedure the UAV inclination of 0° is that which leads to lower UAV/Seeder frontal area and drag coefficient.

Cooperative remote sensing and actuation using networked unmanned vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Haiyang

This dissertation focuses on how to design and employ networked unmanned vehicles for remote sensing and distributed control purposes in the current information-rich world. The target scenarios are environmental or agricultural applications such as river/reservoir surveillance, wind profiling measurement, and monitoring/control of chemical leaks, etc. AggieAir, a small and low-cost unmanned aircraft system, is designed based on the remote sensing requirements from environmental monitoring missions. The state estimation problem and the advanced lateral flight controller design problem are further attacked focusing on the small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. Then the UAV-based remote sensing problem is focused with further flight test results. Given the measurements from unmanned vehicles, the actuation algorithms are needed for missions like the diffusion control. A consensus-based central Voronoi tessellation (CVT) algorithm is proposed for better control of the diffusion process. Finally, the dissertation conclusion and some new research suggestions are presented.

Optimization of dynamic soaring maneuvers to enhance endurance of a versatile UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mir, Imran; Maqsood, Adnan; Akhtar, Suhail

2017-06-01

Dynamic soaring is a process of acquiring energy available in atmospheric wind shears and is commonly exhibited by soaring birds to perform long distance flights. This paper aims to demonstrate a viable algorithm which can be implemented in near real time environment to formulate optimal trajectories for dynamic soaring maneuvers for a small scale Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The objective is to harness maximum energy from atmosphere wind shear to improve loiter time for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Three-dimensional point-mass UAV equations of motion and linear wind gradient profile are used to model flight dynamics. Utilizing UAV states, controls, operational constraints, initial and terminal conditions that enforce a periodic flight, dynamic soaring problem is formulated as an optimal control problem. Optimized trajectories of the maneuver are subsequently generated employing pseudo spectral techniques against distant UAV performance parameters. The discussion also encompasses the requirement for generation of optimal trajectories for dynamic soaring in real time environment and the ability of the proposed algorithm for speedy solution generation. Coupled with the fact that dynamic soaring is all about immediately utilizing the available energy from the wind shear encountered, the proposed algorithm promises its viability for practical on board implementations requiring computation of trajectories in near real time.

Development and Testing of a Two-UAV Communication Relay System

PubMed Central

Li, Boyang; Jiang, Yifan; Sun, Jingxuan; Cai, Lingfeng; Wen, Chih-Yung

2016-01-01

In the development of beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems, communication between the UAVs and the ground control station (GCS) is of critical importance. The commonly used economical wireless modules are restricted by the short communication range and are easily blocked by obstacles. The use of a communication relay system provides a practical way to solve these problems, improving the performance of UAV communication in BLOS and cross-obstacle operations. In this study, a communication relay system, in which a quadrotor was used to relay radio communication for another quadrotor was developed and tested. First, the UAVs used as the airborne platform were constructed, and the hardware for the communication relay system was selected and built up. Second, a set of software programs and protocol for autonomous mission control, communication relay control, and ground control were developed. Finally, the system was fully integrated into the airborne platform and tested both indoor and in-flight. The Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) and noise value in two typical application scenarios were recorded. The test results demonstrated the ability of this system to extend the communication range and build communication over obstacles. This system also shows the feasibility to coordinate multiple UAVs’ communication with the same relay structure. PMID:27754369

Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Predator B in flight.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, shown here, under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. ALTAIR/PREDATOR B -- General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, shown here, under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator testbed aircraft to validate a variety of command and control technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Ten-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 84 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of those basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., ca

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully thread control lines through a bulkhead during engine installation on NASA's Altair aircraft. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Uav Borne Low Altitude Photogrammetry System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z.; Su, G.; Xie, F.

2012-07-01

In this paper，the aforementioned three major aspects related to the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) system for low altitude aerial photogrammetry, i.e., flying platform, imaging sensor system and data processing software, are discussed. First of all, according to the technical requirements about the least cruising speed, the shortest taxiing distance, the level of the flight control and the performance of turbulence flying, the performance and suitability of the available UAV platforms (e.g., fixed wing UAVs, the unmanned helicopters and the unmanned airships) are compared and analyzed. Secondly, considering the restrictions on the load weight of a platform and the resolution pertaining to a sensor, together with the exposure equation and the theory of optical information, the principles of designing self-calibration and self-stabilizing combined wide-angle digital cameras (e.g., double-combined camera and four-combined camera) are placed more emphasis on. Finally, a software named MAP-AT, considering the specialty of UAV platforms and sensors, is developed and introduced. Apart from the common functions of aerial image processing, MAP-AT puts more effort on automatic extraction, automatic checking and artificial aided adding of the tie points for images with big tilt angles. Based on the recommended process for low altitude photogrammetry with UAVs in this paper, more than ten aerial photogrammetry missions have been accomplished, the accuracies of Aerial Triangulation, Digital orthophotos(DOM)and Digital Line Graphs(DLG) of which meet the standard requirement of 1:2000, 1:1000 and 1:500 mapping.

Atmospheric radiation measurement unmanned aerospace vehicle (ARM-UAV) program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolton, W.R.

1996-11-01

ARM-UAV is part of the multi-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program and is addressing the largest source of uncertainty in predicting climatic response: the interaction of clouds and the sun`s energy in the Earth`s atmosphere. An important aspect of the program is the use of unmanned aerospace vehicles (UAVs) as the primary airborne platform. The ARM-UAV Program has completed two major flight series: The first series conducted in April, 1994, using an existing UAV (the General Atomics Gnat 750) consisted of eight highly successful flights at the DOE climate site in Oklahoma. The second series conducted in September/October, 1995, usingmore » two piloted aircraft (Egrett and Twin Otter), featured simultaneous measurements above and below clouds and in clear sky. Additional flight series are planned to continue study of the cloudy and clear sky energy budget in the Spring and Fall of 1996 over the DOE climate site in Oklahoma. 3 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.« less

Cybersecurity for aerospace autonomous systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, Jeremy

2015-05-01

High profile breaches have occurred across numerous information systems. One area where attacks are particularly problematic is autonomous control systems. This paper considers the aerospace information system, focusing on elements that interact with autonomous control systems (e.g., onboard UAVs). It discusses the trust placed in the autonomous systems and supporting systems (e.g., navigational aids) and how this trust can be validated. Approaches to remotely detect the UAV compromise, without relying on the onboard software (on a potentially compromised system) as part of the process are discussed. How different levels of autonomy (task-based, goal-based, mission-based) impact this remote characterization is considered.

Mission-based guidance system design for autonomous UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Jongki

The advantages of UAVs in the aviation arena have led to extensive research activities on autonomous technology of UAVs to achieve specific mission objectives. This thesis mainly focuses on the development of a mission-based guidance system. Among various missions expected for future needs, autonomous formation flight (AFF) and obstacle avoidance within safe operation limits are investigated. In the design of an adaptive guidance system for AFF, the leader information except position is assumed to be unknown to a follower. Thus, the only measured information related to the leader is the line-of-sight (LOS) range and angle. Adding an adaptive element with neural networks into the guidance system provides a capability to effectively handle leader's velocity changes. Therefore, this method can be applied to the AFF control systems that use a passive sensing method. In this thesis, an adaptive velocity command guidance system and an adaptive acceleration command guidance system are developed and presented. Since relative degrees of the LOS range and angle are different depending on the outputs from the guidance system, the architecture of the guidance system changes accordingly. Simulations and flight tests are performed using the Georgia Tech UAV helicopter, the GTMax, to evaluate the proposed guidance systems. The simulation results show that the neural network (NN) based adaptive element can improve the tracking performance by effectively compensating for the effect of unknown dynamics. It has also been shown that the combination of an adaptive velocity command guidance system and the existing GTMax autopilot controller performs better than the combination of an adaptive acceleration command guidance system and the GTMax autopilot controller. The successful flight evaluation using an adaptive velocity command guidance system clearly shows that the adaptive guidance control system is a promising solution for autonomous formation flight of UAVs. In addition, an integrated approach is proposed to resolve the conflict between aggressive maneuvering needed for obstacle avoidance and the constrained maneuvering needed for envelope protection. A time-optimal problem with obstacle and envelope constraints is used for an integrated approach for obstacle avoidance and envelope protection. The Nonlinear trajectory generator (NTG) is used as a real-time optimization solver. The computational complexity arising from the obstacle constraints is reduced by converting the obstacle constraints into a safe waypoint constraint along with an implicit requirement that the horizontal velocity during the avoidance maneuver must be nonnegative. The issue of when to initiate a time-optimal avoidance maneuver is addressed by including a requirement that the vehicle must maintain its original flight path to the maximum extent possible. The simulation evaluations are preformed for the nominal case, the unsafe avoidance solution case, the multiple safe waypoint case, and the unidentified obstacle size case. Artificial values for the load factor limit and the longitudinal flap angle limit are imposed as safe operational boundaries. Also, simulation results for different limit values and different initial flight speed are compared. Simulation results using a nonlinear model of a rotary wing UAV demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach for obstacle avoidance with envelope protection.

Adaptive UAV Attitude Estimation Employing Unscented Kalman Filter, FOAM and Low-Cost MEMS Sensors

PubMed Central

de Marina, Héctor García; Espinosa, Felipe; Santos, Carlos

2012-01-01

Navigation employing low cost MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is an uprising challenge. One important part of this navigation is the right estimation of the attitude angles. Most of the existent algorithms handle the sensor readings in a fixed way, leading to large errors in different mission stages like take-off aerobatic maneuvers. This paper presents an adaptive method to estimate these angles using off-the-shelf components. This paper introduces an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) based on the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) using the Fast Optimal Attitude Matrix (FOAM) algorithm as the observation model. The performance of the method is assessed through simulations. Moreover, field experiments are presented using a real fixed-wing UAV. The proposed low cost solution, implemented in a microcontroller, shows a satisfactory real time performance. PMID:23012559

Path planning for persistent surveillance applications using fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, James F.

This thesis addresses coordinated path planning for fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) engaged in persistent surveillance missions. While uniquely suited to this mission, fixed wing vehicles have maneuver constraints that can limit their performance in this role. Current technology vehicles are capable of long duration flight with a minimal acoustic footprint while carrying an array of cameras and sensors. Both military tactical and civilian safety applications can benefit from this technology. We make three main contributions: C1 A sequential path planner that generates a C 2 flight plan to persistently acquire a covering set of data over a user designated area of interest. The planner features the following innovations: • A path length abstraction that embeds kino-dynamic motion constraints to estimate feasible path length. • A Traveling Salesman-type planner to generate a covering set route based on the path length abstraction. • A smooth path generator that provides C 2 routes that satisfy user specified curvature constraints. C2 A set of algorithms to coordinate multiple UAVs, including mission commencement from arbitrary locations to the start of a coordinated mission and de-confliction of paths to avoid collisions with other vehicles and fixed obstacles. C3 A numerically robust toolbox of spline-based algorithms tailored for vehicle routing validated through flight test experiments on multiple platforms. A variety of tests and platforms are discussed. The algorithms presented are based on a technical approach with approximately equal emphasis on analysis, computation, dynamic simulation, and flight test experimentation. Our planner (C1) directly takes into account vehicle maneuverability and agility constraints that could otherwise render simple solutions infeasible. This is especially important when surveillance objectives elevate the importance of optimized paths. Researchers have developed a diverse range of solutions for persistent surveillance applications but few directly address dynamic maneuver constraints. The key feature of C1 is a two stage sequential solution that discretizes the problem so that graph search techniques can be combined with parametric polynomial curve generation. A method to abstract the kino-dynamics of the aerial platforms is then presented so that a graph search solution can be adapted for this application. An A* Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) algorithm is developed to search the discretized space using the abstract distance metric to acquire more data or avoid obstacles. Results of the graph search are then transcribed into smooth paths based on vehicle maneuver constraints. A complete solution for a single vehicle periodic tour of the area is developed using the results of the graph search algorithm. To execute the mission, we present a simultaneous arrival algorithm (C2) to coordinate execution by multiple vehicles to satisfy data refresh requirements and to ensure there are no collisions at any of the path intersections. We present a toolbox of spline-based algorithms (C3) to streamline the development of C2 continuous paths with numerical stability. These tools are applied to an aerial persistent surveillance application to illustrate their utility. Comparisons with other parametric polynomial approaches are highlighted to underscore the benefits of the B-spline framework. Performance limits with respect to feasibility constraints are documented.

Ikhana UAS Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rivas, Mauricio

2017-01-01

Ikhana demonstrates capabilities of UAS to overfly and collect sensor data on widespread fires throughout Western US and also demonstrate long-endurance mission capabilities (20-hours+). Ikhana images multiple fires (greater than 4 fires per mission), to showcase extendable mission configuration and ability to either linger over key fires or station over disparate regional fires. Ikhana also demonstrates new UAV-compatible, autonomous sensor for improved thermal characterization of fires. Also it provides automated, on-board, terrain and geo-rectified sensor imagery over the horizon SATCOM links to national fire personnel and Incident commanders.

Dynamic Distributed Cooperative Control of Multiple Heterogeneous Resources

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

of the UAVs to maximize the total sensor footprint over the region of interest. The algorithm utilized to solve this problem was based on sampling a...and moving obstacles. Obstacle positions were assumed known a priori. Kingston and Beard [22] presented an algorithm to keep moving UAVs equally spaced...Planning Algorithms , Cambridge University Press, 2006. 11. Ma, C. S. and Miller, R. H., “Mixed integer linear programming trajectory generation for

Technical Report: Unmanned Helicopter Solution for Survey-Grade Lidar and Hyperspectral Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaňuk, Ján; Gallay, Michal; Eck, Christoph; Zgraggen, Carlo; Dvorný, Eduard

2018-05-01

Recent development of light-weight unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV) and miniaturization of sensors provide new possibilities for remote sensing and high-resolution mapping. Mini-UAV platforms are emerging, but powerful UAV platforms of higher payload capacity are required to carry the sensors for survey-grade mapping. In this paper, we demonstrate a technological solution and application of two different payloads for highly accurate and detailed mapping. The unmanned airborne system (UAS) comprises a Scout B1-100 autonomously operating UAV helicopter powered by a gasoline two-stroke engine with maximum take-off weight of 75 kg. The UAV allows for integrating of up to 18 kg of a customized payload. Our technological solution comprises two types of payload completely independent of the platform. The first payload contains a VUX-1 laser scanner (Riegl, Austria) and a Sony A6000 E-Mount photo camera. The second payload integrates a hyperspectral push-broom scanner AISA Kestrel 10 (Specim, Finland). The two payloads need to be alternated if mapping with both is required. Both payloads include an inertial navigation system xNAV550 (Oxford Technical Solutions Ltd., United Kingdom), a separate data link, and a power supply unit. Such a constellation allowed for achieving high accuracy of the flight line post-processing in two test missions. The standard deviation was 0.02 m (XY) and 0.025 m (Z), respectively. The intended application of the UAS was for high-resolution mapping and monitoring of landscape dynamics (landslides, erosion, flooding, or crops growth). The legal regulations for such UAV applications in Switzerland and Slovakia are also discussed.

Real-time implementations of acoustic signal enhancement techniques for aerial based surveillance and rescue applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Antonio L. L.; Shao, Zhili; Holthe, Aleksander; Sandli, Mathias F.

2017-05-01

The introduction of the System-on-Chip (SoC) technology has brought exciting new opportunities for the development of smart low cost embedded systems spanning a wide range of applications. Currently available SoC devices are capable of performing high speed digital signal processing tasks in software while featuring relatively low development costs and reduced time-to-market. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are an application example that has shown tremendous potential in an increasing number of scenarios, ranging from leisure to surveillance as well as in search and rescue missions. Video capturing from UAV platforms is a relatively straightforward task that requires almost no preprocessing. However, that does not apply to audio signals, especially in cases where the data is to be used to support real-time decision making. In fact, the enormous amount of acoustic interference from the surroundings, including the noise from the UAVs propellers, becomes a huge problem. This paper discusses a real-time implementation of the NLMS adaptive filtering algorithm applied to enhancing acoustic signals captured from UAV platforms. The model relies on a combination of acoustic sensors and a computational inexpensive algorithm running on a digital signal processor. Given its simplicity, this solution can be incorporated into the main processing system of an UAV using the SoC technology, and run concurrently with other required tasks, such as flight control and communications. Simulations and real-time DSP-based implementations have shown significant signal enhancement results by efficiently mitigating the interference from the noise generated by the UAVs propellers as well as from other external noise sources.

A UAV-based gas sensing system for detecting fugitive methane emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugenholtz, C.; Barchyn, T.; Myshak, S.; Bauer, J.

2016-12-01

Methane is one of the most prevalent greenhouse gases emitted by human activities and is a major component of government-led initiatives to reduce GHG emissions in Canada, the USA, and elsewhere. In light of growing demand for measurements and verification of atmospheric methane concentration across the oil and gas supply chain, an autonomous airborne gas sensing system was developed that combines a small UAV and a lightweight gas monitor. This paper outlines the technology, analytics, and presents data from a case study to demonstrate the proof of concept. The UAV is a fixed-wing (2.2 m wingspan), battery-operated platform, with a flight endurance of 80-120 minutes. The gas sensor onboard the UAV is a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer that uses an integrated transmitter/receiver unit and a remote, passive retro-reflector. The transmitter is attached to one of the winglets, while the other is coated with reflective material. The total weight of the UAV and gas sensor is 4.3 kg. During flight, the system operates autonomously, acquiring averages of raw measurements at 1 Hz, with a recorded resolution of 0.0455 ppm. The onboard measurement and control unit (MCU) for the gas sensor is integrated with the UAV autopilot in order to provide time-stamped and geotagged concentration measurements, and to provide real-time flight adjustments when concentration exceeds a pre-determined threshold. The data are retrieved from the MCU when the mission is complete. In order to demonstrate the proof of concept, we present results from a case study and outline opportunities for translating the measurements into decision making.

Hurricane Harvey Building Damage Assessment Using UAV Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, J.; Jung, J.; Chang, A.; Choi, I.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Harvey which was extremely destructive major hurricane struck southern Texas, U.S.A on August 25, causing catastrophic flooding and storm damages. We visited Rockport suffered severe building destruction and conducted UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) surveying for building damage assessment. UAV provides very high resolution images compared with traditional remote sensing data. In addition, prompt and cost-effective damage assessment can be performed regardless of several limitations in other remote sensing platforms such as revisit interval of satellite platforms, complicated flight plan in aerial surveying, and cloud amounts. In this study, UAV flight and GPS surveying were conducted two weeks after hurricane damage to generate an orthomosaic image and a DEM (Digital Elevation Model). 3D region growing scheme has been proposed to quantitatively estimate building damages considering building debris' elevation change and spectral difference. The result showed that the proposed method can be used for high definition building damage assessment in a time- and cost-effective way.

A kind of graded sub-pixel motion estimation algorithm combining time-domain characteristics with frequency-domain phase correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Bing; Duan, Zhemin; Chen, Yu

2017-11-01

The mode of navigation based on scene match can assist UAV to achieve autonomous navigation and other missions. However, aerial multi-frame images of the UAV in the complex flight environment easily be affected by the jitter, noise and exposure, which will lead to image blur, deformation and other issues, and result in the decline of detection rate of the interested regional target. Aiming at this problem, we proposed a kind of Graded sub-pixel motion estimation algorithm combining time-domain characteristics with frequency-domain phase correlation. Experimental results prove the validity and accuracy of the proposed algorithm.

Cloud-Assisted UAV Data Collection for Multiple Emerging Events in Distributed WSNs

PubMed Central

Cao, Huiru; Liu, Yongxin; Yue, Xuejun; Zhu, Wenjian

2017-01-01

In recent years, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have been widely applied for data collection and image capture. Specifically, UAVs have been integrated with wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to create data collection platforms with high flexibility. However, most studies in this domain focus on system architecture and UAVs’ flight trajectory planning while event-related factors and other important issues are neglected. To address these challenges, we propose a cloud-assisted data gathering strategy for UAV-based WSN in the light of emerging events. We also provide a cloud-assisted approach for deriving UAV’s optimal flying and data acquisition sequence of a WSN cluster. We validate our approach through simulations and experiments. It has been proved that our methodology outperforms conventional approaches in terms of flying time, energy consumption, and integrity of data acquisition. We also conducted a real-world experiment using a UAV to collect data wirelessly from multiple clusters of sensor nodes for monitoring an emerging event, which are deployed in a farm. Compared against the traditional method, this proposed approach requires less than half the flying time and achieves almost perfect data integrity. PMID:28783100

Application of Sensor Fusion to Improve Uav Image Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabari, S.; Fathollahi, F.; Zhang, Y.

2017-08-01

Image classification is one of the most important tasks of remote sensing projects including the ones that are based on using UAV images. Improving the quality of UAV images directly affects the classification results and can save a huge amount of time and effort in this area. In this study, we show that sensor fusion can improve image quality which results in increasing the accuracy of image classification. Here, we tested two sensor fusion configurations by using a Panchromatic (Pan) camera along with either a colour camera or a four-band multi-spectral (MS) camera. We use the Pan camera to benefit from its higher sensitivity and the colour or MS camera to benefit from its spectral properties. The resulting images are then compared to the ones acquired by a high resolution single Bayer-pattern colour camera (here referred to as HRC). We assessed the quality of the output images by performing image classification tests. The outputs prove that the proposed sensor fusion configurations can achieve higher accuracies compared to the images of the single Bayer-pattern colour camera. Therefore, incorporating a Pan camera on-board in the UAV missions and performing image fusion can help achieving higher quality images and accordingly higher accuracy classification results.

Improving geolocation and spatial accuracies with the modular integrated avionics group (MIAG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Einar; Souter, Keith

1996-05-01

The modular integrated avionics group (MIAG) is a single unit approach to combining position, inertial and baro-altitude/air data sensors to provide optimized navigation, guidance and control performance. Lear Astronics Corporation is currently working within the navigation community to upgrade existing MIAG performance with precise GPS positioning mechanization tightly integrated with inertial, baro and other sensors. Among the immediate benefits are the following: (1) accurate target location in dynamic conditions; (2) autonomous launch and recovery using airborne avionics only; (3) precise flight path guidance; and (4) improved aircraft and payload stability information. This paper will focus on the impact of using the MIAG with its multimode navigation accuracies on the UAV targeting mission. Gimbaled electro-optical sensors mounted on a UAV can be used to determine ground coordinates of a target at the center of the field of view by a series of vector rotation and scaling computations. The accuracy of the computed target coordinates is dependent on knowing the UAV position and the UAV-to-target offset computation. Astronics performed a series of simulations to evaluate the effects that the improved angular and position data available from the MIAG have on target coordinate accuracy.

Towards a Biosynthetic UAV

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, Eli; Byemerwa, Jovita; Dispenza, Ross; Doughty, Benjamin; Gillyard, KaNesha; Godbole, Poorwa; Gonzales-Wright, Jeanette; Hull, Ian; Kannappan, Jotthe; Levine, Alexander;

A Tunable Terahertz Detector based on Self-Assembled Plasmonic Structure on a GaAs 2-Dimensional Electron Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biradar, Anandrao Shesherao

The presented work in this report is about Real time Estimation of wind and analyzing current wind correction algorithm in commercial off the shelf Autopilot board. The open source ArduPilot Mega 2.5 (APM 2.5) board manufactured by 3D Robotics is used. Currently there is lot of development being done in the field of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAVs), various aerial platforms and corresponding; autonomous systems for them. This technology has advanced to such a stage that UAVs can be used for specific designed missions and deployed with reliability. But in some areas like missions requiring high maneuverability with greater efficiency is still under research area. This would help in increasing reliability and augmenting range of UAVs significantly. One of the problems addressed through this thesis work is, current autopilot systems have algorithm that handles wind by attitude correction with appropriate Crab angle. But the real time wind vector (direction) and its calculated velocity is based on geometrical and algebraic transformation between ground speed and air speed vectors. This method of wind estimation and prediction, many a times leads to inaccuracy in attitude correction. The same has been proved in the following report with simulation and actual field testing. In later part, new ways to tackle while flying windy conditions have been proposed.

Evaluation of unmanned aerial vehicle shape, flight path and camera type for waterfowl surveys: disturbance effects and species recognition.

PubMed

McEvoy, John F; Hall, Graham P; McDonald, Paul G

2016-01-01

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for ecological research has grown rapidly in recent years, but few studies have assessed the disturbance impacts of these tools on focal subjects, particularly when observing easily disturbed species such as waterfowl. In this study we assessed the level of disturbance that a range of UAV shapes and sizes had on free-living, non-breeding waterfowl surveyed in two sites in eastern Australia between March and May 2015, as well as the capability of airborne digital imaging systems to provide adequate resolution for unambiguous species identification of these taxa. We found little or no obvious disturbance effects on wild, mixed-species flocks of waterfowl when UAVs were flown at least 60m above the water level (fixed wing models) or 40m above individuals (multirotor models). Disturbance in the form of swimming away from the UAV through to leaving the water surface and flying away from the UAV was visible at lower altitudes and when fixed-wing UAVs either approached subjects directly or rapidly changed altitude and/or direction near animals. Using tangential approach flight paths that did not cause disturbance, commercially available onboard optical equipment was able to capture images of sufficient quality to identify waterfowl and even much smaller taxa such as swallows. Our results show that with proper planning of take-off and landing sites, flight paths and careful UAV model selection, UAVs can provide an excellent tool for accurately surveying wild waterfowl populations and provide archival data with fewer logistical issues than traditional methods such as manned aerial surveys.

Comparison of a Fixed-Wing and Multi-Rotor Uav for Environmental Mapping Applications: a Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boon, M. A.; Drijfhout, A. P.; Tesfamichael, S.

2017-08-01

The advent and evolution of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and photogrammetric techniques has provided the possibility for on-demand high-resolution environmental mapping. Orthoimages and three dimensional products such as Digital Surface Models (DSMs) are derived from the UAV imagery which is amongst the most important spatial information tools for environmental planning. The two main types of UAVs in the commercial market are fixed-wing and multi-rotor. Both have their advantages and disadvantages including their suitability for certain applications. Fixed-wing UAVs normally have longer flight endurance capabilities while multi-rotors can provide for stable image capturing and easy vertical take-off and landing. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the performance of a fixed-wing versus a multi-rotor UAV for environmental mapping applications by conducting a specific case study. The aerial mapping of the Cors-Air model aircraft field which includes a wetland ecosystem was undertaken on the same day with a Skywalker fixed-wing UAV and a Raven X8 multi-rotor UAV equipped with similar sensor specifications (digital RGB camera) under the same weather conditions. We compared the derived datasets by applying the DTMs for basic environmental mapping purposes such as slope and contour mapping including utilising the orthoimages for identification of anthropogenic disturbances. The ground spatial resolution obtained was slightly higher for the multi-rotor probably due to a slower flight speed and more images. The results in terms of the overall precision of the data was noticeably less accurate for the fixed-wing. In contrast, orthoimages derived from the two systems showed small variations. The multi-rotor imagery provided better representation of vegetation although the fixed-wing data was sufficient for the identification of environmental factors such as anthropogenic disturbances. Differences were observed utilising the respective DTMs for the mapping of the wetland slope and contour mapping including the representation of hydrological features within the wetland. Factors such as cost, maintenance and flight time is in favour of the Skywalker fixed-wing. The multi-rotor on the other hand is more favourable in terms of data accuracy including for precision environmental planning purposes although the quality of the data of the fixed-wing is satisfactory for most environmental mapping applications.

Real time target allocation in cooperative unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudleppanavar, Ganesh

The prolific development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) in recent years has the potential to provide tremendous advantages in military, commercial and law enforcement applications. While safety and performance take precedence in the development lifecycle, autonomous operations and, in particular, cooperative missions have the ability to significantly enhance the usability of these vehicles. The success of cooperative missions relies on the optimal allocation of targets while taking into consideration the resource limitation of each vehicle. The task allocation process can be centralized or decentralized. This effort presents the development of a real time target allocation algorithm that considers available stored energy in each vehicle while minimizing the communication between each UAV. The algorithm utilizes a nearest neighbor search algorithm to locate new targets with respect to existing targets. Simulations show that this novel algorithm compares favorably to the mixed integer linear programming method, which is computationally more expensive. The implementation of this algorithm on Arduino and Xbee wireless modules shows the capability of the algorithm to execute efficiently on hardware with minimum computation complexity.

A UAV-Based Fog Collector Design for Fine-Scale Aerobiological Sampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gentry, Diana; Guarro, Marcello; Demachkie, Isabella Siham; Stumfall, Isabel; Dahlgren, Robert P.

2017-01-01

Airborne microbes are found throughout the troposphere and into the stratosphere. Knowing how the activity of airborne microorganisms can alter water, carbon, and other geochemical cycles is vital to a full understanding of local and global ecosystems. Just as on the land or in the ocean, atmospheric regions vary in habitability; the underlying geochemical, climatic, and ecological dynamics must be characterized at different scales to be effectively modeled. Most aerobiological studies have focused on a high level: 'How high are airborne microbes found?' and 'How far can they travel?' Most fog and cloud water studies collect from stationary ground stations (point) or along flight transects (1D). To complement and provide context for this data, we have designed a UAV-based modified fog and cloud water collector to retrieve 4D-resolved samples for biological and chemical analysis.Our design uses a passive impacting collector hanging from a rigid rod suspended between two multi-rotor UAVs. The suspension design reduces the effect of turbulence and potential for contamination from the UAV downwash. The UAVs are currently modeled in a leader-follower configuration, taking advantage of recent advances in modular UAVs, UAV swarming, and flight planning.The collector itself is a hydrophobic mesh. Materials including Tyvek, PTFE, nylon, and polypropylene monofilament fabricated via laser cutting, CNC knife, or 3D printing were characterized for droplet collection efficiency using a benchtop atomizer and particle counter. Because the meshes can be easily and inexpensively fabricated, a set can be pre-sterilized and brought to the field for 'hot swapping' to decrease cross-contamination between flight sessions or use as negative controls.An onboard sensor and logging system records the time and location of each sample; when combined with flight tracking data, the samples can be resolved into a 4D volumetric map of the fog bank. Collected samples can be returned to the lab for a variety of analyses. Based on a review of existing flight studies, we have identified ion chromatography, metagenomic sequencing, cell staining and quantification, and ATP quantification as high-priority assays for implementation. Support for specific toxicology assays, such as methylmercury quantification, is also planned.

A UAV-Based Fog Collector Design for Fine-Scale Aerobiological Sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gentry, D.; Guarro, M.; Demachkie, I. S.; Stumfall, I.; Dahlgren, R. P.

2016-12-01

Airborne microbes are found throughout the troposphere and into the stratosphere. Knowing how the activity of airborne microorganisms can alter water, carbon, and other geochemical cycles is vital to a full understanding of local and global ecosystems. Just as on the land or in the ocean, atmospheric regions vary in habitability; the underlying geochemical, climatic, and ecological dynamics must be characterized at different scales to be effectively modeled. Most aerobiological studies have focused on a high level: 'How high are airborne microbes found?' and 'How far can they travel?' Most fog and cloud water studies collect from stationary ground stations (point) or along flight transects (1D). To complement and provide context for this data, we have designed a UAV-based modified fog and cloud water collector to retrieve 4D-resolved samples for biological and chemical analysis. Our design uses a passive impacting collector hanging from a rigid rod suspended between two multi-rotor UAVs. The suspension design reduces the effect of turbulence and potential for contamination from the UAV downwash. The UAVs are currently modeled in a leader-follower configuration, taking advantage of recent advances in modular UAVs, UAV swarming, and flight planning. The collector itself is a hydrophobic mesh. Materials including Tyvek, PTFE, nylon, and polypropylene monofilament fabricated via laser cutting, CNC knife, or 3D printing were characterized for droplet collection efficiency using a benchtop atomizer and particle counter. Because the meshes can be easily and inexpensively fabricated, a set can be pre-sterilized and brought to the field for 'hot swapping' to decrease cross-contamination between flight sessions or use as negative controls. An onboard sensor and logging system records the time and location of each sample; when combined with flight tracking data, the samples can be resolved into a 4D volumetric map of the fog bank. Collected samples can be returned to the lab for a variety of analyses. Based on a review of existing flight studies, we have identified ion chromatography, metagenomic sequencing, cell staining and quantification, and ATP quantification as high-priority assays for implementation. Support for specific toxicology assays, such as methylmercury quantification, is also planned.

Technician Dave Brown installs a drilling template during construction of the all-composite left win

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Technician Dave Brown installs a drilling template during construction of the all-composite left wing of NASA's Altair aircraft at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., ca

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully install a turboprop engine to the rear fuselage of NASA's Altair aircraft during final assembly operations. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Chosen Aspects of the Production of the Basic Map Using Uav Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kedzierski, M.; Fryskowska, A.; Wierzbicki, D.; Nerc, P.

2016-06-01

For several years there has been an increasing interest in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in acquiring image data from a low altitude. Considering the cost-effectiveness of the flight time of UAVs vs. conventional airplanes, the use of the former is advantageous when generating large scale accurate ortophotos. Through the development of UAV imagery, we can update large-scale basic maps. These maps are cartographic products which are used for registration, economic, and strategic planning. On the basis of these maps other cartographic maps are produced, for example maps used building planning. The article presents an assessesment of the usefulness of orthophotos based on UAV imagery to upgrade the basic map. In the research a compact, non-metric camera, mounted on a fixed wing powered by an electric motor was used. The tested area covered flat, agricultural and woodland terrains. The processing and analysis of orthorectification were carried out with the INPHO UASMaster programme. Due to the effect of UAV instability on low-altitude imagery, the use of non-metric digital cameras and the low-accuracy GPS-INS sensors, the geometry of images is visibly lower were compared to conventional digital aerial photos (large values of phi and kappa angles). Therefore, typically, low-altitude images require large along- and across-track direction overlap - usually above 70 %. As a result of the research orthoimages were obtained with a resolution of 0.06 meters and a horizontal accuracy of 0.10m. Digitized basic maps were used as the reference data. The accuracy of orthoimages vs. basic maps was estimated based on the study and on the available reference sources. As a result, it was found that the geometric accuracy and interpretative advantages of the final orthoimages allow the updating of basic maps. It is estimated that such an update of basic maps based on UAV imagery reduces processing time by approx. 40%.

Development of autonomous multirotor platform for exploration missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czyba, Roman; Janik, Marcin; Kurgan, Oliver; Niezabitowski, Michał; Nocoń, Marek

2016-06-01

This paper outlines development process of unmanned multirotor aerial vehicle HF-4X, which consists of design and manufacturing semi-autonomous UAV dedicated for indoor flight, which would be capable of stable and controllable mission flight. A micro air vehicle was designed to participate in the International Micro Air Vehicle Conference and Flight Competition. In this paper much attention was paid to the structure of flight control system, stabilization algorithms, analysis of IMU sensors, fusion algorithms.

Development of autonomous multirotor platform for exploration missions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Czyba, Roman; Janik, Marcin; Kurgan, Oliver

This paper outlines development process of unmanned multirotor aerial vehicle HF-4X, which consists of design and manufacturing semi-autonomous UAV dedicated for indoor flight, which would be capable of stable and controllable mission flight. A micro air vehicle was designed to participate in the International Micro Air Vehicle Conference and Flight Competition. In this paper much attention was paid to the structure of flight control system, stabilization algorithms, analysis of IMU sensors, fusion algorithms.

Performance measurements of a dual-rotor arm mechanism for efficient flight transition of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGill, Karen Ashley Jean

Reconfigurable systems are a class of systems that can be transformed into different configurations, generally to perform unique functions or to maintain operational efficiency under distinct conditions. A UAV can be considered a reconfigurable system when coupled with various useful features such as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), hover capability, long-range, and relatively large payload. Currently, a UAV having these capabilities is being designed by the UTSA Mechanical Engineering department. UAVs such as this one have the following potential uses: emergency response/disaster relief, hazard-critical missions, offshore oil rig/wind farm delivery, surveillance, etc. The goal of this thesis is to perform experimental thrust and power measurements for the propulsion system of this fixed-wing UAV. Focus was placed on a rotating truss arm supporting two brushless motors and rotors that will later be integrated to the ends of the UAV wing. These truss arms will rotate via a supporting shaft from 0° to 90° to transition the UAV between a vertical take-off, hover, and forward flight. To make this hover/transition possible, a relationship between thrust, arm angle, and power drawn was established by testing the performance of the arm/motor assembly at arm angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. Universal equations for this system of thrust as a function of the arm angle were created by correlating data collected by a load cell. A Solidworks model was created and used to conduct fluid dynamics simulations of the streamlines over the arm/motor assembly.

Free Flight Rotorcraft Flight Test Vehicle Technology Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, W. Todd; Walker, Gregory W.

1994-01-01

A rotary wing, unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is being developed as a research tool at the NASA Langley Research Center by the U.S. Army and NASA. This development program is intended to provide the rotorcraft research community an intermediate step between rotorcraft wind tunnel testing and full scale manned flight testing. The technologies under development for this vehicle are: adaptive electronic flight control systems incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, small-light weight sophisticated sensors, advanced telepresence-telerobotics systems and rotary wing UAV operational procedures. This paper briefly describes the system's requirements and the techniques used to integrate the various technologies to meet these requirements. The paper also discusses the status of the development effort. In addition to the original aeromechanics research mission, the technology development effort has generated a great deal of interest in the UAV community for related spin-off applications, as briefly described at the end of the paper. In some cases the technologies under development in the free flight program are critical to the ability to perform some applications.

Evaluation of unmanned aerial vehicle shape, flight path and camera type for waterfowl surveys: disturbance effects and species recognition

PubMed Central

Hall, Graham P.; McDonald, Paul G.

2016-01-01

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for ecological research has grown rapidly in recent years, but few studies have assessed the disturbance impacts of these tools on focal subjects, particularly when observing easily disturbed species such as waterfowl. In this study we assessed the level of disturbance that a range of UAV shapes and sizes had on free-living, non-breeding waterfowl surveyed in two sites in eastern Australia between March and May 2015, as well as the capability of airborne digital imaging systems to provide adequate resolution for unambiguous species identification of these taxa. We found little or no obvious disturbance effects on wild, mixed-species flocks of waterfowl when UAVs were flown at least 60m above the water level (fixed wing models) or 40m above individuals (multirotor models). Disturbance in the form of swimming away from the UAV through to leaving the water surface and flying away from the UAV was visible at lower altitudes and when fixed-wing UAVs either approached subjects directly or rapidly changed altitude and/or direction near animals. Using tangential approach flight paths that did not cause disturbance, commercially available onboard optical equipment was able to capture images of sufficient quality to identify waterfowl and even much smaller taxa such as swallows. Our results show that with proper planning of take-off and landing sites, flight paths and careful UAV model selection, UAVs can provide an excellent tool for accurately surveying wild waterfowl populations and provide archival data with fewer logistical issues than traditional methods such as manned aerial surveys. PMID:27020132

Feasibility of Using Synthetic Aperture Radar to Aid UAV Navigation

PubMed Central

Nitti, Davide O.; Bovenga, Fabio; Chiaradia, Maria T.; Greco, Mario; Pinelli, Gianpaolo

2015-01-01

This study explores the potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to aid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) navigation when Inertial Navigation System (INS) measurements are not accurate enough to eliminate drifts from a planned trajectory. This problem can affect medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV class, which permits heavy and wide payloads (as required by SAR) and flights for thousands of kilometres accumulating large drifts. The basic idea is to infer position and attitude of an aerial platform by inspecting both amplitude and phase of SAR images acquired onboard. For the amplitude-based approach, the system navigation corrections are obtained by matching the actual coordinates of ground landmarks with those automatically extracted from the SAR image. When the use of SAR amplitude is unfeasible, the phase content can be exploited through SAR interferometry by using a reference Digital Terrain Model (DTM). A feasibility analysis was carried out to derive system requirements by exploring both radiometric and geometric parameters of the acquisition setting. We showed that MALE UAV, specific commercial navigation sensors and SAR systems, typical landmark position accuracy and classes, and available DTMs lead to estimate UAV coordinates with errors bounded within ±12 m, thus making feasible the proposed SAR-based backup system. PMID:26225977

Feasibility of Using Synthetic Aperture Radar to Aid UAV Navigation.

PubMed

Nitti, Davide O; Bovenga, Fabio; Chiaradia, Maria T; Greco, Mario; Pinelli, Gianpaolo

2015-07-28

This study explores the potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to aid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) navigation when Inertial Navigation System (INS) measurements are not accurate enough to eliminate drifts from a planned trajectory. This problem can affect medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV class, which permits heavy and wide payloads (as required by SAR) and flights for thousands of kilometres accumulating large drifts. The basic idea is to infer position and attitude of an aerial platform by inspecting both amplitude and phase of SAR images acquired onboard. For the amplitude-based approach, the system navigation corrections are obtained by matching the actual coordinates of ground landmarks with those automatically extracted from the SAR image. When the use of SAR amplitude is unfeasible, the phase content can be exploited through SAR interferometry by using a reference Digital Terrain Model (DTM). A feasibility analysis was carried out to derive system requirements by exploring both radiometric and geometric parameters of the acquisition setting. We showed that MALE UAV, specific commercial navigation sensors and SAR systems, typical landmark position accuracy and classes, and available DTMs lead to estimated UAV coordinates with errors bounded within ±12 m, thus making feasible the proposed SAR-based backup system.

The Use of UAV in Housing Renovation Identification: A Case Study at Taman Manis 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustaffa, A. A.; Hasmori, M. F.; Sarif, A. S.; Ahmad, N. F.; Zainun, N. Y.

2018-04-01

Housing industry in Malaysia is growing rapidly due to the increase in population and the arising of economic level of Malaysian people. Most residential houses are built according to the standard residential design that may lead to house renovation by the buyers after purchasing the house. A method of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) monitoring was used to obtain information of the renovated houses directly on-site at Taman Manis 2, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat. Through comparison of image captured by the UAV with the original house plans, we found out that a total of 160 units out of 336 units of houses undergo a renovation process. Surprisingly, 41 units have been renovated illegally which has 40% to 96% of renovation rate. The acquired data were analyzed and can be concluded that the method of using UAVs to obtain information is highly recommended. The study is expected to help Municipal Council to detect improper & illegal renovation by the residents in a residential area.

Vision and Control for UAVs: A Survey of General Methods and of Inexpensive Platforms for Infrastructure Inspection

PubMed Central

Máthé, Koppány; Buşoniu, Lucian

2015-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained significant attention in recent years. Low-cost platforms using inexpensive sensor payloads have been shown to provide satisfactory flight and navigation capabilities. In this report, we survey vision and control methods that can be applied to low-cost UAVs, and we list some popular inexpensive platforms and application fields where they are useful. We also highlight the sensor suites used where this information is available. We overview, among others, feature detection and tracking, optical flow and visual servoing, low-level stabilization and high-level planning methods. We then list popular low-cost UAVs, selecting mainly quadrotors. We discuss applications, restricting our focus to the field of infrastructure inspection. Finally, as an example, we formulate two use-cases for railway inspection, a less explored application field, and illustrate the usage of the vision and control techniques reviewed by selecting appropriate ones to tackle these use-cases. To select vision methods, we run a thorough set of experimental evaluations. PMID:26121608

A method for using unmanned aerial vehicles for emergency investigation of single geo-hazards and sample applications of this method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Haifeng; Long, Jingjing; Yi, Wu; Yi, Qinglin; Zhang, Guodong; Lei, Bangjun

2017-11-01

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become widely used in emergency investigations of major natural hazards over large areas; however, UAVs are less commonly employed to investigate single geo-hazards. Based on a number of successful investigations in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China, a complete UAV-based method for performing emergency investigations of single geo-hazards is described. First, a customized UAV system that consists of a multi-rotor UAV subsystem, an aerial photography subsystem, a ground control subsystem and a ground surveillance subsystem is described in detail. The implementation process, which includes four steps, i.e., indoor preparation, site investigation, on-site fast processing and application, and indoor comprehensive processing and application, is then elaborated, and two investigation schemes, automatic and manual, that are used in the site investigation step are put forward. Moreover, some key techniques and methods - e.g., the layout and measurement of ground control points (GCPs), route planning, flight control and image collection, and the Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry processing - are explained. Finally, three applications are given. Experience has shown that using UAVs for emergency investigation of single geo-hazards greatly reduces the time, intensity and risks associated with on-site work and provides valuable, high-accuracy, high-resolution information that supports emergency responses.

Earth Remote Sensing for Weather Forecasting and Disaster Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molthan, Andrew; Bell, Jordan; Case, Jonathan; Cole, Tony; Elmer, Nicholas; McGrath, Kevin; Schultz, Lori; Zavodsky, Brad

2016-01-01

NASA's constellation of current missions provide several opportunities to apply satellite remote sensing observations to weather forecasting and disaster response applications. Examples include: Using NASA's Terra and Aqua MODIS, and the NASA/NOAA Suomi-NPP VIIRS missions to prepare weather forecasters for capabilities of GOES-R; Incorporating other NASA remote sensing assets for improving aspects of numerical weather prediction; Using NASA, NOAA, and international partner resources (e.g. ESA/Sentinel Series); and commercial platforms (high-res, or UAV) to support disaster mapping.

