scholarly journals Accurate Landing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Using Ground Pattern Recognition

Electronics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Wubben ◽  
Francisco Fabra ◽  
Carlos T. Calafate ◽  
Tomasz Krzeszowski ◽  
Johann M. Marquez-Barja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Recognition ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Target Position ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Ground Pattern ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Exact Position ◽  
Precision Landing

Over the last few years, several researchers have been developing protocols and applications in order to autonomously land unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, most of the proposed protocols rely on expensive equipment or do not satisfy the high precision needs of some UAV applications such as package retrieval and delivery or the compact landing of UAV swarms. Therefore, in this work, a solution for high precision landing based on the use of ArUco markers is presented. In the proposed solution, a UAV equipped with a low-cost camera is able to detect ArUco markers sized 56 × 56 cm from an altitude of up to 30 m. Once the marker is detected, the UAV changes its flight behavior in order to land on the exact position where the marker is located. The proposal was evaluated and validated using both the ArduSim simulation platform and real UAV flights. The results show an average offset of only 11 cm from the target position, which vastly improves the landing accuracy compared to the traditional GPS-based landing, which typically deviates from the intended target by 1 to 3 m.

scholarly journals Eyes in the Sky: Assessing the Feasibility of Low-Cost, Ready-to-Use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Monitor Primate Populations Directly

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-82
Author(s):  
Brandon P. Semel ◽  
Sarah M. Karpanty ◽  
Faramalala Francette Vololonirina ◽  
Ando Nantenaina Rakotonanahary
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Aerial Vehicles

scholarly journals Model-Based Autonomous Navigation with Moment of Inertia Estimation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hery Mwenegoha ◽  
Terry Moore ◽  
James Pinchin ◽  
Mark Jabbal
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Navigation System ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Unscented Kalman Filter ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Moment Of Inertia ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Main Process ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Aerial Vehicles

The dominant navigation system for low-cost, mass-market Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is based on an Inertial Navigation System (INS) coupled with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). However, problems tend to arise during periods of GNSS outage where the navigation solution degrades rapidly. Therefore, this paper details a model-based integration approach for fixed wing UAVs, using the Vehicle Dynamics Model (VDM) as the main process model aided by low-cost Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) inertial sensors and GNSS measurements with moment of inertia calibration using an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). Results show that the position error does not exceed 14.5 m in all directions after 140 s of GNSS outage. Roll and pitch errors are bounded to 0.06 degrees and the error in yaw grows slowly to 0.65 degrees after 140 s of GNSS outage. The filter is able to estimate model parameters and even the moment of inertia terms even with significant coupling between them. Pitch and yaw moment coefficient terms present significant cross coupling while roll moment terms seem to be decorrelated from all of the other terms, whilst more dynamic manoeuvres could help to improve the overall observability of the parameters.

scholarly journals Operational Framework for Rapid, Very-high Resolution Mapping of Glacial Geomorphology Using Low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Structure-from-Motion Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek W. Ewertowski ◽  
Aleksandra M. Tomczyk ◽  
David J. A. Evans ◽  
David H. Roberts ◽  
Wojciech Ewertowski
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Structure From Motion ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Glacial Geomorphology ◽  
High Resolution Mapping ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Resolution Mapping ◽  
Very High

This study presents the operational framework for rapid, very-high resolution mapping of glacial geomorphology, with the use of budget Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and a structure-from-motion approach. The proposed workflow comprises seven stages: (1) Preparation and selection of the appropriate platform; (2) transport; (3) preliminary on-site activities (including optional ground-control-point collection); (4) pre-flight setup and checks; (5) conducting the mission; (6) data processing; and (7) mapping and change detection. The application of the proposed framework has been illustrated by a mapping case study on the glacial foreland of Hørbyebreen, Svalbard, Norway. A consumer-grade quadcopter (DJI Phantom) was used to collect the data, while images were processed using the structure-from-motion approach. The resultant orthomosaic (1.9 cm ground sampling distance—GSD) and digital elevation model (7.9 cm GSD) were used to map the glacial-related landforms in detail. It demonstrated the applicability of the proposed framework to map and potentially monitor detailed changes in a rapidly evolving proglacial environment, using a low-cost approach. Its coverage of multiple aspects ensures that the proposed framework is universal and can be applied in a broader range of settings.

scholarly journals Method for Estimating Solar Energy Potential Based on Photogrammetry from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2144
Author(s):  
Jose Eduardo Fuentes ◽  
Francisco David Moya ◽  
Oscar Danilo Montoya
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
3D Model ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
3D Data ◽  
Surface Models

This study presents a method to estimate the solar energy potential based on 3D data taken from unmanned aerial devices. The solar energy potential on the roof of a building was estimated before the placement of solar panels using photogrammetric data analyzed in a geographic information system, and the predictions were compared with the data recorded after installation. The areas of the roofs were chosen using digital surface models and the hemispherical viewshed algorithm, considering how the solar radiation on the roof surface would be affected by the orientation of the surface with respect to the sun, the shade of trees, surrounding objects, topography, and the atmospheric conditions. The results show that the efficiency percentages of the panels and the data modeled by the proposed method from surface models are very similar to the theoretical efficiency of the panels. Radiation potential can be estimated from photogrammetric data and a 3D model in great detail and at low cost. This method allows the estimation of solar potential as well as the optimization of the location and orientation of solar panels.

scholarly journals LOW-COST NAVIGATION AND GUIDANCE SYSTEMS FOR UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES — PART 2: ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Sabatini ◽  
Leopoldo Rodríguez ◽  
Anish Kaharkar ◽  
Celia Bartel ◽  
Tesheen Shaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Attitude Determination ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Integrated Navigation ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Guidance Systems ◽  
And Control

ABSTRACT This paper presents the second part of the research activity performed by Cranfield University to assess the potential of low-cost navigation sensors for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This part focuses on carrier-phase Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for attitude determination and control of small to medium size UAVs. Recursive optimal estimation algorithms were developed for combining multiple attitude measurements obtained from different observation points (i.e., antenna locations), and their efficiencies were tested in various dynamic conditions. The proposed algorithms converged rapidly and produced the required output even during high dynamics manoeuvres. Results of theoretical performance analysis and simulation activities are presented in this paper, with emphasis on the advantages of the GNSS interferometric approach in UAV applications (i.e., low cost, high data-rate, low volume/weight, low signal processing requirements, etc.). The simulation activities focussed on the AEROSONDE UAV platform and considered the possible augmentation provided by interferometric GNSS techniques to a low-cost and low-weight/volume integrated navigation system (presented in the first part of this series) which employed a Vision-Based Navigation (VBN) system, a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Sensor (MEMS) based Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and code-range GNSS (i.e., GPS and GALILEO) for position and velocity computations. The integrated VBN-IMU-GNSS (VIG) system was augmented using the inteferometric GNSS Attitude Determination (GAD) sensor data and a comparison of the performance achieved with the VIG and VIG/GAD integrated Navigation and Guidance Systems (NGS) is presented in this paper. Finally, the data provided by these NGS are used to optimise the design of a hybrid controller employing Fuzzy Logic and Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) techniques for the AEROSONDE UAV.

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