Unmanned Vehicles Systems; Unmanned Vehicle Tactical Memorandum (TM 3-22-5-SW): Report of Findings and Recommendation

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-31

FP) missions. These missions are broadly categorized by sizes and associated platforms (not all inclusive) as shown in Table 2. UAV greater than...initiative and the Marines’ interim small unit remote scouting system (I-SURSS) requirement. The potential Navy version is referred to as Sea ALL . Dragon...wingspan, about seven inches long) that can stay in the air for about an hour. Once the battery powered propeller is spinning, the operator throws

Unmanned airships for near earth remote sensing missions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hochstetler, R.D.

1996-10-01

In recent years the study of Earth processes has increased significantly. Conventional aircraft have been employed to a large extent in gathering much of this information. However, with this expansion of research has come the need to investigate and measure phenomena that occur beyond the performance capabilities of conventional aircraft. Where long dwell times or observations at very low attitudes are required there are few platforms that can operate safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. One type of aircraft that meets all three parameters is the unmanned, autonomously operated airship. The UAV airship is smaller than manned airships but has similar performancemore » characteristics. It`s low speed stability permits high resolution observations and provides a low vibration environment for motion sensitive instruments. Maximum airspeed is usually 30mph to 35mph and endurance can be as high as 36 hours. With scientific payload capacities of 100 kilos and more, the UAV airship offers a unique opportunity for carrying significant instrument loads for protracted periods at the air/surface interface. The US Army has operated UAV airships for several years conducting border surveillance and monitoring, environmental surveys, and detection and mapping of unexploded ordinance. The technical details of UAV airships, their performance, and the potential of such platforms for more advanced research roles will be presented. 3 refs., 5 figs.« less

Acquisition and Processing Protocols for Uav Images: 3d Modeling of Historical Buildings Using Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murtiyoso, A.; Koehl, M.; Grussenmeyer, P.; Freville, T.

2017-08-01

Photogrammetry has seen an increase in the use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for both large and smaller scale cartography. The use of UAVs is also advantageous because it may be used for tasks requiring quick response, including in the case of the inspection and monitoring of buildings. The objective of the project is to study the acquisition and processing protocols which exist in the literature and to adapt them for UAV projects. This implies a study on the calibration of the sensors, flight planning, comparison of software solutions, data management, and analysis on the different products of a UAV project. Two historical buildings of the city of Strasbourg were used as case studies: a part of the Rohan Palace façade and the St-Pierre-le-Jeune Catholic church. In addition, a preliminary test was performed on the Josephine Pavilion. Two UAVs were used in this research; namely the Sensefly Albris and the DJI Phantom 3 Professional. The experiments have shown that the calibration parameters tend to be unstable for small sensors. Furthermore, the dense matching of images remains a particular problem to address in a close range photogrammetry project, more so in the presence of noise on the images. Data management in cases where the number of images is high is also very important. The UAV is nevertheless a suitable solution for the surveying and recording of historical buildings because it is able to take images from points of view which are normally inaccessible to classical terrestrial techniques.

Integrated consensus-based frameworks for unmanned vehicle routing and targeting assignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnawi, Waleed T.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly deployed in complex and dynamic environments to perform multiple tasks cooperatively with other UAVs that contribute to overarching mission effectiveness. Studies by the Department of Defense (DoD) indicate future operations may include anti-access/area-denial (A2AD) environments which limit human teleoperator decision-making and control. This research addresses the problem of decentralized vehicle re-routing and task reassignments through consensus-based UAV decision-making. An Integrated Consensus-Based Framework (ICF) is formulated as a solution to the combined single task assignment problem and vehicle routing problem. The multiple assignment and vehicle routing problem is solved with the Integrated Consensus-Based Bundle Framework (ICBF). The frameworks are hierarchically decomposed into two levels. The bottom layer utilizes the renowned Dijkstra's Algorithm. The top layer addresses task assignment with two methods. The single assignment approach is called the Caravan Auction Algorithm (CarA) Algorithm. This technique extends the Consensus-Based Auction Algorithm (CBAA) to provide awareness for task completion by agents and adopt abandoned tasks. The multiple assignment approach called the Caravan Auction Bundle Algorithm (CarAB) extends the Consensus-Based Bundle Algorithm (CBBA) by providing awareness for lost resources, prioritizing remaining tasks, and adopting abandoned tasks. Research questions are investigated regarding the novelty and performance of the proposed frameworks. Conclusions regarding the research questions will be provided through hypothesis testing. Monte Carlo simulations will provide evidence to support conclusions regarding the research hypotheses for the proposed frameworks. The approach provided in this research addresses current and future military operations for unmanned aerial vehicles. However, the general framework implied by the proposed research is adaptable to any unmanned vehicle. Civil applications that involve missions where human observability would be limited could benefit from the independent UAV task assignment, such as exploration and fire surveillance are also notable uses for this approach.

EC02-0031-6

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-02-01

The Helios Prototype flying wing stretches almost the full length of the 300-foot-long hangar at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The 247-foot span solar-powered aircraft, resting on its ground maneuvering dolly, was on display for a visit of NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and other NASA officials on January 31, 2002. The unique solar-electric flying wing reached an altitude of 96,863 feet during an almost 17-hour flight near Hawaii on August 13, 2001, a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a non-rocket powered aircraft. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, the Helios Prototype is the forerunner of a planned fleet of slow-flying, long duration, high-altitude uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) which can serve as "atmospheric satellites," performing Earth science missions or functioning as telecommunications relay platforms in the stratosphere.

EC02-0031-7

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-02-01

The solar-powered Helios Prototype flying wing frames two modified F-15 research aircraft in a hangar at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The elongated 247-foot span lightweight aircraft, resting on its ground maneuvering dolly, stretched almost the full length of the 300-foot long hangar while on display during a visit of NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and other NASA officials on Jan. 31, 2002. The unique solar-electric flying wing reached an altitude of 96,863 feet during an almost 17-hour flight near Hawaii on Aug. 13, 2001, a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a non-rocket powered aircraft. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, the Helios Prototype is the forerunner of a planned fleet of slow-flying, long duration, high-altitude uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) which can serve as "atmospheric satellites," performing Earth science missions or functioning as telecommunications relay platforms in the stratosphere.

Design, Development, and Testing of a UAV Hardware-in-the-Loop Testbed for Aviation and Airspace Prognostics Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Chetan; Teubert, Chris; Gorospe, George; Burgett, Drew; Quach, Cuong C.; Hogge, Edward

2016-01-01

The airspace is becoming more and more complicated, and will continue to do so in the future with the integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), autonomy, spacecraft, other forms of aviation technology into the airspace. The new technology and complexity increases the importance and difficulty of safety assurance. Additionally, testing new technologies on complex aviation systems & systems of systems can be very difficult, expensive, and sometimes unsafe in real life scenarios. Prognostic methodology provides an estimate of the health and risks of a component, vehicle, or airspace and knowledge of how that will change over time. That measure is especially useful in safety determination, mission planning, and maintenance scheduling. The developed testbed will be used to validate prediction algorithms for the real-time safety monitoring of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the prediction of unsafe events. The framework injects flight related anomalies related to ground systems, routing, airport congestion, etc. to test and verify algorithms for NAS safety. In our research work, we develop a live, distributed, hardware-in-the-loop testbed for aviation and airspace prognostics along with exploring further research possibilities to verify and validate future algorithms for NAS safety. The testbed integrates virtual aircraft using the X-Plane simulator and X-PlaneConnect toolbox, UAVs using onboard sensors and cellular communications, and hardware in the loop components. In addition, the testbed includes an additional research framework to support and simplify future research activities. It enables safe, accurate, and inexpensive experimentation and research into airspace and vehicle prognosis that would not have been possible otherwise. This paper describes the design, development, and testing of this system. Software reliability, safety and latency are some of the critical design considerations in development of the testbed. Integration of HITL elements in the development phases and veri cation/ validation are key elements to this report.

Mobile 3d Mapping with a Low-Cost Uav System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neitzel, F.; Klonowski, J.

2011-09-01

In this contribution it is shown how an UAV system can be built at low costs. The components of the system, the equipment as well as the control software are presented. Furthermore an implemented programme for photogrammetric flight planning and its execution are described. The main focus of this contribution is on the generation of 3D point clouds from digital imagery. For this web services and free software solutions are presented which automatically generate 3D point clouds from arbitrary image configurations. Possibilities of georeferencing are described whereas the achieved accuracy has been determined. The presented workflow is finally used for the acquisition of 3D geodata. On the example of a landfill survey it is shown that marketable products can be derived using a low-cost UAV.

a Metadata Based Approach for Analyzing Uav Datasets for Photogrammetric Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhanda, A.; Remondino, F.; Santana Quintero, M.

2018-05-01

This paper proposes a methodology for pre-processing and analysing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) datasets before photogrammetric processing. In cases where images are gathered without a detailed flight plan and at regular acquisition intervals the datasets can be quite large and be time consuming to process. This paper proposes a method to calculate the image overlap and filter out images to reduce large block sizes and speed up photogrammetric processing. The python-based algorithm that implements this methodology leverages the metadata in each image to determine the end and side overlap of grid-based UAV flights. Utilizing user input, the algorithm filters out images that are unneeded for photogrammetric processing. The result is an algorithm that can speed up photogrammetric processing and provide valuable information to the user about the flight path.

Team Cognition in Experienced Command-and-Control Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooke, Nancy J.; Gorman, Jamie C.; Duran, Jasmine L.; Taylor, Amanda R.

2007-01-01

Team cognition in experienced command-and-control teams is examined in an UAV (Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle) simulation. Five 3-person teams with experience working together in a command-and-control setting were compared to 10 inexperienced teams. Each team participated in five 40-min missions of a simulation in which interdependent team members…

Applications of UAV imagery for agricultural and environmental research at the USDA Southeast Watershed Research Lab

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The ARS is the USDA's in-house scientific research agency, whose mission is to conduct research to "develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority..." This includes enhancing the natural resource base and the environment, a dimension of particular relevance to the ...

Experimental application of simulation tools for evaluating UAV video change detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saur, Günter; Bartelsen, Jan

2015-10-01

Change detection is one of the most important tasks when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are used for video reconnaissance and surveillance. In this paper, we address changes on short time scale, i.e. the observations are taken within time distances of a few hours. Each observation is a short video sequence corresponding to the near-nadir overflight of the UAV above the interesting area and the relevant changes are e.g. recently added or removed objects. The change detection algorithm has to distinguish between relevant and non-relevant changes. Examples for non-relevant changes are versatile objects like trees and compression or transmission artifacts. To enable the usage of an automatic change detection within an interactive workflow of an UAV video exploitation system, an evaluation and assessment procedure has to be performed. Large video data sets which contain many relevant objects with varying scene background and altering influence parameters (e.g. image quality, sensor and flight parameters) including image metadata and ground truth data are necessary for a comprehensive evaluation. Since the acquisition of real video data is limited by cost and time constraints, from our point of view, the generation of synthetic data by simulation tools has to be considered. In this paper the processing chain of Saur et al. (2014) [1] and the interactive workflow for video change detection is described. We have selected the commercial simulation environment Virtual Battle Space 3 (VBS3) to generate synthetic data. For an experimental setup, an example scenario "road monitoring" has been defined and several video clips have been produced with varying flight and sensor parameters and varying objects in the scene. Image registration and change mask extraction, both components of the processing chain, are applied to corresponding frames of different video clips. For the selected examples, the images could be registered, the modelled changes could be extracted and the artifacts of the image rendering considered as noise (slight differences of heading angles, disparity of vegetation, 3D parallax) could be suppressed. We conclude that these image data could be considered to be realistic enough to serve as evaluation data for the selected processing components. Future work will extend the evaluation to other influence parameters and may include the human operator for mission planning and sensor control.

An Ozone Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) Receiver System for Use on Unpiloted Atmospheric Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeYoung, Russell J.; Goldschmidt, Soenke

1999-01-01

Measurements of global atmosphere ozone concentrations call for flexible lidar systems that can be operated from an unpiloted atmospheric vehicle (UAV) to reduce the cost of measurement missions. A lidar receiver system consisting of a fiber-optic-coupled telescope has been designed and tested for this purpose. The system weight is 13 kg and its volume of 0.06 m 3 would fit into the payload compartment of a Perseus B UAV. The optical efficiency of the telescope is 37 percent at 288 nm and 64 percent at 300 nm. Atmospheric measurements with a DIAL laser system have been performed, and the measured ozone density has matched the data from ozonesondes to an altitude of 7 km.

Wing configuration on Wind Tunnel Testing of an Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daryanto, Yanto; Purwono, Joko; Subagyo

2018-04-01

Control surface of an Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) consists of flap, aileron, spoiler, rudder, and elevator. Every control surface has its own special functionality. Some particular configurations in the flight mission often depend on the wing configuration. Configuration wing within flap deflection for takeoff setting deflection of flap 20° but during landing deflection of flap set on the value 40°. The aim of this research is to get the ultimate CLmax for take-off flap deflection setting. It is shown from Wind Tunnel Testing result that the 20° flap deflection gives optimum CLmax with moderate drag coefficient. The results of Wind Tunnel Testing representing by graphic plots show good performance as well as the stability of UAV.

GaAs/Ge Solar Powered Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colozza, Anthony J.; Scheiman, David A.; Brinker, David J.

1998-01-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are being proposed for many applications for many applications including surveillance, mapping and atmospheric studies. These applications require a lightweight, low speed, medium to long duration aircraft. Due to the weight, speed, and altitude constraints imposed on such an aircraft, solar array generated electric power can be a viable alternative to air-breathing engines for certain missions. Development of such an aircraft is currently being funded under the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has built a Solar Electric Airplane to demonstrate UAV technology. This aircraft utilizes high efficiency Applied Solar Energy Corporation (ASEC) GaAs/Ge space solar cells. The cells have been provided by the Air Force through the ManTech Office.

Wetland Assessment Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (uav) Photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boon, M. A.; Greenfield, R.; Tesfamichael, S.

2016-06-01

The use of Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry is a valuable tool to enhance our understanding of wetlands. Accurate planning derived from this technological advancement allows for more effective management and conservation of wetland areas. This paper presents results of a study that aimed at investigating the use of UAV photogrammetry as a tool to enhance the assessment of wetland ecosystems. The UAV images were collected during a single flight within 2½ hours over a 100 ha area at the Kameelzynkraal farm, Gauteng Province, South Africa. An AKS Y-6 MKII multi-rotor UAV and a digital camera on a motion compensated gimbal mount were utilised for the survey. Twenty ground control points (GCPs) were surveyed using a Trimble GPS to achieve geometrical precision and georeferencing accuracy. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) computer vision techniques were used to derive ultra-high resolution point clouds, orthophotos and 3D models from the multi-view photos. The geometric accuracy of the data based on the 20 GCP's were 0.018 m for the overall, 0.0025 m for the vertical root mean squared error (RMSE) and an over all root mean square reprojection error of 0.18 pixel. The UAV products were then edited and subsequently analysed, interpreted and key attributes extracted using a selection of tools/ software applications to enhance the wetland assessment. The results exceeded our expectations and provided a valuable and accurate enhancement to the wetland delineation, classification and health assessment which even with detailed field studies would have been difficult to achieve.

Application of Low-Cost Fixed-Wing UAV for Inland Lakes Shoreline Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Templin, Tomasz; Popielarczyk, Dariusz; Kosecki, Rafał

2017-10-01

One of the most important factors that influences the performance of geomorphologic parameters on urban lakes is the water level. It fluctuates periodically, causing shoreline changes. It is especially significant for typical environmental studies like bathymetric surveys, morphometric parameters calculation, sediment depth changes, thermal structure, water quality monitoring, etc. In most reservoirs, it can be obtained from digitized historical maps or plans or directly measured using the instruments such as: geodetic total station, GNSS receivers, UAV with different sensors, satellite and aerial photos, terrestrial and airborne light detection and ranging, or others. Today one of the most popular measuring platforms, increasingly applied in many applications is UAV. Unmanned aerial system can be a cheap, easy to use, on-demand technology for gathering remote sensing data. Our study presents a reliable methodology for shallow lake shoreline investigation with the use of a low-cost fixed-wing UAV system. The research was implemented on a small, eutrophic urban inland reservoir located in the northern part of Poland—Lake Suskie. The geodetic TS, and RTK/GNSS measurements, hydroacoustic soundings and experimental aerial mapping were conducted by the authors in 2012-2015. The article specifically describes the UAV system used for experimental measurements, the obtained results and the accuracy analysis. Final conclusions demonstrate that even a low-cost fixed-wing UAV can provide an excellent tool for accurately surveying a shallow lake shoreline and generate valuable geoinformation data collected definitely faster than when traditional geodetic methods are employed.

The application of micro UAV in construction project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaamin, Masiri; Razali, Siti Nooraiin Mohd; Ahmad, Nor Farah Atiqah; Bukari, Saifullizan Mohd; Ngadiman, Norhayati; Kadir, Aslila Abd; Hamid, Nor Baizura

2017-10-01

In every outstanding construction project, there is definitely have an effective construction management. Construction management allows a construction project to be implemented according to plan. Every construction project must have a progress development works that is usually created by the site engineer. Documenting the progress of works is one of the requirements in construction management. In a progress report it is necessarily have a visual image as an evidence. The conventional method used for photographing on the construction site is by using common digital camera which is has few setback comparing to Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Besides, site engineer always have a current issues involving limitation of monitoring on high reach point and entire view of the construction site. The purpose of this paper is to provide a concise review of Micro UAV technology in monitoring the progress on construction site through visualization approach. The aims of this study are to replace the conventional method of photographing on construction site using Micro UAV which can portray the whole view of the building, especially on high reach point and allows to produce better images, videos and 3D model and also facilitating site engineer to monitor works in progress. The Micro UAV was flown around the building construction according to the Ground Control Points (GCPs) to capture images and record videos. The images taken from Micro UAV have been processed generate 3D model and were analysed to visualize the building construction as well as monitoring the construction progress work and provides immediate reliable data for project estimation. It has been proven that by using Micro UAV, a better images and videos can give a better overview of the construction site and monitor any defects on high reach point building structures. Not to be forgotten, with Micro UAV the construction site progress is more efficiently tracked and kept on the schedule.

Uav for Geodata Acquisition in Agricultureal and Forestal Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reidelstürz, P.; Schrenk, L.; Littmann, W.

2011-09-01

In the field of precision-farming research, solutions are worked out to combine ecological and economical requirements in a harmonic way. Integrating hightech in agricultural machinery, natural differences in the fields (biodiversity) can be detected and considered to economize agricultural resources and to give respect to natural ecological variability at the same time. Using precision farming resources, machining - and labour time can be economized, productivness can be improved, environmental burden can be discharged and documentation of production processes can be improved. To realize precision farming it is essential to make contemporary large scale data of the biodiversity in the field available. In the last years effectual traktor based equipment for real time precision farming applications was developed. Using remote sensing, biomass diversity of the field can be considered while applicating operating ressources economicly. Because these large scale data aquisition depends on expensive tractor based inspections, capable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) could complement or in special situations even replace such tractor based data aquisition needed for the realization of precision farming strategies. The specific advantages and application slots of UAVs seems to be ideal for the usage in the field of precision farming. For example the size of even large agricultural fields in germany can be managed even by smaller UAVs. Data can be captured spontaneously, promptly, in large scale, with less respect of weather conditions. In agricultural regions UAV flights can be arranged in visual range as actually the legislator requires in germany, especially because the use of autopilotsystems in fact is nessecary to assure regular area-wide data without gaps but not to fly in non-visible regions. Also a minimized risk of hazard is given, flying UAVs over deserted agricultural areas. In a first stage CIS GmbH cooperated with "Institute For Flightsystems" of the University of German Armed Forces in Neubiberg/Munich and the well-established precision farming company "Konsultationszentrum Liepen" to develop an applicable UAV for precision farming purposes. Currently Cis GmbH and Technologie Campus Freyung, with intense contact to the „flying robot"- team of DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, collaborate to optimize the existing UAV and to extend the applications from data aquisition for biomass diversity up to detect the water supply situation in agricultural fields, to support pest management systems as much as to check the possibilities to detect bark beetle attacks in european spruce in an early stage of attack (green attack phase) by constructing and integrating further payload modules with different sensors in the existing UAV airframe. Also effective data processing workflows are to be worked out. Actually in the existing UAV autopilotsystem "piccolo" (cloudcaptech) is integrated and also a replaceable payload module is available, carrying a VIS and a NIR camera to calculate maps of NDVI diversity as indicator of biomass diversity. Further modules with a 6 channel multispectral still camera and with a spectrometer are planned. The airframe's wingspan is about 3,45m weighting 4.2 kg, ready to fly. The hand launchable UAV can start from any place in agricultural regions. The wing is configured with flaps, allowing steep approaches and short landings using a „butterfly" brake configuration. In spite of the lightweight configuration the UAV yet proves its worth under windy baltic wether situations by collecting regular sharp images of fields under wind speed up to 15m/s (Beaufort 6 -7). In further projects the development of further payload modules and a user friendly flight planning tool is scheduled considering different payload - and airframe requirements for different precision farming purposes and forest applications. Data processing and workflow will be optimized. Cooperation with further partners to establish UAV systems in agricultural, forest and geodata aquisition is desired.

High resolution and low altitude magnetic surveys for structural geology mapping in the Seabee mine, Saskatchewan, Canada, using UAV-MAG™ technology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, A.; Parvar, K.; Burns, M.

2017-12-01

Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAV) provide the operational flexibility and ease of use which makes them ideal tools for low altitude and high resolution magnetic surveys. Being able to fly at lower altitudes compared to manned aircrafts provides the proximity to the target needed to increase the sensitivity to detect smaller and less magnetic targets. Considering the same sensor specifications, this further increases the signal to noise ratio. However, to increase spatial resolution, a tighter line spacing is needed which increases the survey time. We describe a case study in the Seabee mine in Saskatchewan, Canada. Using Pioneer Exploration Ltd. UAV-MAG™ technology, we emphasize the importance of altitude and line spacing in magnetic surveys with UAVs in order to resolve smaller and less magnetic targets compared to conventional manned airborne magnetic surveys. Mapping lithological or stratigraphic changes along the target structure requires an existing gradient in magnetic susceptibility. Mostly, this criterium is either not presented or the is weaker than the sensor's signal to noise ratio at a certain flying altitude. However, the folded structure in the study region shows high susceptibility changes in rock formations in high altitude regional magnetic surveys. In order to confirm that there are no missed structural elements in the target region, a UAV magnetic survey using a GEM Systems GSMP-35A potassium vapor magnetometer on Pioneer Exploration's UAV-MAG™ platform was conducted to exploit the structure in detail and compare the gain in spatial resolution from flying at lower altitude and with denser flight lines. The survey was conducted at 25 meters above ground level (AGL). Line spacing was set to 15 meters and a total of 550 kilometers was covered using an autonomous UAV. The collected data were compared to the regional airborne data which were collected at 150 meters AGL with a line spacing of 100 meters. Comparison revealed an anticline with plunge in the northeastern side of the gird. The analysis of the magnetic data, both total magnetic intensity and gradients, reveals that the UAV survey is able to resolve much smaller structures than the manned airborne survey. These details also match observations made in previous geological mapping missions.

UAV-based remote sensing of the Heumoes landslide, Austria Vorarlberg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niethammer, U.; Joswig, M.

2009-04-01

The Heumoes landslide, is located in the eastern Vorarlberg Alps, Austria, 10 km southeast of Dornbirn. The extension of the landslide is about 2000 m in west to east direction and about 500 m at its widest extent in north to south direction. It occurs between an elevation of 940 m in the east and 1360 m in the west, slope angles of more than 60 % can be observed as well as almost flat areas. Its total volume is estimated to be 9.400.000 cubic meters and its average velocities amount to some centimeter per year. Surface signatures or 'photolineations' of creeping landslides, e.g. fractures and rupture lines in sediments and street pavings, and vegetation contrasts by changes of water table in shallow vegetation in principle can be resolved by remote sensing. The necessary ground cell resolution of few centimeters, however, generally can't be achieved by routine areal or satellite imagery. The fast technological progress of unmanned areal vehicles (UAV) and the reduced payload by miniaturized optical cameras now allow for UAV remote sensing applications that are below the high financial limits of military intelligence. Even with 'low-cost' equipment, the necessary centimeter-scale ground cell resolution can be achieved by adapting the flight altitude to some ten to one hundred meters. Operated by scientists experienced in remote-control flight models, UAV remote sensing can now be performed routinely, and campaign-wise after any significant event of, e.g., heavy rainfall, or partial mudflow. We have investigated a concept of UAV-borne remote sensing based on motorized gliders, and four-propeller helicopters or 'quad-rotors'. Several missions were flown over the Heumoes landslide. Between 2006 and 2008 three series UAV-borne photographs of the Heumoes landslide were taken and could be combined to orto-mosaics of the slope area within few centimeters ground cell resolution. We will present the concept of our low cost quad-rotor UAV system and first results of the image-processing based evaluation of the acquired images to characterize spatial and temporal details of landslide behaviour. We will also sketch first schemes of joint interpretation or 'data fusion' of UAV-based remote sensing with the results from geophysical mapping of underground distribution of soil moisture and fracture processes (Walter & Joswig, EGU 2009).

Co-Registration of DSMs Generated by Uav and Terrestrial Laser Scanning Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancil Persad, Ravi; Armenakis, Costas

2016-06-01

An approach for the co-registration of Digital Surface Models (DSMs) derived from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) is proposed. Specifically, a wavelet-based feature descriptor for matching surface keypoints on the 2.5D DSMs is developed. DSMs are useful in wide-scope of various applications such as 3D building modelling and reconstruction, cultural heritage, urban and environmental planning, aircraft navigation/path routing, accident and crime scene reconstruction, mining as well as, topographic map revision and change detection. For these listed applications, it is not uncommon that there will be a need for automatically aligning multi-temporal DSMs which may have been acquired from multiple sensors, with different specifications over a period of time, and may have various overlaps. Terrestrial laser scanners usually capture urban facades in an accurate manner; however this is not the case for building roof structures. On the other hand, vertical photography from UAVs can capture the roofs. Therefore, the automatic fusion of UAV and laser-scanning based DSMs is addressed here as it serves various geospatial applications.

An Analysis of Fuel Cell Options for an All-electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohout, Lisa L.; Schmitz, Paul C.

2007-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the performance characteristics of both PEM and SOFC-based fuel cell systems for an all-electric high altitude, long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Primary and hybrid systems were considered. Fuel options include methane, hydrogen, and jet fuel. Excel-based models were used to calculate component mass as a function of power level and mission duration. Total system mass and stored volume as a function of mission duration for an aircraft operating at 65 kft altitude were determined and compared.

Demonstrating Acquisition of Real-Time Thermal Data Over Fires Utilizing UAVs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrosia, Vincent G.; Wegener, Steven S.; Brass, James A.; Buechel, Sally W.; Peterson, David L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A disaster mitigation demonstration, designed to integrate remote-piloted aerial platforms, a thermal infrared imaging payload, over-the-horizon (OTH) data telemetry and advanced image geo-rectification technologies was initiated in 2001. Project FiRE incorporates the use of a remotely piloted Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV), thermal imagery, and over-the-horizon satellite data telemetry to provide geo-corrected data over a controlled burn, to a fire management community in near real-time. The experiment demonstrated the use of a thermal multi-spectral scanner, integrated on a large payload capacity UAV, distributing data over-the-horizon via satellite communication telemetry equipment, and precision geo-rectification of the resultant data on the ground for data distribution to the Internet. The use of the UAV allowed remote-piloted flight (thereby reducing the potential for loss of human life during hazardous missions), and the ability to "finger and stare" over the fire for extended periods of time (beyond the capabilities of human-pilot endurance). Improved bit-rate capacity telemetry capabilities increased the amount, structure, and information content of the image data relayed to the ground. The integration of precision navigation instrumentation allowed improved accuracies in geo-rectification of the resultant imagery, easing data ingestion and overlay in a GIS framework. We focus on these technological advances and demonstrate how these emerging technologies can be readily integrated to support disaster mitigation and monitoring strategies regionally and nationally.

Possibilities of Uas for Maritime Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimkowska, A.; Lee, I.; Choi, K.

2016-06-01

In the last few years, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have become more important and its use for different application is appreciated. At the beginning UAS were used for military purposes. These successful applications initiated interest among researchers to find uses of UAS for civilian purposes, as they are alternative to both manned and satellite systems in acquiring high-resolution remote sensing data at lower cost while long flight duration. As UAS are built from many components such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), sensing payloads, communication systems, ground control stations, recovery and launch equipment, and supporting equipment, knowledge about its functionality and characteristics is crucial for missions. Therefore, finding appropriate configuration of all elements to fulfill requirements of the mission is a very difficult, yet important task. UAS may be used in various maritime applications such as ship detection, red tide detection and monitoring, border patrol, tracking of pollution at sea and hurricane monitoring just to mention few. One of the greatest advantages of UAV is their ability to fly over dangerous and hazardous areas, where sending manned aircraft could be risky for a crew. In this article brief description of aerial unmanned system components is introduced. Firstly characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles are presented, it continues with introducing inertial navigation system, communication systems, sensing payloads, ground control stations, and ground and recovery equipment. Next part introduces some examples of UAS for maritime applications. This is followed by suggestions of key indicators which should be taken into consideration while choosing UAS. Last part talks about configuration schemes of UAVs and sensor payloads suggested for some maritime applications.

Selectable Hyperspectral Airborne Remote-sensing Kit (SHARK) on the Vision II turbine rotorcraft UAV over the Florida Keys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holasek, R. E.; Nakanishi, K.; Swartz, B.; Zacaroli, R.; Hill, B.; Naungayan, J.; Herwitz, S.; Kavros, P.; English, D. C.

2013-12-01

As part of the NASA ROSES program, the NovaSol Selectable Hyperspectral Airborne Remote-sensing Kit (SHARK) was flown as the payload on the unmanned Vision II helicopter. The goal of the May 2013 data collection was to obtain high resolution visible and near-infrared (visNIR) hyperspectral data of seagrasses and coral reefs in the Florida Keys. The specifications of the SHARK hyperspectral system and the Vision II turbine rotorcraft will be described along with the process of integrating the payload to the vehicle platform. The minimal size, weight, and power (SWaP) specifications of the SHARK system is an ideal match to the Vision II helicopter and its flight parameters. One advantage of the helicopter over fixed wing platforms is its inherent ability to take off and land in a limited area and without a runway, enabling the UAV to be located in close proximity to the experiment areas and the science team. Decisions regarding integration times, waypoint selection, mission duration, and mission frequency are able to be based upon the local environmental conditions and can be modified just prior to take off. The operational procedures and coordination between the UAV pilot, payload operator, and scientist will be described. The SHARK system includes an inertial navigation system and digital elevation model (DEM) which allows image coordinates to be calculated onboard the aircraft in real-time. Examples of the geo-registered images from the data collection will be shown. SHARK mounted below VTUAV. SHARK deployed on VTUAV over water.

Development And Testing Unmanned Aerial Systems To Study And Monitoring Volcanoes: INGV Experience Since 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buongiorno, M. F.; Amici, S.; Doumaz, F.; Diaz, J. A.; Silvestri, M.; Musacchio, M.; Pieri, D. C.; Marotta, E.; Wright, K. C.; Sansivero, F.; Caliro, S.; Falcone, S.; Giulietti, F.

2016-12-01

Monitoring natural hazards such as active volcanoes requires specific instruments to measure many parameters (gas emissions, surface temperatures, surface deformation etc.) to determine the activity level of the volcano. Volcanoes in most cases present difficult and dangerous environment for scientists who need to take in situ measurements but also for manned aircrafts. Remote Sensing systems on board of satellite permit to measure a large number of parameters especially during the eruptive events but still show large limits to monitor volcanic precursors and phenomena at local scale (gas species emitted by fumarole or summit craters degassing plumes and surface thermal changes of few degrees). Since 2004 INGV started the analysis of unmanned Aerial Systems (UAV) to explore the operational aspects of UAV deployments. In 2006, INGV in partnership with department of Aerospace Division at University of Bologna, stared the development of a UAV system named RAVEN-INGV. The project was anticipated by a flight test on 2004. In the last years the large diffusion of smaller UAVS and drones opened new opportunities to perform the monitoring of volcanic areas. INGV teams developed strong collaboration with Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and University of Costa Rica (UCR) to cooperate in testing both UAV and miniaturized instruments to measures gas species and surface temperatures in volcanic environment. Between 2014 and 2015 specific campaigns has been performed in the active volcanoes in Italy (Campi Flegrei and Vulcano Island). The field and airborne acquisitions have also permitted the calibration and validation of Satellite data as ASTER and LANDSAT8 (in collaboration with USGS). We hope that the rapid increasing of technology developments will permit the use UAV systems to integrate geophysical measurements and contribute to the necessary calibration and validation of current and future satellite missions dedicated to the measurements of surface temperatures and gas emissions in volcanic areas.

Pioneering a Biobased UAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, Eli; Byemerwa, Jovita; Dispenza, Ross; Doughty, Benjamin; Gillyard, KaNesha; Godbole, Poorwa; Gonzales-Wright, Jeanette; Hull, Ian; Kannappan, Jotthe; Levine, Alexander;

Pioneering a Biobased UAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Block, Eli; Byemerwa, Jovita; Dispenza, Ross; Doughty, Benjamin; Gillyard, KaNesha; Godbole, Poorwa; Gonzalez-Wright, Jeanette; Hull, Ian; Kannappan, Jotthe; Levine, Alexander;

Satellite communications provisions on NASA Ames instrumented aircraft platforms for Earth science research/applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shameson, L.; Brass, J. A.; Hanratty, J. J.; Roberts, A. C.; Wegener, S. S.

1995-01-01

Earth science activities at NASA Ames are research in atmospheric and ecosystem science, development of remote sensing and in situ sampling instruments, and their integration into scientific research platform aircraft. The use of satellite communications can greatly extend the capability of these agency research platform aircraft. Current projects and plans involve satellite links on the Perseus UAV and the ER-2 via TDRSS and a proposed experiment on the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite. Provisions for data links on the Perseus research platform, via TDRSS S-band multiple access service, have been developed and are being tested. Test flights at Dryden are planned to demonstrate successful end-to-end data transfer. A Unisys Corp. airborne satcom STARLink system is being integrated into an Ames ER-2 aircraft. This equipment will support multiple data rates up to 43 Mb/s each via the TDRS S Ku-band single access service. The first flight mission for this high-rate link is planned for August 1995. Ames and JPL have proposed an ACTS experiment to use real-time satellite communications to improve wildfire research campaigns. Researchers and fire management teams making use of instrumented aircraft platforms at a prescribed burn site will be able to communicate with experts at Ames, the U.S. Forest Service, and emergency response agencies.

Contingency Software in Autonomous Systems: Technical Level Briefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutz, Robyn R.; Patterson-Hines, Ann

2006-01-01

Contingency management is essential to the robust operation of complex systems such as spacecraft and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Automatic contingency handling allows a faster response to unsafe scenarios with reduced human intervention on low-cost and extended missions. Results, applied to the Autonomous Rotorcraft Project and Mars Science Lab, pave the way to more resilient autonomous systems.

Emergency Response Fire-Imaging UAS Missions over the Southern California Wildfire Disaster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DelFrate, John H.

2008-01-01

Objectives include: Demonstrate capabilities of UAS to overfly and collect sensor data on widespread fires throughout Western US. Demonstrate long-endurance mission capabilities (20-hours+). Image multiple fires (greater than 4 fires per mission), to showcase extendable mission configuration and ability to either linger over key fires or station over disparate regional fires. Demonstrate new UAV-compatible, autonomous sensor for improved thermal characterization of fires. Provide automated, on-board, terrain and geo-rectified sensor imagery over OTH satcom links to national fire personnel and Incident commanders. Deliver real-time imagery (within 10-minutes of acquisition). Demonstrate capabilities of OTS technologies (GoogleEarth) to serve and display mission-critical sensor data, coincident with other pertinent data elements to facilitate information processing (WX data, ground asset data, other satellite data, R/T video, flight track info, etc).

Emergency Response Fire-Imaging UAS Missions over the Southern California Wildfire Disaster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent R.

2007-01-01

Objectives include: Demonstrate capabilities of UAS to overfly and collect sensor data on widespread fires throughout Western US. Demonstrate long-endurance mission capabilities (20-hours+). Image multiple fires (greater than 4 fires per mission), to showcase extendable mission configuration and ability to either linger over key fires or station over disparate regional fires. Demonstrate new UAV-compatible, autonomous sensor for improved thermal characterization of fires. Provide automated, on-board, terrain and geo-rectified sensor imagery over OTH satcom links to national fire personnel and Incident commanders. Deliver real-time imagery (within 10-minutes of acquisition). Demonstrate capabilities of OTS technologies (GoogleEarth) to serve and display mission-critical sensor data, coincident with other pertinent data elements to facilitate information processing (WX data, ground asset data, other satellite data, R/T video, flight track info, etc).

Radar sensing via a Micro-UAV-borne system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catapano, Ilaria; Ludeno, Giovanni; Gennarelli, Gianluca; Soldovieri, Francesco; Rodi Vetrella, Amedeo; Fasano, Giancarmine

2017-04-01

In recent years, the miniaturization of flight control systems and payloads has contributed to a fast and widespread diffusion of micro-UAV (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle). While micro-UAV can be a powerful tool in several civil applications such as environmental monitoring and surveillance, unleashing their full potential for societal benefits requires augmenting their sensing capability beyond the realm of active/passive optical sensors [1]. In this frame, radar systems are drawing attention since they allow performing missions in all-weather and day/night conditions and, thanks to the microwave ability to penetrate opaque media, they enable the detection and localization not only of surface objects but also of sub-surface/hidden targets. However, micro-UAV-borne radar imaging represents still a new frontier, since it is much more than a matter of technology miniaturization or payload installation, which can take advantage of the newly developed ultralight systems. Indeed, micro-UAV-borne radar imaging entails scientific challenges in terms of electromagnetic modeling and knowledge of flight dynamics and control. As a consequence, despite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging is a traditional remote sensing tool, its adaptation to micro-UAV is an open issue and so far only few case studies concerning the integration of SAR and UAV technologies have been reported worldwide [2]. In addition, only early results concerning subsurface imaging by means of an UAV-mounted radar are available [3]. As a contribution to radar imaging via autonomous micro-UAV, this communication presents a proof-of-concept experiment. This experiment represents the first step towards the development of a general methodological approach that exploits expertise about (sub-)surface imaging and aerospace systems with the aim to provide high-resolution images of the surveyed scene. In details, at the conference, we will present the results of a flight campaign carried out by using a single radar-equipped drone. The system is made by a commercial radar system, whose mass, size, power and cost budgets is compatible with the installation on micro-UAV. The radar system has been mounted on a DJI 550 UAV, a flexible hexacopter allowing both complex flight operations and static flight, and has been equipped with small size log-periodic antennas, having a 6 dB gain over the frequency range from 2 GHz to 11 GHz. An ad-hoc signal processing chain has been adopted to process the collected raw data and obtain an image of the investigated scenario providing an accurate target detection and localization. This chain involves a SVD-based noise filter procedure and an advanced data processing approach, which assumes a linear model of the underlying scattering phenomenon. REFERENCES [1] K. Whitehead, C. H. Hugenholtz, "Remote sensing of the environment with small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), part 1: a review of progress and challenges", J. Unmanned Vehicle Systems, vol.2, pp. 69-85, 2014. [2] K. Ouchi, Recent trend and advance of synthetic aperture radar with selected topics, Remote Sens, vol.5, pp.716-807, 2013. [3] D. Altdor et al., UAV-borne electromagnetic induction and ground-penetrating radar measurements: a feasibility test, 74th Annual Meeting of the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft in Karlsruhe, Germany, March 9 - 13, 2014.

A Cooperative Search and Coverage Algorithm with Controllable Revisit and Connectivity Maintenance for Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

PubMed

Liu, Zhong; Gao, Xiaoguang; Fu, Xiaowei

2018-05-08

In this paper, we mainly study a cooperative search and coverage algorithm for a given bounded rectangle region, which contains several unknown stationary targets, by a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with non-ideal sensors and limited communication ranges. Our goal is to minimize the search time, while gathering more information about the environment and finding more targets. For this purpose, a novel cooperative search and coverage algorithm with controllable revisit mechanism is presented. Firstly, as the representation of the environment, the cognitive maps that included the target probability map (TPM), the uncertain map (UM), and the digital pheromone map (DPM) are constituted. We also design a distributed update and fusion scheme for the cognitive map. This update and fusion scheme can guarantee that each one of the cognitive maps converges to the same one, which reflects the targets’ true existence or absence in each cell of the search region. Secondly, we develop a controllable revisit mechanism based on the DPM. This mechanism can concentrate the UAVs to revisit sub-areas that have a large target probability or high uncertainty. Thirdly, in the frame of distributed receding horizon optimizing, a path planning algorithm for the multi-UAVs cooperative search and coverage is designed. In the path planning algorithm, the movement of the UAVs is restricted by the potential fields to meet the requirements of avoiding collision and maintaining connectivity constraints. Moreover, using the minimum spanning tree (MST) topology optimization strategy, we can obtain a tradeoff between the search coverage enhancement and the connectivity maintenance. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by comparison simulations by way of analyzing the effects of the controllable revisit mechanism and the connectivity maintenance scheme. The Monte Carlo method is employed to validate the influence of the number of UAVs, the sensing radius, the detection and false alarm probabilities, and the communication range on the proposed algorithm.

Non-Maximally Decimated Filter Banks Enable Adaptive Frequency Hopping for Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venosa, Elettra; Vermeire, Bert; Alakija, Cameron; Harris, Fred; Strobel, David; Sheehe, Charles J.; Krunz, Marwan

2017-01-01

In the last few years, radio technologies for unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) have advanced very rapidly. The increasing need to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system (NAS) to perform missions of vital importance to national security, defense, and science has pushed ahead the design and implementation of new radio platforms. However, a lot still has to be done to improve those radios in terms of performance and capabilities. In addition, an important aspect to account for is hardware cost and the feasibility to implement these radios using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. UAV radios come with numerous technical challenges and their development involves contributions at different levels of the design. Cognitive algorithms need to be developed in order to perform agile communications using appropriate frequency allocation while maintaining safe and efficient operations in the NAS and, digital reconfigurable architectures have to be designed in order to ensure a prompt response to environmental changes. Command and control (C2) communications have to be preserved during "standard" operations while crew operations have to be minimized. It is clear that UAV radios have to be software-defined systems, where size, weight and power consumption (SWaP) are critical parameters. This paper provides preliminary results of the efforts performed to design a fully digital radio architecture as part of a NASA Phase I STTR. In this paper, we will explain the basic idea and technical principles behind our dynamic/adaptive frequency hopping radio for UAVs. We will present our Simulink model of the dynamic FH radio transmitter design for UAV communications and show simulation results and FPGA system analysis.

ALTUS Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Tony; Blakeslee, Richard; Russell, Larry W. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The ALTUS Cumulus Electrification Study (ACES) is an uninhabited aerial vehicle (UAV)-based project that will investigate thunderstorms in the vicinity of the Florida Everglades in August 2002. ACES is being conducted to both investigate storm electrical activity and its relationship to storm morphology, and validate Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite measurements. In addition, as part of NASA's UAV-based science demonstration program, this project will provide a scientifically useful demonstration of the utility and promise of UAV platforms for Earth science and applications observations. Part of the demonstration involves getting approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration and the NASA airworthiness flight safety review board. ACES will employ the ALTUS II aircraft, built by General Atomics - Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Key science objectives simultaneously addressed by ACES are to: (1) investigate lightning-storm relationships, (2) study storm electrical budgets, and (3) provide Lightning Imaging Sensor validation. The ACES payload, already developed and flown on ALTUS, includes electrical, magnetic, and optical sensors to remotely characterize the lightning activity and the electrical environment within and around thunderstorms. ACES will contribute important electrical and optical measurements not available from other sources. Also, the high altitude vantage point of the UAV observing platform (up to 55,000 feet) offers a useful 'cloud-top' perspective. By taking advantage of its slow flight speed (70 to 100 knots), long endurance, and high altitude flight, the ALTUS will be flown near, and when possible, above (but never into) thunderstorms for long periods of time, allowing investigations to be conducted over entire storm life cycles. In addition, concurrent ground-based observations will enable the UAV measurements to be more completely interpreted and evaluated in the context of the thunderstorm structure, evolution, and environment.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based monitoring of a landslide: Gallenzerkogel landslide (Ybbs-Lower Austria) case study.

PubMed

Eker, Remzi; Aydın, Abdurrahim; Hübl, Johannes

2017-12-19

In the present study, UAV-based monitoring of the Gallenzerkogel landslide (Ybbs, Lower Austria) was carried out by three flight missions. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs), orthophotos, and density point clouds were generated from UAV-based aerial photos via structure-from-motion (SfM). According to ground control points (GCPs), an average of 4 cm root mean square error (RMSE) was found for all models. In addition, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data from 2009, representing the prefailure topography, was utilized as a digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM). First, the DEM of difference (DoD) between the first UAV flight data and the LIDAR-DTM was determined and according to the generated DoD deformation map, an elevation difference of between - 6.6 and 2 m was found. Over the landslide area, a total of 4380.1 m 3 of slope material had been eroded, while 297.4 m 3 of the material had accumulated within the most active part of the slope. In addition, 688.3 m 3 of the total eroded material had belonged to the road destroyed by the landslide. Because of the vegetation surrounding the landslide area, the Multiscale Model-to-Model Cloud Comparison (M3C2) algorithm was then applied to compare the first and second UAV flight data. After eliminating both the distance uncertainty values of higher than 15 cm and the nonsignificant changes, the M3C2 distance obtained was between - 2.5 and 2.5 m. Moreover, the high-resolution orthophoto generated by the third flight allowed visual monitoring of the ongoing control/stabilization work in the area.

Interactive Learning Environment for Bio-Inspired Optimization Algorithms for UAV Path Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duan, Haibin; Li, Pei; Shi, Yuhui; Zhang, Xiangyin; Sun, Changhao

2015-01-01

This paper describes the development of BOLE, a MATLAB-based interactive learning environment, that facilitates the process of learning bio-inspired optimization algorithms, and that is dedicated exclusively to unmanned aerial vehicle path planning. As a complement to conventional teaching methods, BOLE is designed to help students consolidate the…

Maritime Pre-Positioning Force-Future: Bill Payer or Sea Basing Enabler?

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-25

Ship Building Plan , UAV CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified Actions at sea no longer suffice to influence world events; actions from the sea must...in amphibious ships or fall victim to an untenable Navy ship building plan . Premature consideration of cost issues hindered MPF-F program...fiscal environment and an illusory Navy ship building plan . Given the demonstrated capability and success of the current Maritime Pre-positioning

UAV-based Natural Hazard Management in High-Alpine Terrain - Case Studies from Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotier, Bernadette; Adams, Marc; Lechner, Veronika

2015-04-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have become a standard tool for geodata collection, as they allow conducting on-demand mapping missions in a flexible, cost-effective manner at an unprecedented level of detail. Easy-to-use, high-performance image matching software make it possible to process the collected aerial images to orthophotos and 3D-terrain models. Such up-to-date geodata have proven to be an important asset in natural hazard management: Processes like debris flows, avalanches, landslides, fluvial erosion and rock-fall can be detected and quantified; damages can be documented and evaluated. In the Alps, these processes mostly originate in remote areas, which are difficult and hazardous to access, thus presenting a challenging task for RPAS data collection. In particular, the problems include finding suitable landing and piloting-places, dealing with bad or no GPS-signals and the installation of ground control points (GCP) for georeferencing. At the BFW, RPAS have been used since 2012 to aid natural hazard management of various processes, of which three case studies are presented below. The first case study deals with the results from an attempt to employ UAV-based multi-spectral remote sensing to monitor the state of natural hazard protection forests. Images in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) band were collected using modified low-cost cameras, combined with different optical filters. Several UAV-flights were performed in the 72 ha large study site in 2014, which lies in the Wattental, Tyrol (Austria) between 1700 and 2050 m a.s.l., where the main tree species are stone pine and mountain pine. The matched aerial images were analysed using different UAV-specific vitality indices, evaluating both single- and dual-camera UAV-missions. To calculate the mass balance of a debris flow in the Tyrolean Halltal (Austria), an RPAS flight was conducted in autumn 2012. The extreme alpine environment was challenging for both the mission and the evaluation of the aerial images: In the upper part of the steep channel there was no GPS-signal available, because of the high surrounding rock faces, the landing area consisted of coarse gravel. Therefore, only a manual flight with a high risk of damage was possible. With the calculated RPAS-based digital surface model, created from the 600 aerial images, a chronologically resolved back-calculation of the last big debris-flow event could be performed. In a third case study, aerial images from RPAS were used for a similar investigation in Virgen, Eastern Tyrol (Austria). A debris flow in the Firschnitzbach catchment caused severe damages to the village of Virgen in August 2012. An RPAS-flight was performed, in order to refine the estimated displaced debris mass for assessment purposes. The upper catchment of the Firschnitzbach is situated above the timberline and covers an area of 6.5 ha at a height difference of 1000 m. Therefore, three separate flights were necessary to achieve a sufficient image overlap. The central part of the Firschnitzbach consists of a steep and partly dense forested canyon / gorge, so there was no flight possible for this section up to now. The evaluation of the surface model from the images showed, that only half of the estimated debris mass came from the upper part of the catchment.

Development of a bio-inspired UAV perching system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Pu

Although technologies of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) including micro air vehicles (MAVs) have been greatly advanced in the recent years, it is still very difficult for a UAV to perform some very challenging tasks such as perching to any desired spot reliably and agilely like a bird. Unlike the UAVs, the biological control mechanism of birds has been optimized through millions of year evolution and hence, they can perform many extremely maneuverability tasks, such as perching or grasping accurately and robustly. Therefore, we have good reason to learn from the nature in order to significantly improve the capabilities of UAVs. The development of a UAV perching system is becoming feasible, especially after a lot of research contributions in ornithology which involve the analysis of the bird's functionalities. Meanwhile, as technology advances in many engineering fields, such as airframes, propulsion, sensors, batteries, micro-electromechanical-system (MEMS), and UAV technology is also advancing rapidly. All of these research efforts in ornithology and the fast growing development technologies in UAV applications are motivating further interests and development in the area of UAV perching and grasping research. During the last decade, the research contributions about UAV perching and grasping were mainly based on fixed-wing, flapping-wing, and rotorcraft UAVs. However, most of the current researches in UAV systems with perching and grasping capability are focusing on either active (powered) grasping and perching or passive (unpowered) perching. Although birds do have both active and passive perching capabilities depending on their needs, there is no UAV perching system with both capabilities. In this project, we focused on filling this gap. Inspired by the anatomy analysis of bird legs and feet, a novel perching system has been developed to implement the bionics action for both active grasping and passive perching. In addition, for developing a robust and autonomous perching system, the following objectives were included for this project. The statics model was derived through both quasi-static and analytical method. The grasping stable condition and grasping target of the mechanical gripper were studied through the static analysis. Furthermore, the contact behavior between each foot and the perched object was modeled and evaluated on SimMechanics based on the contact force model derived through virtual principle. The kinematics modeling of UAV perching system was governed with Euler angles and quaternions. Also the propulsion model of the brushless motors was introduced and calibrated. In addition, the flight dynamics model of the UAV system was developed for simulation-based analysis prior to developing a hardware prototype and flight experiment. A special inertial measurement unit (IMU) was designed which has the capability of indirectly calculating the angular acceleration from the angular velocity and the linear acceleration readings. Moreover, a commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) autopilot-APM 2.6 was selected for the autonomous flight control of the quadrotor. The APM 2.6 is a complete open source autopilot system, which allows the user to turn any fixed, rotary wing or multi-rotor vehicle into a fully autonomous vehicle and capable of performing programmed GPS missions with pre-programed waypoints. In addition, algorithms for inverted pendulum control and autonomous perching control was introduced. The proportion-integrate-differential (PID) controller was used for the simplified UAV perching with inverted pendulum model for horizontal balance. The performance of the controller was verified through both simulation and experiment. In addition, for the purpose of achieving the autonomous perching, guidance and control algorithms were developed the UAV perching system. For guidance, the desired flight trajectory was developed based on a bio-behavioral tau theory which was established from studying the natural motion patterns of animals and human arms approaching to a fixed or moving target for grasping or capturing. The autonomous flight control was also implemented through a PID controller. Autonomous flight performance was proved through simulation in SimMechanics. Finally, the prototyping of our designs were conducted in different generations of our bio-inspired UAV perching system, which include the leg prototype, gripper prototype, and system prototype. Both the machined prototype and 3D printed prototype were tried. The performance of these prototypes was tested through experiments.

High Altitude Long Endurance Air Vehicle Analysis of Alternatives and Technology Requirements Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nickol, Craig L.; Guynn, Mark D.; Kohout, Lisa L.; Ozoroski, Thomas A.

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a variety of High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) conceptual designs for two operationally useful missions (hurricane science and communications relay) and compare their performance and cost characteristics. Sixteen potential HALE UAV configurations were initially developed, including heavier-than-air (HTA) and lighter-than-air (LTA) concepts with both consumable fuel and solar regenerative (SR) propulsion systems. Through an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) down select process, the two leading consumable fuel configurations (one each from the HTA and LTA alternatives) and an HTA SR configuration were selected for further analysis. Cost effectiveness analysis of the consumable fuel configurations revealed that simply maximizing vehicle endurance can lead to a sub-optimum system solution. An LTA concept with a hybrid propulsion system (solar arrays and a hydrogen-air proton exchange membrane fuel cell) was found to have the best mission performance; however, an HTA diesel-fueled wing-body-tail configuration emerged as the preferred consumable fuel concept because of the large size and technical risk of the LTA concept. The baseline missions could not be performed by even the best HTA SR concept. Mission and SR technology trade studies were conducted to enhance understanding of the potential capabilities of such a vehicle. With near-term technology SR-powered HTA vehicles are limited to operation in favorable solar conditions, such as the long days and short nights of summer at higher latitudes. Energy storage system specific energy and solar cell efficiency were found to be the key technology areas for enhancing HTA SR performance.

Determination of UAV pre-flight Checklist for flight test purpose using qualitative failure analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendarko; Indriyanto, T.; Syardianto; Maulana, F. A.

2018-05-01

Safety aspects are of paramount importance in flight, especially in flight test phase. Before performing any flight tests of either manned or unmanned aircraft, one should include pre-flight checklists as a required safety document in the flight test plan. This paper reports on the development of a new approach for determination of pre-flight checklists for UAV flight test based on aircraft’s failure analysis. The Lapan’s LSA (Light Surveillance Aircraft) is used as a study case, assuming this aircraft has been transformed into the unmanned version. Failure analysis is performed on LSA using fault tree analysis (FTA) method. Analysis is focused on propulsion system and flight control system, which fail of these systems will lead to catastrophic events. Pre-flight checklist of the UAV is then constructed based on the basic causes obtained from failure analysis.

Scheduling Mission-Critical Flows in Congested and Contested Airborne Network Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

precision agriculture [64–71]. However, designing, implementing, and testing UAV networks poses numerous interdisciplinary challenges because the...applications including search and rescue, disaster relief, precision agriculture , environmental monitoring, and surveillance. Many of these applications...monitoring enabling precision agriculture ,” in Automation Science and Engineering (CASE), 2015 IEEE International Conference on. IEEE, 2015, pp. 462–469. [65

Robust IR Remote Sensing Technique of the Total Column of Trace Gases Including Carbon Dioxide and Methane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgieva, E. M.; Heaps, W. S.

2011-01-01

Progress on the development of a differential radiometer based upon the Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) for methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (C02) detection in the atmosphere is presented. Methane measurements are becoming increasingly important as a component of NASA's programs to understand the global carbon cycle and quantifY the threat of global warming. Methane is the third most important greenhouse gas in the Earth's radiation budget (after water vapor and carbon dioxide) and the second most important anthropogenic contributor to global warming. The importance of global warming and air quality to society caused the National Research Council to recommend that NASA develop the following missions [1]: ASCENDS (Active Sensing of C02 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons), GEOCAPE (Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events), and GACM (Global Atmosphere Composition Mission). Though methane measurements are not specifically called out in these missions, ongoing environmental changes have raised the importance of understanding the methane budget. In the decadal survey is stated that "to close the carbon budget, we would also address methane, but the required technology is not obvious at this time. If appropriate and cost-effective methane technology becomes available, we strongly recommend adding a methane capability". In its 2007 report the International Panel on Climate Change identified methane as a key uncertainty in our understanding saying that the causes of recent changes in the growth rate of atmospheric CH4 are not well understood. What we do know is that methane arises from a number of natural sources including wet lands and the oceans plus man made sources from agriculture, as well as coal and petroleum production and distribution. It has recently been pointed out that large amount of methane are frozen in the permafrost of Canada and Siberia. There is a fear that melting of this permafrost driven by global warming may release large amounts of methane very suddenly further exacerbating climate change [2]. Last year our group began a joint effort with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to investigate the possibility of developing a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped to measure greenhouse gases-particularly methane. Although we are targeting our system for smaller UAV's the instrument will be directly applicable to missions involving larger NASA UAV's such as Global Hawk or even on missions utilizing manned aircraft. Because of its small size, inherent ruggedness and simplicity some version of our proposed instrument may find a role as a satellite instrument for NASA or NOAA.

NASA 2007 Western States Fire Missions (WSFM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buoni, Greg

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes the Western states Fire Missions (WSFM) that occurred in 2007. The objectives of this mission are: (1) Demonstrate capabilities of UAS to overfly and collect sensor data on widespread fires throughout Western US. (1) Demonstrate long-endurance mission capabilities (20-hours+). (2) Image multiple fires (greater than 4 fires per mission), to showcase extendable mission configuration and ability to either linger over key fires or station over disparate regional fires. (3) Demonstrate new UAV-compatible, autonomous sensor for improved thermal characterization of fires. (4) Provide automated, on-board, terrain and geo-rectified sensor imagery over OTH satcom links to national fire personnel and Incident commanders. (5) Deliver real-time imagery to (within 10-minutes of acquisition). (6) Demonstrate capabilities of OTS technologies (GoogleEarth) to serve and display mission-critical sensor data, coincident with other pertinent data elements to facilitate information processing (WX data, ground asset data, other satellite data, R/T video, flight track info, etc).

ICPL: Intelligent Cooperative Planning and Learning for Multi-agent Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-29

objective was to develop a new planning approach for teams!of multiple UAVs that tightly integrates learning and cooperative!control algorithms at... algorithms at multiple levels of the planning architecture. The research results enabled a team of mobile agents to learn to adapt and react to uncertainty in...expressive representation that incorporates feature conjunctions. Our algorithm is simple to implement, fast to execute, and can be combined with any

High Altitude Long Endurance UAV Analysis Model Development and Application Study Comparing Solar Powered Airplane and Airship Station-Keeping Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ozoroski, Thomas A.; Nickol, Craig L.; Guynn, Mark D.

2015-01-01

There have been ongoing efforts in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center to develop a suite of integrated physics-based computational utilities suitable for modeling and analyzing extended-duration missions carried out using solar powered aircraft. From these efforts, SolFlyte has emerged as a state-of-the-art vehicle analysis and mission simulation tool capable of modeling both heavier-than-air (HTA) and lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicle concepts. This study compares solar powered airplane and airship station-keeping capability during a variety of high altitude missions, using SolFlyte as the primary analysis component. Three Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) concepts were designed for this study: an airplane (Operating Empty Weight (OEW) = 3285 kilograms, span = 127 meters, array area = 450 square meters), a small airship (OEW = 3790 kilograms, length = 115 meters, array area = 570 square meters), and a large airship (OEW = 6250 kilograms, length = 135 meters, array area = 1080 square meters). All the vehicles were sized for payload weight and power requirements of 454 kilograms and 5 kilowatts, respectively. Seven mission sites distributed throughout the United States were selected to provide a basis for assessing the vehicle energy budgets and site-persistent operational availability. Seasonal, 30-day duration missions were simulated at each of the sites during March, June, September, and December; one-year duration missions were simulated at three of the sites. Atmospheric conditions during the simulated missions were correlated to National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) historical data measurements at each mission site, at four flight levels. Unique features of the SolFlyte model are described, including methods for calculating recoverable and energy-optimal flight trajectories and the effects of shadows on solar energy collection. Results of this study indicate that: 1) the airplane concept attained longer periods of on-site capability than either airship concept, and 2) the airship concepts can attain higher levels of energy collection and storage than the airplane concept; however, attaining these energy benefits requires adverse design trades of reduced performance (small airship) or excessive solar array area (large airship).

Ikhana: A NASA UAS Supporting Long Duration Earth Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent R.

2007-01-01

The NASA Ikhana unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (San Diego, California) MQ-9 Predator-B modified to support the conduct of Earth science missions for the NASA Science Mission Directorate and, through partnerships, other government agencies and universities. It can carry over 2000 lb of experiment payloads in the avionics bay and external pods and is capable of mission durations in excess of 24 hours at altitudes above 40,000 ft. The aircraft is remotely piloted from a mobile ground control station (GCS) that is designed to be deployable by air, land, or sea. On-board support capabilities include an instrumentation system and an Airborne Research Test System (ARTS). The Ikhana project will complete GCS development, science support systems integration, external pod integration and flight clearance, and operations crew training in early 2007. A large-area remote sensing mission is currently scheduled for Summer 2007.

Initial Efforts toward Mission-Representative Imaging Surveys from Aerial Explorers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Plice, Laura; Ippolito, Corey; Young, Larry A.; Lau, Benton; Lee, Pascal

2004-01-01

Numerous researchers have proposed the use of robotic aerial explorers to perform scientific investigation of planetary bodies in our solar system. One of the essential tasks for any aerial explorer is to be able to perform scientifically valuable imaging surveys. The focus of this paper is to discuss the challenges implicit in, and recent observations related to, acquiring mission-representative imaging data from a small fixed-wing UAV, acting as a surrogate planetary aerial explorer. This question of successfully performing aerial explorer surveys is also tied to other topics of technical investigation, including the development of unique bio-inspired technologies.

Albedo and its relationship with seasonal surface roughness using repeat UAV survey across the Kangerlussuaq sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, A., II; Ryan, J.; Box, J. E.; Snooke, N.

2015-12-01

Surface albedo is a primary control on absorbed radiation and hence ice surface darkening is a powerful amplifier of melt across the margin of the Greenland ice sheet. To investigate the relationship between ice surface roughness and variations in albedo in space and time at ~dm resolution, a suite of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were deployed from the margin of Russell Glacier between June and August, 2014. The UAVs were equipped with digital and multispectral cameras, GoPros, fast response broadband pyranometers and temperature and humidity sensors. The primary mission was regular repeat longitudinal transects attaining data from the margin to the equilibrium line 80 km into the ice sheet interior and which were complimented by selected watershed and catchment surveys. The pyranometers reliably measure bare ice surface albedo between 0.34 and 0.58 that correlate well against concurrent MODIS data (where available). Repeat digital photogrammetric analysis enables investigation of relationship between changing meso- and micro-scale albedo and melt processes modulated by ice surface roughness that, in turn, are related to the seasonally evolving surface energy balance recorded at three AWS on the flight path.

Rapid Topographic Mapping Using TLS and UAV in a Beach-dune-wetland Environment: Case Study in Freeport, Texas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, J.; Wang, G.; Xiong, L.; Zhou, X.; England, E.

2017-12-01

Coastal regions are naturally vulnerable to impact from long-term coastal erosion and episodic coastal hazards caused by extreme weather events. Major geomorphic changes can occur within a few hours during storms. Prediction of storm impact, costal planning and resilience observation after natural events all require accurate and up-to-date topographic maps of coastal morphology. Thus, the ability to conduct rapid and high-resolution-high-accuracy topographic mapping is of critical importance for long-term coastal management and rapid response after natural hazard events. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques have been frequently applied to beach and dune erosion studies and post hazard responses. However, TLS surveying is relatively slow and costly for rapid surveying. Furthermore, TLS surveying unavoidably retains gray areas that cannot be reached by laser pulses, particularly in wetland areas where lack of direct access in most cases. Aerial mapping using photogrammetry from images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has become a new technique for rapid topographic mapping. UAV photogrammetry mapping techniques provide the ability to map coastal features quickly, safely, inexpensively, on short notice and with minimal impact. The primary products from photogrammetry are point clouds similar to the LiDAR point clouds. However, a large number of ground control points (ground truth) are essential for obtaining high-accuracy UAV maps. The ground control points are often obtained by GPS survey simultaneously with the TLS survey in the field. The GPS survey could be a slow and arduous process in the field. This study aims to develop methods for acquiring a huge number of ground control points from TLS survey and validating point clouds obtained from photogrammetry with the TLS point clouds. A Rigel VZ-2000 TLS scanner was used for developing laser point clouds and a DJI Phantom 4 Pro UAV was used for acquiring images. The aerial images were processed with the Photogrammetry mapping software Agisoft PhotoScan. A workflow for conducting rapid TLS and UAV survey in the field and integrating point clouds obtained from TLS and UAV surveying will be introduced. Key words: UAV photogrammetry, ground control points, TLS, coastal morphology, topographic mapping

Challenges in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Photogrammetry for Archaeological Mapping at High Elevations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, J. A.; Wernke, S.

2015-12-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), especially multi-rotor vehicles, are becoming ubiquitous and their appeal for generating photogrammetry-based maps has grown. The options are many and costs have plummeted in last five years; however, many challenges persist with their deployment. We mapped the archaeological site Maw­chu Llacta, a settlement in the southern highlands of Peru (Figure 1). Mawchu Llacta is a planned colonial town built over a major Inka-era center in the high-elevation grasslands at ~4,000m asl. The "general resettlement of Indians" was a massive forced resettlement program, for which very little local-level documentation exists. Mawachu Llacta's excellently preserved architecture includes >500 buildings and hundreds of walls spread across ~13h posed significant mapping challenges. Many environmental factors impact UAV deployment. The air pressure at 4,100 m asl is dramatically lower than at sea level. The dry season diurnal temperature differentials can vary from 7°C to 22°C daily. High and hot conditions frequently occur from late morning to early afternoon. Reaching Mawchu Llacta requires hiking 4km with 400m of vertical gain over steep and rocky terrain. There is also no on-site power or secure storage. Thus, the UAV must be packable. FAA regulations govern US UAV deployments, but regulations were less stringent in Peru. However, ITAR exemptions and Peruvian customs requirements were required. The Peruvian government has established an importation and approval process that entails leaving the UAV at customs, while obtaining the necessary government approvals, both of which can be problematic. We have deployed the Aurora Flight Sciences Skate fixed wing ßUAV, an in-house fixed wing UAV based on the Skywalker X-5 flying wing, and a tethered 9 m3 capacity latex meteorological weather balloon. Development of an autonomous blimp/balloon has been ruled-out. A 3DR Solo is being assessed for excavation mapping.

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for spatio-temporal monitoring of soil erosion and roughness in Chania, Crete, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexakis, Dimitrios; Seiradakis, Kostas; Tsanis, Ioannis

2016-04-01

This article presents a remote sensing approach for spatio-temporal monitoring of both soil erosion and roughness using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Soil erosion by water is commonly known as one of the main reasons for land degradation. Gully erosion causes considerable soil loss and soil degradation. Furthermore, quantification of soil roughness (irregularities of the soil surface due to soil texture) is important and affects surface storage and infiltration. Soil roughness is one of the most susceptible to variation in time and space characteristics and depends on different parameters such as cultivation practices and soil aggregation. A UAV equipped with a digital camera was employed to monitor soil in terms of erosion and roughness in two different study areas in Chania, Crete, Greece. The UAV followed predicted flight paths computed by the relevant flight planning software. The photogrammetric image processing enabled the development of sophisticated Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and ortho-image mosaics with very high resolution on a sub-decimeter level. The DTMs were developed using photogrammetric processing of more than 500 images acquired with the UAV from different heights above the ground level. As the geomorphic formations can be observed from above using UAVs, shadowing effects do not generally occur and the generated point clouds have very homogeneous and high point densities. The DTMs generated from UAV were compared in terms of vertical absolute accuracies with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) survey. The developed data products were used for quantifying gully erosion and soil roughness in 3D as well as for the analysis of the surrounding areas. The significant elevation changes from multi-temporal UAV elevation data were used for estimating diachronically soil loss and sediment delivery without installing sediment traps. Concerning roughness, statistical indicators of surface elevation point measurements were estimated and various parameters such as standard deviation of DTM, deviation of residual and standard deviation of prominence were calculated directly from the extracted DTM. Sophisticated statistical filters and elevation indices were developed to quantify both soil erosion and roughness. The applied methodology for monitoring both soil erosion and roughness provides an optimum way of reducing the existing gap between field scale and satellite scale. Keywords : UAV, soil, erosion, roughness, DTM

Atmospheric Mining in the Outer Solar System:. [Aerial Vehicle Reconnaissance and Exploration Options

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan A.

2014-01-01

Atmospheric mining in the outer solar system has been investigated as a means of fuel production for high energy propulsion and power. Fusion fuels such as Helium 3 (3He) and hydrogen can be wrested from the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune and either returned to Earth or used in-situ for energy production. Helium 3 and hydrogen (deuterium, etc.) were the primary gases of interest with hydrogen being the primary propellant for nuclear thermal solid core and gas core rocket-based atmospheric flight. A series of analyses were undertaken to investigate resource capturing aspects of atmospheric mining in the outer solar system. This included the gas capturing rate, storage options, and different methods of direct use of the captured gases. Additional supporting analyses were conducted to illuminate vehicle sizing and orbital transportation issues. While capturing 3He, large amounts of hydrogen and 4He are produced. With these two additional gases, the potential for fueling small and large fleets of additional exploration and exploitation vehicles exists. Additional aerospacecraft or other aerial vehicles (UAVs, balloons, rockets, etc.) could fly through the outer planet atmospheres, for global weather observations, localized storm or other disturbance investigations, wind speed measurements, polar observations, etc. Deep-diving aircraft (built with the strength to withstand many atmospheres of pressure) powered by the excess hydrogen or helium 4 may be designed to probe the higher density regions of the gas giants. Outer planet atmospheric properties, atmospheric storm data, and mission planning for future outer planet UAVs are presented.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data analysis for fertilization dose assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kavvadias, Antonis; Psomiadis, Emmanouil; Chanioti, Maroulio; Tsitouras, Alexandros; Toulios, Leonidas; Dercas, Nicholas

2017-10-01

The growth rate monitoring of crops throughout their biological cycle is very important as it contributes to the achievement of a uniformly optimum production, a proper harvest planning, and reliable yield estimation. Fertilizer application often dramatically increases crop yields, but it is necessary to find out which is the ideal amount that has to be applied in the field. Remote sensing collects spatially dense information that may contribute to, or provide feedback about, fertilization management decisions. There is a potential goal to accurately predict the amount of fertilizer needed so as to attain an ideal crop yield without excessive use of fertilizers cause financial loss and negative environmental impacts. The comparison of the reflectance values at different wavelengths, utilizing suitable vegetation indices, is commonly used to determine plant vigor and growth. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have several advantages; because they can be deployed quickly and repeatedly, they are flexible regarding flying height and timing of missions, and they can obtain very high-resolution imagery. In an experimental crop field in Eleftherio Larissa, Greece, different dose of pre-plant and in-season fertilization was applied in 27 plots. A total of 102 aerial photos in two flights were taken using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle based on the scheduled fertilization. Α correlation of experimental fertilization with the change of vegetation indices values and with the increase of the vegetation cover rate during those days was made. The results of the analysis provide useful information regarding the vigor and crop growth rate performance of various doses of fertilization.

Precise Positioning of Uavs - Dealing with Challenging Rtk-Gps Measurement Conditions during Automated Uav Flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, F.; Eling, C.; Klingbeil, L.; Kuhlmann, H.

2017-08-01

For some years now, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are commonly used for different mobile mapping applications, such as in the fields of surveying, mining or archeology. To improve the efficiency of these applications an automation of the flight as well as the processing of the collected data is currently aimed at. One precondition for an automated mapping with UAVs is that the georeferencing is performed directly with cm-accuracies or better. Usually, a cm-accurate direct positioning of UAVs is based on an onboard multi-sensor system, which consists of an RTK-capable (real-time kinematic) GPS (global positioning system) receiver and additional sensors (e.g. inertial sensors). In this case, the absolute positioning accuracy essentially depends on the local GPS measurement conditions. Especially during mobile mapping applications in urban areas, these conditions can be very challenging, due to a satellite shadowing, non-line-of sight receptions, signal diffraction or multipath effects. In this paper, two straightforward and easy to implement strategies will be described and analyzed, which improve the direct positioning accuracies for UAV-based mapping and surveying applications under challenging GPS measurement conditions. Based on a 3D model of the surrounding buildings and vegetation in the area of interest, a GPS geometry map is determined, which can be integrated in the flight planning process, to avoid GPS challenging environments as far as possible. If these challenging environments cannot be avoided, the GPS positioning solution is improved by using obstruction adaptive elevation masks, to mitigate systematic GPS errors in the RTK-GPS positioning. Simulations and results of field tests demonstrate the profit of both strategies.

Design of Smart Multi-Functional Integrated Aviation Photoelectric Payload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.

2018-04-01

To coordinate with the small UAV at reconnaissance mission, we've developed a smart multi-functional integrated aviation photoelectric payload. The payload weighs only 1kg, and has a two-axis stabilized platform with visible task payload, infrared task payload, laser pointers and video tracker. The photoelectric payload could complete the reconnaissance tasks above the target area (including visible and infrared). Because of its light weight, small size, full-featured, high integrated, the constraints of the UAV platform carrying the payload will be reduced a lot, which helps the payload suit for more extensive using occasions. So all users of this type of smart multi-functional integrated aviation photoelectric payload will do better works on completion of the ground to better pinpoint targets, artillery calibration, assessment of observe strike damage, customs officials and other tasks.

Atmospheric Sampling on Ascension Island Using Multirotor UAVs.

PubMed

Greatwood, Colin; Richardson, Thomas S; Freer, Jim; Thomas, Rick M; MacKenzie, A Rob; Brownlow, Rebecca; Lowry, David; Fisher, Rebecca E; Nisbet, Euan G

2017-05-23

As part of an NERC-funded project investigating the southern methane anomaly, a team drawn from the Universities of Bristol, Birmingham and Royal Holloway flew small unmanned multirotors from Ascension Island for the purposes of atmospheric sampling. The objective of these flights was to collect air samples from below, within and above a persistent atmospheric feature, the Trade Wind Inversion, in order to characterise methane concentrations and their isotopic composition. These parameters allow the methane in the different air masses to be tied to different source locations, which can be further analysed using back trajectory atmospheric computer modelling. This paper describes the campaigns as a whole including the design of the bespoke eight rotor aircraft and the operational requirements that were needed in order to collect targeted multiple air samples up to 2.5 km above the ground level in under 20 min of flight time. Key features of the system described include real-time feedback of temperature and humidity, as well as system health data. This enabled detailed targeting of the air sampling design to be realised and planned during the flight mission on the downward leg, a capability that is invaluable in the presence of uncertainty in the pre-flight meteorological data. Environmental considerations are also outlined together with the flight plans that were created in order to rapidly fly vertical transects of the atmosphere whilst encountering changing wind conditions. Two sampling campaigns were carried out in September 2014 and July 2015 with over one hundred high altitude sampling missions. Lessons learned are given throughout, including those associated with operating in the testing environment encountered on Ascension Island.

The solar-powered Helios Prototype flying wing frames two modified F-15 research aircraft in a hanga

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The solar-powered Helios Prototype flying wing frames two modified F-15 research aircraft in a hangar at NASA's Dryden flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The elongated 247-foot span lightweight aircraft, resting on its ground maneuvering dolly, stretched almost the full length of the 300-foot long hangar while on display during a visit of NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and other NASA officials on Jan. 31, 2002. The unique solar-electric flying wing reached an altitude of 96,863 feet during an almost 17-hour flight near Hawaii on Aug. 13, 2001, a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a non-rocket powered aircraft. Developed by AeroVironment, Inc., under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, the Helios Prototype is the forerunner of a planned fleet of slow-flying, long duration, high-altitude uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAV) which can serve as 'atmospheric satellites,' performing Earth science missions or functioning as telecommunications relay platforms in the stratosphere.

Operational Planning for Multiple Heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Three Dimensions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

human input in the planning process. Two solution methods are presented: (1) a mixed-integer program, and (2) an algorithm that utilizes a metaheuristic ...and (2) an algorithm that utilizes a metaheuristic to generate composite variables for a linear program, called the Composite Operations Planning...that represent a path and an associated type of UAV. The reformulation is incorporated into an algorithm that uses a metaheuristic to generate the

Assignment Scheduling Capability for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - A Discrete Event Simulation with Optimization in the Loop Approach to Solving a Scheduling Problem

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

APPROACH As mentioned previously, ASCU does not use simulation in the traditional manner. Instead, it uses simulation to transition and capture the state...0 otherwise (by a heuristic discussed below). • Let cja = The reward for a UAV with sensor pack- age j being assigned to mission area a from the

Approach for Autonomous Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a planned approach for Autonomous operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A Hybrid approach will seek to provide Knowledge Generation thru the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Agents (IA) for UAV control. The application of many different types of AI techniques for flight will be explored during this research effort. The research concentration will be directed to the application of different AI methods within the UAV arena. By evaluating AI approaches, which will include Expert Systems, Neural Networks, Intelligent Agents, Fuzzy Logic, and Complex Adaptive Systems, a new insight may be gained into the benefits of AI techniques applied to achieving true autonomous operation of these systems thus providing new intellectual merit to this research field. The major area of discussion will be limited to the UAV. The systems of interest include small aircraft, insects, and miniature aircraft. Although flight systems will be explored, the benefits should apply to many Unmanned Vehicles such as: Rovers, Ocean Explorers, Robots, and autonomous operation systems. The flight system will be broken down into control agents that will represent the intelligent agent approach used in AI. After the completion of a successful approach, a framework of applying a Security Overseer will be added in an attempt to address errors, emergencies, failures, damage, or over dynamic environment. The chosen control problem was the landing phase of UAV operation. The initial results from simulation in FlightGear are presented.

Mapping Surface Temperatures on a Debris-Covered Glacier with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraaijenbrink, Philip D. A.; Shea, Joseph M.; Litt, Maxime; Steiner, Jakob F.; Treichler, Désirée; Koch, Inka; Immerzeel, Walter W.

2018-05-01

A mantel of debris cover often accumulates across the surface of glaciers in active mountain ranges with exceptionally steep terrain, such as the Andes, Himalaya and New Zealand Alps. Such a supraglacial debris layer has a major influence on a glacier's surface energy budget, enhancing radiation absorption and melt when the layer is thin, but insulating the ice when thicker than a few cm. Information on spatially distributed debris surface temperature has the potential to provide insight into the properties of the debris, its effects on the ice below and its influence on the near-surface boundary layer. Here, we deploy an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a thermal infrared sensor on three separate missions over one day to map changing surface temperatures across the debris-covered Lirung Glacier in the Central Himalaya. We present a methodology to georeference and process the acquired thermal imagery, and correct for emissivity and sensor bias. Derived UAV surface temperatures are compared with distributed simultaneous in situ temperature measurements as well as with Landsat 8 thermal satellite imagery. Results show that the UAV-derived surface temperatures vary greatly both spatially and temporally, with -1.4±1.8, 11.0 ±5.2 and 15.3±4.7 °C for the three flights (mean±sd), respectively. The range in surface temperatures over the glacier during the morning is very large with almost 50 °C. Ground-based measurements are generally in agreement with the UAV imagery, but considerable deviations are present that are likely due to differences in measurement technique and approach, and validation is difficult as a result. The difference in spatial and temporal variability captured by the UAV as compared with much coarser satellite imagery is striking and it shows that satellite derived temperature maps should be interpreted with care. We conclude that UAVs provide a suitable means to acquire surface temperature maps of debris-covered glacier surfaces at high spatial and temporal resolution, but that there are caveats with regard to absolute temperature measurement.

Species classification using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-acquired high spatial resolution imagery in a heterogeneous grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Bing; He, Yuhong

2017-06-01

Investigating spatio-temporal variations of species composition in grassland is an essential step in evaluating grassland health conditions, understanding the evolutionary processes of the local ecosystem, and developing grassland management strategies. Space-borne remote sensing images (e.g., MODIS, Landsat, and Quickbird) with spatial resolutions varying from less than 1 m to 500 m have been widely applied for vegetation species classification at spatial scales from community to regional levels. However, the spatial resolutions of these images are not fine enough to investigate grassland species composition, since grass species are generally small in size and highly mixed, and vegetation cover is greatly heterogeneous. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as an emerging remote sensing platform offers a unique ability to acquire imagery at very high spatial resolution (centimetres). Compared to satellites or airplanes, UAVs can be deployed quickly and repeatedly, and are less limited by weather conditions, facilitating advantageous temporal studies. In this study, we utilize an octocopter, on which we mounted a modified digital camera (with near-infrared (NIR), green, and blue bands), to investigate species composition in a tall grassland in Ontario, Canada. Seven flight missions were conducted during the growing season (April to December) in 2015 to detect seasonal variations, and four of them were selected in this study to investigate the spatio-temporal variations of species composition. To quantitatively compare images acquired at different times, we establish a processing flow of UAV-acquired imagery, focusing on imagery quality evaluation and radiometric correction. The corrected imagery is then applied to an object-based species classification. Maps of species distribution are subsequently used for a spatio-temporal change analysis. Results indicate that UAV-acquired imagery is an incomparable data source for studying fine-scale grassland species composition, owing to its high spatial resolution. The overall accuracy is around 85% for images acquired at different times. Species composition is spatially attributed by topographical features and soil moisture conditions. Spatio-temporal variation of species composition implies the growing process and succession of different species, which is critical for understanding the evolutionary features of grassland ecosystems. Strengths and challenges of applying UAV-acquired imagery for vegetation studies are summarized at the end.

Ikhana: A NASA UAS Supporting Long Duration Earth Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent R.

2006-01-01

NASA's Ikhana unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a General Atomics MQ-9 Predator-B modified to support the conduct of Earth science missions for the NASA Science Mission Directorate through partnerships, other government agencies and universities. Ikhana, a Native American word meaning 'intelligence', can carry over 2000 lbs of atmospheric and remote sensing instruments in the payload bay and external pods. The aircraft is capable of mission durations in excess of 24 hours at altitudes above 40,000 ft. Redundant flight control, avionics, power, and network systems increase the system reliability and allow easier access to public airspace. The aircraft is remotely piloted from a mobile ground control station (GCS) using both C-band line-of-sight and Ku-band over-the-horizon satellite datalinks. NASA's GCS has been modified to support on-site science monitoring, or the downlink data can be networked to remote sites. All ground support systems are designed to be deployable to support global Eart science investigations. On-board support capabilities include an instrumentation system and an Airborne Research Test System (ARTS). The ARTS can host research algorithms that will autonomously command and control on-board sensors, perform sensor health monitoring, conduct data analysis, and request changes to the flight plan to maximize data collection. The ARTS also has the ability to host algorithms that will autonomously control the aircraft trajectory based on sensor needs, (e.g. precision trajectory for repeat pass interferometry) or to optimize mission objectives (e.g. search for specific atmospheric conditions). Standard on-board networks will collect science data for recording and for inclusion in the aircraft's high bandwidth downlink. The Ikhana project will complete GCS development, science support systems integration, external pod integration and flight clearance, and operations crew training in early 2007. A large-area remote sensing mission is currently scheduled for the Summer 2007.

The Influence of Flight Planning and Camera Orientation in UAVs Photogrammetry. a Test in the Area of Rocca San Silvestro (li), Tuscany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiabrando, F.; Lingua, A.; Maschio, P.; Teppati Losè, L.

2017-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how much the phases of flight planning and the setting of the camera orientation can affect a UAVs photogrammetric survey. The test site chosen for these evaluations was the Rocca of San Silvestro, a medieval monumental castle near Livorno, Tuscany (Italy). During the fieldwork, different sets of data have been acquired using different parameters for the camera orientation and for the set up of flight plans. Acquisition with both nadiral and oblique orientation of the camera have been performed, as well as flights with different direction of the flight lines (related with the shape of the object of the survey). The different datasets were then processed in several blocks using Pix4D software and the results of the processing were analysed and compared. Our aim was to evaluate how much the parameters described above can affect the generation of the final products of the survey, in particular the product chosen for this evaluation was the point cloud.

The Unmanned Mission Avionics Test Heliciopter - a Flexible and Versatile Vtol-Uas Experimental System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, H.-W., , Dr.

2011-09-01

civil customers. These applications cover a wide spectrum from R&D programs for the military customer to special services for the civil customer. This paper focuses on the technical conversion of a commercially available VTOL-UAS to ESG's Unmanned Mission Avionics Test Helicopter (UMAT), its concept and operational capabilities. At the end of the paper, the current integration of a radar sensor is described as an example of the UMATs flexibility. The radar sensor is developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR). It is integrated by ESG together with the industrial partner SWISS UAV.

Small unmanned aerial vehicles for aeromagnetic surveys and their flights in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Funaki, Minoru; Higashino, Shin-Ichiro; Sakanaka, Shinya; Iwata, Naoyoshi; Nakamura, Norihiro; Hirasawa, Naohiko; Obara, Noriaki; Kuwabara, Mikio

2014-12-01

We developed small computer-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, Ant-Plane) using parts and technology designed for model airplanes. These UAVs have a maximum flight range of 300-500 km. We planned aeromagnetic and aerial photographic surveys using the UAVs around Bransfield Basin, Antarctica, beginning from King George Island. However, we were unable to complete these flights due to unsuitable weather conditions and flight restrictions. Successful flights were subsequently conducted from Livingston Island to Deception Island in December 2011. This flight covered 302.4 km in 3:07:08, providing aeromagnetic and aerial photographic data from an altitude of 780 m over an area of 9 × 18 km around the northern region of Deception Island. The resulting magnetic anomaly map of Deception Island displayed higher resolution than the marine anomaly maps published already. The flight to South Bay in Livingston Island successfully captured aerial photographs that could be used for assessment of glacial and sea-ice conditions. It is unclear whether the cost-effectiveness of the airborne survey by UAV is superior to that of manned flight. Nonetheless, Ant-Plane 6-3 proved to be highly cost-effective for the Deception Island flight, considering the long downtime of the airplane in the Antarctic storm zone.

Multi-Objective Algorithm for Blood Supply via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to the Wounded in an Emergency Situation.

PubMed

Wen, Tingxi; Zhang, Zhongnan; Wong, Kelvin K L

2016-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been widely used in many industries. In the medical environment, especially in some emergency situations, UAVs play an important role such as the supply of medicines and blood with speed and efficiency. In this paper, we study the problem of multi-objective blood supply by UAVs in such emergency situations. This is a complex problem that includes maintenance of the supply blood's temperature model during transportation, the UAVs' scheduling and routes' planning in case of multiple sites requesting blood, and limited carrying capacity. Most importantly, we need to study the blood's temperature change due to the external environment, the heating agent (or refrigerant) and time factor during transportation, and propose an optimal method for calculating the mixing proportion of blood and appendage in different circumstances and delivery conditions. Then, by introducing the idea of transportation appendage into the traditional Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP), this new problem is proposed according to the factors of distance and weight. Algorithmically, we use the combination of decomposition-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and local search method to perform a series of experiments on the CVRP public dataset. By comparing our technique with the traditional ones, our algorithm can obtain better optimization results and time performance.

Tracking the Creation of Tropical Forest Canopy Gaps with UAV Computer Vision Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dandois, J. P.

2015-12-01

The formation of canopy gaps is fundamental for shaping forest structure and is an important component of ecosystem function. Recent time-series of airborne LIDAR have shown great promise for improving understanding of the spatial distribution and size of forest gaps. However, such work typically looks at gap formation across multiple years and important intra-annual variation in gap dynamics remains unknown. Here we present findings on the intra-annual dynamics of canopy gap formation within the 50 ha forest dynamics plot of Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing. High-resolution imagery (7 cm GSD) over the 50 ha plot was obtained regularly (≈ every 10 days) beginning October 2014 using a UAV equipped with a point and shoot camera. Imagery was processed into three-dimensional (3D) digital surface models (DSMs) using automated computer vision structure from motion / photogrammetric methods. New gaps that formed between each UAV flight were identified by subtracting DSMs between each interval and identifying areas of large deviation. A total of 48 new gaps were detected from 2014-10-02 to 2015-07-23, with sizes ranging from less than 20 m2 to greater than 350 m2. The creation of new gaps was also evaluated across wet and dry seasons with 4.5 new gaps detected per month in the dry season (Jan. - May) and 5.2 per month outside the dry season (Oct. - Jan. & May - July). The incidence of gap formation was positively correlated with ground-surveyed liana stem density (R2 = 0.77, p < 0.001) at the 1 hectare scale. Further research will consider the role of climate in predicting gap formation frequency as well as site history and other edaphic factors. Future satellite missions capable of observing vegetation structure at greater extents and frequencies than airborne observations will be greatly enhanced by the high spatial and temporal resolution bridging scale made possible by UAV remote sensing.

Landslide Mapping Using Imagery Acquired by a Fixed-Wing Uav

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, J. Y.; Jhan, J. P.; Lo, C. F.; Lin, Y. S.

2011-09-01

In Taiwan, the average annual rainfall is about 2,500 mm, about three times the world average. Hill slopes where are mostly under meta-stable conditions due to fragmented surface materials can easily be disturbed by heavy typhoon rainfall and/or earthquakes, resulting in landslides and debris flows. Thus, an efficient data acquisition and disaster surveying method is critical for decision making. Comparing with satellite and airplane, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a portable and dynamic platform for data acquisition. In particularly when a small target area is required. In this study, a fixed-wing UAV that equipped with a consumer grade digital camera, i.e. Canon EOS 450D, a flight control computer, a Garmin GPS receiver and an attitude heading reference system (AHRS) are proposed. The adopted UAV has about two hours flight duration time with a flight control range of 20 km and has a payload of 3 kg, which is suitable for a medium scale mapping and surveying mission. In the paper, a test area with 21.3 km2 in size containing hundreds of landslides induced by Typhoon Morakot is used for landslides mapping. The flight height is around 1,400 meters and the ground sampling distance of the acquired imagery is about 17 cm. The aerial triangulation, ortho-image generation and mosaicking are applied to the acquired images in advance. An automatic landslides detection algorithm is proposed based on the object-based image analysis (OBIA) technique. The color ortho-image and a digital elevation model (DEM) are used. The ortho-images before and after typhoon are utilized to estimate new landslide regions. Experimental results show that the developed algorithm can achieve a producer's accuracy up to 91%, user's accuracy 84%, and a Kappa index of 0.87. It demonstrates the feasibility of the landslide detection algorithm and the applicability of a fixed-wing UAV for landslide mapping.

Design and control of a vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malang, Yasir

With the goal of extending capabilities of multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for wetland conservation missions, a novel hybrid aircraft design consisting of four tilting rotors and a fixed wing is designed and built. The tilting rotors and nonlinear aerodynamic effects introduce a control challenge for autonomous flight, and the research focus is to develop and validate an autonomous transition flight controller. The overall controller structure consists of separate cascaded Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controllers whose gains are scheduled according to the rotors' tilt angle. A control mechanism effectiveness factor is used to mix the multi-rotor and fixed-wing control actuators during transition. A nonlinear flight dynamics model is created and transition stability is shown through MATLAB simulations, which proves gain-scheduled control is a good fit for tilt-rotor aircraft. Experiments carried out using the prototype UAV validate simulation results for VTOL and tilted-rotor flight.

The exploitation of data from remote and human sensors for environment monitoring in the SMAT project.

PubMed

Meo, Rosa; Roglia, Elena; Bottino, Andrea

2012-12-17

In this paper, we outline the functionalities of a system that integrates and controls a fleet of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs). UAVs have a set of payload sensors employed for territorial surveillance, whose outputs are stored in the system and analysed by the data exploitation functions at different levels. In particular, we detail the second level data exploitation function whose aim is to improve the sensors data interpretation in the post-mission activities. It is concerned with the mosaicking of the aerial images and the cartography enrichment by human sensors--the social media users. We also describe the software architecture for the development of a mash-up (the integration of information and functionalities coming from the Web) and the possibility of using human sensors in the monitoring of the territory, a field in which, traditionally, the involved sensors were only the hardware ones.

The Exploitation of Data from Remote and Human Sensors for Environment Monitoring in the SMAT Project

PubMed Central

Meo, Rosa; Roglia, Elena; Bottino, Andrea

2012-01-01

In this paper, we outline the functionalities of a system that integrates and controls a fleet of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs). UAVs have a set of payload sensors employed for territorial surveillance, whose outputs are stored in the system and analysed by the data exploitation functions at different levels. In particular, we detail the second level data exploitation function whose aim is to improve the sensors data interpretation in the post-mission activities. It is concerned with the mosaicking of the aerial images and the cartography enrichment by human sensors—the social media users. We also describe the software architecture for the development of a mash-up (the integration of information and functionalities coming from the Web) and the possibility of using human sensors in the monitoring of the territory, a field in which, traditionally, the involved sensors were only the hardware ones. PMID:23247415

D Building Reconstruction by Multiview Images and the Integrated Application with Augmented Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Jin-Tsong; Chu, Ting-Chen

2016-10-01

This study presents an approach wherein photographs with a high degree of overlap are clicked using a digital camera and used to generate three-dimensional (3D) point clouds via feature point extraction and matching. To reconstruct a building model, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is used to click photographs from vertical shooting angles above the building. Multiview images are taken from the ground to eliminate the shielding effect on UAV images caused by trees. Point clouds from the UAV and multiview images are generated via Pix4Dmapper. By merging two sets of point clouds via tie points, the complete building model is reconstructed. The 3D models are reconstructed using AutoCAD 2016 to generate vectors from the point clouds; SketchUp Make 2016 is used to rebuild a complete building model with textures. To apply 3D building models in urban planning and design, a modern approach is to rebuild the digital models; however, replacing the landscape design and building distribution in real time is difficult as the frequency of building replacement increases. One potential solution to these problems is augmented reality (AR). Using Unity3D and Vuforia to design and implement the smartphone application service, a markerless AR of the building model can be built. This study is aimed at providing technical and design skills related to urban planning, urban designing, and building information retrieval using AR.

Coordination and Control for Multi-Quadrotor UAV Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

space equation uses a set of matrices to set up a series of first-order differential equations of the vehicle states. Some flexibility exists in...challenges with autonomous micro aerial vehicles.” Int. Symp. On Robotics Research, 2011 [11] M. Turpin , N. Michael, & V. Kumar, (2012). “Trajectory design...Mathematics and Engineer- ingAnalysis, TechnicalDocumentMEA-LR-085. Boeing Information and Support Services, The Boeing Company, Seattle ( 1997 ) [23] O

A Persistent Perch: USSOCOMs Use of Organic Space Based ISR

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

requests, and precious orbits of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft ( RPA ) are fought over daily by Combatant Commander’s...such a unique mission that simply jockeying for position to share RPA orbits or Satellite time blocks can create gaps in coverage requirements...sic] Eye program will extend the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ( UAV ) paradigm into space: a dramatically lower unit cost and proliferated numbers of

Routing UAVs to Co-Optimize Mission Effectiveness and Network Performance with Dynamic Programming

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Heuristics on Hexagonal Connected Dominating Sets to Model Routing Dissemination," in Communication Theory, Reliability, and Quality of Service (CTRQ...24] Matthew Capt. USAF Compton, Improving the Quality of Service and Security of Military Networks with a Network Tasking Order Process, 2010. [25...Wesley, 2006. [32] James Haught, "Adaptive Quality of Service Engine with Dynamic Queue Control," Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright

UAV-based Radar Sounding of Antarctic Ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leuschen, Carl; Yan, Jie-Bang; Mahmood, Ali; Rodriguez-Morales, Fernando; Hale, Rick; Camps-Raga, Bruno; Metz, Lynsey; Wang, Zongbo; Paden, John; Bowman, Alec; Keshmiri, Shahriar; Gogineni, Sivaprasad

2014-05-01

We developed a compact radar for use on a small UAV to conduct measurements over the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. It operates at center frequencies of 14 and 35 MHz with bandwidths of 1 MHz and 4 MHz, respectively. The radar weighs about 2 kgs and is housed in a box with dimensions of 20.3 cm x 15.2 cm x 13.2 cm. It transmits a signal power of 100 W at a pulse repletion frequency of 10 kHz and requires average power of about 20 W. The antennas for operating the radar are integrated into the wings and airframe of a small UAV with a wingspan of 5.3 m. We selected the frequencies of 14 and 35 MHz based on previous successful soundings of temperate ice in Alaska with a 12.5 MHz impulse radar [Arcone, 2002] and temperate glaciers in Patagonia with a 30 MHz monocycle radar [Blindow et al., 2012]. We developed the radar-equipped UAV to perform surveys over a 2-D grid, which allows us to synthesize a large two-dimensional aperture and obtain fine resolution in both the along- and cross-track directions. Low-frequency, high-sensitivity radars with 2-D aperture synthesis capability are needed to overcome the surface and volume scatter that masks weak echoes from the ice-bed interface of fast-flowing glaciers. We collected data with the radar-equipped UAV on sub-glacial ice near Lake Whillans at both 14 and 35 MHz. We acquired data to evaluate the concept of 2-D aperture synthesis and successfully demonstrated the first successful sounding of ice with a radar on an UAV. We are planning to build multiple radar-equipped UAVs for collecting fine-resolution data near the grounding lines of fast-flowing glaciers. In this presentation we will provide a brief overview of the radar and UAV, as well as present results obtained at both 14 and 35 MHz. Arcone, S. 2002. Airborne-radar stratigraphy and electrical structure of temperate firn: Bagley Ice Field, Alaska, U.S.A. Journal of Glaciology, 48, 317-334. Blindow, N., C. Salat, and G. Casassa. 2012. Airborne GPR sounding of deep temperate glaciers—examples from the Northern Patagonian Icefield, 14th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) June 4-8, 2012, Shanghai, China, ISBN 978-1-4673-2663-6.

The Practical Application of Uav-Based Photogrammetry Under Economic Aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauerbier, M.; Siegrist, E.; Eisenbeiss, H.; Demir, N.

2011-09-01

Nowadays, small size UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have reached a level of practical reliability and functionality that enables this technology to enter the geomatics market as an additional platform for spatial data acquisition. Though one could imagine a wide variety of interesting sensors to be mounted on such a device, here we will focus on photogrammetric applications using digital cameras. In praxis, UAV-based photogrammetry will only be accepted if it a) provides the required accuracy and an additional value and b) if it is competitive in terms of economic application compared to other measurement technologies. While a) was already proven by the scientific community and results were published comprehensively during the last decade, b) still has to be verified under real conditions. For this purpose, a test data set representing a realistic scenario provided by ETH Zurich was used to investigate cost effectiveness and to identify weak points in the processing chain that require further development. Our investigations are limited to UAVs carrying digital consumer cameras, for larger UAVs equipped with medium format cameras the situation has to be considered as significantly different. Image data was acquired during flights using a microdrones MD4-1000 quadrocopter equipped with an Olympus PE-1 digital compact camera. From these images, a subset of 5 images was selected for processing in order to register the effort of time required for the whole production chain of photogrammetric products. We see the potential of mini UAV-based photogrammetry mainly in smaller areas, up to a size of ca. 100 hectares. Larger areas can be efficiently covered by small airplanes with few images, reducing processing effort drastically. In case of smaller areas of a few hectares only, it depends more on the products required. UAVs can be an enhancement or alternative to GNSS measurements, terrestrial laser scanning and ground based photogrammetry. We selected the above mentioned test data from a project featuring an area of interest within the practical range for mini UAVs. While flight planning and flight operation are already quite efficient processes, the bottlenecks identified are mainly related to image processing. Although we used specific software for image processing, the identified gaps in the processing chain today are valid for most commercial photogrammetric software systems on the market. An outlook proposing improvements for a practicable workflow applicable in projects in private economy will be given.

Application of a Very-Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Consumer Grade Camera for the Collection of Research Grade Data: Preliminary Findings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christian, P.; Davis, J. D.; Blesius, L.

2013-12-01

The use of UAV technology in the field of geoscience research has grown almost exponentially in the last decade. UAVs have been utilized as a sensor platform in many fields including geology, biology, climatology, geomorphology and archaeology. A UAV's ability to fly frequently, at very low altitude, and at relatively little cost makes them a perfect compromise between free, low temporal and spatial resolution satellite data and terrestrial based survey when there are insufficient funds to purchase custom satellite or manned aircraft data. Unfortunately, many available UAVs for research are still relatively expensive and often have predetermined imaging systems. However, the proliferation of hobbyist grade UAVs and consumer point and shoot cameras may provide many research projects with an alternative that is both cost-effective and efficient in data collection. This study therefore seeks to answer the question, can these very low cost, hobby-grade UAVs be used to produce research grade data. To achieve this end, in December of 2012 a small grant was obtained (<$6500) to set up a complete UAV system and to employ it in a diverse range of research. The system is comprised of a 3D Robotics hexacopter, Ardupilot automated flight hardware and software, spare parts and tool kit, two Canon point-and-shoot cameras including one modified for near infrared imagery, and a field laptop. To date, successful research flights have been flown for geomorphic research in degraded and restored montane meadows to study stream channel formation using both visible and near infrared imagery as well as for the creation of digital elevation models of large hillslope gullies using structure from motion (SFM). Other applications for the hexacopter, in progress or planned, include landslide monitoring, vegetation monitoring and mapping using the normalized difference vegetation index, archaeological survey, and bird nest identification on small rock islands. An analysis of the results produced so far indicates that this low-cost approach can be used to gather relevant research data but there are significant downsides to using equipment designed for hobbyists and the public rather than that which has been designed primarily for research. Specifically, the repurposing and maintenance of the low-cost equipment greatly increases the time needed before quality data can be obtained.

Smart actuation of inlet guide vanes for small turbine engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusovici, Razvan; Kwok Choon, Stephen T.; Sepri, Paavo; Feys, Joshuo

2011-04-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have gained popularity over the past few years to become an indispensable part of aerial missions that include reconnaissance, surveillance, and communication [1]. As a result, advancements in small jet-engine performance are needed to increase the performance (range, payload and efficiency) of the UAV. These jet engines designed especially for UAV's are characterized by thrust force on the order of 100N and due to their size and weight limitations, may lack advanced flow control devices such as IGV [2]. The goal of the current study was to present a conceptual design of an IGV smart-material based actuation mechanism that would be simple, compact and lightweight. The compressor section of an engine increases the pressure and conditions the flow before the air enters the combustion chamber [3]. The airflow entering the compressor is often turbulent due to the high angle of incidence between engine inlet and free-stream velocity, or existing atmospheric turbulence. Actuated IGV are used to help control the relative angle of incidence of the flow that enters the engine compressor, thereby preventing flow separation, compressor stall and thus extending the compressor's operating envelope [4]. Turbine jet- engines which employ variable IGV were developed by Rolls Royce (Trent DR-900) and General Electric (J79).

Flight dynamic investigations of flying wing with winglet configured unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ro, Kapseong

2006-05-01

A swept wing tailless vehicle platform is well known in the radio control (RC) and sailing aircraft community for excellent spiral stability during soaring or thermaling, while exhibiting no Dutch roll behavior at high speed. When an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is subjected to fly a mission in a rugged mountainous terrain where air current or thermal up-drift is frequently present, this is great aerodynamic benefit over the conventional cross-tailed aircraft which requires careful balance between lateral and directional stability. Such dynamic characteristics can be studied through vehicle dynamic modeling and simulation, but it requires configuration aerodynamic data through wind tunnel experiments. Obtaining such data is very costly and time consuming, and it is not feasible especially for low cost and dispensable UAVs. On the other hand, the vehicle autonomy is quite demanding which requires substantial understanding of aircraft dynamic characteristics. In this study, flight dynamics of an UAV platform based on flying wing with a large winglet was investigated through analytical modeling and numerical simulation. Flight dynamic modeling software and experimental formulae were used to obtain essential configuration aerodynamic characteristics, and linear flight dynamic analysis was carried out to understand the effect of wing sweep angle and winglet size on the vehicle dynamic characteristics.

Some technical notes on using UAV-based remote sensing for post disaster assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rokhmana, Catur Aries; Andaru, Ruli

2017-07-01

Indonesia is located in an area prone to disasters, which are various kinds of natural disasters happen. In disaster management, the geoinformation data are needed to be able to evaluate the impact area. The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-Based remote sensing technology is a good choice to produce a high spatial resolution of less than 15 cm, while the current resolution of the satellite imagery is still greater than 50 cm. This paper shows some technical notes that should be considered when using UAV-Based remote sensing system in post disaster for rapid assessment. Some cases are Aceh Earthquake in years 2013 for seeing infrastructure damages, Banjarnegara landslide in year 2014 for seeing the impact; and Kelud volcano eruption in year 2014 for seeing the impact and volumetric material calculation. The UAV-Based remote sensing system should be able to produce the Orthophoto image that can provide capabilities for visual interpretation the individual damage objects, and the changes situation. Meanwhile the DEM (digital Elevation model) product can derive terrain topography, and volumetric calculation with accuracy 3-5 pixel or sub-meter also. The UAV platform should be able for working remotely and autonomously in dangerous area and limited infrastructures. In mountainous or volcano area, an unconventional flight plan should implemented. Unfortunately, not all impact can be seen from above such as wall crack, some parcel boundaries, and many objects that covered by others higher object. The previous existing geoinformation data are also needed to be able to evaluate the change detection automatically.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) associated DTM quality evaluation and hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Mei-Jen; Chen, Shao-Der; Chao, Yu-Jui; Chiang, Yi-Lin; Chang, Kuo-Jen

2014-05-01

Taiwan, due to the high seismicity and high annual rainfall, numerous landslides triggered every year and severe impacts affect the island. Concerning to the catastrophic landslides, the key information of landslide, including range of landslide, volume estimation and the subsequent evolution are important when analyzing the triggering mechanism, hazard assessment and mitigation. Thus, the morphological analysis gives a general overview for the landslides and been considered as one of the most fundamental information. We try to integrate several technologies, especially by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and multi-spectral camera, to decipher the consequence and the potential hazard, and the social impact. In recent years, the remote sensing technology improves rapidly, providing a wide range of image, essential and precious information. Benefited of the advancing of informatics, remote-sensing and electric technologies, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry mas been improve significantly. The study tries to integrate several methods, including, 1) Remote-sensing images gathered by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and by aerial photos taken in different periods; 2) field in-situ geologic investigation; 3) Differential GPS, RTK GPS and Ground LiDAR field in-site geoinfomatics measurements; 4) Construct the DTMs before and after landslide, as well as the subsequent periods using UAV and aerial photos; 5) Discrete element method should be applied to understand the geomaterial composing the slope failure, for predicting earthquake-induced and rainfall-induced landslides displacement. First at all, we evaluate the Microdrones MD4-1000 UAV airphotos derived Digital Terrain Model (DTM). The ground resolution of the DSM point cloud of could be as high as 10 cm. By integrated 4 ground control point within an area of 56 hectares, compared with LiDAR DSM and filed RTK-GPS surveying, the mean error is as low as 6cm with a standard deviation of 17cm. The quality of the UAV DSM could be as good as LiDAR data, and is ready for other applications. The quality of the data set provides not only geoinfomatics and GIS dataset of the hazards, but also for essential geomorphologic information for other study, and for hazard mitigation and planning, as well.

Emerging Fuel Cell Technology Being Developed: Offers Many Benefits to Air Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, James F.; Civinskas, Kestutis C.

2004-01-01

Fuel cells, which have recently received considerable attention for terrestrial applications ranging from automobiles to stationary power generation, may enable new aerospace missions as well as offer fuel savings, quiet operations, and reduced emissions for current and future aircraft. NASA has extensive experience with fuel cells, having used them on manned space flight systems over four decades. Consequently, the NASA Glenn Research Center has initiated an effort to investigate and develop fuel cell technologies for multiple aerospace applications. Two promising fuel cell types are the proton exchange membrane (PEM) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). PEM technology, first used on the Gemini spacecraft in the sixties, remained unutilized thereafter until the automotive industry recently recognized the potential. PEM fuel cells are low-temperature devices offering quick startup time but requiring relatively pure hydrogen fuel. In contrast, SOFCs operate at high temperatures and tolerate higher levels of impurities. This flexibility allows SOFCs to use hydrocarbon fuels, which is an important factor considering our current liquid petroleum infrastructure. However, depending on the specific application, either PEM or SOFC can be attractive. As only NASA can, the Agency is pursuing fuel cell technology for civil uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) because it offers enhanced scientific capabilities, including enabling highaltitude, long-endurance missions. The NASA Helios aircraft demonstrated altitudes approaching 100,000 ft using solar power in 2001, and future plans include the development of a regenerative PEM fuel cell to provide nighttime power. Unique to NASA's mission, the high-altitude aircraft application requires the PEM fuel cell to operate on pure oxygen, instead of the air typical of terrestrial applications.

CRUSER News. Issue 30, Aug 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

Versatile Low Cost Tactical SUAS by Dr. Richard Guiler, Physical Sciences Inc. • Small Unmanned Aircraft System ( SUAS )/Unattended Ground Sensor...NPS faculty JIFX 13-4 was held last week and included several different planned experiments in the unmanned systems /robot- ics thread. One of the many... planned experiments for the unmanned systems / robotics thread. • Tactical Operations for Multiple Swarm UAVs by Dr Timothy Chung, NPS • ងlb

A Space Based Internet Protocol System for Sub-Orbital Tracking and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, Barton; Grant, Charles; Morgan, Dwayne; Streich, Ron; Bauer, Frank (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Personnel from the Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF) in Virginia are responsible for the overall management of the NASA Sounding Rocket Program. Payloads are generally in support of NASA's Space Science Enterprise's missions and return a variety of scientific data as well as providing a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft. The fifteen types of sounding rockets used by NASA can carry payloads of various weights to altitudes from 50 km to more than 1,300 km. Launch activities are conducted not only from established missile ranges, but also from remote locations worldwide requiring mobile tracking and command equipment to be transported and set up at considerable expense. The advent of low earth orbit (LEO) commercial communications satellites provides an opportunity to dramatically reduce tracking and control costs of launch vehicles and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by reducing or eliminating this ground infrastructure. Additionally, since data transmission is by packetized Internet Protocol (IP), data can be received and commands initiated from practically any location. A low cost Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) system is currently under development for sounding rockets which also has application to UAVs and scientific balloons. Due to relatively low data rate (9600 baud) currently available, the system will first be used to provide GPS data for tracking and vehicle recovery. Range safety requirements for launch vehicles usually stipulate at least two independent tracking sources. Most sounding rockets flown by NASA now carry GPS receivers that output position data via the payload telemetry system to the ground station. The Flight Modem can be configured as a completely separate link thereby eliminating requirement for tracking radar. The system architecture which integrates antennas, GPS receiver, commercial satellite packet data modem, and a single board computer with custom software is described along with the technical challenges and the plan for their resolution. These include antenna development, high Doppler rates, reliability, environmental ruggedness, hand over between satellites and data security. An aggressive test plan is included which in addition to environmental testing measures bit error rate, latency and antenna patterns. Actual flight tests are planned for the near future on aircraft, long duration balloons and sounding rockets and these results as well as the current status of the project are reported.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for High-Throughput Phenotyping and Agronomic Research

PubMed Central

Shi, Yeyin; Thomasson, J. Alex; Murray, Seth C.; Pugh, N. Ace; Rooney, William L.; Shafian, Sanaz; Rajan, Nithya; Rouze, Gregory; Morgan, Cristine L. S.; Neely, Haly L.; Rana, Aman; Bagavathiannan, Muthu V.; Henrickson, James; Bowden, Ezekiel; Valasek, John; Olsenholler, Jeff; Bishop, Michael P.; Sheridan, Ryan; Putman, Eric B.; Popescu, Sorin; Burks, Travis; Cope, Dale; Ibrahim, Amir; McCutchen, Billy F.; Baltensperger, David D.; Avant, Robert V.; Vidrine, Misty; Yang, Chenghai

2016-01-01

Advances in automation and data science have led agriculturists to seek real-time, high-quality, high-volume crop data to accelerate crop improvement through breeding and to optimize agronomic practices. Breeders have recently gained massive data-collection capability in genome sequencing of plants. Faster phenotypic trait data collection and analysis relative to genetic data leads to faster and better selections in crop improvement. Furthermore, faster and higher-resolution crop data collection leads to greater capability for scientists and growers to improve precision-agriculture practices on increasingly larger farms; e.g., site-specific application of water and nutrients. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have recently gained traction as agricultural data collection systems. Using UAVs for agricultural remote sensing is an innovative technology that differs from traditional remote sensing in more ways than strictly higher-resolution images; it provides many new and unique possibilities, as well as new and unique challenges. Herein we report on processes and lessons learned from year 1—the summer 2015 and winter 2016 growing seasons–of a large multidisciplinary project evaluating UAV images across a range of breeding and agronomic research trials on a large research farm. Included are team and project planning, UAV and sensor selection and integration, and data collection and analysis workflow. The study involved many crops and both breeding plots and agronomic fields. The project’s goal was to develop methods for UAVs to collect high-quality, high-volume crop data with fast turnaround time to field scientists. The project included five teams: Administration, Flight Operations, Sensors, Data Management, and Field Research. Four case studies involving multiple crops in breeding and agronomic applications add practical descriptive detail. Lessons learned include critical information on sensors, air vehicles, and configuration parameters for both. As the first and most comprehensive project of its kind to date, these lessons are particularly salient to researchers embarking on agricultural research with UAVs. PMID:27472222

UAV-Based Hyperspectral Remote Sensing for Precision Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angel, Y.; Parkes, S. D.; Turner, D.; Houborg, R.; Lucieer, A.; McCabe, M.

2017-12-01

Modern agricultural production relies on monitoring crop status by observing and measuring variables such as soil condition, plant health, fertilizer and pesticide effect, irrigation and crop yield. Managing all of these factors is a considerable challenge for crop producers. As such, providing integrated technological solutions that enable improved diagnostics of field condition to maximize profits, while minimizing environmental impacts, would be of much interest. Such challenges can be addressed by implementing remote sensing systems such as hyperspectral imaging to produce precise biophysical indicator maps across the various cycles of crop development. Recent progress in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have advanced traditional satellite-based capabilities, providing a capacity for high-spatial, spectral and temporal response. However, while some hyperspectral sensors have been developed for use onboard UAVs, significant investment is required to develop a system and data processing workflow that retrieves accurately georeferenced mosaics. Here we explore the use of a pushbroom hyperspectral camera that is integrated on-board a multi-rotor UAV system to measure the surface reflectance in 272 distinct spectral bands across a wavelengths range spanning 400-1000 nm, and outline the requirement for sensor calibration, integration onto a stable UAV platform enabling accurate positional data, flight planning, and development of data post-processing workflows for georeferenced mosaics. The provision of high-quality and geo-corrected imagery facilitates the development of metrics of vegetation health that can be used to identify potential problems such as production inefficiencies, diseases and nutrient deficiencies and other data-streams to enable improved crop management. Immense opportunities remain to be exploited in the implementation of UAV-based hyperspectral sensing (and its combination with other imaging systems) to provide a transferable and scalable integrated framework for crop growth monitoring and yield prediction. Here we explore some of the challenges and issues in translating the available technological capacity into a useful and useable image collection and processing flow-path that enables these potential applications to be better realized.

Atmospheric Sampling on Ascension Island Using Multirotor UAVs

PubMed Central

Greatwood, Colin; Richardson, Thomas S.; Freer, Jim; Thomas, Rick M.; MacKenzie, A. Rob; Brownlow, Rebecca; Lowry, David; Fisher, Rebecca E.; Nisbet, Euan G.

2017-01-01

As part of an NERC-funded project investigating the southern methane anomaly, a team drawn from the Universities of Bristol, Birmingham and Royal Holloway flew small unmanned multirotors from Ascension Island for the purposes of atmospheric sampling. The objective of these flights was to collect air samples from below, within and above a persistent atmospheric feature, the Trade Wind Inversion, in order to characterise methane concentrations and their isotopic composition. These parameters allow the methane in the different air masses to be tied to different source locations, which can be further analysed using back trajectory atmospheric computer modelling. This paper describes the campaigns as a whole including the design of the bespoke eight rotor aircraft and the operational requirements that were needed in order to collect targeted multiple air samples up to 2.5 km above the ground level in under 20 min of flight time. Key features of the system described include real-time feedback of temperature and humidity, as well as system health data. This enabled detailed targeting of the air sampling design to be realised and planned during the flight mission on the downward leg, a capability that is invaluable in the presence of uncertainty in the pre-flight meteorological data. Environmental considerations are also outlined together with the flight plans that were created in order to rapidly fly vertical transects of the atmosphere whilst encountering changing wind conditions. Two sampling campaigns were carried out in September 2014 and July 2015 with over one hundred high altitude sampling missions. Lessons learned are given throughout, including those associated with operating in the testing environment encountered on Ascension Island. PMID:28545231

Applicability of Unmanned Aerial Systems to Homeland Defense Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

adopted many of the suggestion from the NAPA report. A significant milestone in the agency’s history occurred in 1996 when President Clinton extended...Surveillance and Civil Liberties”, in Information Ethics: Privacy and Intellectual Property, Lee Freeman and A. Graham Peace, Hershey , Pa, 2005. p.165. 164...of registry first. The second expectation is for aircraft to follow the “air 197 Mark Peterson , “The UAV and the Current and Future Regulatory

Control and design of multiple unmanned air vehicles for persistent surveillance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nigam, Nikhil

Control of multiple autonomous aircraft for search and exploration, is a topic of current research interest for applications such as weather monitoring, geographical surveys, search and rescue, tactical reconnaissance, and extra-terrestrial exploration, and the need to distribute sensing is driven by considerations of efficiency, reliability, cost and scalability. Hence, this problem has been extensively studied in the fields of controls and artificial intelligence. The task of persistent surveillance is different from a coverage/exploration problem, in that all areas need to be continuously searched, minimizing the time between visitations to each region in the target space. This distinction does not allow a straightforward application of most exploration techniques to the problem, although ideas from these methods can still be used. The use of aerial vehicles is motivated by their ability to cover larger spaces and their relative insensitivity to terrain. However, the dynamics of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) adds complexity to the control problem. Most of the work in the literature decouples the vehicle dynamics and control policies, but their interaction is particularly interesting for a surveillance mission. Stochastic environments and UAV failures further enrich the problem by requiring the control policies to be robust, and this aspect is particularly important for hardware implementations. For a persistent mission, it becomes imperative to consider the range/endurance constraints of the vehicles. The coupling of the control policy with the endurance constraints of the vehicles is an aspect that has not been sufficiently explored. Design of UAVs for desirable mission performance is also an issue of considerable significance. The use of a single monolithic optimization for such a problem has practical limitations, and decomposition-based design is a potential alternative. In this research high-level control policies are devised, that are scalable, reliable, efficient, and robust to changes in the environment. Most of the existing techniques that carry performance guarantees are not scalable or robust to changes. The scalable techniques are often heuristic in nature, resulting in lack of reliability and performance. Our policies are tested in a multi-UAV simulation environment developed for this problem, and shown to be near-optimal in spite of being completely reactive in nature. We explicitly account for the coupling between aircraft dynamics and control policies as well, and suggest modifications to improve performance under dynamic constraints. A smart refueling policy is also developed to account for limited endurance, and large performance benefits are observed. The method is based on the solution of a linear program that can be efficiently solved online in a distributed setting, unlike previous work. The Vehicle Swarm Technology Laboratory (VSTL), a hardware testbed developed at Boeing Research and Technology for evaluating swarm of UAVs, is described next and used to test the control strategy in a real-world scenario. The simplicity and robustness of the strategy allows easy implementation and near replication of the performance observed in simulation. Finally, an architecture for system-of-systems design based on Collaborative Optimization (CO) is presented. Earlier work coupling operations and design has used frameworks that make certain assumptions not valid for this problem. The efficacy of our approach is illustrated through preliminary design results, and extension to more realistic settings is also demonstrated.

Coherent Lidar Activities at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kavaya, Michael J.; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Koch, Grady J.; Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong

2007-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center has been developing and using coherent lidar systems for many years. The current projects at LaRC are the Global Wind Observing Sounder (GWOS) mission preparation, the Laser Risk Reduction Program (LRRP), the Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) compact, rugged Doppler wind lidar project, the Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard detection and Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project for lunar landing, and the Skywalker project to find and use thermals to extend UAV flight time. These five projects encompass coherent lidar technology development; characterization, validation, and calibration facilities; compact, rugged packaging; computer simulation; trade studies; data acquisition, processing, and display development; system demonstration; and space mission design. This paper will further discuss these activities at LaRC.

Surface target-tracking guidance by self-organizing formation flight of fixed-wing UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regina, N.; Zanzi, M.

This paper presents a new concept of ground target surveillance based on a formation flight of two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of fixed-wing type. Each UAV considered in this work has its own guidance law specifically designed for two different aims. A self organizing non-symmetric collaborative surveying scheme has been developed based on pursuers with different roles: the close-up-pursuer and the distance-pursuer. The close-up-pursuer behaves according to a guidance law which takes it to continually over-fly the target, also optimizing flight endurance. On the other hand, the distancepursuer behaves so as to circle around the target by flying at a certain distance and altitude from it; moreover, its motion ensures the maximum “ seeability” of the ground based target. In addition, the guidance law designed for the distance-pursuer also implements a collision avoidance feature in order to prevent possible risks of collision with the close-up-pursuer during the tracking maneuvers. The surveying scheme is non-symmetric in the sense that the collision avoidance feature is accomplished by a guidance law implemented only on one of the two pursuers; moreover, it is collaborative because the surveying is performed by different tasks of two UAVs and is self-organizing because, due to the collision avoidance feature, target tracking does not require pre-planned collision-risk-free trajectories but trajectories are generated in real time.

Crack identification for rigid pavements using unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahaddin Ersoz, Ahmet; Pekcan, Onur; Teke, Turker

2017-09-01

Pavement condition assessment is an essential piece of modern pavement management systems as rehabilitation strategies are planned based upon its outcomes. For proper evaluation of existing pavements, they must be continuously and effectively monitored using practical means. Conventionally, truck-based pavement monitoring systems have been in-use in assessing the remaining life of in-service pavements. Although such systems produce accurate results, their use can be expensive and data processing can be time consuming, which make them infeasible considering the demand for quick pavement evaluation. To overcome such problems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be used as an alternative as they are relatively cheaper and easier-to-use. In this study, we propose a UAV based pavement crack identification system for monitoring rigid pavements’ existing conditions. The system consists of recently introduced image processing algorithms used together with conventional machine learning techniques, both of which are used to perform detection of cracks on rigid pavements’ surface and their classification. Through image processing, the distinct features of labelled crack bodies are first obtained from the UAV based images and then used for training of a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model. The performance of the developed SVM model was assessed with a field study performed along a rigid pavement exposed to low traffic and serious temperature changes. Available cracks were classified using the UAV based system and obtained results indicate it ensures a good alternative solution for pavement monitoring applications.

Automatic Hotspot and Sun Glint Detection in UAV Multispectral Images

PubMed Central

Ortega-Terol, Damian; Ballesteros, Rocio

2017-01-01

Last advances in sensors, photogrammetry and computer vision have led to high-automation levels of 3D reconstruction processes for generating dense models and multispectral orthoimages from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images. However, these cartographic products are sometimes blurred and degraded due to sun reflection effects which reduce the image contrast and colour fidelity in photogrammetry and the quality of radiometric values in remote sensing applications. This paper proposes an automatic approach for detecting sun reflections problems (hotspot and sun glint) in multispectral images acquired with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), based on a photogrammetric strategy included in a flight planning and control software developed by the authors. In particular, two main consequences are derived from the approach developed: (i) different areas of the images can be excluded since they contain sun reflection problems; (ii) the cartographic products obtained (e.g., digital terrain model, orthoimages) and the agronomical parameters computed (e.g., normalized vegetation index-NVDI) are improved since radiometric defects in pixels are not considered. Finally, an accuracy assessment was performed in order to analyse the error in the detection process, getting errors around 10 pixels for a ground sample distance (GSD) of 5 cm which is perfectly valid for agricultural applications. This error confirms that the precision in the detection of sun reflections can be guaranteed using this approach and the current low-cost UAV technology. PMID:29036930

Automatic Hotspot and Sun Glint Detection in UAV Multispectral Images.

PubMed

Ortega-Terol, Damian; Hernandez-Lopez, David; Ballesteros, Rocio; Gonzalez-Aguilera, Diego

2017-10-15

Last advances in sensors, photogrammetry and computer vision have led to high-automation levels of 3D reconstruction processes for generating dense models and multispectral orthoimages from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) images. However, these cartographic products are sometimes blurred and degraded due to sun reflection effects which reduce the image contrast and colour fidelity in photogrammetry and the quality of radiometric values in remote sensing applications. This paper proposes an automatic approach for detecting sun reflections problems (hotspot and sun glint) in multispectral images acquired with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), based on a photogrammetric strategy included in a flight planning and control software developed by the authors. In particular, two main consequences are derived from the approach developed: (i) different areas of the images can be excluded since they contain sun reflection problems; (ii) the cartographic products obtained (e.g., digital terrain model, orthoimages) and the agronomical parameters computed (e.g., normalized vegetation index-NVDI) are improved since radiometric defects in pixels are not considered. Finally, an accuracy assessment was performed in order to analyse the error in the detection process, getting errors around 10 pixels for a ground sample distance (GSD) of 5 cm which is perfectly valid for agricultural applications. This error confirms that the precision in the detection of sun reflections can be guaranteed using this approach and the current low-cost UAV technology.

On-Board Mining in the Sensor Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, S.; Conover, H.; Graves, S.; Ramachandran, R.; Rushing, J.

2004-12-01

On-board data mining can contribute to many research and engineering applications, including natural hazard detection and prediction, intelligent sensor control, and the generation of customized data products for direct distribution to users. The ability to mine sensor data in real time can also be a critical component of autonomous operations, supporting deep space missions, unmanned aerial and ground-based vehicles (UAVs, UGVs), and a wide range of sensor meshes, webs and grids. On-board processing is expected to play a significant role in the next generation of NASA, Homeland Security, Department of Defense and civilian programs, providing for greater flexibility and versatility in measurements of physical systems. In addition, the use of UAV and UGV systems is increasing in military, emergency response and industrial applications. As research into the autonomy of these vehicles progresses, especially in fleet or web configurations, the applicability of on-board data mining is expected to increase significantly. Data mining in real time on board sensor platforms presents unique challenges. Most notably, the data to be mined is a continuous stream, rather than a fixed store such as a database. This means that the data mining algorithms must be modified to make only a single pass through the data. In addition, the on-board environment requires real time processing with limited computing resources, thus the algorithms must use fixed and relatively small amounts of processing time and memory. The University of Alabama in Huntsville is developing an innovative processing framework for the on-board data and information environment. The Environment for On-Board Processing (EVE) and the Adaptive On-board Data Processing (AODP) projects serve as proofs-of-concept of advanced information systems for remote sensing platforms. The EVE real-time processing infrastructure will upload, schedule and control the execution of processing plans on board remote sensors. These plans provide capabilities for autonomous data mining, classification and feature extraction using both streaming and buffered data sources. A ground-based testbed provides a heterogeneous, embedded hardware and software environment representing both space-based and ground-based sensor platforms, including wireless sensor mesh architectures. The AODP project explores the EVE concepts in the world of sensor-networks, including ad-hoc networks of small sensor platforms.

Two-agent cooperative search using game models with endurance-time constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sujit, P. B.; Ghose, Debasish

2010-07-01

In this article, the problem of two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) cooperatively searching an unknown region is addressed. The search region is discretized into hexagonal cells and each cell is assumed to possess an uncertainty value. The UAVs have to cooperatively search these cells taking limited endurance, sensor and communication range constraints into account. Due to limited endurance, the UAVs need to return to the base station for refuelling and also need to select a base station when multiple base stations are present. This article proposes a route planning algorithm that takes endurance time constraints into account and uses game theoretical strategies to reduce the uncertainty. The route planning algorithm selects only those cells that ensure the agent will return to any one of the available bases. A set of paths are formed using these cells which the game theoretical strategies use to select a path that yields maximum uncertainty reduction. We explore non-cooperative Nash, cooperative and security strategies from game theory to enhance the search effectiveness. Monte-Carlo simulations are carried out which show the superiority of the game theoretical strategies over greedy strategy for different look ahead step length paths. Within the game theoretical strategies, non-cooperative Nash and cooperative strategy perform similarly in an ideal case, but Nash strategy performs better than the cooperative strategy when the perceived information is different. We also propose a heuristic based on partitioning of the search space into sectors to reduce computational overhead without performance degradation.

Cameras and settings for optimal image capture from UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Mike; O'Connor, James; James, Mike R.

2017-04-01

Aerial image capture has become very common within the geosciences due to the increasing affordability of low payload (<20 kg) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for consumer markets. Their application to surveying has led to many studies being undertaken using UAV imagery captured from consumer grade cameras as primary data sources. However, image quality and the principles of image capture are seldom given rigorous discussion which can lead to experiments being difficult to accurately reproduce. In this contribution we revisit the underpinning concepts behind image capture, from which the requirements for acquiring sharp, well exposed and suitable imagery are derived. This then leads to discussion of how to optimise the platform, camera, lens and imaging settings relevant to image quality planning, presenting some worked examples as a guide. Finally, we challenge the community to make their image data open for review in order to ensure confidence in the outputs/error estimates, allow reproducibility of the results and have these comparable with future studies. We recommend providing open access imagery where possible, a range of example images, and detailed metadata to rigorously describe the image capture process.

The Advantage by Using Low-Altitude UAV for Sustainable Urban Development Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djimantoro, Michael I.; Suhardjanto, Gatot

2017-12-01

The City will always grow and develop along with the increasing number of population which affect more demands of building space in the city. Thoserequirements of development can be done by the government, the private sector or by the individual sectors, but it needs to follow the ordinance which is set in the city plan to avoid the adverse negative impact in the future. The problems are if the monitored development in the city is like Jakarta - Indonesia, which have an area of 661 square kilometres compared with the limitation of government employee source. Therefore, it is important to advancing the new tools to monitor the development of the city, due to the large development area and the limitation of source. This research explores the using of Low-altitude UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) combined with photogrammetry techniques - a new rapidly developing technology - to collect as-built building development information in real time, cost-effective and efficient manner. The result of this research explores the possibility of using the UAV in sustainable urban development control and it can detect the anomalies of the development.

Precision Time Protocol-Based Trilateration for Planetary Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murdock, Ron

2015-01-01

Progeny Systems Corporation has developed a high-fidelity, field-scalable, non-Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system that offers precision localization over communications channels. The system is bidirectional, providing position information to both base and mobile units. It is the first-ever wireless use of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Precision Time Protocol (PTP) in a bidirectional trilateration navigation system. The innovation provides a precise and reliable navigation capability to support traverse-path planning systems and other mapping applications, and it establishes a core infrastructure for long-term lunar and planetary occupation. Mature technologies are integrated to provide navigation capability and to support data and voice communications on the same network. On Earth, the innovation is particularly well suited for use in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as it offers a non-GPS precision navigation and location service for use in GPS-denied environments. Its bidirectional capability provides real-time location data to the UAV operator and to the UAV. This approach optimizes assisted GPS techniques and can be used to determine the presence of GPS degradation, spoofing, or jamming.

Development of autonomous controller system of high speed UAV from simulation to ready to fly condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudhi Irwanto, Herma

2018-02-01

The development of autonomous controller system that is specially used in our high speed UAV, it’s call RKX-200EDF/TJ controlled vehicle needs to be continued as a step to mastery and to developt control system of LAPAN’s satellite launching rocket. The weakness of the existing control system in this high speed UAV needs to be repaired and replaced using the autonomous controller system. Conversion steps for ready-to-fly system involved controlling X tail fin, adjusting auto take off procedure by adding X axis sensor, procedure of way points reading and process of measuring distance and heading to the nearest way point, developing user-friendly ground station, and adding tools for safety landing. The development of this autonomous controller system also covered a real flying test in Pandanwangi, Lumajang in November 2016. Unfortunately, the flying test was not successful because the booster rocket was blown right after burning. However, the system could record the event and demonstrated that the controller system had worked according to plan.

Classical Photogrammetry and Uav - Selected Ascpects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikrut, S.

2016-06-01

The UAV technology seems to be highly future-oriented due to its low costs as compared to traditional aerial images taken from classical photogrammetry aircrafts. The AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow - Department of Geoinformation, Photogrammetry and Environmental Remote Sensing focuses mainly on geometry and radiometry of recorded images. Various scientific research centres all over the world have been conducting the relevant research for years. The paper presents selected aspects of processing digital images made with the UAV technology. It provides on a practical example a comparison between a digital image taken from an airborne (classical) height, and the one made from an UAV level. In his research the author of the paper is trying to find an answer to the question: to what extent does the UAV technology diverge today from classical photogrammetry, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of both methods? The flight plan was made over the Tokarnia Village Museum (more than 0.5 km2) for two separate flights: the first was made by an UAV - System FT-03A built by FlyTech Solution Ltd. The second was made with the use of a classical photogrammetric Cesna aircraft furnished with an airborne photogrammetric camera (Ultra Cam Eagle). Both sets of photographs were taken with pixel size of about 3 cm, in order to have reliable data allowing for both systems to be compared. The project has made aerotriangulation independently for the two flights. The DTM was generated automatically, and the last step was the generation of an orthophoto. The geometry of images was checked under the process of aerotriangulation. To compare the accuracy of these two flights, control and check points were used. RMSE were calculated. The radiometry was checked by a visual method and using the author's own algorithm for feature extraction (to define edges with subpixel accuracy). After initial pre-processing of data, the images were put together, and shown side by side. Buildings and strips on the road were selected from whole data for the comparison of edges and details. The details on UAV images were not worse than those on classical photogrammetric ones. One might suppose that geometrically they also were correct. The results of aerotriangulation prove these facts, too. Final results from aerotriangulation were on the level of RMS = 1 pixel (about 3 cm). In general it can be said that photographs from UAVs are not worse than classic ones. In the author's opinion, geometric and radiometric qualities are at a similar level for this kind of area (a small village). This is a very significant result as regards mapping. It means that UAV data can be used in mapping production.

Global Versus Reactive Navigation for Joint UAV-UGV Missions in a Cluttered Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

spaces. The vehicle uses a two- wheel 5 differential drive system with a third omnidirectional caster for balance. This uncomplicated system saves... wheels , two differential drive wheels and one omni- directional caster wheel . The vehicle changes the direction of its movement by altering the speed of...Virtual Speed Versus Time..........64  Figure 23:  Heading and Yaw Rate Versus Time................64  Figure 24:  Individual Wheel Speeds Versus Time

A Parametric Model for Large Scale Agent Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

what are the critical parameters that it depends on? We have argued in a companion paper (also in this vol- ume) that the common prescriptions of...the companion paper immediately preced- ing this paper. 241 3 An Application A collection of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) on a multi-task mission...Narciso Mart́ı-Oliet Dpto. de Sistemas Informáticos y Programación Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain narciso@sip.ucm.es Abstract We describe

Low-Altitude Operation of Unmanned Rotorcraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherer, Sebastian

Currently deployed unmanned rotorcraft rely on preplanned missions or teleoperation and do not actively incorporate information about obstacles, landing sites, wind, position uncertainty, and other aerial vehicles during online motion planning. Prior work has successfully addressed some tasks such as obstacle avoidance at slow speeds, or landing at known to be good locations. However, to enable autonomous missions in cluttered environments, the vehicle has to react quickly to previously unknown obstacles, respond to changing environmental conditions, and find unknown landing sites. We consider the problem of enabling autonomous operation at low-altitude with contributions to four problems. First we address the problem of fast obstacle avoidance for a small aerial vehicle and present results from over a 1000 rims at speeds up to 10 m/s. Fast response is achieved through a reactive algorithm whose response is learned based on observing a pilot. Second, we show an algorithm to update the obstacle cost expansion for path planning quickly and demonstrate it on a micro aerial vehicle, and an autonomous helicopter avoiding obstacles. Next, we examine the mission of finding a place to land near a ground goal. Good landing sites need to be detected and found and the final touch down goal is unknown. To detect the landing sites we convey a model based algorithm for landing sites that incorporates many helicopter relevant constraints such as landing sites, approach, abort, and ground paths in 3D range data. The landing site evaluation algorithm uses a patch-based coarse evaluation for slope and roughness, and a fine evaluation that fits a 3D model of the helicopter and landing gear to calculate a goodness measure. The data are evaluated in real-time to enable the helicopter to decide on a place to land. We show results from urban, vegetated, and desert environments, and demonstrate the first autonomous helicopter that selects its own landing sites. We present a generalized planning framework that enables reaching a goal point, searching for unknown landing sites, and approaching a landing zone. In the framework, sub-objective functions, constraints, and a state machine define the mission and behavior of an UAV. As the vehicle gathers information by moving through the environment, the objective functions account for this new information. The operator in this framework can directly specify his intent as an objective function that defines the mission rather than giving a sequence of pre-specified goal points. This allows the robot to react to new information received and adjust its path accordingly. The objective is used in a combined coarse planning and trajectory optimization algorithm to determine the best patch the robot should take. We show simulated results for several different missions and in particular focus on active landing zone search. We presented several effective approaches for perception and action for low-altitude flight and demonstrated their effectiveness in field experiments on three autonomous aerial vehicles: a 1m quadrocopter, a 36m helicopter, and a hill-size helicopter. These techniques permit rotorcraft to operate where they have their greatest advantage: In unstructured, unknown environments at low-altitude.

The Development of an Open Hardware and Software System Onboard Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Monitor Concentrated Solar Power Plants

PubMed Central

Mesas-Carrascosa, Francisco Javier; Verdú Santano, Daniel; Pérez Porras, Fernando; Meroño-Larriva, José Emilio; García-Ferrer, Alfonso

2017-01-01

Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are increasingly gaining interest as a source of renewable energy. These plants face several technical problems and the inspection of components such as absorber tubes in parabolic trough concentrators (PTC), which are widely deployed, is necessary to guarantee plant efficiency. This article presents a system for real-time industrial inspection of CSP plants using low-cost, open-source components in conjunction with a thermographic sensor and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The system, available in open-source hardware and software, is designed to be employed independently of the type of device used for inspection (laptop, smartphone, tablet or smartglasses) and its operating system. Several UAV flight missions were programmed as follows: flight altitudes at 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 m above ground level; and three cruising speeds: 5, 7 and 10 m/s. These settings were chosen and analyzed in order to optimize inspection time. The results indicate that it is possible to perform inspections by an UAV in real time at CSP plants as a means of detecting anomalous absorber tubes and improving the effectiveness of methodologies currently being utilized. Moreover, aside from thermographic sensors, this contribution can be applied to other sensors and can be used in a broad range of applications where real-time georeferenced data visualization is necessary. PMID:28594353

The Development of an Open Hardware and Software System Onboard Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Monitor Concentrated Solar Power Plants.

PubMed

Mesas-Carrascosa, Francisco Javier; Verdú Santano, Daniel; Pérez Porras, Fernando; Meroño-Larriva, José Emilio; García-Ferrer, Alfonso

2017-06-08

Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are increasingly gaining interest as a source of renewable energy. These plants face several technical problems and the inspection of components such as absorber tubes in parabolic trough concentrators (PTC), which are widely deployed, is necessary to guarantee plant efficiency. This article presents a system for real-time industrial inspection of CSP plants using low-cost, open-source components in conjunction with a thermographic sensor and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The system, available in open-source hardware and software, is designed to be employed independently of the type of device used for inspection (laptop, smartphone, tablet or smartglasses) and its operating system. Several UAV flight missions were programmed as follows: flight altitudes at 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 m above ground level; and three cruising speeds: 5, 7 and 10 m/s. These settings were chosen and analyzed in order to optimize inspection time. The results indicate that it is possible to perform inspections by an UAV in real time at CSP plants as a means of detecting anomalous absorber tubes and improving the effectiveness of methodologies currently being utilized. Moreover, aside from thermographic sensors, this contribution can be applied to other sensors and can be used in a broad range of applications where real-time georeferenced data visualization is necessary.

Ikhana: A NASA UAS Supporting Long Duration Earth Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, B.

2007-01-01

The NASA Ikhana unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a General Atomics Ae ronautical Systems Inc. (San Diego, California) MQ-9 Predator-B modif ied to support the conduct of Earth science missions for the NASA Sci ence Mission Directorate and, through partnerships, other government agencies and universities. It can carry over 2000 lb of experiment p ayloads in the avionics bay and external pods and is capable of missi on durations in excess of 24 hours at altitudes above 40,000 ft. The aircraft is remotely piloted from a mobile ground control station (GC S) that is designed to be deployable by air, land, or sea. On-board s upport capabilities include an instrumentation system and an Airborne Research Test System (ARTS). The Ikhana project will complete GCS d evelopment, science support systems integration, external pod integra tion and flight clearance, and operations crew training in early 2007 . A large-area remote sensing mission is currently scheduled for Summ er 2007.

Development of Cloud-Based UAV Monitoring and Management System

PubMed Central

Itkin, Mason; Kim, Mihui; Park, Younghee

2016-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an emerging technology with the potential to revolutionize commercial industries and the public domain outside of the military. UAVs would be able to speed up rescue and recovery operations from natural disasters and can be used for autonomous delivery systems (e.g., Amazon Prime Air). An increase in the number of active UAV systems in dense urban areas is attributed to an influx of UAV hobbyists and commercial multi-UAV systems. As airspace for UAV flight becomes more limited, it is important to monitor and manage many UAV systems using modern collision avoidance techniques. In this paper, we propose a cloud-based web application that provides real-time flight monitoring and management for UAVs. For each connected UAV, detailed UAV sensor readings from the accelerometer, GPS sensor, ultrasonic sensor and visual position cameras are provided along with status reports from the smaller internal components of UAVs (i.e., motor and battery). The dynamic map overlay visualizes active flight paths and current UAV locations, allowing the user to monitor all aircrafts easily. Our system detects and prevents potential collisions by automatically adjusting UAV flight paths and then alerting users to the change. We develop our proposed system and demonstrate its feasibility and performances through simulation. PMID:27854267

Development of Cloud-Based UAV Monitoring and Management System.

PubMed

Itkin, Mason; Kim, Mihui; Park, Younghee

2016-11-15

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an emerging technology with the potential to revolutionize commercial industries and the public domain outside of the military. UAVs would be able to speed up rescue and recovery operations from natural disasters and can be used for autonomous delivery systems (e.g., Amazon Prime Air). An increase in the number of active UAV systems in dense urban areas is attributed to an influx of UAV hobbyists and commercial multi-UAV systems. As airspace for UAV flight becomes more limited, it is important to monitor and manage many UAV systems using modern collision avoidance techniques. In this paper, we propose a cloud-based web application that provides real-time flight monitoring and management for UAVs. For each connected UAV, detailed UAV sensor readings from the accelerometer, GPS sensor, ultrasonic sensor and visual position cameras are provided along with status reports from the smaller internal components of UAVs (i.e., motor and battery). The dynamic map overlay visualizes active flight paths and current UAV locations, allowing the user to monitor all aircrafts easily. Our system detects and prevents potential collisions by automatically adjusting UAV flight paths and then alerting users to the change. We develop our proposed system and demonstrate its feasibility and performances through simulation.

Egnos-Based Multi-Sensor Accurate and Reliable Navigation in Search-And Missions with Uavs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina, P.; Colomina, I.; Vitoria, T.; Silva, P. F.; Stebler, Y.; Skaloud, J.; Kornus, W.; Prades, R.

2011-09-01

This paper will introduce and describe the goals, concept and overall approach of the European 7th Framework Programme's project named CLOSE-SEARCH, which stands for 'Accurate and safe EGNOS-SoL Navigation for UAV-based low-cost SAR operations'. The goal of CLOSE-SEARCH is to integrate in a helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle, a thermal imaging sensor and a multi-sensor navigation system (based on the use of a Barometric Altimeter (BA), a Magnetometer (MAGN), a Redundant Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and an EGNOS-enabled GNSS receiver) with an Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (AIM) capability, to support the search component of Search-And-Rescue operations in remote, difficult-to-access areas and/or in time critical situations. The proposed integration will result in a hardware and software prototype that will demonstrate an end-to-end functionality, that is to fly in patterns over a region of interest (possibly inaccessible) during day or night and also under adverse weather conditions and locate there disaster survivors or lost people through the detection of the body heat. This paper will identify the technical challenges of the proposed approach, from navigating with a BA/MAGN/RINS/GNSS-EGNOSbased integrated system to the interpretation of thermal images for person identification. Moreover, the AIM approach will be described together with the proposed integrity requirements. Finally, this paper will show some results obtained in the project during the first test campaign performed on November 2010. On that day, a prototype was flown in three different missions to assess its high-level performance and to observe some fundamental mission parameters as the optimal flying height and flying speed to enable body recognition. The second test campaign is scheduled for the end of 2011.

Generation and Assessment of High Resolution Digital Surface Model by Using Unmanned Air Vehicle Based Multicopter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gülci, S.; Dindaroğlu, T.; Gündoğan, R.

2017-11-01

Unmanned air vehicle systems (UAVSs), which are presently defined as effective measuring instruments, can be used for measurements and evaluation studies in fields. Furthermore, UAVs are effective tools that can produce high-precision and resolution data for use in geographic information system-based work. This study examined a multicopter (hexacopter) as an air platform to seek opportunity in generating DSM with high resolution. Flights were performed in Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University Campus area in Turkey. Pre-assessment of field works, mission, tests and installation were prepared by using a Laptop with an adaptive ground control station. Hand remote controller unit was also linked and activated during flight to interfere with emergency situations. Canon model IXSUS 160 was preferred as sensor. As a result of this study, as mentioned previous studies, .The orthophotos can be produced by RGB (Red-green-blue) images obtained with UAV, herewith information on terrain topography, land cover and soil erosion can be evaluated.

Observations of C-Band Brightness Temperatures and Ocean Surface Wind Speed and Rain Rate from the Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) during GRIP and HS3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Timothy L.; James, M. W.; Roberts, J. B.; Biswas, S.; Jones, W. L.; Johnson, J.; Farrar, S.; Ruf, C. S.; Uhlhorn, E. W.; Atlas, R.;

Development of Mission Adaptive Digital Composite Aerostructure Technologies (MADCAT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheung, Kenneth; Cellucci, Daniel; Copplestone, Grace; Cramer, Nick; Fusco, Jesse; Jenett, Benjamin; Kim, Joseph; Mazhari, Alex; Trinh, Greenfield; Swei, Sean

2017-01-01

This paper reviews the development of the Mission Adaptive Digital Composite Aerostructures Technologies (MADCAT) v0 demonstrator aircraft, utilizing a novel aerostructure concept that combines advanced composite materials manufacturing and fabrication technologies with a discrete construction approach to achieve high stiffness-to-density ratio ultra-light aerostructures that provide versatility and adaptability. This revolutionary aerostructure concept has the potential to change how future air vehicles are designed, built, and flown, with dramatic reductions in weight and manufacturing complexity the number of types of structural components needed to build air vehicles while enabling new mission objectives. We utilize the innovative digital composite materials and discrete construction technologies to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed aerostructure concept, by building and testing a scaled prototype UAV, MADCAT v0. This paper presents an overview of the design and development of the MADCAT v0 flight demonstrator.

Advanced Command Destruct System (ACDS) Enhanced Flight Termination System (EFTS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tow, David

2009-01-01

NASA Dryden started working towards a single vehicle enhanced flight termination system (EFTS) in January 2008. NASA and AFFTC combined their efforts to work towards final operating capability for multiple vehicle and multiple missions simultaneously, to be completed by the end of 2011. Initially, the system was developed to support one vehicle and one frequency per mission for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at NASA Dryden. By May 2008 95% of design and hardware builds were completed, however, NASA Dryden's change of software safety scope and requirements caused delays after May 2008. This presentation reviews the initial and final operating capabilities for the Advanced Command Destruct System (ACDS), including command controller and configuration software development. A requirements summary is also provided.

Photogrammetric mapping using unmanned aerial vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graça, N.; Mitishita, E.; Gonçalves, J.

2014-11-01

Nowadays Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology has attracted attention for aerial photogrammetric mapping. The low cost and the feasibility to automatic flight along commanded waypoints can be considered as the main advantages of this technology in photogrammetric applications. Using GNSS/INS technologies the images are taken at the planned position of the exposure station and the exterior orientation parameters (position Xo, Yo, Zo and attitude ω, φ, χ) of images can be direct determined. However, common UAVs (off-the-shelf) do not replace the traditional aircraft platform. Overall, the main shortcomings are related to: difficulties to obtain the authorization to perform the flight in urban and rural areas, platform stability, safety flight, stability of the image block configuration, high number of the images and inaccuracies of the direct determination of the exterior orientation parameters of the images. In this paper are shown the obtained results from the project photogrammetric mapping using aerial images from the SIMEPAR UAV system. The PIPER J3 UAV Hydro aircraft was used. It has a micro pilot MP2128g. The system is fully integrated with 3-axis gyros/accelerometers, GPS, pressure altimeter, pressure airspeed sensors. A Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 was calibrated and used to get the image block. The flight height was close to 400 m, resulting GSD near to 0.10 m. The state of the art of the used technology, methodologies and the obtained results are shown and discussed. Finally advantages/shortcomings found in the study and main conclusions are presented

UAVSAR: Airborne L-band Radar for Repeat Pass Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moes, Timothy R.

2009-01-01

The primary objectives of the UAVSAR Project were to: a) develop a miniaturized polarimetric L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for use on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or piloted vehicle. b) develop the associated processing algorithms for repeat-pass differential interferometric measurements using a single antenna. c) conduct measurements of geophysical interest, particularly changes of rapidly deforming surfaces such as volcanoes or earthquakes. Two complete systems were developed. Operational Science Missions began on February 18, 2009 ... concurrent development and testing of the radar system continues.

45th Annual Targets, UAVs and Range Operations Symposium and Exhibition - Tools and Technologies for the Warfighter. Volume 2. Wednesday

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-31

ENGINEER Ms. Jo-An Williams FINANCE Ms. Leanne Green CONTRACTING Mr. Ken Hislop QF-16 Ms. Lee Neugin QF-4 Mr. Jim Cornwell AFSAT Ms. Audrea Feist DEPUTY...Target Program Manager: Mr. Ken Hislop Description Fullscale Target for Threat-Representative Weapon System Evaluation Meets USAF, Army, Navy, Allied Test...1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Approved for Public Release: Control No. UMS-2007-927, October 2007 6 A Solid Future for Unmanned Missions

U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Network Centric Warfare (NCW): Impacts on Combat Aviation Tactics from Gulf War I Through 2007 Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

early warning AIM Air-intercept missile AJCN Adaptive, joint, C4ISR node AOR Area of responsibility ARM Anti-radiation missile ATARS Advanced...Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System ( ATARS ) on F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft, and satellites. Manned platforms were adapted to multiple mission scenarios... Psychological Ops X Tern/Leaflet Dispensing, 2004 All Weather/ Night Strike X DASH/Vietnam, 1960s Predator/Afghanistan/Iraq, 2001 36

Optimization of processing parameters of UAV integral structural components based on yield response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yunsheng

2018-05-01

In order to improve the overall strength of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it is necessary to optimize the processing parameters of UAV structural components, which is affected by initial residual stress in the process of UAV structural components processing. Because machining errors are easy to occur, an optimization model for machining parameters of UAV integral structural components based on yield response is proposed. The finite element method is used to simulate the machining parameters of UAV integral structural components. The prediction model of workpiece surface machining error is established, and the influence of the path of walking knife on residual stress of UAV integral structure is studied, according to the stress of UAV integral component. The yield response of the time-varying stiffness is analyzed, and the yield response and the stress evolution mechanism of the UAV integral structure are analyzed. The simulation results show that this method is used to optimize the machining parameters of UAV integral structural components and improve the precision of UAV milling processing. The machining error is reduced, and the deformation prediction and error compensation of UAV integral structural parts are realized, thus improving the quality of machining.

Optimal UAV Path Planning for Tracking a Moving Ground Vehicle with a Gimbaled Camera

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-27

micro SD card slot to record all video taken at 1080P resolution. This feature allows the team to record the high definition video taken by the...Inequality constraints 64 h=[]; %Equality constraints 104 Bibliography 1. “ DIY Drones: Official ArduPlane Repository”, 2013. URL https://code

Assessing UAS Flight Testing and It's Importance for Beyond-Line-of-Sight UAS Control in Cooperation with Partnering Organizations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

de Jong, Daphne

2015-01-01

From the 1st of June until the 21st of August, the internship has been conducted at NASA Ames Research Center as part of the Master of Space Studies at the International Space University. The main activities consisted of doing research on UAV flight-­-testing and the assessing of safety with respect to Beyond-­-Line-­-Of-­-Sight operations. Further activities consisted of accommodating international partners and potential partners at the NASA Ames site, in order to identify mutual interest and future collaboration. Besides those activities, the report describes the planning process of the ISU Space Coast Trip to 10 different space related companies on the west-­-coast of California. Key words: UAS, UAV, BLOS, Ames, ISU Trip

Artificial Intelligence for Controlling Robotic Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishnakumar, Kalmanje

2005-01-01

A document consisting mostly of lecture slides presents overviews of artificial-intelligence-based control methods now under development for application to robotic aircraft [called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the paper] and spacecraft and to the next generation of flight controllers for piloted aircraft. Following brief introductory remarks, the paper presents background information on intelligent control, including basic characteristics defining intelligent systems and intelligent control and the concept of levels of intelligent control. Next, the paper addresses several concepts in intelligent flight control. The document ends with some concluding remarks, including statements to the effect that (1) intelligent control architectures can guarantee stability of inner control loops and (2) for UAVs, intelligent control provides a robust way to accommodate an outer-loop control architecture for planning and/or related purposes.

UAV observation of newly formed volcanic island, Nishinoshima, Japan, from a ship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohminato, T.; Kaneko, T.; Takagi, A.

2016-12-01

We conducted an aerial observation at Nishinoshima island, south of Japan, from Jun 7 to Jun 9, 2016 by using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a radio controlled small helicopter. Takeoff and landing of the UAV was conducted on a ship. Nishinoshima is a small island, 130km west of Chichijima in Ogasawara Islands, Japan. New eruption started in November 2013 in a shallow sea approximately 400 m southeast of the existing Nishinoshima Island. It started from a small islet and evolved with 1-5 × 105 m3/day discharge rate (Maeno et al, 2016). In late December 2013, the islet coalesced with the existing Nishinoshima. In 16 month, the lava field reached 2.6×106 m2and covered almost all of the existing Nishinoshima. Human landing upon the newly formed part of the island has still been prohibited due to the danger of sudden eruptions. Before our mission, some pumice or rock samples had been taken from the island but their amount was not enough to conduct detailed petrological analyses. The evolution of the lava field from the central cone has been well documented by using images taken from satellites and airplanes. However, due to the limited resolution of satellite images or photos taken from distant airplanes, there still be uncertainties in detailed morphological evolution of lava flows. The purpose of our observation includes, 1) sampling of pyroclasts near the central cone in order to investigate the condition of magma chamber and magma ascent process, and 2) taking high resolution 4K images in order to clarify the characteristic morphology of the lava flow covering the island. During the three days operation, we were successfully able to sample 250g of pyroclasts and to take 1.5TB of 4K movies. Conducting UAV's takeoff and landing on a ship was not an easy task. We used a marine research ship, Keifu-Maru, operated by Japan Meteorological Agency. The ship size is 1483 tons. On the ship deck, there are several structures which can interfere with the helicopter flights. During the UAV operation, the ship kept the lowest velocity but it was always pitching, yawing and rolling. Takeoff or landing on the ship were far more difficult than those on the ground at complete rest. In the presentation, we will show the difficulty in operating the UAV on the ship and how we overcame the difficulties.

Multi-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Cooperative Fault Detection Employing Differential Global Positioning (DGPS), Inertial and Vision Sensors.

PubMed

Heredia, Guillermo; Caballero, Fernando; Maza, Iván; Merino, Luis; Viguria, Antidio; Ollero, Aníbal

2009-01-01

This paper presents a method to increase the reliability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sensor Fault Detection and Identification (FDI) in a multi-UAV context. Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and inertial sensors are used for sensor FDI in each UAV. The method uses additional position estimations that augment individual UAV FDI system. These additional estimations are obtained using images from the same planar scene taken from two different UAVs. Since accuracy and noise level of the estimation depends on several factors, dynamic replanning of the multi-UAV team can be used to obtain a better estimation in case of faults caused by slow growing errors of absolute position estimation that cannot be detected by using local FDI in the UAVs. Experimental results with data from two real UAVs are also presented.

Research on UAV Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance Technology During Inspection of Transmission Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Chuanhu; Zhang, Fei; Yin, Chaoyuan; Liu, Yue; Liu, Liang; Li, Zongyu; Wang, Wanguo

Autonomous obstacle avoidance of unmanned aerial vehicle (hereinafter referred to as UAV) in electric power line inspection process has important significance for operation safety and economy for UAV intelligent inspection system of transmission line as main content of UAV intelligent inspection system on transmission line. In the paper, principles of UAV inspection obstacle avoidance technology of transmission line are introduced. UAV inspection obstacle avoidance technology based on particle swarm global optimization algorithm is proposed after common obstacle avoidance technologies are studied. Stimulation comparison is implemented with traditional UAV inspection obstacle avoidance technology which adopts artificial potential field method. Results show that UAV inspection strategy of particle swarm optimization algorithm, adopted in the paper, is prominently better than UAV inspection strategy of artificial potential field method in the aspects of obstacle avoidance effect and the ability of returning to preset inspection track after passing through the obstacle. An effective method is provided for UAV inspection obstacle avoidance of transmission line.

Approach for Autonomous Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dufrene, Warren R., Jr.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the development of a planned approach for Autonomous operation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). A Hybrid approach will seek to provide Knowledge Generation through the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intelligent Agents (IA) for UAV control. The applications of several different types of AI techniques for flight are explored during this research effort. The research concentration is directed to the application of different AI methods within the UAV arena. By evaluating AI and biological system approaches. which include Expert Systems, Neural Networks. Intelligent Agents, Fuzzy Logic, and Complex Adaptive Systems, a new insight may be gained into the benefits of AI and CAS techniques applied to achieving true autonomous operation of these systems. Although flight systems were explored, the benefits should apply to many Unmanned Vehicles such as: Rovers. Ocean Explorers, Robots, and autonomous operation systems. A portion of the flight system is broken down into control agents that represent the intelligent agent approach used in AI. After the completion of a successful approach, a framework for applying an intelligent agent is presented. The initial results from simulation of a security agent for communication are presented.

Using crowd sourcing to combat potentially illegal or dangerous UAV operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapsall, Brooke T.

2016-10-01

The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) industry is growing exponentially at a pace that policy makers, individual countries and law enforcement agencies are finding difficult to keep up. The UAV market is large, as such the amount of UAVs being operated in potentially dangerous situations is prevalent and rapidly increasing. Media is continually reporting `near-miss' incidents between UAVs and commercial aircraft, UAV breaching security in sensitive areas or invading public privacy. One major challenge for law enforcement agencies is gaining tangible evidence against potentially dangerous or illegal UAV operators due to the rapidity with which UAV operators are able to enter, fly and exit a scene before authorities can arrive or before they can be located. DroneALERT, an application available via the Airport-UAV.com website, allows users to capture potentially dangerous or illegal UAV activity using their mobile device as it the incident is occurring. A short online DroneALERT Incident Report (DIR) is produced, emailed to the user and the Airport-UAV.com custodians. The DIR can be used to aid authorities in their investigations. The DIR contains details such as images and videos, location, time, date of the incident, drone model, its distance and height. By analysing information from the DIR, photos or video, there is a high potential for law enforcement authorities to use this evidence to identify the type of UAV used, triangulate the location of the potential dangerous UAV and operator, create a timeline of events, potential areas of operator exit and to determine the legalities breached. All provides crucial evidence for identifying and prosecuting a UAV operator.

Survey on the novel hybrid aquatic-aerial amphibious aircraft: Aquatic unmanned aerial vehicle (AquaUAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xingbang; Wang, Tianmiao; Liang, Jianhong; Yao, Guocai; Liu, Miao

2015-04-01

The aquatic unmanned aerial vehicle (AquaUAV), a kind of vehicle that can operate both in the air and the water, has been regarded as a new breakthrough to broaden the application scenario of UAV. Wide application prospects in military and civil field are more than bright, therefore many institutions have focused on the development of such a vehicle. However, due to the significant difference of the physical properties between the air and the water, it is rather difficult to design a fully-featured AquaUAV. Until now, majority of partially-featured AquaUAVs have been developed and used to verify the feasibility of an aquatic-aerial vehicle. In the present work, we classify the current partially-featured AquaUAV into three categories from the scope of the whole UAV field, i.e., the seaplane UAV, the submarine-launched UAV, and the submersible UAV. Then the recent advancements and common characteristics of the three kinds of AquaUAVs are reviewed in detail respectively. Then the applications of bionics in the design of AquaUAV, the transition mode between the air and the water, the morphing wing structure for air-water adaptation, and the power source and the propulsion type are summarized and discussed. The tradeoff analyses for different transition methods between the air and the water are presented. Furthermore, it indicates that applying the bionics into the design and development of the AquaUAV will be essential and significant. Finally, the significant technical challenges for the AquaUAV to change from a conception to a practical prototype are indicated.

Accuracy Investigation of Creating Orthophotomaps Based on Images Obtained by Applying Trimble-UX5 UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hlotov, Volodymyr; Hunina, Alla; Siejka, Zbigniew

2017-06-01

The main purpose of this work is to confirm the possibility of making largescale orthophotomaps applying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Trimble- UX5. A planned altitude reference of the studying territory was carried out before to the aerial surveying. The studying territory has been marked with distinctive checkpoints in the form of triangles (0.5 × 0.5 × 0.2 m). The checkpoints used to precise the accuracy of orthophotomap have been marked with similar triangles. To determine marked reference point coordinates and check-points method of GNSS in real-time kinematics (RTK) measuring has been applied. Projecting of aerial surveying has been done with the help of installed Trimble Access Aerial Imaging, having been used to run out the UX5. Aerial survey out of the Trimble UX5 UAV has been done with the help of the digital camera SONY NEX-5R from 200m and 300 m altitude. These aerial surveying data have been calculated applying special photogrammetric software Pix 4D. The orthophotomap of the surveying objects has been made with its help. To determine the precise accuracy of the got results of aerial surveying the checkpoint coordinates according to the orthophotomap have been set. The average square error has been calculated according to the set coordinates applying GNSS measurements. A-priori accuracy estimation of spatial coordinates of the studying territory using the aerial surveying data have been calculated: mx=0.11 m, my=0.15 m, mz=0.23 m in the village of Remeniv and mx=0.26 m, my=0.38 m, mz=0.43 m in the town of Vynnyky. The accuracy of determining checkpoint coordinates has been investigated using images obtained out of UAV and the average square error of the reference points. Based on comparative analysis of the got results of the accuracy estimation of the made orthophotomap it can be concluded that the value the average square error does not exceed a-priori accuracy estimation. The possibility of applying Trimble UX5 UAV for making large-scale orthophotomaps has been investigated. The aerial surveying output data using UAV can be applied for monitoring potentially dangerous for people objects, the state border controlling, checking out the plots of settlements. Thus, it is important to control the accuracy the got results. Having based on the done analysis and experimental researches it can be concluded that applying UAV gives the possibility to find data more efficiently in comparison with the land surveying methods. As the result, the Trimble UX5 UAV gives the possibility to survey built-up territories with the required accuracy for making orthophotomaps with the following scales 1: 2000, 1: 1000, 1: 500.

A Discussion of Aerodynamic Control Effectors (ACEs) for Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Richard M.

2002-01-01

A Reynolds number based, unmanned air vehicle classification structure has been developed which identifies four classes of unmanned air vehicle concepts. The four unmanned air vehicle (UAV) classes are; Micro UAV, Meso UAV, Macro UAV, and Mega UAV. In a similar fashion a labeling scheme for aerodynamic control effectors (ACE) was developed and eleven types of ACE concepts were identified. These eleven types of ACEs were laid out in a five (5) layer scheme. The final section of the paper correlated the various ACE concepts to the four UAV classes and ACE recommendations are offered for future design activities.

Cooperative UAV-Based Communications Backbone for Sensor Networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberts, R S

2001-10-07

The objective of this project is to investigate the use of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) as mobile, adaptive communications backbones for ground-based sensor networks. In this type of network, the UAVs provide communication connectivity to sensors that cannot communicate with each other because of terrain, distance, or other geographical constraints. In these situations, UAVs provide a vertical communication path for the sensors, thereby mitigating geographic obstacles often imposed on networks. With the proper use of UAVs, connectivity to a widely disbursed sensor network in rugged terrain is readily achieved. Our investigation has focused on networks where multiple cooperating UAVs aremore » used to form a network backbone. The advantage of using multiple UAVs to form the network backbone is parallelization of sensor connectivity. Many widely spaced or isolated sensors can be connected to the network at once using this approach. In these networks, the UAVs logically partition the sensor network into sub-networks (subnets), with one UAV assigned per subnet. Partitioning the network into subnets allows the UAVs to service sensors in parallel thereby decreasing the sensor-to-network connectivity. A UAV services sensors in its subnet by flying a route (path) through the subnet, uplinking data collected by the sensors, and forwarding the data to a ground station. An additional advantage of using multiple UAVs in the network is that they provide redundancy in the communications backbone, so that the failure of a single UAV does not necessarily imply the loss of the network.« less

Differential GNSS and Vision-Based Tracking to Improve Navigation Performance in Cooperative Multi-UAV Systems.

PubMed

Vetrella, Amedeo Rodi; Fasano, Giancarmine; Accardo, Domenico; Moccia, Antonio

2016-12-17

Autonomous navigation of micro-UAVs is typically based on the integration of low cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based inertial and magnetic sensors to stabilize and control the flight. The resulting navigation performance in terms of position and attitude accuracy may not suffice for other mission needs, such as the ones relevant to fine sensor pointing. In this framework, this paper presents a cooperative UAV navigation algorithm that allows a chief vehicle, equipped with inertial and magnetic sensors, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and a vision system, to improve its navigation performance (in real time or in the post processing phase) exploiting formation flying deputy vehicles equipped with GPS receivers. The focus is set on outdoor environments and the key concept is to exploit differential GPS among vehicles and vision-based tracking (DGPS/Vision) to build a virtual additional navigation sensor whose information is then integrated in a sensor fusion algorithm based on an Extended Kalman Filter. The developed concept and processing architecture are described, with a focus on DGPS/Vision attitude determination algorithm. Performance assessment is carried out on the basis of both numerical simulations and flight tests. In the latter ones, navigation estimates derived from the DGPS/Vision approach are compared with those provided by the onboard autopilot system of a customized quadrotor. The analysis shows the potential of the developed approach, mainly deriving from the possibility to exploit magnetic- and inertial-independent accurate attitude information.

Modeling of Air-to-Air Refueling for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spears, Brian Raul

Air-to-air refueling is important to the military for enabling aircraft to remain in the air for long periods of time, reducing the need for forward bases, and allowing aircraft to stay on mission for longer intervals. Although this has been available for traditional military aircraft for several decades, it has not been implemented for the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). This thesis uses a panel method, VSAERO, to examine the effects that a large tanker aircraft will have on a small unmanned aerial vehicle during a refueling process. The primary cause of conditions behind the tanker aircraft is the wake generated by the wingtip vortices of the aircraft. The planes used for this analysis were an Airbus A320 as the tanker, and a General Atomic MQ-9 as the receiver. The techniques used were to examine literature on aerial refueling, and analyze the aerodynamic characteristics of the UAV. The most important properties that were examined were the rolling moment, pitching moment, and lift. These characteristics were used to determine the feasibility of the UAV being able to withstand the conditions behind the A320. Through the analysis of the MQ-9's aerodynamic characteristics when in ideal conditions, along with its maximum rolling moment, and those same characteristics when flying behind the tanker, it was determined that the MQ-9 would be able to maintain position behind an A320 in order to complete the aerial refueling process.

Integrated long-range UAV/UGV collaborative target tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moseley, Mark B.; Grocholsky, Benjamin P.; Cheung, Carol; Singh, Sanjiv

2009-05-01

Coordinated operations between unmanned air and ground assets allow leveraging of multi-domain sensing and increase opportunities for improving line of sight communications. While numerous military missions would benefit from coordinated UAV-UGV operations, foundational capabilities that integrate stove-piped tactical systems and share available sensor data are required and not yet available. iRobot, AeroVironment, and Carnegie Mellon University are working together, partially SBIR-funded through ARDEC's small unit network lethality initiative, to develop collaborative capabilities for surveillance, targeting, and improved communications based on PackBot UGV and Raven UAV platforms. We integrate newly available technologies into computational, vision, and communications payloads and develop sensing algorithms to support vision-based target tracking. We first simulated and then applied onto real tactical platforms an implementation of Decentralized Data Fusion, a novel technique for fusing track estimates from PackBot and Raven platforms for a moving target in an open environment. In addition, system integration with AeroVironment's Digital Data Link onto both air and ground platforms has extended our capabilities in communications range to operate the PackBot as well as in increased video and data throughput. The system is brought together through a unified Operator Control Unit (OCU) for the PackBot and Raven that provides simultaneous waypoint navigation and traditional teleoperation. We also present several recent capability accomplishments toward PackBot-Raven coordinated operations, including single OCU display design and operation, early target track results, and Digital Data Link integration efforts, as well as our near-term capability goals.

Development of High Altitude UAV Weather Radars for Hurricane Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heymsfield, Gerald; Li, Li-Hua

2005-01-01

A proposed effort within NASA called (ASHE) over the past few years was aimed at studying the genesis of tropical disturbances off the east coast of Africa. This effort was focused on using an instrumented Global Hawk UAV with high altitude (%Ok ft) and long duration (30 h) capability. While the Global Hawk availability remains uncertain, development of two relevant instruments, a Doppler radar (URAD - UAV Radar) and a backscatter lidar (CPL-UAV - Cloud Physics Lidar), are in progress. The radar to be discussed here is based on two previous high-altitude, autonomously operating radars on the NASA ER-2 aircraft, the ER-2 Doppler Radar (EDOP) at X-band (9.6 GHz), and the Cloud Radar System (CRS) at W- band (94 GHz). The nadir-pointing EDOP and CRS radars profile vertical reflectivity structure and vertical Doppler winds in precipitation and clouds, respectively. EDOP has flown in all of the CAMEX flight series to study hurricanes over storms such as Hurricanes Bonnie, Humberto, Georges, Erin, and TS Chantal. These radars were developed at Goddard over the last decade and have been used for satellite algorithm development and validation (TRMM and Cloudsat), and for hurricane and convective storm research. We describe here the development of URAD that will measure wind and reflectivity in hurricanes and other weather systems from a top down, high-altitude view. URAD for the Global Hawk consists of two subsystems both of which are at X-band (9.3-9.6 GHz) and Doppler: a nadir fixed-beam Doppler radar for vertical motion and precipitation measurement, and a Conical scanning radar for horizontal winds in cloud and at the surface, and precipitation structure. These radars are being designed with size, weight, and power consumption suitable for the Global Hawk and other UAV's. The nadir radar uses a magnetron transmitter and the scanning radar uses a TWT transmitter. With conical scanning of the radar at a 35" incidence angle over an ocean surface in the absence of precipitation, the surface return over a single 360 degree sweep over -25 h-diameter region provides information on the surface wind speed and direction within the scan circle. In precipitation regions, the conical scan with appropriate mapping and analysis provides the 3D structure of reflectivity beneath the plane and the horizontal winds. The use of conical scanning in hurricanes has recently been demonstrated for measuring inner core winds with the IWRAP system flying on the NOAA P3's. In this presentation, we provide a description of the URAD system hardware, status, and future plans. In addition to URAD, NASA SBIR activity is supporting a Phase I study by Remote Sensing Solutions and the University of Massachusetts for a dual-frequency IWRAP for a high altitude UAV that utilizes solid state transmitters at 14 and 35 GHz, the same frequencies that are planned for the radar on the Global Precipitation System satellite. This will be discussed elsewhere at the meeting.

A Space Based Internet Protocol System for Launch Vehicle Tracking and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, Barton; Grant, Charles; Morgan, Dwayne; Streich, Ron; Bauer, Frank (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Personnel from the Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF) in Virginia are responsible for the overall management of the NASA Sounding Rocket and Scientific Balloon Programs. Payloads are generally in support of NASA's Space Science Enterprise's missions and return a variety of scientific data as well as providing a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft. Sounding rockets used by NASA can carry payloads of various weights to altitudes from 50 km to more than 1,300 km. Scientific balloons can carry a payload weighing as much as 3,630 Kg to an altitude of 42 km. Launch activities for both are conducted not only from established ranges, but also from remote locations worldwide requiring mobile tracking and command equipment to be transported and set up at considerable expense. The advent of low earth orbit (LEO) commercial communications satellites provides an opportunity to dramatically reduce tracking and control costs of these launch vehicles and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) by reducing or eliminating this ground infrastructure. Additionally, since data transmission is by packetized Internet Protocol (IP), data can be received and commands initiated from practically any location. A low cost Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) system is currently under development for sounding rockets that also has application to UAVs and scientific balloons. Due to relatively low data rate (9600 baud) currently available, the system will first be used to provide GPS data for tracking and vehicle recovery. Range safety requirements for launch vehicles usually stipulate at least two independent tracking sources. Most sounding rockets flown by NASA now carry GP receivers that output position data via the payload telemetry system to the ground station. The Flight Modem can be configured as a completely separate link thereby eliminating the requirement for tracking radar. The system architecture that integrates antennas, GPS receiver, commercial satellite packet data modem, and a single board computer with custom software is described along with the technical challenges and the plan for their resolution. These include antenna development, high Doppler rates, reliability, environmental ruggedness, hand over between satellites, and data security. An aggressive test plan is included which, in addition to environmental testing, measures bit error rate, latency and antenna patterns. Actual launches on a sounding rocket and various aircraft flights have taken place. Flight tests are planned for the near future on aircraft, long duration balloons and sounding rockets. These results, as well as the current status of the project, are reported.

The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Annual Report FY 1996.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-11-06

i>’ ’" UAV Annual Report FY1996 6 November 1996 L DEFENSE MRBOBNEiSCONNAGSAHCEC UAVANNUAL REPORT OUR SECOND UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV...ANNUAL REPORT provides an overview of the Defense Department’s UAV program activities for fiscal year (FY) 1996 . The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance...significant accomplishments that UAVs have achieved this past year, FY 1996 . Simply stated, UAVs are moving from words to deeds. They are being recognized in

Design Genetic Algorithm Optimization Education Software Based Fuzzy Controller for a Tricopter Fly Path Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Huu-Khoa; Chiou, Juing -Shian; Peng, Shou-Tao

2016-01-01

In this paper, the feasibility of a Genetic Algorithm Optimization (GAO) education software based Fuzzy Logic Controller (GAO-FLC) for simulating the flight motion control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is designed. The generated flight trajectories integrate the optimized Scaling Factors (SF) fuzzy controller gains by using GAO algorithm. The…

Comparing the performance of expert user heuristics and an integer linear program in aircraft carrier deck operations.

PubMed

Ryan, Jason C; Banerjee, Ashis Gopal; Cummings, Mary L; Roy, Nicholas

2014-06-01

Planning operations across a number of domains can be considered as resource allocation problems with timing constraints. An unexplored instance of such a problem domain is the aircraft carrier flight deck, where, in current operations, replanning is done without the aid of any computerized decision support. Rather, veteran operators employ a set of experience-based heuristics to quickly generate new operating schedules. These expert user heuristics are neither codified nor evaluated by the United States Navy; they have grown solely from the convergent experiences of supervisory staff. As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are introduced in the aircraft carrier domain, these heuristics may require alterations due to differing capabilities. The inclusion of UAVs also allows for new opportunities for on-line planning and control, providing an alternative to the current heuristic-based replanning methodology. To investigate these issues formally, we have developed a decision support system for flight deck operations that utilizes a conventional integer linear program-based planning algorithm. In this system, a human operator sets both the goals and constraints for the algorithm, which then returns a proposed schedule for operator approval. As a part of validating this system, the performance of this collaborative human-automation planner was compared with that of the expert user heuristics over a set of test scenarios. The resulting analysis shows that human heuristics often outperform the plans produced by an optimization algorithm, but are also often more conservative.

Accuracy Assessment of Direct Georeferencing for Photogrammetric Applications on Small Unmanned Aerial Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mian, O.; Lutes, J.; Lipa, G.; Hutton, J. J.; Gavelle, E.; Borghini, S.

2016-03-01

Efficient mapping from unmanned aerial platforms cannot rely on aerial triangulation using known ground control points. The cost and time of setting ground control, added to the need for increased overlap between flight lines, severely limits the ability of small VTOL platforms, in particular, to handle mapping-grade missions of all but the very smallest survey areas. Applanix has brought its experience in manned photogrammetry applications to this challenge, setting out the requirements for increasing the efficiency of mapping operations from small UAVs, using survey-grade GNSS-Inertial technology to accomplish direct georeferencing of the platform and/or the imaging payload. The Direct Mapping Solution for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (DMS-UAV) is a complete and ready-to-integrate OEM solution for Direct Georeferencing (DG) on unmanned aerial platforms. Designed as a solution for systems integrators to create mapping payloads for UAVs of all types and sizes, the DMS produces directly georeferenced products for any imaging payload (visual, LiDAR, infrared, multispectral imaging, even video). Additionally, DMS addresses the airframe's requirements for high-accuracy position and orientation for such tasks as precision RTK landing and Precision Orientation for Air Data Systems (ADS), Guidance and Control. This paper presents results using a DMS comprised of an Applanix APX-15 UAV with a Sony a7R camera to produce highly accurate orthorectified imagery without Ground Control Points on a Microdrones md4-1000 platform conducted by Applanix and Avyon. APX-15 UAV is a single-board, small-form-factor GNSS-Inertial system designed for use on small, lightweight platforms. The Sony a7R is a prosumer digital RGB camera sensor, with a 36MP, 4.9-micron CCD producing images at 7360 columns by 4912 rows. It was configured with a 50mm AF-S Nikkor f/1.8 lens and subsequently with a 35mm Zeiss Sonnar T* FE F2.8 lens. Both the camera/lens combinations and the APX-15 were mounted to a Microdrones md4-1000 quad-rotor VTOL UAV. The Sony A7R and each lens combination were focused and calibrated terrestrially using the Applanix camera calibration facility, and then integrated with the APX-15 GNSS-Inertial system using a custom mount specifically designed for UAV applications. The mount is constructed in such a way as to maintain the stability of both the interior orientation and IMU boresight calibration over shock and vibration, thus turning the Sony A7R into a metric imaging solution. In July and August 2015, Applanix and Avyon carried out a series of test flights of this system. The goal of these test flights was to assess the performance of DMS APX-15 direct georeferencing system under various scenarios. Furthermore, an examination of how DMS APX-15 can be used to produce accurate map products without the use of ground control points and with reduced sidelap was also carried out. Reducing the side lap for survey missions performed by small UAVs can significantly increase the mapping productivity of these platforms. The area mapped during the first flight campaign was a 250m x 300m block and a 775m long railway corridor in a rural setting in Ontario, Canada. The second area mapped was a 450m long corridor over a dam known as Fryer Dam (over Richelieu River in Quebec, Canada). Several ground control points were distributed within both test areas. The flight over the block area included 8 North-South lines and 1 cross strip flown at 80m AGL, resulting in a ~1cm GSD. The flight over the railway corridor included 2 North-South lines also flown at 80m AGL. Similarly, the flight over the dam corridor included 2 North-South lines flown at 50m AGL. The focus of this paper was to analyse the results obtained from the two corridors. Test results from both areas were processed using Direct Georeferencing techniques, and then compared for accuracy against the known positions of ground control points in each test area. The GNSS-Inertial data collected by the APX-15 was post-processed in Single Base mode, using a base station located in the project area via POSPac UAV. For the block and railway corridor, the basestation's position was precisely determined by processing a 12-hour session using the CSRS-PPP Post Processing service. Similarly, for the flight over Fryer Dam, the base-station's position was also precisely determined by processing a 4-hour session using the CSRS-PPP Post Processing service. POSPac UAV's camera calibration and quality control (CalQC) module was used to refine the camera interior orientation parameters using an Integrated Sensor Orientation (ISO) approach. POSPac UAV was also used to generate the Exterior Orientation parameters for images collected during the test flight. The Inpho photogrammetric software package was used to develop the final map products for both corridors under various scenarios. The imagery was first imported into an Inpho project, with updated focal length, principal point offsets and Exterior Orientation parameters. First, a Digital Terrain/Surface Model (DTM/DSM) was extracted from the stereo imagery, following which the raw images were orthorectified to produce an orthomosaic product.

Spurious RF signals emitted by mini-UAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleijpen, Ric (H. M. A.); Voogt, Vincent; Zwamborn, Peter; van den Oever, Jaap

2016-10-01

This paper presents experimental work on the detection of spurious RF emissions of mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (mini-UAV). Many recent events have shown that mini-UAVs can be considered as a potential threat for civil security. For this reason the detection of mini-UAVs has become of interest to the sensor community. The detection, classification and identification chain can take advantage of different sensor technologies. Apart from the signatures used by radar and electro-optical sensor systems, the UAV also emits RF signals. These RF signatures can be split in intentional signals for communication with the operator and un-intentional RF signals emitted by the UAV. These unintentional or spurious RF emissions are very weak but could be used to discriminate potential UAV detections from false alarms. The goal of this research was to assess the potential of exploiting spurious emissions in the classification and identification chain of mini-UAVs. It was already known that spurious signals are very weak, but the focus was on the question whether the emission pattern could be correlated to the behaviour of the UAV. In this paper experimental examples of spurious RF emission for different types of mini-UAVs and their correlation with the electronic circuits in the UAVs will be shown

Seabird species vary in behavioural response to drone census.

PubMed

Brisson-Curadeau, Émile; Bird, David; Burke, Chantelle; Fifield, David A; Pace, Paul; Sherley, Richard B; Elliott, Kyle H

2017-12-20

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide an opportunity to rapidly census wildlife in remote areas while removing some of the hazards. However, wildlife may respond negatively to the UAVs, thereby skewing counts. We surveyed four species of Arctic cliff-nesting seabirds (glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus, Iceland gull Larus glaucoides, common murre Uria aalge and thick-billed murre Uria lomvia) using a UAV and compared censusing techniques to ground photography. An average of 8.5% of murres flew off in response to the UAV, but >99% of those birds were non-breeders. We were unable to detect any impact of the UAV on breeding success of murres, except at a site where aerial predators were abundant and several birds lost their eggs to predators following UAV flights. Furthermore, we found little evidence for habituation by murres to the UAV. Most gulls flew off in response to the UAV, but returned to the nest within five minutes. Counts of gull nests and adults were similar between UAV and ground photography, however the UAV detected up to 52.4% more chicks because chicks were camouflaged and invisible to ground observers. UAVs provide a less hazardous and potentially more accurate method for surveying wildlife. We provide some simple recommendations for their use.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in pest management: Progress in the development of a UAV-deployed mating disruption system for Wisconsin cranberries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) hold significant promise for agriculture. Currently, UAVs are being employed for various reconnaissance purposes (“eyes in the sky”), but not as pest control delivery systems. Research in Wisconsin cranberries is taking UAVs in a new direction. The Steffan and Luck La...

A case study of a precision fertilizer application task generation for wheat based on classified hyperspectral data from UAV combined with farm history data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaivosoja, Jere; Pesonen, Liisa; Kleemola, Jouko; Pölönen, Ilkka; Salo, Heikki; Honkavaara, Eija; Saari, Heikki; Mäkynen, Jussi; Rajala, Ari

2013-10-01

Different remote sensing methods for detecting variations in agricultural fields have been studied in last two decades. There are already existing systems for planning and applying e.g. nitrogen fertilizers to the cereal crop fields. However, there are disadvantages such as high costs, adaptability, reliability, resolution aspects and final products dissemination. With an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based airborne methods, data collection can be performed cost-efficiently with desired spatial and temporal resolutions, below clouds and under diverse weather conditions. A new Fabry-Perot interferometer based hyperspectral imaging technology implemented in an UAV has been introduced. In this research, we studied the possibilities of exploiting classified raster maps from hyperspectral data to produce a work task for a precision fertilizer application. The UAV flight campaign was performed in a wheat test field in Finland in the summer of 2012. Based on the campaign, we have classified raster maps estimating the biomass and nitrogen contents at approximately stage 34 in the Zadoks scale. We combined the classified maps with farm history data such as previous yield maps. Then we generalized the combined results and transformed it to a vectorized zonal task map suitable for farm machinery. We present the selected weights for each dataset in the processing chain and the resultant variable rate application (VRA) task. The additional fertilization according to the generated task was shown to be beneficial for the amount of yield. However, our study is indicating that there are still many uncertainties within the process chain.

Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/Gas Turbine System Design for High Altitude Long Endurance Aerospace Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Himansu, Ananda; Freeh, Joshua E.; Steffen, Christopher J., Jr.; Tornabene, Robert T.; Wang, Xiao-Yen J.

2006-01-01

A system level analysis, inclusive of mass, is carried out for a cryogenic hydrogen fueled hybrid solid oxide fuel cell and bottoming gas turbine (SOFC/GT) power system. The system is designed to provide primary or secondary electrical power for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over a high altitude, long endurance mission. The net power level and altitude are parametrically varied to examine their effect on total system mass. Some of the more important technology parameters, including turbomachinery efficiencies and the SOFC area specific resistance, are also studied for their effect on total system mass. Finally, two different solid oxide cell designs are compared to show the importance of the individual solid oxide cell design on the overall system. We show that for long mission durations of 10 days or more, the fuel mass savings resulting from the high efficiency of a SOFC/GT system more than offset the larger powerplant mass resulting from the low specific power of the SOFC/GT system. These missions therefore favor high efficiency, low power density systems, characteristics typical of fuel cell systems in general.

UAV formation control design with obstacle avoidance in dynamic three-dimensional environment.

PubMed

Chang, Kai; Xia, Yuanqing; Huang, Kaoli

2016-01-01

This paper considers the artificial potential field method combined with rotational vectors for a general problem of multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems tracking a moving target in dynamic three-dimensional environment. An attractive potential field is generated between the leader and the target. It drives the leader to track the target based on the relative position of them. The other UAVs in the formation are controlled to follow the leader by the attractive control force. The repulsive force affects among the UAVs to avoid collisions and distribute the UAVs evenly on the spherical surface whose center is the leader-UAV. Specific orders or positions of the UAVs are not required. The trajectories of avoidance obstacle can be obtained through two kinds of potential field with rotation vectors. Every UAV can choose the optimal trajectory to avoid the obstacle and reconfigure the formation after passing the obstacle. Simulations study on UAV are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method.

Intification and modelling of flight characteristics for self-build shock flyer type UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid., Z. A.; Dardin, A. S. F. Syed.; Azid, A. A.; Ahmad, K. A.

2018-02-01

The development of an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) requires a fundamentals studies of the UAV's flight characteristic. The aim of this study is to identify and model the flight characteristic of a conventional fixed-wing type UAV. Subsequence to this, the mode of flight of the UAV can be investigated. One technique to identify the characteristic of a UAV is a flight test where it required specific maneuvering to be executed while measuring the attitude sensor. In this study, a simple shock flyer type UAV was used as the aircraft. The result shows that the modeled flight characteristic has a significant relation with actual values but the fitting value is rather small. It is suggested that the future study is conducted with an improvement of the physical UAV, data filtering and better system identification methods.

Measuring orthometric water heights from lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandini, Filippo; Olesen, Daniel; Jakobsen, Jakob; Reyna-Gutierrez, Jose Antonio; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter

2016-04-01

A better quantitative understanding of hydrologic processes requires better observations of hydrological variables, such as surface water area, water surface level, its slope and its temporal change. However, ground-based measurements of water heights are restricted to the in-situ measuring stations. Hence, the objective of remote sensing hydrology is to retrieve these hydraulic variables from spaceborne and airborne platforms. The forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will be able to acquire water heights with an expected accuracy of 10 centimeters for rivers that are at least 100 m wide. Nevertheless, spaceborne missions will always face the limitations of: i) a low spatial resolution which makes it difficult to separate water from interfering surrounding areas and a tracking of the terrestrial water bodies not able to detect water heights in small rivers or lakes; ii) a limited temporal resolution which limits the ability to determine rapid temporal changes, especially during extremes. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are one technology able to fill the gap between spaceborne and ground-based observations, ensuring 1) high spatial resolution; 2) tracking of the water bodies better than any satellite technology; 3) timing of the sampling which only depends on the operator 4) flexibility of the payload. Hence, this study focused on categorizing and testing sensors capable of measuring the range between the UAV and the water surface. The orthometric height of the water surface is then retrieved by subtracting the height above water measured by the sensors from the altitude above sea level retrieved by the onboard GPS. The following sensors were tested: a) a radar, b) a sonar c) a laser digital-camera based prototype developed at Technical University of Denmark. The tested sensors comply with the weight constraint of small UAVs (around 1.5 kg). The sensors were evaluated in terms of accuracy, maximum ranging distance and beam divergence. The sonar demonstrated a maximum ranging distance of 10 m, the laser prototype of 15 m, whilst the radar is potentially able to measure the range to water surface from a height up to 50 m. After numerous test flights above a lake with an approximately horizontal water surface, estimation of orthometric water height error, including overall accuracy of the system GPS-sensors, was possible. The RTK GPS system proved able to deliver a relative vertical accuracy better than 5-7 cm. The radar confirmed to have the best reliability with an accuracy which is generally few cm (0.7-1.3% of the ranging distance). Whereas the accuracy of the sonar and laser varies from few cm (0.7-1.6% of the ranging distance) to some tens of cm because sonar measurements are generally influenced by noise and turbulence generated by the propellers of the UAV and the laser prototype is affected by drone vibrations and water waviness. However, the laser prototype demonstrated the lowest beam divergence, which is required to measure unconventional remote sensing targets, such as sinkholes and Mexican cenotes, and to clearly distinguish between rivers and interfering surroundings, such as riparian vegetation.

Intergraph video and images exploitation capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colla, Simone; Manesis, Charalampos

2013-08-01

The current paper focuses on the capture, fusion and process of aerial imagery in order to leverage full motion video, giving analysts the ability to collect, analyze, and maximize the value of video assets. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have provided critical real-time surveillance and operational support to military organizations, and are a key source of intelligence, particularly when integrated with other geospatial data. In the current workflow, at first, the UAV operators plan the flight by using a flight planning software. During the flight the UAV send a live video stream directly on the field to be processed by Intergraph software, to generate and disseminate georeferenced images trough a service oriented architecture based on ERDAS Apollo suite. The raw video-based data sources provide the most recent view of a situation and can augment other forms of geospatial intelligence - such as satellite imagery and aerial photos - to provide a richer, more detailed view of the area of interest. To effectively use video as a source of intelligence, however, the analyst needs to seamlessly fuse the video with these other types of intelligence, such as map features and annotations. Intergraph has developed an application that automatically generates mosaicked georeferenced image, tags along the video route which can then be seamlessly integrated with other forms of static data, such as aerial photos, satellite imagery, or geospatial layers and features. Consumers will finally have the ability to use a single, streamlined system to complete the entire geospatial information lifecycle: capturing geospatial data using sensor technology; processing vector, raster, terrain data into actionable information; managing, fusing, and sharing geospatial data and video toghether; and finally, rapidly and securely delivering integrated information products, ensuring individuals can make timely decisions.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in pest management: Progress in the development of a UAV-deployed mating disruption system for Wisconsin cranberries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a powerful new tool for agriculture. Currently, UAVs are used almost exclusively as crop reconnaissance devices (“eyes in the sky”), not as pest control delivery systems. Research in Wisconsin cranberries is taking UAVs in a new direction. The Steffan and Lu...

Data Gathering and Energy Transfer Dilemma in UAV-Assisted Flying Access Network for IoT.

PubMed

Arabi, Sara; Sabir, Essaid; Elbiaze, Halima; Sadik, Mohamed

2018-05-11

Recently, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as an alternative solution to assist wireless networks, thanks to numerous advantages they offer in comparison to terrestrial fixed base stations. For instance, a UAV can be used to embed a flying base station providing an on-demand nomadic access to network services. A UAV can also be used to wirelessly recharge out-of-battery ground devices. In this paper, we aim to deal with both data collection and recharging depleted ground Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices through a UAV station used as a flying base station. To extend the network lifetime, we present a novel use of UAV with energy harvesting module and wireless recharging capabilities. However, the UAV is used as an energy source to empower depleted IoT devices. On one hand, the UAV charges depleted ground IoT devices under three policies: (1) low-battery first scheme; (2) high-battery first scheme; and (3) random scheme. On the other hand, the UAV station collects data from IoT devices that have sufficient energy to transmit their packets, and in the same phase, the UAV exploits the Radio Frequency (RF) signals transmitted by IoT devices to extract and harvest energy. Furthermore, and as the UAV station has a limited coverage time due to its energy constraints, we propose and investigate an efficient trade-off between ground users recharging time and data gathering time. Furthermore, we suggest to control and optimize the UAV trajectory in order to complete its travel within a minimum time, while minimizing the energy spent and/or enhancing the network lifetime. Extensive numerical results and simulations show how the system behaves under different scenarios and using various metrics in which we examine the added value of UAV with energy harvesting module.

A satellite based telemetry link for a UAV application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloise, Anthony

1995-01-01

The requirements for a satellite based communication facility to service the needs of the Geographical Information System (GIS) data collection community are addressed in this paper. GIS data is supplied in the form of video imagery at sub-television rates in one or more spectral bands / polarizations laced with a position correlated data stream. The limitations and vicissitudes of using a terrestrial based telecommunications link to collect GIS data are illustrated from actual mission scenarios. The expectations from a satellite based communications link by the geophysical data collection community concerning satellite architecture, operating bands, bandwidth, footprint agility, up link and down link hardware configurations on the UAV, the Mobile Control Vehicle and at the Central Command and Data Collection Facility comprise the principle issues discussed in the first section of this paper. The final section of the paper discusses satellite based communication links would have an increased volume and scope of services the GIS data collection community could make available to the GIS user community, and the price the data collection community could afford to pay for access to the communication satellite described in the paper.

Automation reliability in unmanned aerial vehicle control: a reliance-compliance model of automation dependence in high workload.

PubMed

Dixon, Stephen R; Wickens, Christopher D

2006-01-01

Two experiments were conducted in which participants navigated a simulated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through a series of mission legs while searching for targets and monitoring system parameters. The goal of the study was to highlight the qualitatively different effects of automation false alarms and misses as they relate to operator compliance and reliance, respectively. Background data suggest that automation false alarms cause reduced compliance, whereas misses cause reduced reliance. In two studies, 32 and 24 participants, including some licensed pilots, performed in-lab UAV simulations that presented the visual world and collected dependent measures. Results indicated that with the low-reliability aids, false alarms correlated with poorer performance in the system failure task, whereas misses correlated with poorer performance in the concurrent tasks. Compliance and reliance do appear to be affected by false alarms and misses, respectively, and are relatively independent of each other. Practical implications are that automated aids must be fairly reliable to provide global benefits and that false alarms and misses have qualitatively different effects on performance.

The U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship: Current Issues and How to Employ It in the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-07

Ship: NIA Curr-ent Issues and How to Deploy It in the Future 5b. GRANT NUMBER N/A 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER N/A 6. AUTHORCSl 5d. PROJECT NUMBER...Lieutenant Commander Gregory M Zimmerman, United States Navy N/A 5e. TASK NUMBER N/A 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER NIA 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S...Launch Module, MH-60R helicopter, UAV (Fire Scout), Mission Package Application Software Module, and the optional Maritime Security Module. 27 LCS can

Characteristic analysis on UAV-MIMO channel based on normalized correlation matrix.

PubMed

Gao, Xi jun; Chen, Zi li; Hu, Yong Jiang

2014-01-01

Based on the three-dimensional GBSBCM (geometrically based double bounce cylinder model) channel model of MIMO for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the simple form of UAV space-time-frequency channel correlation function which includes the LOS, SPE, and DIF components is presented. By the methods of channel matrix decomposition and coefficient normalization, the analytic formula of UAV-MIMO normalized correlation matrix is deduced. This formula can be used directly to analyze the condition number of UAV-MIMO channel matrix, the channel capacity, and other characteristic parameters. The simulation results show that this channel correlation matrix can be applied to describe the changes of UAV-MIMO channel characteristics under different parameter settings comprehensively. This analysis method provides a theoretical basis for improving the transmission performance of UAV-MIMO channel. The development of MIMO technology shows practical application value in the field of UAV communication.

Characteristic Analysis on UAV-MIMO Channel Based on Normalized Correlation Matrix

PubMed Central

Xi jun, Gao; Zi li, Chen; Yong Jiang, Hu

2014-01-01

Based on the three-dimensional GBSBCM (geometrically based double bounce cylinder model) channel model of MIMO for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the simple form of UAV space-time-frequency channel correlation function which includes the LOS, SPE, and DIF components is presented. By the methods of channel matrix decomposition and coefficient normalization, the analytic formula of UAV-MIMO normalized correlation matrix is deduced. This formula can be used directly to analyze the condition number of UAV-MIMO channel matrix, the channel capacity, and other characteristic parameters. The simulation results show that this channel correlation matrix can be applied to describe the changes of UAV-MIMO channel characteristics under different parameter settings comprehensively. This analysis method provides a theoretical basis for improving the transmission performance of UAV-MIMO channel. The development of MIMO technology shows practical application value in the field of UAV communication. PMID:24977185

Demonstration of UAV deployment and control of mobile wireless sensing networks for modal analysis of structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hao; Hirose, Mitsuhito; Greenwood, William; Xiao, Yong; Lynch, Jerome; Zekkos, Dimitrios; Kamat, Vineet

2016-04-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can serve as a powerful mobile sensing platform for assessing the health of civil infrastructure systems. To date, the majority of their uses have been dedicated to vision and laser-based spatial imaging using on-board cameras and LiDAR units, respectively. Comparatively less work has focused on integration of other sensing modalities relevant to structural monitoring applications. The overarching goal of this study is to explore the ability for UAVs to deploy a network of wireless sensors on structures for controlled vibration testing. The study develops a UAV platform with an integrated robotic gripper that can be used to install wireless sensors in structures, drop a heavy weight for the introduction of impact loads, and to uninstall wireless sensors for reinstallation elsewhere. A pose estimation algorithm is embedded in the UAV to estimate the location of the UAV during sensor placement and impact load introduction. The Martlet wireless sensor network architecture is integrated with the UAV to provide the UAV a mobile sensing capability. The UAV is programmed to command field deployed Martlets, aggregate and temporarily store data from the wireless sensor network, and to communicate data to a fixed base station on site. This study demonstrates the integrated UAV system using a simply supported beam in the lab with Martlet wireless sensors placed by the UAV and impact load testing performed. The study verifies the feasibility of the integrated UAV-wireless monitoring system architecture with accurate modal characteristics of the beam estimated by modal analysis.

Space Station Mission Planning System (MPS) development study. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klus, W. J.

1987-01-01

The basic objective of the Space Station (SS) Mission Planning System (MPS) Development Study was to define a baseline Space Station mission plan and the associated hardware and software requirements for the system. A detailed definition of the Spacelab (SL) payload mission planning process and SL Mission Integration Planning System (MIPS) software was derived. A baseline concept was developed for performing SS manned base payload mission planning, and it was consistent with current Space Station design/operations concepts and philosophies. The SS MPS software requirements were defined. Also, requirements for new software include candidate programs for the application of artificial intelligence techniques to capture and make more effective use of mission planning expertise. A SS MPS Software Development Plan was developed which phases efforts for the development software to implement the SS mission planning concept.

Mission activities planning for a Hermes mission by means of AI-technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pape, U.; Hajen, G.; Schielow, N.; Mitschdoerfer, P.; Allard, F.

1993-01-01

Mission Activities Planning is a complex task to be performed by mission control centers. AI technology can offer attractive solutions to the planning problem. This paper presents the use of a new AI-based Mission Planning System for crew activity planning. Based on a HERMES servicing mission to the COLUMBUS Man Tended Free Flyer (MTFF) with complex time and resource constraints, approximately 2000 activities with 50 different resources have been generated, processed, and planned with parametric variation of operationally sensitive parameters. The architecture, as well as the performance of the mission planning system, is discussed. An outlook to future planning scenarios, the requirements, and how a system like MARS can fulfill those requirements is given.

Formation Flight of Multiple UAVs via Onboard Sensor Information Sharing.

PubMed

Park, Chulwoo; Cho, Namhoon; Lee, Kyunghyun; Kim, Youdan

2015-07-17

To monitor large areas or simultaneously measure multiple points, multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) must be flown in formation. To perform such flights, sensor information generated by each UAV should be shared via communications. Although a variety of studies have focused on the algorithms for formation flight, these studies have mainly demonstrated the performance of formation flight using numerical simulations or ground robots, which do not reflect the dynamic characteristics of UAVs. In this study, an onboard sensor information sharing system and formation flight algorithms for multiple UAVs are proposed. The communication delays of radiofrequency (RF) telemetry are analyzed to enable the implementation of the onboard sensor information sharing system. Using the sensor information sharing, the formation guidance law for multiple UAVs, which includes both a circular and close formation, is designed. The hardware system, which includes avionics and an airframe, is constructed for the proposed multi-UAV platform. A numerical simulation is performed to demonstrate the performance of the formation flight guidance and control system for multiple UAVs. Finally, a flight test is conducted to verify the proposed algorithm for the multi-UAV system.

Formation Flight of Multiple UAVs via Onboard Sensor Information Sharing

PubMed Central

Park, Chulwoo; Cho, Namhoon; Lee, Kyunghyun; Kim, Youdan

2015-01-01

To monitor large areas or simultaneously measure multiple points, multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) must be flown in formation. To perform such flights, sensor information generated by each UAV should be shared via communications. Although a variety of studies have focused on the algorithms for formation flight, these studies have mainly demonstrated the performance of formation flight using numerical simulations or ground robots, which do not reflect the dynamic characteristics of UAVs. In this study, an onboard sensor information sharing system and formation flight algorithms for multiple UAVs are proposed. The communication delays of radiofrequency (RF) telemetry are analyzed to enable the implementation of the onboard sensor information sharing system. Using the sensor information sharing, the formation guidance law for multiple UAVs, which includes both a circular and close formation, is designed. The hardware system, which includes avionics and an airframe, is constructed for the proposed multi-UAV platform. A numerical simulation is performed to demonstrate the performance of the formation flight guidance and control system for multiple UAVs. Finally, a flight test is conducted to verify the proposed algorithm for the multi-UAV system. PMID:26193281

Using LIDAR and UAV-derived point clouds to evaluate surface roughness in a gravel-bed braided river (Vénéon river, French Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez Tarrío, Daniel; Borgniet, Laurent; Recking, Alain; Liebault, Frédéric; Vivier, Marie

2016-04-01

The present research is focused on the Vénéon river at Plan du Lac (Massif des Ecrins, France), an alpine braided gravel bed stream with a glacio-nival hydrological regime. It drains a catchment area of 316 km2. The present research is focused in a 2.5 km braided reach placed immediately upstream of a small hydropower dam. An airbone LIDAR survey was accomplished in October, 2014 by EDF (the company managing the small hydropower dam), and data coming from this LIDAR survey were available for the present research. Point density of the LIDAR-derived 3D-point cloud was between 20-50 points/m2, with a vertical precision of 2-3 cm over flat surfaces. Moreover, between April and Juin, 2015, we carried out a photogrammetrical campaign based in aerial images taken with an UAV-drone. The UAV-derived point-cloud has a point density of 200-300 points/m2, and a vertical precision over flat control surfaces comparable to that of the LIDAR point cloud (2-3 cm). Simultaneously to the UAV campaign, we took several Wolman samples with the aim of characterizing the grain size distribution of bed sediment. Wolman samples were taken following a geomorphological criterion (unit bars, head/tail of compound bars). Furthermore, some of the Wolman samples were repeated with the aim of defining the uncertainty of our sampling protocol. LIDAR and UAV-derived point clouds were treated in order to check whether both point-clouds were correctly co-aligned. After that, we estimated bed roughness using the detrended standard deviation of heights, in a 40-cm window. For all this data treatment we used CloudCompare. Then, we measured the distribution of roughness in the same geomorphological units where we took the Wolman samples, and we compared with the grain size distributions measured in the field: differences between UAV-point cloud roughness distributions and measured-grain size distribution (~1-2 cm) are in the same order of magnitude of the differences found between the repeated Wolman samples (~0.5-1.5 cm). Differences with LIDAR-derived roughness distributions are only slightly higher, which could be due to the lower point density of the LIDAR point clouds.

Integrated payload and mission planning, phase 3. Volume 1: Integrated payload and mission planning process evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sapp, T. P.; Davin, D. E.

1977-01-01

The integrated payload and mission planning process for STS payloads was defined, and discrete tasks which evaluate performance and support initial implementation of this process were conducted. The scope of activity was limited to NASA and NASA-related payload missions only. The integrated payload and mission planning process was defined in detail, including all related interfaces and scheduling requirements. Related to the payload mission planning process, a methodology for assessing early Spacelab mission manager assignment schedules was defined.

Development and Evaluation of a UAV-Photogrammetry System for Precise 3D Environmental Modeling.

PubMed

Shahbazi, Mozhdeh; Sohn, Gunho; Théau, Jérôme; Menard, Patrick

2015-10-30

The specific requirements of UAV-photogrammetry necessitate particular solutions for system development, which have mostly been ignored or not assessed adequately in recent studies. Accordingly, this paper presents the methodological and experimental aspects of correctly implementing a UAV-photogrammetry system. The hardware of the system consists of an electric-powered helicopter, a high-resolution digital camera and an inertial navigation system. The software of the system includes the in-house programs specifically designed for camera calibration, platform calibration, system integration, on-board data acquisition, flight planning and on-the-job self-calibration. The detailed features of the system are discussed, and solutions are proposed in order to enhance the system and its photogrammetric outputs. The developed system is extensively tested for precise modeling of the challenging environment of an open-pit gravel mine. The accuracy of the results is evaluated under various mapping conditions, including direct georeferencing and indirect georeferencing with different numbers, distributions and types of ground control points. Additionally, the effects of imaging configuration and network stability on modeling accuracy are assessed. The experiments demonstrated that 1.55 m horizontal and 3.16 m vertical absolute modeling accuracy could be achieved via direct geo-referencing, which was improved to 0.4 cm and 1.7 cm after indirect geo-referencing.

Performance Characteristic Mems-Based IMUs for UAVs Navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, H. A.; Hansen, J. M.; Elhabiby, M. M.; El-Sheimy, N.; Sesay, A. B.

2015-08-01

Accurate 3D reconstruction has become essential for non-traditional mapping applications such as urban planning, mining industry, environmental monitoring, navigation, surveillance, pipeline inspection, infrastructure monitoring, landslide hazard analysis, indoor localization, and military simulation. The needs of these applications cannot be satisfied by traditional mapping, which is based on dedicated data acquisition systems designed for mapping purposes. Recent advances in hardware and software development have made it possible to conduct accurate 3D mapping without using costly and high-end data acquisition systems. Low-cost digital cameras, laser scanners, and navigation systems can provide accurate mapping if they are properly integrated at the hardware and software levels. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as a mobile mapping platform that can provide additional economical and practical advantages. However, such economical and practical requirements need navigation systems that can provide uninterrupted navigation solution. Hence, testing the performance characteristics of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) or low cost navigation sensors for various UAV applications is important research. This work focuses on studying the performance characteristics under different manoeuvres using inertial measurements integrated with single point positioning, Real-Time-Kinematic (RTK), and additional navigational aiding sensors. Furthermore, the performance of the inertial sensors is tested during Global Positioning System (GPS) signal outage.

Development and Evaluation of a UAV-Photogrammetry System for Precise 3D Environmental Modeling

PubMed Central

Shahbazi, Mozhdeh; Sohn, Gunho; Théau, Jérôme; Menard, Patrick

2015-01-01

The specific requirements of UAV-photogrammetry necessitate particular solutions for system development, which have mostly been ignored or not assessed adequately in recent studies. Accordingly, this paper presents the methodological and experimental aspects of correctly implementing a UAV-photogrammetry system. The hardware of the system consists of an electric-powered helicopter, a high-resolution digital camera and an inertial navigation system. The software of the system includes the in-house programs specifically designed for camera calibration, platform calibration, system integration, on-board data acquisition, flight planning and on-the-job self-calibration. The detailed features of the system are discussed, and solutions are proposed in order to enhance the system and its photogrammetric outputs. The developed system is extensively tested for precise modeling of the challenging environment of an open-pit gravel mine. The accuracy of the results is evaluated under various mapping conditions, including direct georeferencing and indirect georeferencing with different numbers, distributions and types of ground control points. Additionally, the effects of imaging configuration and network stability on modeling accuracy are assessed. The experiments demonstrated that 1.55 m horizontal and 3.16 m vertical absolute modeling accuracy could be achieved via direct geo-referencing, which was improved to 0.4 cm and 1.7 cm after indirect geo-referencing. PMID:26528976

Multi-Objective Algorithm for Blood Supply via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to the Wounded in an Emergency Situation

PubMed Central

Wen, Tingxi; Zhang, Zhongnan; Wong, Kelvin K. L.

2016-01-01

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been widely used in many industries. In the medical environment, especially in some emergency situations, UAVs play an important role such as the supply of medicines and blood with speed and efficiency. In this paper, we study the problem of multi-objective blood supply by UAVs in such emergency situations. This is a complex problem that includes maintenance of the supply blood’s temperature model during transportation, the UAVs’ scheduling and routes’ planning in case of multiple sites requesting blood, and limited carrying capacity. Most importantly, we need to study the blood’s temperature change due to the external environment, the heating agent (or refrigerant) and time factor during transportation, and propose an optimal method for calculating the mixing proportion of blood and appendage in different circumstances and delivery conditions. Then, by introducing the idea of transportation appendage into the traditional Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP), this new problem is proposed according to the factors of distance and weight. Algorithmically, we use the combination of decomposition-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm and local search method to perform a series of experiments on the CVRP public dataset. By comparing our technique with the traditional ones, our algorithm can obtain better optimization results and time performance. PMID:27163361

Land Survey from Unmaned Aerial Veichle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterman, V.; Mesarič, M.

2012-07-01

In this paper we present, how we use a quadrocopter unmanned aerial vehicle with a camera attached to it, to do low altitude photogrammetric land survey. We use the quadrocopter to take highly overlapping photos of the area of interest. A "structure from motion" algorithm is implemented to get parameters of camera orientations and to generate a sparse point cloud representation of objects in photos. Than a patch based multi view stereo algorithm is applied to generate a dense point cloud. Ground control points are used to georeference the data. Further processing is applied to generate digital orthophoto maps, digital surface models, digital terrain models and assess volumes of various types of material. Practical examples of land survey from a UAV are presented in the paper. We explain how we used our system to monitor the reconstruction of commercial building, then how our UAV was used to assess the volume of coal supply for Ljubljana heating plant. Further example shows the usefulness of low altitude photogrammetry for documentation of archaeological excavations. In the final example we present how we used our UAV to prepare an underlay map for natural gas pipeline's route planning. In the final analysis we conclude that low altitude photogrammetry can help bridge the gap between laser scanning and classic tachymetric survey, since it offers advantages of both techniques.

Validation of Inertial and Optical Navigation Techniques for Space Applications with UAVS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montaño, J.; Wis, M.; Pulido, J. A.; Latorre, A.; Molina, P.; Fernández, E.; Angelats, E.; Colomina, I.

2015-09-01

PERIGEO is an R&D project, funded by the INNPRONTA 2011-2014 programme from Spanish CDTI, which aims to investigate the use of UAV technologies and processes for the validation of space oriented technologies. For this purpose, among different space missions and technologies, a set of activities for absolute and relative navigation are being carried out to deal with the attitude and position estimation problem from a temporal image sequence from a camera on the visible spectrum and/or Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor. The process is covered entirely: from sensor measurements and data acquisition (images, LiDAR ranges and angles), data pre-processing (calibration and co-registration of camera and LIDAR data), features and landmarks extraction from the images and image/LiDAR-based state estimation. In addition to image processing area, classical navigation system based on inertial sensors is also included in the research. The reason of combining both approaches is to enable the possibility to keep navigation capability in environments or missions where the radio beacon or reference signal as the GNSS satellite is not available (as for example an atmospheric flight in Titan). The rationale behind the combination of those systems is that they complement each other. The INS is capable of providing accurate position, velocity and full attitude estimations at high data rates. However, they need an absolute reference observation to compensate the time accumulative errors caused by inertial sensor inaccuracies. On the other hand, imaging observables can provide absolute and relative positioning and attitude estimations. However they need that the sensor head is pointing toward ground (something that may not be possible if the carrying platform is maneuvering) to provide accurate estimations and they are not capable of provide some hundreds of Hz that can deliver an INS. This mutual complementarity has been observed in PERIGEO and because of this they are combined into one system. The inertial navigation system implemented in PERIGEO is based on a classical loosely coupled INS/GNSS approach that is very similar to the implementation of the INS/Imaging navigation system that is mentioned above. The activities envisaged in PERIGEO cover the algorithms development and validation and technology testing on UAVs under representative conditions. Past activities have covered the design and development of the algorithms and systems. This paper presents the most recent activities and results on the area of image processing for robust estimation within PERIGEO, which are related with the hardware platforms definition (including sensors) and its integration in UAVs. Results for the tests performed during the flight campaigns in representative outdoor environments will be also presented (at the time of the full paper submission the tests will be performed), as well as analyzed, together with a roadmap definition for future developments.

Thermal Imaging of Subsurface Coal Fires by means of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the Autonomous Province Xinjiang, PRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasterling, Margarete; Schloemer, Stefan; Fischer, Christian; Ehrler, Christoph

2010-05-01

Spontaneous combustion of coal and resulting coal fires lead to very high temperatures in the subsurface. To a large amount the heat is transferred to the surface by convective and conductive transport inducing a more or less pronounced thermal anomaly. During the past decade satellite-based infrared-imaging (ASTER, MODIS) was the method of choice for coal fire detection on a local and regional scale. However, the resolution is by far too low for a detailed analysis of single coal fires which is essential prerequisite for corrective measures (i.e. fire fighting) and calculation of carbon dioxide emission based on a complex correlation between energy release and CO2 generation. Consequently, within the framework of the Sino-German research project "Innovative Technologies for Exploration, Extinction and Monitoring of Coal Fires in Northern China", a new concept was developed and successfully tested. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was equipped with a lightweight camera for thermografic (resolution 160 by 120 pixel, dynamic range -20 to 250°C) and for visual imaging. The UAV designed as an octocopter is able to hover at GPS controlled waypoints during predefined flight missions. The application of a UAV has several advantages. Compared to point measurements on the ground the thermal imagery quickly provides the spatial distribution of the temperature anomaly with a much better resolution. Areas otherwise not accessible (due to topography, fire induced cracks, etc.) can easily be investigated. The results of areal surveys on two coal fires in Xinjiang are presented. Georeferenced thermal and visual images were mosaicked together and analyzed. UAV-born data do well compared to temperatures measured directly on the ground and cover large areas in detail. However, measuring surface temperature alone is not sufficient. Simultaneous measurements made at the surface and in roughly 15cm depth proved substantial temperature gradients in the upper soil. Thus the temperature measured at the surface underestimates the energy emitted by the subsurface coal fire. In addition, surface temperature is strongly influenced by solar radiation and the prevailing ambient conditions (wind, temperature, humidity). As a consequence there is no simple correlation between surface and subsurface soil temperature. Efforts have been made to set up a coupled energy transport and energy balance model for the near surface considering thermal conduction, solar irradiation, thermal radiative energy and ambient temperature so far. The model can help to validate space-born and UAV-born thermal imagery and link surface to subsurface temperature but depends on in-situ measurements for input parameter determination and calibration. Results obtained so far strongly necessitate the integration of different data sources (in-situ / remote; point / area; local / medium scale) to obtain a reliable energy release estimation which is then used for coal fire characterization.

Top-down and bottom-up aerosol-cloud closure: towards understanding sources of uncertainty in deriving cloud shortwave radiative flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, Kevin J.; Roberts, Gregory C.; Calmer, Radiance; Nicoll, Keri; Hashimshoni, Eyal; Rosenfeld, Daniel; Ovadnevaite, Jurgita; Preissler, Jana; Ceburnis, Darius; O'Dowd, Colin; Russell, Lynn M.

2017-08-01

Top-down and bottom-up aerosol-cloud shortwave radiative flux closures were conducted at the Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station in Galway, Ireland, in August 2015. This study is part of the BACCHUS (Impact of Biogenic versus Anthropogenic emissions on Clouds and Climate: towards a Holistic UnderStanding) European collaborative project, with the goal of understanding key processes affecting aerosol-cloud shortwave radiative flux closures to improve future climate predictions and develop sustainable policies for Europe. Instrument platforms include ground-based unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)1 and satellite measurements of aerosols, clouds and meteorological variables. The ground-based and airborne measurements of aerosol size distributions and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration were used to initiate a 1-D microphysical aerosol-cloud parcel model (ACPM). UAVs were equipped for a specific science mission, with an optical particle counter for aerosol distribution profiles, a cloud sensor to measure cloud extinction or a five-hole probe for 3-D wind vectors. UAV cloud measurements are rare and have only become possible in recent years through the miniaturization of instrumentation. These are the first UAV measurements at Mace Head. ACPM simulations are compared to in situ cloud extinction measurements from UAVs to quantify closure in terms of cloud shortwave radiative flux. Two out of seven cases exhibit sub-adiabatic vertical temperature profiles within the cloud, which suggests that entrainment processes affect cloud microphysical properties and lead to an overestimate of simulated cloud shortwave radiative flux. Including an entrainment parameterization and explicitly calculating the entrainment fraction in the ACPM simulations both improved cloud-top radiative closure. Entrainment reduced the difference between simulated and observation-derived cloud-top shortwave radiative flux (δRF) by between 25 and 60 W m-2. After accounting for entrainment, satellite-derived cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNCs) were within 30 % of simulated CDNC. In cases with a well-mixed boundary layer, δRF is no greater than 20 W m-2 after accounting for cloud-top entrainment and up to 50 W m-2 when entrainment is not taken into account. In cases with a decoupled boundary layer, cloud microphysical properties are inconsistent with ground-based aerosol measurements, as expected, and δRF is as high as 88 W m-2, even high (> 30 W m-2) after accounting for cloud-top entrainment. This work demonstrates the need to take in situ measurements of aerosol properties for cases where the boundary layer is decoupled as well as consider cloud-top entrainment to accurately model stratocumulus cloud radiative flux. 1The regulatory term for UAV is remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).

UAV magnetometry in mineral exploration and infrastructure detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, A.; Parvar, K.; Burns, M.

2015-12-01

Magnetic surveys are critical tools in mineral exploration and UAVs have the potential to carry magnetometers. UAV surveys can offer higher spatial resolution than traditional airborne surveys, and higher coverage than terrestrial surveys. However, the main advantage is their ability to sense the magnetic field in 3-D, while most airborne or terrestrial surveys are restricted to 2-D acquisition. This study compares UAV magnetic data from two different UAVs (JIB drone, DJI Phantom 2) and three different magnetometers (GEM GSPM35, Honeywell HMR2300, GEM GST-19). The first UAV survey was conducted using a JIB UAV with a GSPM35 flying at 10-15 m above ground. The survey's goal was to detect intrusive Rhyolite bodies for primary mineral exploration. The survey resulted in a better understanding of the validity/resolution of UAV data and led to improved knowledge about the geological structures in the area. The results further drove the design of a following terrestrial survey. Comparing the UAV data with an available airborne survey (upward continued to 250 m) reveals that the UAV data has superior spatial resolution, but exhibits a higher noise level. The magnetic anomalies related to the Rhyolite intrusions is about 109 nT and translates into an estimated depth of approximately 110 meters. The second survey was conducted using an in-house developed UAV magnetometer system equipped with a DJI Phantom 2 and a Honeywell HMR2300 fluxgate magnetometer. By flying the sensor in different altitudes, the vertical and horizontal gradients can be derived leading to full 3-D magnetic data volumes which can provide improved constraints for source depth/geometry characterization. We demonstrate that a buried steam pipeline was detectable with the UAV magnetometer system and compare the resulting data with a terrestrial survey using a GEM GST-19 Proton Precession Magnetometer.

Data Gathering and Energy Transfer Dilemma in UAV-Assisted Flying Access Network for IoT

PubMed Central

Arabi, Sara; Sadik, Mohamed

2018-01-01

Recently, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as an alternative solution to assist wireless networks, thanks to numerous advantages they offer in comparison to terrestrial fixed base stations. For instance, a UAV can be used to embed a flying base station providing an on-demand nomadic access to network services. A UAV can also be used to wirelessly recharge out-of-battery ground devices. In this paper, we aim to deal with both data collection and recharging depleted ground Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices through a UAV station used as a flying base station. To extend the network lifetime, we present a novel use of UAV with energy harvesting module and wireless recharging capabilities. However, the UAV is used as an energy source to empower depleted IoT devices. On one hand, the UAV charges depleted ground IoT devices under three policies: (1) low-battery first scheme; (2) high-battery first scheme; and (3) random scheme. On the other hand, the UAV station collects data from IoT devices that have sufficient energy to transmit their packets, and in the same phase, the UAV exploits the Radio Frequency (RF) signals transmitted by IoT devices to extract and harvest energy. Furthermore, and as the UAV station has a limited coverage time due to its energy constraints, we propose and investigate an efficient trade-off between ground users recharging time and data gathering time. Furthermore, we suggest to control and optimize the UAV trajectory in order to complete its travel within a minimum time, while minimizing the energy spent and/or enhancing the network lifetime. Extensive numerical results and simulations show how the system behaves under different scenarios and using various metrics in which we examine the added value of UAV with energy harvesting module. PMID:29751662

Recording animal vocalizations from a UAV: bat echolocation during roost re-entry.

PubMed

Kloepper, Laura N; Kinniry, Morgan

2018-05-17

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rising in popularity for wildlife monitoring, but direct recordings of animal vocalizations have not yet been accomplished, likely due to the noise generated by the UAV. Echolocating bats, especially Tadarida brasiliensis, are good candidates for UAV recording due to their high-speed, high-altitude flight. Here, we use a UAV to record the signals of bats during morning roost re-entry. We designed a UAV to block the noise of the propellers from the receiving microphone, and report on the characteristics of bioacoustic recordings from a UAV. We report the first published characteristics of echolocation signals from bats during group flight and cave re-entry. We found changes in inter-individual time-frequency shape, suggesting that bats may use differences in call design when sensing in complex groups. Furthermore, our first documented successful recordings of animals in their natural habitat demonstrate that UAVs can be important tools for bioacoustic monitoring, and we discuss the ethical considerations for such monitoring.

Comparison of UAV and WorldView-2 imagery for mapping leaf area index of mangrove forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jinyan; Wang, Le; Li, Xiaojuan; Gong, Huili; Shi, Chen; Zhong, Ruofei; Liu, Xiaomeng

2017-09-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing has opened the door to new sources of data to effectively characterize vegetation metrics at very high spatial resolution and at flexible revisit frequencies. Successful estimation of the leaf area index (LAI) in precision agriculture with a UAV image has been reported in several studies. However, in most forests, the challenges associated with the interference from a complex background and a variety of vegetation species have hindered research using UAV images. To the best of our knowledge, very few studies have mapped the forest LAI with a UAV image. In addition, the drawbacks and advantages of estimating the forest LAI with UAV and satellite images at high spatial resolution remain a knowledge gap in existing literature. Therefore, this paper aims to map LAI in a mangrove forest with a complex background and a variety of vegetation species using a UAV image and compare it with a WorldView-2 image (WV2). In this study, three representative NDVIs, average NDVI (AvNDVI), vegetated specific NDVI (VsNDVI), and scaled NDVI (ScNDVI), were acquired with UAV and WV2 to predict the plot level (10 × 10 m) LAI. The results showed that AvNDVI achieved the highest accuracy for WV2 (R2 = 0.778, RMSE = 0.424), whereas ScNDVI obtained the optimal accuracy for UAV (R2 = 0.817, RMSE = 0.423). In addition, an overall comparison results of the WV2 and UAV derived LAIs indicated that UAV obtained a better accuracy than WV2 in the plots that were covered with homogeneous mangrove species or in the low LAI plots, which was because UAV can effectively eliminate the influence from the background and the vegetation species owing to its high spatial resolution. However, WV2 obtained a slightly higher accuracy than UAV in the plots covered with a variety of mangrove species, which was because the UAV sensor provides a negative spectral response function(SRF) than WV2 in terms of the mangrove LAI estimation.

Differential GNSS and Vision-Based Tracking to Improve Navigation Performance in Cooperative Multi-UAV Systems

PubMed Central

Vetrella, Amedeo Rodi; Fasano, Giancarmine; Accardo, Domenico; Moccia, Antonio

2016-01-01

Autonomous navigation of micro-UAVs is typically based on the integration of low cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based inertial and magnetic sensors to stabilize and control the flight. The resulting navigation performance in terms of position and attitude accuracy may not suffice for other mission needs, such as the ones relevant to fine sensor pointing. In this framework, this paper presents a cooperative UAV navigation algorithm that allows a chief vehicle, equipped with inertial and magnetic sensors, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and a vision system, to improve its navigation performance (in real time or in the post processing phase) exploiting formation flying deputy vehicles equipped with GPS receivers. The focus is set on outdoor environments and the key concept is to exploit differential GPS among vehicles and vision-based tracking (DGPS/Vision) to build a virtual additional navigation sensor whose information is then integrated in a sensor fusion algorithm based on an Extended Kalman Filter. The developed concept and processing architecture are described, with a focus on DGPS/Vision attitude determination algorithm. Performance assessment is carried out on the basis of both numerical simulations and flight tests. In the latter ones, navigation estimates derived from the DGPS/Vision approach are compared with those provided by the onboard autopilot system of a customized quadrotor. The analysis shows the potential of the developed approach, mainly deriving from the possibility to exploit magnetic- and inertial-independent accurate attitude information. PMID:27999318

Artificial intelligence techniques for scheduling Space Shuttle missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henke, Andrea L.; Stottler, Richard H.

1994-01-01

Planning and scheduling of NASA Space Shuttle missions is a complex, labor-intensive process requiring the expertise of experienced mission planners. We have developed a planning and scheduling system using combinations of artificial intelligence knowledge representations and planning techniques to capture mission planning knowledge and automate the multi-mission planning process. Our integrated object oriented and rule-based approach reduces planning time by orders of magnitude and provides planners with the flexibility to easily modify planning knowledge and constraints without requiring programming expertise.

First aircraft test results of a compact, low cost hyperspectral imager for earth observation from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Goeij, B. T. G.; Otter, G. C. J.; van Wakeren, J. M. O.; Veefkind, J. P.; Vlemmix, T.; Ge, X.; Levelt, P. F.; Dirks, B. P. F.; Toet, P. M.; van der Wal, L. F.; Jansen, R.

2017-09-01

In recent years TNO has investigated and developed different innovative opto-mechanical designs to realize advanced spectrometers for space applications in a more compact and cost-effective manner. This offers multiple advantages: a compact instrument can be flown on a much smaller platform or as add-on on a larger platform; a low-cost instrument opens up the possibility to fly multiple instruments in a satellite constellation, improving both global coverage and temporal sampling (e.g. multiple overpasses per day to study diurnal processes); in this way a constellation of low-cost instruments may provide added value to the larger scientific and operational satellite missions (e.g. the Copernicus Sentinel missions); a small, lightweight spectrometer can easily be mounted on a small aircraft or high-altitude UAV (offering high spatial resolution).

Adaptive wing structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, David A.; Reed, John L., Jr.; Havens, Ernie

2004-07-01

Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG), with specific no-cost guidance and support from Lockheed Martin, proposed to significantly increase the capability of loitering Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) by developing a unique adaptive wing structure. This technology will offer significant operational benefit to air vehicles of this type currently under development. The development of this adaptive wing structure will enable such aircraft to adapt their wing configuration to maximize efficiency in each flight regime experienced during their mission. Additionally, the benefits of this development program will enhance the agility and maneuverability of the vehicle; therefore increasing its mission capability. The specific morphing ability CRG proposed to develop was a controlled expansion and contraction of the wing chord, which increases the wing planform area and therefore the lift produced. CRG proved feasibility of this concept and developed a sub-scale prototype integrating smart materials developed at CRG.

Guidance control of small UAV with energy and maneuverability limitations for a search and coverage mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gramajo, German G.

This thesis presents an algorithm for a search and coverage mission that has increased autonomy in generating an ideal trajectory while explicitly considering the available energy in the optimization. Further, current algorithms used to generate trajectories depend on the operator providing a discrete set of turning rate requirements to obtain an optimal solution. This work proposes an additional modification to the algorithm so that it optimizes the trajectory for a range of turning rates instead of a discrete set of turning rates. This thesis conducts an evaluation of the algorithm with variation in turn duration, entry-heading angle, and entry point. Comparative studies of the algorithm with existing method indicates improved autonomy in choosing the optimization parameters while producing trajectories with better coverage area and closer final distance to the desired terminal point.

Autonomous unmanned air vehicles (UAV) techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Ming-Kai; Lee, Ting N.

2007-04-01

The UAVs (Unmanned Air Vehicles) have great potentials in different civilian applications, such as oil pipeline surveillance, precision farming, forest fire fighting (yearly), search and rescue, boarder patrol, etc. The related industries of UAVs can create billions of dollars for each year. However, the road block of adopting UAVs is that it is against FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and ATC (Air Traffic Control) regulations. In this paper, we have reviewed the latest technologies and researches on UAV navigation and obstacle avoidance. We have purposed a system design of Jittering Mosaic Image Processing (JMIP) with stereo vision and optical flow to fulfill the functionalities of autonomous UAVs.

Cost and effectiveness analysis on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) use at border security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yilmaz, Bahadır.

2013-06-01

Drones and Remotely Piloted Vehicles are types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. UAVs began to be used with the war of Vietnam, they had a great interest when Israel used them in Bekaa Valley Operations of 1982. UAVs have been used by different countries with different aims with the help of emerging technology and investments. In this article, in the context of areas of UAV usage in national security, benefits and disadvantages of UAVs are put forward. Particularly, it has been evaluated on the basis of cost-effectiveness by focusing the use of UAV in the border security. UAVs have been studied by taking cost analysis, procurement and operational costs into consideration. Analysis of effectiveness has been done with illegal passages of people and drugs from flight times of UAVs. Although the procurement cost of the medium-level UAVs is low, its operational costs are high. For this reason, the idea of less costly alternative systems have been revealed for the border security. As the costs are reduced to acceptable level involving national security and border security in future with high-technology products in their structure, it will continue to be used in an increasing proportion.

Comparison of a UAV-derived point-cloud to Lidar data at Haig Glacier, Alberta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bash, E. A.; Moorman, B.; Montaghi, A.; Menounos, B.; Marshall, S. J.

2016-12-01

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is expanding rapidly in glaciological research as a result of technological improvements that make UAVs a cost-effective solution for collecting high resolution datasets with relative ease. The cost and difficult access traditionally associated with performing fieldwork in glacial environments makes UAVs a particularly attractive tool. In the small, but growing, body of literature using UAVs in glaciology the accuracy of UAV data is tested through the comparison of a UAV-derived DEM to measured control points. A field campaign combining simultaneous lidar and UAV flights over Haig Glacier in April 2015, provided the unique opportunity to directly compare UAV data to lidar. The UAV was a six-propeller Mikrokopter carrying a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 camera with a 12 Megapixel Live MOS sensor and Lumix G 20 mm lens flown at a height of 90 m, resulting in sub-centimetre ground resolution per image pixel. Lidar data collection took place April 20, while UAV flights were conducted April 20-21. A set of 65 control points were laid out and surveyed on the glacier surface on April 19 and 21 using a RTK GPS with a vertical uncertainty of 5 cm. A direct comparison of lidar points to these control points revealed a 9 cm offset between the control points and the lidar points on average, but the difference changed distinctly from points collected on April 19 versus those collected April 21 (7 cm and 12 cm). Agisoft Photoscan was used to create a point-cloud from imagery collected with the UAV and CloudCompare was used to calculate the difference between this and the lidar point cloud, revealing an average difference of less than 17 cm. This field campaign also highlighted some of the benefits and drawbacks of using a rotary UAV for glaciological research. The vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, combined with quick responsiveness and higher carrying capacity, make the rotary vehicle favourable for high-resolution photos when working in mountainous terrain. Battery life is limited, however, compared to fixed-wing vehicles, making it more difficult to cover large areas in a short time. This analysis shows that UAVs are able to fill an important role in the future of glaciological research, when research goals are balanced with instrument accuracy and UAV platform selection.

Urban forest topographical mapping using UAV LIDAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putut Ash Shidiq, Iqbal; Wibowo, Adi; Kusratmoko, Eko; Indratmoko, Satria; Ardhianto, Ronni; Prasetyo Nugroho, Budi

2017-12-01

Topographical data is highly needed by many parties, such as government institution, mining companies and agricultural sectors. It is not just about the precision, the acquisition time and data processing are also carefully considered. In relation with forest management, a high accuracy topographic map is necessary for planning, close monitoring and evaluating forest changes. One of the solution to quickly and precisely mapped topography is using remote sensing system. In this study, we test high-resolution data using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) collected from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to map topography and differentiate vegetation classes based on height in urban forest area of University of Indonesia (UI). The semi-automatic and manual classifications were applied to divide point clouds into two main classes, namely ground and vegetation. There were 15,806,380 point clouds obtained during the post-process, in which 2.39% of it were detected as ground.

In situ Volcanic Plume Monitoring with small Unmanned Aerial Systems for Cal/Val of Satellite Remote Sensing Data: CARTA-UAV 2013 Mission (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz, J. A.; Pieri, D. C.; Bland, G.; Fladeland, M. M.

2013-12-01

The development of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) with a variety of sensor packages, enables in situ and proximal remote sensing measurements of volcanic plumes. Using Costa Rican volcanoes as a Natural Laboratory, the University of Costa Rica as host institution, in collaboration with four NASA centers, have started an initiative to develop low-cost, field-deployable airborne platforms to perform volcanic gas & ash plume research, and in-situ volcanic monitoring in general, in conjunction with orbital assets and state-of-the-art models of plume transport and composition. Several gas sensors have been deployed into the active plume of Turrialba Volcano including a miniature mass spectrometer, and an electrochemical SO2 sensor system with temperature, pressure, relative humidity, and GPS sensors. Several different airborne platforms such as manned research aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, tethered balloons, as well as man-portable in-situ ground truth systems are being used for this research. Remote sensing data is also collected from the ASTER and OMI spaceborne instruments and compared with in situ data. The CARTA-UAV 2013 Mission deployment and follow up measurements successfully demonstrated a path to study and visualize gaseous volcanic emissions using mass spectrometer and gas sensor based instrumentation in harsh environment conditions to correlate in situ ground/airborne data with remote sensing satellite data for calibration and validation purposes. The deployment of such technology improves on our current capabilities to detect, analyze, monitor, model, and predict hazards presented to aircraft by volcanogenic ash clouds from active and impending volcanic eruptions.

Unmanned aerial vehicles for the assessment and monitoring of environmental contamination: An example from coal ash spills.

PubMed

Messinger, Max; Silman, Miles

2016-11-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer new opportunities to monitor pollution and provide valuable information to support remediation. Their low-cost, ease of use, and rapid deployment capability make them ideal for environmental emergency response. Here we present a UAV-based study of the third largest coal ash spill in the United States. Coal ash from coal combustion is a toxic industrial waste material present worldwide. Typically stored in settling ponds in close proximity to waterways, coal ash poses significant risk to the environment and drinking water supplies from both chronic contamination of surface and ground water and catastrophic pond failure. We sought to provide an independent estimate of the volume of coal ash and contaminated water lost during the rupture of the primary coal ash pond at the Dan River Steam Station in Eden, NC, USA and to demonstrate the feasibility of using UAVs to rapidly respond to and measure the volume of spills from ponds or containers that are open to the air. Using structure-from-motion (SfM) imagery analysis techniques, we reconstructed the 3D structure of the pond bottom after the spill, used historical imagery to estimate the pre-spill waterline, and calculated the volume of material lost. We estimated a loss of 66,245 ± 5678 m 3 of ash and contaminated water. The technique used here allows rapid response to environmental emergencies and quantification of their impacts at low cost, and these capabilities will make UAVs a central tool in environmental planning, monitoring, and disaster response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LiDAR data and SAR imagery acquired by an unmanned helicopter for rapid landslide investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasai, M.; Tanaka, Y.; Yamazaki, T.

2012-12-01

When earthquakes or heavy rainfall hits a landslide prone area, initial actions require estimation of the size of damage to people and infrastructure. This includes identifying the number and size of newly collapsed or expanded landslides, and appraising subsequent risks from remobilization of landslides and debris materials. In inapproachable areas, the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) is likely to be of greatest use. In addition, repeat monitoring of sites after the event is a way of utilizing UAVs, particularly in terms of cost and convenience. In this study, LiDAR (SkEyesBox MP-1) data and SAR (Nano SAR) imagery, acquired over 0.5 km2 landslide prone area, are presented to assess the practicability of using unmanned helicopters (in this case a 10 year old YAMAHA RMAX G1) in these situations. LiDAR data was taken in July 2012, when tree foliage covered the ground surface. However, imagery was of sufficient quality to identify and measure landslide features. Nevertheless, LiDAR data obtained by a manned helicopter in the same area in August 2008 was more detailed, reflecting the function of the LiDAR scanner. On the other hand, 2 m resolution Nano SAR imagery produced reasonable results to elucidate hillslope condition. A quick method for data processing without loss of image quality was also investigated. In conclusion, the LiDAR scanner and UAV employed here could be used to plan immediate remedial activity of the area, before LiDAR measurement with a manned helicopter can be organized. SAR imagery from UAV is also available for this initial activity, and can be further applied to long term monitoring.

Improving Our Ability to Assess Land Management and Disturbance by Linking Traditional Ecosystem Measurements with UAV Spectral Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutter, L., Jr.; Barron-Gafford, G.; Smith, W. K.; Minor, R. L.; Raub, H.; Jimenez, J. R.; Wolsiffer, S. K.; Escobedo, E. B.; Smith, J.

2017-12-01

Drylands are dynamic landscapes of mixed plant functional types that vary in their response to abiotic and biotic drivers of change. Within these regions, woody plant-herbaceous relationships have generally been viewed as negative: woody plants within these ecosystems have been shown to negatively impact herbaceous growth by taking advantage of both deeper stored water and intercepting near surface moisture after precipitation events. There has been a long-invested effort to eliminate woody plants in many areas of the world, and analyzing and assessing land management decisions has historically required high monetary and time inputs. Unfortunately, both management practices and disturbances from fire can leave a very heterogeneous landscape, making assessment of their impacts difficult to assess. This study has attempted to address the effectiveness of two commonly used treatments within woody plant invaded areas, fire and herbicide application, by linking plant physiological measurements with the emerging technology of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) spectral analysis. Taking advantage of a USDA-ARS sponsored herbicide treatment in 2016 and the accidental Sawmill Fire of 2017, both within the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) of Southern Arizona, USA, we linked spectral data collected via UAV with ground-based photosynthetic measurements. Given the high repeatability, and both spatial and spectral resolution of low-flying UAV measurements, we found that there are a variety of spectral indices that can be derived and accurately linked with traditional ecological measurements. Results and techniques from this study can be immediately applied to land management plans as well as be improved for other ecological parameters, such as those obtained from long-term study sites containing eddy covariance towers.

Autonomous UAV-Based Mapping of Large-Scale Urban Firefights

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snarski, S; Scheibner, K F; Shaw, S

2006-03-09

This paper describes experimental results from a live-fire data collect designed to demonstrate the ability of IR and acoustic sensing systems to detect and map high-volume gunfire events from tactical UAVs. The data collect supports an exploratory study of the FightSight concept in which an autonomous UAV-based sensor exploitation and decision support capability is being proposed to provide dynamic situational awareness for large-scale battalion-level firefights in cluttered urban environments. FightSight integrates IR imagery, acoustic data, and 3D scene context data with prior time information in a multi-level, multi-step probabilistic-based fusion process to reliably locate and map the array of urbanmore » firing events and firepower movements and trends associated with the evolving urban battlefield situation. Described here are sensor results from live-fire experiments involving simultaneous firing of multiple sub/super-sonic weapons (2-AK47, 2-M16, 1 Beretta, 1 Mortar, 1 rocket) with high optical and acoustic clutter at ranges up to 400m. Sensor-shooter-target configurations and clutter were designed to simulate UAV sensing conditions for a high-intensity firefight in an urban environment. Sensor systems evaluated were an IR bullet tracking system by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and an acoustic gunshot detection system by Planning Systems, Inc. (PSI). The results demonstrate convincingly the ability for the LLNL and PSI sensor systems to accurately detect, separate, and localize multiple shooters and the associated shot directions during a high-intensity firefight (77 rounds in 5 sec) in a high acoustic and optical clutter environment with no false alarms. Preliminary fusion processing was also examined that demonstrated an ability to distinguish co-located shooters (shooter density), range to <0.5 m accuracy at 400m, and weapon type.« less

A Strategy to employ coordinated, autonomous Platforms for addressing long-term biochemical observing Tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldmann, H. C.; Montenegro, S.

2016-02-01

Autonomous platforms get a growing importance for ocean observing tasks in particular to enable long-term observing tasks. Employing the mobility of those platforms allows a targeted investigations of phenomena that up to now are mainly seen from satellite but are lacking detailed scrutiny. As part oft he national funded project ROBEX new operation concepts for mobile platforms are developed in particular a new type of underwater glider with larger payload capacity compared to legacy systems will be developed. First tests in the pool of a aparticular hull shape have led to a better understanding oft he hydrodynamic condition and an optomized hull design was derived from that. The WAVEGLIDER system of Liquid Robotics lends itsself to be used as a communication hub and a platform to track underwater vehicles. Therefore the combination of those systems are currently assessed in regard to a possible operation and its hard- and software implementation. A major issue ist o achieve a coordinated displacement of these completely decoupled systems. Issues on how to mitigate faulty mission runs, coping with low communication bandwidths, and ensuring adequate positioning information about the underwater glider have to be addressed. Robotic concepts known from terrestrial applications like for UAV systems are tested under the more stringent environmental conditions in ocean waters. With this combination of WAVEGLIDER and underwater glider it is planned to carry out long-term missions to investigate biochemical processes in the water column in particular to investigate the particle transport through the water column and the processes resulting from that. Concepts and first results of those tasks will be presented.

UAV technologies applied for monitoring the land use in the municipality of São Brás de Alportel, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedras, Celestina Maria G.; Neto Paixão, Helena Maria; Lança, Rui; Soares, Cristina; Silva, Elisa; Granja Martins, Fernando Miguel

2015-04-01

This study aims to develop a methodology to streamline the process of data acquisition on land cover in the municipality of S. Brás de Alportel, Portugal. The collected information allows the updating of the Forestry Fire Defense Municipal Plan (PMDFCI). This plan identifies the most vulnerable areas and priorities of action, concerning the prevention. Regarding the update of the PMDFCI, the study area was characterized in 2013. As this information is dynamic, it should be updated periodically, which is challenging, given the lack of human resources and the available technology. On the other hand, the obtained data detail and accuracy are directly related to the qualification of the operator and the complexity of the study area. However, data updating is crucial for the operationally of the PMDFCI. Currently, the data update of the land's occupation and use in this municipality is primarily made through field work, followed by their update in the cartography at the office, supported by the Algarve Forest Planning Regional Plan (PROF Algarve). The use of aerial images obtained from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the Northwest area of S. Brás de Alportel and its classification with a supervised methodology, will allow the discrimination of the land cover classes in a more expeditious manner. This result when compared with the information collected through field work, will allow to verify the precision of the obtained information, aiming the use of the proposed methodology in the rest of the country.

A survey of hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saeed, Adnan S.; Younes, Ahmad Bani; Cai, Chenxiao; Cai, Guowei

2018-04-01

This article presents a comprehensive overview on the recent advances of miniature hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). For now, two conventional types, i.e., fixed-wing UAV and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAV, dominate the miniature UAVs. Each type has its own inherent limitations on flexibility, payload, flight range, cruising speed, takeoff and landing requirements and endurance. Enhanced popularity and interest are recently gained by the newer type, named hybrid UAV, that integrates the beneficial features of both conventional ones. In this survey paper, a systematic categorization method for the hybrid UAV's platform designs is introduced, first presenting the technical features and representative examples. Next, the hybrid UAV's flight dynamics model and flight control strategies are explained addressing several representative modeling and control work. In addition, key observations, existing challenges and conclusive remarks based on the conducted review are discussed accordingly.

Information Ubiquity in Austere Locations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

are incompatible (e.g., GSM vs. CDMA ), or are insecure for one’s purposes. There might be satellite communi- cations, but its access might be...Ave. Latency (Unloaded) Ave. Latency (Overloaded) Std Dev. (Unloaded) Std Dev. (Overloaded) M ill is ec on ds AOI UAV UAV 1 UAV 2 UAV 3 Joseph

Applications of unmanned aerial vehicles in weed science

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

For most producers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are a novelty that has been little employed in their agricultural operations. An UAV will not fix every problem on the farm, but there are some practical applications for which UAVs have demonstrated value. Three examples of how UAVs have been used...

Direct Georeferencing of Uav Data Based on Simple Building Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tampubolon, W.; Reinhardt, W.

2016-06-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data acquisition is more flexible compared with the more complex traditional airborne data acquisition. This advantage puts UAV platforms in a position as an alternative acquisition method in many applications including Large Scale Topographical Mapping (LSTM). LSTM, i.e. larger or equal than 1:10.000 map scale, is one of a number of prominent priority tasks to be solved in an accelerated way especially in third world developing countries such as Indonesia. As one component of fundamental geospatial data sets, large scale topographical maps are mandatory in order to enable detailed spatial planning. However, the accuracy of the products derived from the UAV data are normally not sufficient for LSTM as it needs robust georeferencing, which requires additional costly efforts such as the incorporation of sophisticated GPS Inertial Navigation System (INS) or Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) on the platform and/or Ground Control Point (GCP) data on the ground. To reduce the costs and the weight on the UAV alternative solutions have to be found. This paper outlines a direct georeferencing method of UAV data by providing image orientation parameters derived from simple building structures and presents results of an investigation on the achievable results in a LSTM application. In this case, the image orientation determination has been performed through sequential images without any input from INS/IMU equipment. The simple building structures play a significant role in such a way that geometrical characteristics have been considered. Some instances are the orthogonality of the building's wall/rooftop and the local knowledge of the building orientation in the field. In addition, we want to include the Structure from Motion (SfM) approach in order to reduce the number of required GCPs especially for the absolute orientation purpose. The SfM technique applied to the UAV data and simple building structures additionally presents an effective tool for the LSTM application at low cost. Our results show that image orientation calculations from building structure essentially improve the accuracy of direct georeferencing procedure adjusted also by the GCPs. To gain three dimensional (3D) point clouds in local coordinate system, an extraction procedure has been performed by using Agisoft Photo Scan. Subsequently, a Digital Surface Model (DSM) generated from the acquired data is the main output for LSTM that has to be assessed using standard field and conventional mapping workflows. For an appraisal, our DSM is compared directly with a similar DSM obtained by conventional airborne data acquisition using Leica RCD-30 metric camera as well as Trimble Phase One (P65+) camera. The comparison reveals that our approach can achieve meter level accuracy both in planimetric and vertical dimensions.

Mission planning for autonomous systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, G.

1987-01-01

Planning is a necessary task for intelligent, adaptive systems operating independently of human controllers. A mission planning system that performs task planning by decomposing a high-level mission objective into subtasks and synthesizing a plan for those tasks at varying levels of abstraction is discussed. Researchers use a blackboard architecture to partition the search space and direct the focus of attention of the planner. Using advanced planning techniques, they can control plan synthesis for the complex planning tasks involved in mission planning.

Air Force UAV’s: The Secret History

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

iA Mitchell Institute Study i Air Force UAVs The Secret History A Mitchell Institute Study July 2010 By Thomas P. Ehrhard Report Documentation Page...DATES COVERED 00-00-2010 to 00-00-2010 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Air Force UAVs The Secret History 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c... The Secret History 2 Air Force UAVs: The Secret History2 air Force uaVs: The secret history Has any airplane in the past decade captured the public

Background for Joint Systems Aspects of AIR 6000

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-04-01

Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology [7, 8,9]. The analytical techniques that are proposed for joint systems work are based on calculating probability...Supporting Global Interests 21 DSTO-CR-0155 SLMP Structural Life Management Plan SOW Stand-Off Weapon SSM Soft Systems Methodology UAV Uninhabited Aerial... Systems Methodology in Action, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 1990. [101 Pearl, Judea, Probabilistic Reasoning in Intelligent Systems: Networks of Plausible

Precision wildlife monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodgson, Jarrod C.; Baylis, Shane M.; Mott, Rowan; Herrod, Ashley; Clarke, Rohan H.

2016-03-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a new frontier in environmental research. Their use has the potential to revolutionise the field if they prove capable of improving data quality or the ease with which data are collected beyond traditional methods. We apply UAV technology to wildlife monitoring in tropical and polar environments and demonstrate that UAV-derived counts of colony nesting birds are an order of magnitude more precise than traditional ground counts. The increased count precision afforded by UAVs, along with their ability to survey hard-to-reach populations and places, will likely drive many wildlife monitoring projects that rely on population counts to transition from traditional methods to UAV technology. Careful consideration will be required to ensure the coherence of historic data sets with new UAV-derived data and we propose a method for determining the number of duplicated (concurrent UAV and ground counts) sampling points needed to achieve data compatibility.

A Programmable SDN+NFV Architecture for UAV Telemetry Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Kyle J. S.; Pezaros, Dimitrios P.; Denney, Ewen; Knudson, Matt D.

2017-01-01

With the explosive growth in UAV numbers forecast worldwide, a core concern is how to manage the ad-hoc network configuration required for mobility management. As UAVs migrate among ground control stations, associated network services, routing and operational control must also rapidly migrate to ensure a seamless transition. In this paper, we present a novel, lightweight and modular architecture which supports high mobility, resilience and flexibility through the application of SDN and NFV principles on top of the UAV infrastructure. By combining SDN programmability and Network Function Virtualization we can achieve resilient infrastructure migration of network services, such as network monitoring and anomaly detection, coupled with migrating UAVs to enable high mobility management. Our container-based monitoring and anomaly detection Network Functions (NFs) can be tuned to specific UAV models providing operators better insight during live, high-mobility deployments. We evaluate our architecture against telemetry from over 80flights from a scientific research UAV infrastructure.

Multiple Event Localization in a Sparse Acoustic Sensor Network Using UAVs as Data Mules

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government , and no official endorsement should be inferred. Path Acoustic Sensor Communication Footprint...a Microhard radio to forward the ToAs to the mule-UAV. Two Procerus Unicorn UAVs were used with different payloads. The imaging- UAV was equipped

UAV-guided navigation for ground robot tele-operation in a military reconnaissance environment.

PubMed

Chen, Jessie Y C

2010-08-01

A military reconnaissance environment was simulated to examine the performance of ground robotics operators who were instructed to utilise streaming video from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to navigate his/her ground robot to the locations of the targets. The effects of participants' spatial ability on their performance and workload were also investigated. Results showed that participants' overall performance (speed and accuracy) was better when she/he had access to images from larger UAVs with fixed orientations, compared with other UAV conditions (baseline- no UAV, micro air vehicle and UAV with orbiting views). Participants experienced the highest workload when the UAV was orbiting. Those individuals with higher spatial ability performed significantly better and reported less workload than those with lower spatial ability. The results of the current study will further understanding of ground robot operators' target search performance based on streaming video from UAVs. The results will also facilitate the implementation of ground/air robots in military environments and will be useful to the future military system design and training community.

Development of Open source-based automatic shooting and processing UAV imagery for Orthoimage Using Smart Camera UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J. W.; Jeong, H. H.; Kim, J. S.; Choi, C. U.

2016-06-01

Recently, aerial photography with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system uses UAV and remote controls through connections of ground control system using bandwidth of about 430 MHz radio Frequency (RF) modem. However, as mentioned earlier, existing method of using RF modem has limitations in long distance communication. The Smart Camera equipments's LTE (long-term evolution), Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi to implement UAV that uses developed UAV communication module system carried out the close aerial photogrammetry with the automatic shooting. Automatic shooting system is an image capturing device for the drones in the area's that needs image capturing and software for loading a smart camera and managing it. This system is composed of automatic shooting using the sensor of smart camera and shooting catalog management which manages filmed images and information. Processing UAV imagery module used Open Drone Map. This study examined the feasibility of using the Smart Camera as the payload for a photogrammetric UAV system. The open soure tools used for generating Android, OpenCV (Open Computer Vision), RTKLIB, Open Drone Map.

Multi-UAV Routing for Area Coverage and Remote Sensing with Minimum Time

PubMed Central

Avellar, Gustavo S. C.; Pereira, Guilherme A. S.; Pimenta, Luciano C. A.; Iscold, Paulo

2015-01-01

This paper presents a solution for the problem of minimum time coverage of ground areas using a group of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) equipped with image sensors. The solution is divided into two parts: (i) the task modeling as a graph whose vertices are geographic coordinates determined in such a way that a single UAV would cover the area in minimum time; and (ii) the solution of a mixed integer linear programming problem, formulated according to the graph variables defined in the first part, to route the team of UAVs over the area. The main contribution of the proposed methodology, when compared with the traditional vehicle routing problem’s (VRP) solutions, is the fact that our method solves some practical problems only encountered during the execution of the task with actual UAVs. In this line, one of the main contributions of the paper is that the number of UAVs used to cover the area is automatically selected by solving the optimization problem. The number of UAVs is influenced by the vehicles’ maximum flight time and by the setup time, which is the time needed to prepare and launch a UAV. To illustrate the methodology, the paper presents experimental results obtained with two hand-launched, fixed-wing UAVs. PMID:26540055

Multi-UAV Routing for Area Coverage and Remote Sensing with Minimum Time.

PubMed

Avellar, Gustavo S C; Pereira, Guilherme A S; Pimenta, Luciano C A; Iscold, Paulo

2015-11-02

This paper presents a solution for the problem of minimum time coverage of ground areas using a group of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) equipped with image sensors. The solution is divided into two parts: (i) the task modeling as a graph whose vertices are geographic coordinates determined in such a way that a single UAV would cover the area in minimum time; and (ii) the solution of a mixed integer linear programming problem, formulated according to the graph variables defined in the first part, to route the team of UAVs over the area. The main contribution of the proposed methodology, when compared with the traditional vehicle routing problem's (VRP) solutions, is the fact that our method solves some practical problems only encountered during the execution of the task with actual UAVs. In this line, one of the main contributions of the paper is that the number of UAVs used to cover the area is automatically selected by solving the optimization problem. The number of UAVs is influenced by the vehicles' maximum flight time and by the setup time, which is the time needed to prepare and launch a UAV. To illustrate the methodology, the paper presents experimental results obtained with two hand-launched, fixed-wing UAVs.

Assessing UAVs in Monitoring Crop Evapotranspiration within a Heterogeneous Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouze, G.; Neely, H.; Morgan, C.; Kustas, W. P.; McKee, L.; Prueger, J. H.; Cope, D.; Yang, C.; Thomasson, A.; Jung, J.

2017-12-01

Airborne and satellite remote sensing methods have been developed to provide ET estimates across entire management fields. However, airborne-based ET is not particularly cost-effective and satellite-based ET provides insufficient spatial/temporal information. ET estimations through remote sensing are also problematic where soils are highly variable within a given management field. Unlike airborne/satellite-based ET, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based ET has the potential to increase the spatial and temporal detail of these measurements, particularly within a heterogeneous soil landscape. However, it is unclear to what extent UAVs can model ET. The overall goal of this project was to assess the capability of UAVs in modeling ET across a heterogeneous landscape. Within a 20-ha irrigated cotton field in Central Texas, low-altitude UAV surveys were conducted throughout the growing season over two soil types. UAVs were equipped with thermal and multispectral cameras to obtain canopy temperature and NDVI, respectively. UAV data were supplemented simultaneously with ground-truth measurements such as Leaf Area Index (LAI) and plant height. Both remote sensing and ground-truth parameters were used to model ET using a Two-Source Energy Balance (TSEB) model. UAV-based estimations of ET and other energy balance components were validated against energy balance measurements obtained from nearby eddy covariance towers that were installed within each soil type. UAV-based ET fluxes were also compared with airborne and satellite (Landsat 8)-based ET fluxes collected near the time of the UAV survey.

Development and evaluation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) magnetometry systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parvar, Kiyavash

In this thesis, the procedure of conducting magnetic surveys from a UAV platform is investigated. In the process of evaluating UAVs for such surveys, magnetic sensors capable of operating on a UAV platform were tested using a terrestrial survey, as well as on a UAV-platform. Results were then compared to a model of the area generated using a proton precession magnetometer. Magnetic signature of the UAVs are discussed and impact values are calculated. For a better understanding of the magnetic fields around UAVs some micro-surveys were conducted with the help of a fluxgate magnetometer around two UAVs. Results of such surveys were used to determine a location to mount the magnetometer during the survey. A test survey over a known anomaly (a visible chromite outcrop in Oman) is conducted in order to determine the feasibility of using UAV-based magnetometry for chromite exploration. Observations were taken at two different elevations in order to generate a 3-D model of the magnetic field. Later, after applying upward continuation filters and comparing the calculated results to the real values, the reliability and uncertainty levels of such filters were investigated. Results show that magnetometery on UAV platforms is feasible. Unwanted signals can be noticeable and produce fake anomalies by the end of each line because of the swinging effect of the suspended magnetometer below the UAV. This should be reduced by hardware and software modifications i.e. applying non-linear filters and mounting the sensor on a rigid rod. Also, it was derived that the error level associated with upward continuation filters exceeds 45% and thus, using such filters instead of actual observations is not suggested in gradiometry. Moreover, 3-D magnetic gradient surveys can be beneficial for future inversion problems.

Evaluating the accuracy of orthophotos and 3D models from UAV photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julge, Kalev; Ellmann, Artu

2015-04-01

Rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in recent years has made their use for various applications more feasible. This contribution evaluates the accuracy and quality of different UAV remote sensing products (i.e. orthorectified image, point cloud and 3D model). Two different autonomous fixed wing UAV systems were used to collect the aerial photographs. One is a mass-produced commercial UAV system, the other is a similar state-of-the-art UAV system. Three different study areas with varying sizes and characteristics (including urban areas, forests, fields, etc.) were surveyed. The UAV point clouds, 3D models and orthophotos were generated with three different commercial and free-ware software. The performance of each of these was evaluated. The effect of flying height on the accuracy of the results was explored, as well as the optimum number and placement of ground control points. Also the achieved results, when the only georeferencing data originates from the UAV system's on-board GNSS and inertial measurement unit, are investigated. Problems regarding the alignment of certain types of aerial photos (e.g. captured over forested areas) are discussed. The quality and accuracy of UAV photogrammetry products are evaluated by comparing them with control measurements made with GNSS-measurements on the ground, as well as high-resolution airborne laser scanning data and other available orthophotos (e.g. those acquired for large scale national mapping). Vertical comparisons are made on surfaces that have remained unchanged in all campaigns, e.g. paved roads. Planar comparisons are performed by control surveys of objects that are clearly identifiable on orthophotos. The statistics of these differences are used to evaluate the accuracy of UAV remote sensing. Some recommendations are given on how to conduct UAV mapping campaigns cost-effectively and with minimal time-consumption while still ensuring the quality and accuracy of the UAV data products. Also the benefits and drawbacks of UAV remote sensing compared to more traditional methods (e.g. national mapping from airplanes or direct measurements on the ground with GNSS devices or total stations) are outlined.

A mission planning concept and mission planning system for future manned space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wickler, Martin

1994-01-01

The international character of future manned space missions will compel the involvement of several international space agencies in mission planning tasks. Additionally, the community of users requires a higher degree of freedom for experiment planning. Both of these problems can be solved by a decentralized mission planning concept using the so-called 'envelope method,' by which resources are allocated to users by distributing resource profiles ('envelopes') which define resource availabilities at specified times. The users are essentially free to plan their activities independently of each other, provided that they stay within their envelopes. The new developments were aimed at refining the existing vague envelope concept into a practical method for decentralized planning. Selected critical functions were exercised by planning an example, founded on experience acquired by the MSCC during the Spacelab missions D-1 and D-2. The main activity regarding future mission planning tasks was to improve the existing MSCC mission planning system, using new techniques. An electronic interface was developed to collect all formalized user inputs more effectively, along with an 'envelope generator' for generation and manipulation of the resource envelopes. The existing scheduler and its data base were successfully replaced by an artificial intelligence scheduler. This scheduler is not only capable of handling resource envelopes, but also uses a new technology based on neuronal networks. Therefore, it is very well suited to solve the future scheduling problems more efficiently. This prototype mission planning system was used to gain new practical experience with decentralized mission planning, using the envelope method. In future steps, software tools will be optimized, and all data management planning activities will be embedded into the scheduler.

Archaeology, historical site risk assessment and monitoring by UAV: approaches and case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecci, Antonio; Masini, Nicola

2016-04-01

Non-invasive methods for archaeological research, like geophysical prospecting, aerial and satellite remote sensing, integrated with field survey activity, can make a large quantity of data essential for both operational uses and scientific purposes: from the detection of buried remains to risk assessment and monitoring (Lasaponara & Masini 2012; 2013; Lasaponara et al. 2016). Among the latest non-invasive methods there are the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) platforms, a real innovation, which proved to be capable for a variety of fields of applications, from the topographic survey to the monitoring of infrastructures. In the field of cultural heritage, for purposes ranging from the documentation to the detection of archaeological features, the use of UAVs is extremely functional, efficient and low-cost. Moreover, UAV flight requires much less time than that required by an Aircraft. A traditional aircraft must take off from an airport, sometimes far from the work area, while a drone, particularly rotary wing, can be transported in the area of interest and take off directly from there in a few minutes. The reason of the success of UAV are also the innovative vision, the very high-resolution of the obtainable products (orthophoto, digital elevations models) and the availability of easy tools of image processing based on Structure from Motion (SfM). (Neitzel & Klonowski 2011; Nex & Remondino 2013). SfM is a range imaging technique which allows to estimate three-dimensional objects from two-dimensional image sequences which may be coupled with local motion signals. Respect to conventional photogrammetry which requires a single stereo-pair, SfM needs multiple, overlapping photographs as input to feature extraction and 3-D reconstruction algorithms. In SfM the geometry of the scene, camera positions and orientation are solved simultaneously using a highly redundant, iterative bundle adjustment procedure, based on a database of features automatically extracted from a set of multiple overlapping images. The usefulness of UAV-based investigations has been given by its integrability with other methods of remote sensing including geophysics, optical and SAR satellite remote sensing. The presentation deals with the methodological approaches and the results in three historical sites for different applications such as: 1) archaeological site discovery, 2) the study and observation of archaeological looting and 3) the 3d reconstruction of building and sites. In the case 1) UAV has been used for the creation of orthophotos and digital elevantion models (DEMs) as well as the identification of archaeological marks and microrelief, as proxy indicators of the presence of archaeological buried remains. The obtained information have been compared and integrated with those provided by georadar and geomagnetic prospections. The investigated site is a medieval settlement, including a benedectine monastery, dated to 12-15th century. It is San Pietro a Cellaria, located in the territory of Calvello, in Basilicata (Southern Italy). The multisensor integrated approach allowed to identify several features referable to buried structures of the monastery (Leucci et al. 2015; Roubis et al. 2015). In the case 2) UAVs have been used for the identification and analysis of traces of grave robbers, in the territory of Anzi (Basilicata). Since the end of the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century, hundreds of tombs of the Archaic, Lucan and Roman age have been destroyed and stolen. The case 3) is related to the ceremonial centre of Pachacamac in Peru, which was investigated for several years by the international mission ITACA (Italian scientific mission for heritage Conservation and Archaeogeophysics) of IBAM/IMAA CNR of Potenza (Italy) (Lasaponara et al. 2016b). For more than 2,000 years, Pachacamac was one of the main centers of religious cult keeping this role unchanged in different historical periods and for different cultures such as Chavin, Lima, Huari, Ychma and Inca. A test site has been selected to assess the capability of SAR satellite data for the identification of earthen archaeological features. UAV surveys have been performed to provide a very detail DEM enabling us to analyze and interpret the radar signal backscattering behaviour of archaeological microrelief and structures. In all the three applications UAV proved to be an effective, user-friendly, less time consuming, flexible tool for a number of applications and aims ranging from from the site detection to the risk evaluation of archaeological interest areas. References Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2012. Remote Sensing in Archaeology: From Visual Data Interpretation to Digital Data Manipulation, In: Lasaponara R., Masini N. (Eds) 2012, Satellite Remote Sensing: a new tool for Archaeology, Springer, Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, ISBN 978-90-481-8800-0, pp. 3-16, doi : 10.1007/978-90-481-8801-7_1. Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2013, Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar in Archaeology and Cultural Landscape: An Overview. Archaeological Prospection, 20, 71-78, doi: 10.1002/arp.1452 Lasaponara R., Leucci G., Masini N., Persico R., Scardozzi G. 2016a. Towards an operative use of remote sensing for exploring the past using satellite data: The case study of Hierapolis (Turkey), Remote sensing of Environment, 174 (2016) : 148-164, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2015.12.016 Lasaponara R., Masini N., Pecci A., Perciante F., Pozzi Escot D., Rizzo E., Scavone M., Sileo M. 2016b, Qualitative evaluation of COSMO SkyMed in the detection of earthen archaeological remains: the case of Pachamacac (Peru)", Journal of Cultural heritage, 2016, in press. Leucci G., Masini N., Rizzo E., Capozzoli L., De Martino G. et al., Integrated Archaeogeophysical Approach for the Study of a Medieval Monastic Settlement in Basilicata, Open Archaeology 2015; 1: 236-246, doi: 10.1515/opar-2015-0014. F. Neitzel, J. Klonowski, Mobile 3d mapping with a low-cost UAV system, Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XXXVIII-1/C22 (2011) 39-44. F. Nex, F. Remondino, UAV for 3D Mapping Applications: A Review. Applied Geomatics, 6 (2013) 1-15. D. Roubis, F. Sogliani, N Masini, V Vitale, G Leucci, E Rizzo, Archeologia dei paesaggi montani in Basilicata: una ricerca integata nel territorio di Calvello, PZ (Basilicata), "Il capitale Culturale". Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage, XII (2015), 385-419, ISSN 2039-2362

UAV Research, Operations, and Flight Test at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosentino, Gary B.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews some of the projects that have extended NASA Dryden's capabilities in designing, testing, and using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's). Some of the UAV's have been for Science and experimental applications, some have been for flight research and demonstration purposes, and some have been small UAV's for other customers.

The Rise of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and its Effect on Manned Tactical Aviation

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-16

changes, including the addition of greater numbers of UAVs to their inventory . 4 The UAV while providing valuable information they do so at a cost...have some form of manned and unmanned platforms. Estimates of the world’s UAV inventory include more than 600 types of UAVs in over forty countries...

Time-Critical Cooperative Path Following of Multiple UAVs: Case Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-30

control algorithm for UAVs in 3D space. Section IV derives a strategy for time-critical cooperative path following of multiple UAVs that relies on the...UAVs in 3D space, in which a fleet of UAVs is tasked to converge to and follow a set of desired feasible paths so as to meet spatial and temporal...cooperative trajectory generation is not addressed in this paper. In fact, it is assumed that a set of desired 3D time trajectories pd,i(td) : R → R3

Thermocouple-based Temperature Sensing System for Chemical Cell Inside Micro UAV Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yanhui; Feng, Yue; Lou, Haozhe; Zhang, Xinzhao

2018-03-01

Environmental temperature of UAV system is crucial for chemical cell component inside. Once the temperature of this chemical cell is over 259 °C and keeps more than 20 min, the high thermal accumulation would result in an explosion, which seriously damage the whole UAV system. Therefore, we develop a micro temperature sensing system for monitoring the temperature of chemical cell thermally influenced by UAV device deployed in a 300 °C temperature environment, which is quite useful for insensitive munitions and UAV safety enhancement technologies.

Planning for the V&V of infused software technologies for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Fesq, Lorraine M.; Ingham, Michel D.; Klein, Suzanne L.; Nelson, Stacy D.

2004-01-01

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission is planning to make use of advanced software technologies in order to support fulfillment of its ambitious science objectives. The mission plans to adopt the Mission Data System (MDS) as the mission software architecture, and plans to make significant use of on-board autonomous capabilities for the rover software.

Automated Planning and Scheduling for Orbital Express (151)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Russell

2008-01-01

The challenging timeline for DARPA's Orbital Express mission demanded a flexible, responsive, and (above all) safe approach to mission planning. Because the mission was a technology demonstration, pertinent planning information was learned during actual mission execution. This information led to amendments to procedures, which led to changes in the mission plan. In general, we used the ASPEN planner scheduler to generate and validate the mission plans. We enhanced ASPEN to enable it to reason about uncertainty. We also developed a model generator that would read the text of a procedure and translate it into an ASPEN model. These technologies had a significant impact on the success of the Orbital Express mission.

Getting the GeoSTAR Instrument Concept Ready for a Space Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambrigtsen, B.; Gaier, T.; Kangaslahti, P.; Lim, B.; Tanner, A.; Ruf, C.

2011-01-01

The Geostationary Synthetic Thinned Array Radiometer - GeoSTAR - is a microwave sounder intended for geostationary satellites. First proposed for the EO-3 New Millennium mission in 1999, the technology has since been developed under the Instrument Incubator Program. Under IIP-03 a proof-of-concept demonstrator operating in the temperature sounding 50 GHz band was developed to show that the aperture synthesis concept results in a realizable, stable and accurate imaging-sounding radiometer. Some of the most challenging technology, such as miniature low-power 183- GHz receivers used for water vapor sounding, was developed under IIP-07. The first such receiver has recently been adapted for use in the High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR), which was previously developed under IIP-98. This receiver represents a new state of the art and outperforms the previous benchmark by an order of magnitude in radiometric sensitivity. It was first used in the GRIP hurricane field campaign in 2010, where HAMSR became the first microwave sounder to fly on the Global Hawk UAV. Now, under IIP-10, we will develop flight-like subsystems and a brassboard testing system, which will facilitate rapid implementation of a space mission. GeoSTAR is the baseline payload for the Precipitation and All-weather Temperature and Humidity (PATH) mission - one of NASA's 15 "decadal-survey" missions. Although PATH is currently in the third tier of those missions, the IIP efforts have advanced the required technology to a point where a space mission can be initiated in a time frame commensurate with second-tier missions. An even earlier Venture mission is also being considered.

Streamlining Collaborative Planning in Spacecraft Mission Architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misra, Dhariti; Bopf, Michel; Fishman, Mark; Jones, Jeremy; Kerbel, Uri; Pell, Vince

2000-01-01

During the past two decades, the planning and scheduling community has substantially increased the capability and efficiency of individual planning and scheduling systems. Relatively recently, research work to streamline collaboration between planning systems is gaining attention. Spacecraft missions stand to benefit substantially from this work as they require the coordination of multiple planning organizations and planning systems. Up to the present time this coordination has demanded a great deal of human intervention and/or extensive custom software development efforts. This problem will become acute with increased requirements for cross-mission plan coordination and multi -spacecraft mission planning. The Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is taking innovative steps to define collaborative planning architectures, and to identify coordinated planning tools for Cross-Mission Campaigns. Prototypes are being developed to validate these architectures and assess the usefulness of the coordination tools by the planning community. This presentation will focus on one such planning coordination too], named Visual Observation Layout Tool (VOLT), which is currently being developed to streamline the coordination between astronomical missions

Top-down and Bottom-up aerosol-cloud-closure: towards understanding sources of unvertainty in deriving cloud radiative flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, K.; Roberts, G.; Calmer, R.; Nicoll, K.; Hashimshoni, E.; Rosenfeld, D.; Ovadnevaite, J.; Preissler, J.; Ceburnis, D.; O'Dowd, C. D. D.; Russell, L. M.

2017-12-01

Top-down and bottom-up aerosol-cloud shortwave radiative flux closures were conducted at the Mace Head atmospheric research station in Galway, Ireland in August 2015. Instrument platforms include ground-based, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and satellite measurements of aerosols, clouds and meteorological variables. The ground-based and airborne measurements of aerosol size distributions and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration were used to initiate a 1D microphysical aerosol-cloud parcel model (ACPM). UAVs were equipped for a specific science mission, with an optical particle counter for aerosol distribution profiles, a cloud sensor to measure cloud extinction, or a 5-hole probe for 3D wind vectors. These are the first UAV measurements at Mace Head. ACPM simulations are compared to in-situ cloud extinction measurements from UAVs to quantify closure in terms of cloud shortwave radiative flux. Two out of seven cases exhibit sub-adiabatic vertical temperature profiles within the cloud, which suggests that entrainment processes affect cloud microphysical properties and lead to an overestimate of simulated cloud shortwave radiative flux. Including an entrainment parameterization and explicitly calculating the entrainment fraction in the ACPM simulations both improved cloud-top radiative closure. Entrainment reduced the difference between simulated and observation-derived cloud-top shortwave radiative flux (δRF) by between 25 W m-2 and 60 W m-2. After accounting for entrainment, satellite-derived cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) were within 30% of simulated CDNC. In cases with a well-mixed boundary layer, δRF is no greater than 20 W m-2 after accounting for cloud-top entrainment, and up to 50 W m-2 when entrainment is not taken into account. In cases with a decoupled boundary layer, cloud microphysical properties are inconsistent with ground-based aerosol measurements, as expected, and δRF is as high as 88 W m-2, even high (> 30 W m-2) after accounting for cloud-top entrainment. This work demonstrates the need to take in-situ measurements of aerosol properties for cases where the boundary layer is decoupled as well as consider cloud-top entrainment to accurately model stratocumulus cloud radiative flux.

Top-down and Bottom-up aerosol-cloud-closure: towards understanding sources of unvertainty in deriving cloud radiative flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, K.; Roberts, G.; Calmer, R.; Nicoll, K.; Hashimshoni, E.; Rosenfeld, D.; Ovadnevaite, J.; Preissler, J.; Ceburnis, D.; O'Dowd, C. D. D.; Russell, L. M.

2016-12-01

Top-down and bottom-up aerosol-cloud shortwave radiative flux closures were conducted at the Mace Head atmospheric research station in Galway, Ireland in August 2015. Instrument platforms include ground-based, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and satellite measurements of aerosols, clouds and meteorological variables. The ground-based and airborne measurements of aerosol size distributions and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration were used to initiate a 1D microphysical aerosol-cloud parcel model (ACPM). UAVs were equipped for a specific science mission, with an optical particle counter for aerosol distribution profiles, a cloud sensor to measure cloud extinction, or a 5-hole probe for 3D wind vectors. These are the first UAV measurements at Mace Head. ACPM simulations are compared to in-situ cloud extinction measurements from UAVs to quantify closure in terms of cloud shortwave radiative flux. Two out of seven cases exhibit sub-adiabatic vertical temperature profiles within the cloud, which suggests that entrainment processes affect cloud microphysical properties and lead to an overestimate of simulated cloud shortwave radiative flux. Including an entrainment parameterization and explicitly calculating the entrainment fraction in the ACPM simulations both improved cloud-top radiative closure. Entrainment reduced the difference between simulated and observation-derived cloud-top shortwave radiative flux (δRF) by between 25 W m-2 and 60 W m-2. After accounting for entrainment, satellite-derived cloud droplet number concentrations (CDNC) were within 30% of simulated CDNC. In cases with a well-mixed boundary layer, δRF is no greater than 20 W m-2 after accounting for cloud-top entrainment, and up to 50 W m-2 when entrainment is not taken into account. In cases with a decoupled boundary layer, cloud microphysical properties are inconsistent with ground-based aerosol measurements, as expected, and δRF is as high as 88 W m-2, even high (> 30 W m-2) after accounting for cloud-top entrainment. This work demonstrates the need to take in-situ measurements of aerosol properties for cases where the boundary layer is decoupled as well as consider cloud-top entrainment to accurately model stratocumulus cloud radiative flux.

Experiment on Uav Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Ict-Integrated Construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Wakutsu, R.; Kato, T.; Wakaizumi, T.; Ooishi, T.; Matsuoka, R.

2017-08-01

In the 2016 fiscal year the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan started a program integrating construction and ICT in earthwork and concrete placing. The new program named "i-Construction" focusing on productivity improvement adopts such new technologies as UAV photogrammetry and TLS. We report a field experiment to investigate whether the procedures of UAV photogrammetry and TLS following the standards for "i-Construction" are feasible or not. In the experiment we measured an embankment of about 80 metres by 160 metres immediately after earthwork was done on the embankment. We used two sets of UAV and camera in the experiment. One is a larger UAV enRoute Zion QC730 and its onboard camera Sony α6000. The other is a smaller UAV DJI Phantom 4 and its dedicated onboard camera. Moreover, we used a terrestrial laser scanner FARO Focus3D X330 based on the phase shift principle. The experiment results indicate that the procedures of UAV photogrammetry using a QC730 with an α6000 and TLS using a Focus3D X330 following the standards for "i-Construction" would be feasible. Furthermore, the experiment results show that UAV photogrammetry using a lower price UAV Phantom 4 was unable to satisfy the accuracy requirement for "i-Construction." The cause of the low accuracy by Phantom 4 is under investigation. We also found that the difference of image resolution on the ground would not have a great influence on the measurement accuracy in UAV photogrammetry.

Using Public Network Infrastructures for UAV Remote Sensing in Civilian Security Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

leveraging public wireless communication networks for UAV-based sensor networks with respect to existing constraints and user requirements...Detection with an Autonomous Micro UAV Mesh Network . In the near future police departments, fire brigades and other homeland security ...UAV-based sensor networks with respect to existing constraints and user requirements. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION

Commercial vs professional UAVs for mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolakopoulos, Konstantinos G.; Koukouvelas, Ioannis

2017-09-01

The continuous advancements in the technology behind Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), in accordance with the consecutive decrease to their cost and the availability of photogrammetric software, make the use of UAVs an excellent tool for large scale mapping. In addition with the use of UAVs, the problems of increased costs, time consumption and the possible terrain accessibility problems, are significantly reduced. However, despite the growing number of UAV applications there has been a little quantitative assessment of UAV performance and of the quality of the derived products (orthophotos and Digital Surface Models). Here, we present results from field experiments designed to evaluate the accuracy of photogrammetrically-derived digital surface models (DSM) developed from imagery acquired with onboard digital cameras. We also show the comparison of the high resolution vs moderate resolution imagery for largescale geomorphic mapping. The acquired data analyzed in this study comes from a small commercial and a professional UAV. The test area was mapped using the same photogrammetric grid by the two UAVs. 3D models, DSMs and orthophotos were created using special software. Those products were compared to in situ survey measurements and the results are presented in this paper.

Long Corridor Survey for High Voltage Power Lines Design Using Uav

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skarlatos, D.; Vamvakousis, V.

2017-11-01

The term Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is often directly associated with the armed forces due to their widely-criticized use of such vehicles on the modern battlefield. However, with the advancement of UAV technology, the acquisition and operational cost of small civilian UAV have reduced while their functionalities have increased. Therefore, a wide variety of new civilian applications have emerged. Mapping industry has been benefited as affordable UAV can partially replace traditional platforms, such as helicopters and small aircrafts, for low altitude photography acquisition. Although relatively new to the industry, the use of UAV is rapidly commercialized and they are expected to have a sizeable impact on the mapping industry in the coming years. The aim of this work was to test the use of a low-cost UAV for orthophoto production and Digital Surface Model (DSM) creation, to be used for the design of a new 23km high voltage line of Electricity Authority of Cyprus.

Unmanned air vehicle: autonomous takeoff and landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, K. L.; Gitano-Briggs, Horizon Walker

2010-03-01

UAVs are increasing in popularity and sophistication due to the demonstrated performance which cannot be attained by manned aircraft1. These developments have been made possible by development of sensors, instrumentation, telemetry and controls during the last few decades. UAVs are now common in areas such as aerial observation and as communication relays3. Most UAVs, however, are still flown by a human pilot via remote control from a ground station. Even the existing autonomous UAVs often require a human pilot to handle the most difficult tasks of take off and landing2 (TOL). This is mainly because the navigation of the airplane requires observation, constant situational assessment and hours of experience from the pilot himself4. Therefore, an autonomous takeoff and landing system (TLS) for UAVs using a few practical design rules with various sensors, instrumentation, etc has been developed. This paper details the design and modeling of the UAV TLS. The model indicates that the UAV's TLS shows promising stability.

Unmanned air vehicle: autonomous takeoff and landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, K. L.; Gitano-Briggs, Horizon Walker

2009-12-01

UAVs are increasing in popularity and sophistication due to the demonstrated performance which cannot be attained by manned aircraft1. These developments have been made possible by development of sensors, instrumentation, telemetry and controls during the last few decades. UAVs are now common in areas such as aerial observation and as communication relays3. Most UAVs, however, are still flown by a human pilot via remote control from a ground station. Even the existing autonomous UAVs often require a human pilot to handle the most difficult tasks of take off and landing2 (TOL). This is mainly because the navigation of the airplane requires observation, constant situational assessment and hours of experience from the pilot himself4. Therefore, an autonomous takeoff and landing system (TLS) for UAVs using a few practical design rules with various sensors, instrumentation, etc has been developed. This paper details the design and modeling of the UAV TLS. The model indicates that the UAV's TLS shows promising stability.

Concept and realization of unmanned aerial system with different modes of operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Czyba, Roman; Szafrański, Grzegorz; Janusz, Wojciech

2014-12-10

In this paper we describe the development process of unmanned aerial system, its mechanical components, electronics and software solutions. During the stage of design, we have formulated some necessary requirements for the multirotor vehicle and ground control station in order to build an optimal system which can be used for the reconnaissance missions. Platform is controlled by use of the ground control station (GCS) and has possibility of accomplishing video based observation tasks. In order to fulfill this requirement the on-board payload consists of mechanically stabilized camera augmented with machine vision algorithms to enable object tracking tasks. Novelty of themore » system are four modes of flight, which give full functionality of the developed UAV system. Designed ground control station is consisted not only of the application itself, but also a built-in dedicated components located inside the chassis, which together creates an advanced UAV system supporting the control and management of the flight. Mechanical part of quadrotor is designed to ensure its robustness while meeting objectives of minimizing weight of the platform. Finally the designed electronics allows for implementation of control and estimation algorithms without the needs for their excessive computational optimization.« less

Unmanned aerial monitoring of fluvial changes in the vicinity of selected gauges of the Local System for Flood Monitoring in Klodzko County, SW Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeziorska, Justyna; Witek, Matylda; Niedzielski, Tomasz

2013-04-01

Only high resolution spatial data enable precise measurements of various morphometric characteristics of river channels and ensure meaningful effects of research into fluvial changes. Using ground-based measurement tools is time-consuming and expensive. Traditional photogrammetry often does not reach a desired resolution, and the technology is cost effective only for the large-area coverage. The present research introduces potentials of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) for monitoring fluvial changes. Observations were carried out with the ultralight UAV swinglet CAM produced by senseFly. This lightweight (0,5 kg), small (wingspan: 80 cm) aircraft allowed frequent (with approximately monthly sampling resolution) and low-cost missions. Three hydrologic gauges, the surroundings of which were the target of series of photos taken by camera placed in airplane frame, belong to the Local System for Flood Monitoring in Kłodzko County (SW Poland). The only way of obtaining reliable results is an appropriate image rectification, in order to measure morphometric characteristics of terrain, free of geometrical deformations induced by the topographical relief, the tilt of the camera axis and the distortion of the optics. Commercially available software for the production of digital orthophotos and digital surface models (DSMs) from a range of uncalibrated oblique and vertical aerial images was successfully used to achieve this aim. As a result of completing the above procedure 9 orthophotos were generated (one for each of 3 study areas during 3 missions). For extraction of terrain parameters, a DSM was produced as a result of bundle block adjustment. Both products reached ultra-high resolution of 4cm/px. Various fluvial forms were classified and recognized, and a few time series of maps from each study area were compared in order to detect potential changes within the fluvial system. We inferred on the origins of the short-term responses of fluvial systems, and such an inference was feasible due to the analysis of metrological and hydrological data recorded by the Local System for Flood Monitoring in Kłodzko County. Orthophotos and DSMs, generated from imagery obtained by UAV, show high accuracy of results and are suitable for measuring fluvial changes. This approach moves beyond current restrictions of traditional data collecting, due to its unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution and low cost of application.

Assisted Perception, Planning and Control for Remote Mobility and Dexterous Manipulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-01

on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The underlying algorithm is based on an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) that simultaneously estimates robot state...and sensor biases. The filter developed provided a probabilistic fusion of sensor data from many modalities to produce a single consistent position...estimation for a walking humanoid. Given a prior map using a Gaussian particle filter , the LIDAR based system is able to provide a drift-free

Proceedings for the Advance Planning Briefing for Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-24

Liaison Office TOD - Technical Objective Documents TSR - Tactical Source Region UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UGT - UnderGround nuclear Test A G.EN D635I...tests in AURORA and underground nuclear tests ( UGT ) and will help develop tactical source region hardening requirements and lead to approaches for TSR...X-Ray theory , lasers, electronic controllers, computers, robotics, etc. Contracting for scientific studies and one-of-a-kind machines will emphasize

Uav Photogrammetry with Oblique Images: First Analysis on Data Acquisition and Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aicardi, I.; Chiabrando, F.; Grasso, N.; Lingua, A. M.; Noardo, F.; Spanò, A.

2016-06-01

In recent years, many studies revealed the advantages of using airborne oblique images for obtaining improved 3D city models (e.g. including façades and building footprints). Expensive airborne cameras, installed on traditional aerial platforms, usually acquired the data. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of acquire and use oblique images for the 3D reconstruction of a historical building, obtained by UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and traditional COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) digital cameras (more compact and lighter than generally used devices), for the realization of high-level-of-detail architectural survey. The critical issues of the acquisitions from a common UAV (flight planning strategies, ground control points, check points distribution and measurement, etc.) are described. Another important considered aspect was the evaluation of the possibility to use such systems as low cost methods for obtaining complete information from an aerial point of view in case of emergency problems or, as in the present paper, in the cultural heritage application field. The data processing was realized using SfM-based approach for point cloud generation: different dense image-matching algorithms implemented in some commercial and open source software were tested. The achieved results are analysed and the discrepancies from some reference LiDAR data are computed for a final evaluation. The system was tested on the S. Maria Chapel, a part of the Novalesa Abbey (Italy).

A Space-Time Network-Based Modeling Framework for Dynamic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Routing in Traffic Incident Monitoring Applications

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jisheng; Jia, Limin; Niu, Shuyun; Zhang, Fan; Tong, Lu; Zhou, Xuesong

2015-01-01

It is essential for transportation management centers to equip and manage a network of fixed and mobile sensors in order to quickly detect traffic incidents and further monitor the related impact areas, especially for high-impact accidents with dramatic traffic congestion propagation. As emerging small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) start to have a more flexible regulation environment, it is critically important to fully explore the potential for of using UAVs for monitoring recurring and non-recurring traffic conditions and special events on transportation networks. This paper presents a space-time network- based modeling framework for integrated fixed and mobile sensor networks, in order to provide a rapid and systematic road traffic monitoring mechanism. By constructing a discretized space-time network to characterize not only the speed for UAVs but also the time-sensitive impact areas of traffic congestion, we formulate the problem as a linear integer programming model to minimize the detection delay cost and operational cost, subject to feasible flying route constraints. A Lagrangian relaxation solution framework is developed to decompose the original complex problem into a series of computationally efficient time-dependent and least cost path finding sub-problems. Several examples are used to demonstrate the results of proposed models in UAVs’ route planning for small and medium-scale networks. PMID:26076404

Uav Photgrammetric Workflows: a best Practice Guideline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Federman, A.; Santana Quintero, M.; Kretz, S.; Gregg, J.; Lengies, M.; Ouimet, C.; Laliberte, J.

2017-08-01

The increasing commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has opened the possibility of performing low-cost aerial image acquisition for the documentation of cultural heritage sites through UAV photogrammetry. The flying of UAVs in Canada is regulated through Transport Canada and requires a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) in order to fly. Various image acquisition techniques have been explored in this review, as well as well software used to register the data. A general workflow procedure has been formulated based off of the literature reviewed. A case study example of using UAV photogrammetry at Prince of Wales Fort is discussed, specifically in relation to the data acquisition and processing. Some gaps in the literature reviewed highlight the need for streamlining the SFOC application process, and incorporating UAVs into cultural heritage documentation courses.

The design space exploration and preliminary testing of a new class of tailsitting quadrotor aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodlak, Eric

Within the last decade, multi-rotor aircraft have become the most prevalent form of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), with applications in the military, commercial, and civilian sectors. This is due primarily to advances in electronics that allow small-scale aircraft systems to be produced and controlled in an affordable manner. Such systems are maneuvered by precisely varying the thrust and torque of individual rotors to produce flight control forces, thereby eliminating much of the mechanical complexity inherent in conventional helicopter configurations. Although many UAV missions exploit the ability to hover in place, many also require the ability to quickly and efficiently dash from point to point. Rotorcraft, in general, are limited in this capacity, since rotor thrust must also be used to produce lift. Transitional aircraft represent an alternative that blends the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities of rotorcraft with the forward flight performance of fixed-wing aircraft, but they often rely on cumbersome mechanisms, such as additional or rotating powerplants. UAVs, however, have no need to maintain cockpit orientation. Consequently, a tailsitting quadcopter concept was devised by Dr. Ron Barrett to combine quadcopter hovering performance with the high-speed flight of fixed-wing craft. This paper lays out the arguments for such an aircraft--the XQ-139 --and examines the performance of XQ-139 variants with installed power values ranging from 100 W to 10,000 kW. Battery-electric, rotary engine, turboprop, and hybrid propulsive options are considered, and the merits of each discussed. Additionally, an XQ-139 prototype was designed and constructed, and stationary test was used to compare the aircraft's installed efficiency with that of a typical quadcopter. The prototype was found to be approximately 5% more efficient in hover mode than the quadcopter to which it was compared.

a Comparison among Different Optimization Levels in 3d Multi-Sensor Models. a Test Case in Emergency Context: 2016 Italian Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiabrando, F.; Sammartano, G.; Spanò, A.

2017-02-01

In sudden emergency contexts that affect urban centres and built heritage, the latest Geomatics technique solutions must enable the demands of damage documentation, risk assessment, management and data sharing as efficiently as possible, in relation to the danger condition, to the accessibility constraints of areas and to the tight deadlines needs. In recent times, Unmanned Vehicle System (UAV) equipped with cameras are more and more involved in aerial survey and reconnaissance missions, and they are behaving in a very cost-effective way in the direction of 3D documentation and preliminary damage assessment. More and more UAV equipment with low-cost sensors must become, in the future, suitable in every situation of documentation, but above all in damages and uncertainty frameworks. Rapidity in acquisition times and low-cost sensors are challenging marks, and they could be taken into consideration maybe with time spending processing. The paper will analyze and try to classify the information content in 3D aerial and terrestrial models and the importance of metric and non-metric withdrawable information that should be suitable for further uses, as the structural analysis one. The test area is an experience of Team Direct from Politecnico di Torino in centre Italy, where a strong earthquake occurred in August 2016. This study is carried out on a stand-alone damaged building in Pescara del Tronto (AP), with a multi-sensor 3D survey. The aim is to evaluate the contribution of terrestrial and aerial quick documentation by a SLAM based LiDAR and a camera equipped multirotor UAV, for a first reconnaissance inspection and modelling in terms of level of details, metric and non-metric information.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of low-cost UAVs and structure from motion for geomorphic change detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Kristen L.

2017-02-01

The measurement of topography and of topographic change is essential for the study of many geomorphic processes. In recent years, structure from motion (SfM) techniques applied to photographs taken by camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become a powerful new tool for the generation of high resolution topography. The variety of available UAV systems continues to increase rapidly, but it is not clear whether increased UAV sophistication translates into improved quality of the calculated topography. To evaluate the lower end of the UAV spectrum, a simple low cost UAV was deployed to calculate high resolution topography in the Daan River gorge in western Taiwan, a site with a complicated 3D morphology and a wide range of surface types, making it a challenging site for topographic measurement. Terrestrial lidar surveys were conducted in parallel with UAV surveys in both June and November 2014, enabling an assessment of the reliability of the UAV survey to detect geomorphic changes in the range of 30 cm to several meters. A further UAV survey was conducted in June 2015 in order to quantify changes resulting from the 2015 spring monsoon. To evaluate the accuracy of the UAV derived topography, it was compared to terrestrial lidar data collected during the same survey period using the cloud-to-cloud comparison algorithm M3C2. The UAV-generated point clouds match the lidar point clouds well, with RMS errors of 30-40 cm; however, the accuracy of the SfM point clouds depends strongly on the characteristics of the surface being considered, with vegetation, water, and small scale texture causing inaccuracies. The lidar and SfM data yield similar maps of change from June to November 2014, with the same areas of geomorphic change detected by both methods. The SfM-generated change map for November 2014 to June 2015 indicates that the 2015 spring monsoon caused erosion throughout the gorge and highlights the importance of event-driven erosion in the Daan River. The results suggest that even very basic UAVs can yield data suitable for measuring geomorphic change on the scale of a channel reach.

Integrating a High Resolution Optically Pumped Magnetometer with a Multi-Rotor UAV towards 3-D Magnetic Gradiometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, A.; Walter, C. A.; Parvar, K.

2016-12-01

The current platforms for collecting magnetic data include dense coverage, but low resolution traditional airborne surveys, and high resolution, but low coverage terrestrial surveys. Both platforms leave a critical observation gap between the ground surface and approximately 100m above ground elevation, which can be navigated efficiently by new technologies, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Specifically, multi rotor UAV platforms provide the ability to sense the magnetic field in a full 3-D tensor, which increases the quality of data collected over other current platform types. Payload requirements and target requirements must be balanced to fully exploit the 3-D magnetic tensor. This study outlines the integration of a GEM Systems Cesium Vapour UAV Magnetometer, a Lightware SF-11 Laser Altimeter and a uBlox EVK-7P GPS module with a DJI s900 Multi Rotor UAV. The Cesium Magnetometer is suspended beneath the UAV platform by a cable of varying length. A set of surveys was carried out to optimize the sensor orientation, sensor cable length beneath the UAV and data collection methods of the GEM Systems Cesium Vapour UAV Magnetometer when mounted on the DJI s900. The target for these surveys is a 12 inch steam pipeline located approximately 2 feet below the ground surface. A systematic variation of cable length, sensor orientation and inclination was conducted. The data collected from the UAV magnetometer was compared to a terrestrial survey conducted with the GEM GST-19 Proton Procession Magnetometer at the same elevation, which also served a reference station. This allowed for a cross examination between the UAV system and a proven industry standard for magnetic field data collection. The surveys resulted in optimizing the above parameters based on minimizing instrument error and ensuring reliable data acquisition. The results demonstrate that optimizing the UAV magnetometer survey can yield to industry standard measurements.

A method of fast mosaic for massive UAV images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Ren; Sun, Min; Jiang, Cheng; Liu, Lei; Zheng, Hui; Li, Xiaodong

2014-11-01

With the development of UAV technology, UAVs are used widely in multiple fields such as agriculture, forest protection, mineral exploration, natural disaster management and surveillances of public security events. In contrast of traditional manned aerial remote sensing platforms, UAVs are cheaper and more flexible to use. So users can obtain massive image data with UAVs, but this requires a lot of time to process the image data, for example, Pix4UAV need approximately 10 hours to process 1000 images in a high performance PC. But disaster management and many other fields require quick respond which is hard to realize with massive image data. Aiming at improving the disadvantage of high time consumption and manual interaction, in this article a solution of fast UAV image stitching is raised. GPS and POS data are used to pre-process the original images from UAV, belts and relation between belts and images are recognized automatically by the program, in the same time useless images are picked out. This can boost the progress of finding match points between images. Levenberg-Marquard algorithm is improved so that parallel computing can be applied to shorten the time of global optimization notably. Besides traditional mosaic result, it can also generate superoverlay result for Google Earth, which can provide a fast and easy way to show the result data. In order to verify the feasibility of this method, a fast mosaic system of massive UAV images is developed, which is fully automated and no manual interaction is needed after original images and GPS data are provided. A test using 800 images of Kelan River in Xinjiang Province shows that this system can reduce 35%-50% time consumption in contrast of traditional methods, and increases respond speed of UAV image processing rapidly.

Big data; sensor networks and remotely-sensed data for mapping; feature extraction from lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tlhabano, Lorato

2018-05-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used for mapping in the close range domain, combining aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry and now the emergence of affordable platforms to carry these technologies has opened up new opportunities for mapping and modeling cadastral boundaries. At the current state mainly low cost UAVs fitted with sensors are used in mapping projects with low budgets, the amount of data produced by the UAVs can be enormous hence the need for big data techniques' and concepts. The past couple of years have witnessed the dramatic rise of low-cost UAVs fitted with high tech Lidar sensors and as such the UAVS have now reached a level of practical reliability and professionalism which allow the use of these systems as mapping platforms. UAV based mapping provides not only the required accuracy with respect to cadastral laws and policies as well as requirements for feature extraction from the data sets and maps produced, UAVs are also competitive to other measurement technologies in terms of economic aspects. In the following an overview on how the various technologies of UAVs, big data concepts and lidar sensor technologies can work together to revolutionize cadastral mapping particularly in Africa and as a test case Botswana in particular will be used to investigate these technologies. These technologies can be combined to efficiently provide cadastral mapping in difficult to reach areas and over large areas of land similar to the Land Administration Procedures, Capacity and Systems (LAPCAS) exercise which was recently undertaken by the Botswana government, we will show how the uses of UAVS fitted with lidar sensor and utilizing big data concepts could have reduced not only costs and time for our government but also how UAVS could have provided more detailed cadastral maps.

Quaternion error-based optimal control applied to pinpoint landing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiglino, Pablo

Accurate control techniques for pinpoint planetary landing - i.e., the goal of achieving landing errors in the order of 100m for unmanned missions - is a complex problem that have been tackled in different ways in the available literature. Among other challenges, this kind of control is also affected by the well known trade-off in UAV control that for complex underlying models the control is sub-optimal, while optimal control is applied to simplifed models. The goal of this research has been the development new control algorithms that would be able to tackle these challenges and the result are two novel optimal control algorithms namely: OQTAL and HEX2OQTAL. These controllers share three key properties that are thoroughly proven and shown in this thesis; stability, accuracy and adaptability. Stability is rigorously demonstrated for both controllers. Accuracy is shown in results of comparing these novel controllers with other industry standard algorithms in several different scenarios: there is a gain in accuracy of at least 15% for each controller, and in many cases much more than that. A new tuning algorithm based on swarm heuristics optimisation was developed as well as part of this research in order to tune in an online manner the standard Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controllers used for benchmarking. Finally, adaptability of these controllers can be seen as a combination of four elements: mathematical model extensibility, cost matrices tuning, reduced computation time required and finally no prior knowledge of the navigation or guidance strategies needed. Further simulations in real planetary landing trajectories has shown that these controllers have the capacity of achieving landing errors in the order of pinpoint landing requirements, making them not only very precise UAV controllers, but also potential candidates for pinpoint landing unmanned missions.

NASA's future plans for space astronomy and astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, Michael S.

1992-01-01

NASA's plans in the field of space astronomy and astrophysics through the first decade of the next century are reviewed with reference to specific missions and mission concepts. The missions discussed include the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, the Submillimeter Intermediate Mission, the Astrometric Interferometry Mission, the Greater Observatories program, and Mission from Planet Earth. Plans to develop optics and sensors technology to enable these missions are also discussed.

An Application of UAV Attitude Estimation Using a Low-Cost Inertial Navigation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eure, Kenneth W.; Quach, Cuong Chi; Vazquez, Sixto L.; Hogge, Edward F.; Hill, Boyd L.

2013-01-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are playing an increasing role in aviation. Various methods exist for the computation of UAV attitude based on low cost microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. There has been a recent increase in UAV autonomy as sensors are becoming more compact and onboard processing power has increased significantly. Correct UAV attitude estimation will play a critical role in navigation and separation assurance as UAVs share airspace with civil air traffic. This paper describes attitude estimation derived by post-processing data from a small low cost Inertial Navigation System (INS) recorded during the flight of a subscale commercial off the shelf (COTS) UAV. Two discrete time attitude estimation schemes are presented here in detail. The first is an adaptation of the Kalman Filter to accommodate nonlinear systems, the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). The EKF returns quaternion estimates of the UAV attitude based on MEMS gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer, and pitot tube inputs. The second scheme is the complementary filter which is a simpler algorithm that splits the sensor frequency spectrum based on noise characteristics. The necessity to correct both filters for gravity measurement errors during turning maneuvers is demonstrated. It is shown that the proposed algorithms may be used to estimate UAV attitude. The effects of vibration on sensor measurements are discussed. Heuristic tuning comments pertaining to sensor filtering and gain selection to achieve acceptable performance during flight are given. Comparisons of attitude estimation performance are made between the EKF and the complementary filter.

Vibration energy harvesting for unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, Steven R.; Inman, Daniel J.

2008-03-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a critical component of many military operations. Over the last few decades, the evolution of UAVs has given rise to increasingly smaller aircraft. Along with the development of smaller UAVs, termed mini UAVs, has come issues involving the endurance of the aircraft. Endurance in mini UAVs is problematic because of the limited size of the fuel systems that can be incorporated into the aircraft. A large portion of the total mass of many electric powered mini UAVs, for example, is the rechargeable battery power source. Energy harvesting is an attractive technology for mini UAVs because it offers the potential to increase their endurance without adding significant mass or the need to increase the size of the fuel system. This paper investigates the possibility of harvesting vibration and solar energy in a mini UAV. Experimentation has been carried out on a remote controlled (RC) glider aircraft with a 1.8 m wing span. This aircraft was chosen to replicate the current electric mini UAVs used by the military today. The RC glider was modified to include two piezoelectric patches placed at the roots of the wings and a cantilevered piezoelectric beam installed in the fuselage to harvest energy from wing vibrations and rigid body motions of the aircraft, as well as two thin film photovoltaic panels attached to the top of the wings to harvest energy from sunlight. Flight testing has been performed and the power output of the piezoelectric and photovoltaic devices has been examined.

Volumetric calculation using low cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, A. A. Ab; Maulud, K. N. Abdul; Mohd, F. A.; Jaafar, O.; Tahar, K. N.

2017-12-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology has evolved dramatically in the 21st century. It is used by both military and general public for recreational purposes and mapping work. Operating cost for UAV is much cheaper compared to that of normal aircraft and it does not require a large work space. The UAV systems have similar functions with the LIDAR and satellite images technologies. These systems require a huge cost, labour and time consumption to produce elevation and dimension data. Measurement of difficult objects such as water tank can also be done by using UAV. The purpose of this paper is to show the capability of UAV to compute the volume of water tank based on a different number of images and control points. The results were compared with the actual volume of the tank to validate the measurement. In this study, the image acquisition was done using Phantom 3 Professional, which is a low cost UAV. The analysis in this study is based on different volume computations using two and four control points with variety set of UAV images. The results show that more images will provide a better quality measurement. With 95 images and four GCP, the error percentage to the actual volume is about 5%. Four controls are enough to get good results but more images are needed, estimated about 115 until 220 images. All in all, it can be concluded that the low cost UAV has a potential to be used for volume of water and dimension measurement.

Evaluation of Acquisition Strategies for Image-Based Construction Site Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttas, S.; Braun, A.; Borrmann, A.; Stilla, U.

2016-06-01

Construction site monitoring is an essential task for keeping track of the ongoing construction work and providing up-to-date information for a Building Information Model (BIM). The BIM contains the as-planned states (geometry, schedule, costs, ...) of a construction project. For updating, the as-built state has to be acquired repeatedly and compared to the as-planned state. In the approach presented here, a 3D representation of the as-built state is calculated from photogrammetric images using multi-view stereo reconstruction. On construction sites one has to cope with several difficulties like security aspects, limited accessibility, occlusions or construction activity. Different acquisition strategies and techniques, namely (i) terrestrial acquisition with a hand-held camera, (ii) aerial acquisition using a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and (iii) acquisition using a fixed stereo camera pair at the boom of the crane, are tested on three test sites. They are assessed considering the special needs for the monitoring tasks and limitations on construction sites. The three scenarios are evaluated based on the ability of automation, the required effort for acquisition, the necessary equipment and its maintaining, disturbance of the construction works, and on the accuracy and completeness of the resulting point clouds. Based on the experiences during the test cases the following conclusions can be drawn: Terrestrial acquisition has the lowest requirements on the device setup but lacks on automation and coverage. The crane camera shows the lowest flexibility but the highest grade of automation. The UAV approach can provide the best coverage by combining nadir and oblique views, but can be limited by obstacles and security aspects. The accuracy of the point clouds is evaluated based on plane fitting of selected building parts. The RMS errors of the fitted parts range from 1 to a few cm for the UAV and the hand-held scenario. First results show that the crane camera approach has the potential to reach the same accuracy level.

Cooperative Search by UAV Teams: A Model Predictive Approach Using Dynamic Graphs

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

decentralized processing and control architecture. SLAMEM asset models accurately represent the Unicorn UAV platforms and other standard military platforms in...IMPLEMENTATION The CGBMPS algorithm has been successfully field-tested using both Unicorn [27] and Raven [20] UAV platforms. This section describes...the hardware-software system setup and implementation used for testing with Unicorns , Toyon’s UAV test platform. We also present some results from the

Autonomous target tracking of UAVs based on low-power neural network hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wei; Jin, Zhanpeng; Thiem, Clare; Wysocki, Bryant; Shen, Dan; Chen, Genshe

2014-05-01

Detecting and identifying targets in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images and videos have been challenging problems due to various types of image distortion. Moreover, the significantly high processing overhead of existing image/video processing techniques and the limited computing resources available on UAVs force most of the processing tasks to be performed by the ground control station (GCS) in an off-line manner. In order to achieve fast and autonomous target identification on UAVs, it is thus imperative to investigate novel processing paradigms that can fulfill the real-time processing requirements, while fitting the size, weight, and power (SWaP) constrained environment. In this paper, we present a new autonomous target identification approach on UAVs, leveraging the emerging neuromorphic hardware which is capable of massively parallel pattern recognition processing and demands only a limited level of power consumption. A proof-of-concept prototype was developed based on a micro-UAV platform (Parrot AR Drone) and the CogniMemTMneural network chip, for processing the video data acquired from a UAV camera on the y. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of incorporating emerging neuromorphic hardware into next-generation UAVs and their superior performance and power advantages towards the real-time, autonomous target tracking.

Three-dimensional estimates of tree canopies: Scaling from high-resolution UAV data to satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankey, T.; Donald, J.; McVay, J.

2015-12-01

High resolution remote sensing images and datasets are typically acquired at a large cost, which poses big a challenge for many scientists. Northern Arizona University recently acquired a custom-engineered, cutting-edge UAV and we can now generate our own images with the instrument. The UAV has a unique capability to carry a large payload including a hyperspectral sensor, which images the Earth surface in over 350 spectral bands at 5 cm resolution, and a lidar scanner, which images the land surface and vegetation in 3-dimensions. Both sensors represent the newest available technology with very high resolution, precision, and accuracy. Using the UAV sensors, we are monitoring the effects of regional forest restoration treatment efforts. Individual tree canopy width and height are measured in the field and via the UAV sensors. The high-resolution UAV images are then used to segment individual tree canopies and to derive 3-dimensional estimates. The UAV image-derived variables are then correlated to the field-based measurements and scaled to satellite-derived tree canopy measurements. The relationships between the field-based and UAV-derived estimates are then extrapolated to a larger area to scale the tree canopy dimensions and to estimate tree density within restored and control forest sites.

Development and Execution of End-of-Mission Operations Case Study of the UARS and ERBS End-of-Mission Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, John; Marius, Julio L.; Montoro, Manuel; Patel, Mehul; Bludworth, David

2006-01-01

This Paper is a case study of the development and execution of the End-of-Mission plans for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The goals of the End-of-Mission Plans are to minimize the time the spacecraft remains on orbit and to minimize the risk of creating orbital debris. Both of these Missions predate the NASA Management Instructions (NMI) that directs missions to provide for safe mission termination. Each spacecrafts had their own unique challenges, which required assessing End-of-Mission requirements versus spacecraft limitations. Ultimately the End-of- Mission operations were about risk mitigation. This paper will describe the operational challenges and the lessons learned executing these End-of-Mission Plans

Multi-temporal UAV-borne LiDAR point clouds for vegetation analysis - a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandlburger, Gottfried; Wieser, Martin; Hollaus, Markus; Pfennigbauer, Martin; Riegl, Ursula

2016-04-01

In the recent past the introduction of compact and lightweight LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensors together with progress in UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology allowed the integration of laser scanners on remotely piloted multicopter, helicopter-type and even fixed-wing platforms. The multi-target capabilities of state-of-the-art time-of-flight full-waveform laser sensors operated from low flying UAV-platforms has enabled capturing of the entire 3D structure of semi-transparent objects like deciduous forests under leaf-off conditions in unprecedented density and completeness. For such environments it has already been demonstrated that UAV-borne laser scanning combines the advantages of terrestrial laser scanning (high point density, short range) and airborne laser scanning (bird's eye perspective, homogeneous point distribution). Especially the oblique looking capabilities of scanners with a large field of view (>180°) enable capturing of vegetation from different sides resulting in a constantly high point density also in the sub canopy domain. Whereas the findings stated above were drawn based on a case study carried out in February 2015 with the Riegl VUX-1UAV laser scanner system mounted on a Riegl RiCopter octocopter UAV-platform over an alluvial forest at the Pielach River (Lower Austria), the site was captured a second time with the same sensor system and mission parameters at the end of the vegetation period on October 28th, 2015. The main goal of this experiment was to assess the impact of the late autumn foliage on the achievable 3D point density. Especially the entire understory vegetation and certain tree species (e.g. willow) were still in full leaf whereas the bigger trees (poplar) where already partly defoliated. The comparison revealed that, although both campaigns featured virtually the same laser shot count, the ground point density dropped from 517 points/m2 in February (leaf-off) to 267 points/m2 end of October (leaf-on). The decrease of ca. 50% is compensated by an increase in the upper canopy area (>20 m a.g.l.; Feb: 348 points/m2, Oct: 757 points/m2, increase rate: 118%). The greater leaf area in October results in more laser echoes from the canopy but the density decrease on the ground is not entirely attributed to shadowing from the upper canopy as the point distribution is nearly constant in the medium (10-20 m) and lower (0-10 m) sub-canopy area. The lower density on the ground is rather caused by a densely foliated shrub layer (0.15-3 m; Feb: 178 points/m2, Oct: 259 points/m2, increase rate: 46%). A sharp ground point density drop could be observed in areas covered by an invasive weed species (Fallopia japonica) which keeps its extremely dense foliage till late in the year. In summary, the preliminary point density study has shown the potential of UAV-borne, multi-temporal LiDAR for characterization of seasonal vegetation changes in deciduous environments. It is remarkable that even under leaf-on conditions a very high terrain point density is achievable. Except for the dense shrub layer, the case study has shown a similar 3D point distribution in the sub-canopy area for leaf-off and leaf-on data acquisition.

Uav-Based 3d Urban Environment Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boonpook, Wuttichai; Tan, Yumin; Liu, Huaqing; Zhao, Binbin; He, Lingfeng

2018-04-01

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) based remote sensing can be used to make three-dimensions (3D) mapping with great flexibility, besides the ability to provide high resolution images. In this paper we propose a quick-change detection method on UAV images by combining altitude from Digital Surface Model (DSM) and texture analysis from images. Cases of UAV images with and without georeferencing are both considered. Research results show that the accuracy of change detection can be enhanced with georeferencing procedure, and the accuracy and precision of change detection on UAV images which are collected both vertically and obliquely but without georeferencing also have a good performance.

Multi-sensor field trials for detection and tracking of multiple small unmanned aerial vehicles flying at low altitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurenzis, Martin; Hengy, Sebastien; Hommes, Alexander; Kloeppel, Frank; Shoykhetbrod, Alex; Geibig, Thomas; Johannes, Winfried; Naz, Pierre; Christnacher, Frank

2017-05-01

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) flying at low altitude are becoming more and more a serious threat in civilian and military scenarios. In recent past, numerous incidents have been reported where small UAV were flying in security areas leading to serious danger to public safety or privacy. The detection and tracking of small UAV is a widely discussed topic. Especially, small UAV flying at low altitude in urban environment or near background structures and the detection of multiple UAV at the same time is challenging. Field trials were carried out to investigate the detection and tracking of multiple UAV flying at low altitude with state of the art detection technologies. Here, we present results which were achieved using a heterogeneous sensor network consisting of acoustic antennas, small frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) RADAR systems and optical sensors. While acoustics, RADAR and LiDAR were applied to monitor a wide azimuthal area (360°) and to simultaneously track multiple UAV, optical sensors were used for sequential identification with a very narrow field of view.

Heterogeneous CPU-GPU moving targets detection for UAV video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Maowen; Tang, Linbo; Han, Yuqi; Yu, Chunlei; Zhang, Chao; Fu, Huiquan

2017-07-01

Moving targets detection is gaining popularity in civilian and military applications. On some monitoring platform of motion detection, some low-resolution stationary cameras are replaced by moving HD camera based on UAVs. The pixels of moving targets in the HD Video taken by UAV are always in a minority, and the background of the frame is usually moving because of the motion of UAVs. The high computational cost of the algorithm prevents running it at higher resolutions the pixels of frame. Hence, to solve the problem of moving targets detection based UAVs video, we propose a heterogeneous CPU-GPU moving target detection algorithm for UAV video. More specifically, we use background registration to eliminate the impact of the moving background and frame difference to detect small moving targets. In order to achieve the effect of real-time processing, we design the solution of heterogeneous CPU-GPU framework for our method. The experimental results show that our method can detect the main moving targets from the HD video taken by UAV, and the average process time is 52.16ms per frame which is fast enough to solve the problem.