iet mav talk

Development of a Mini-UAV for Urban EnvironmentsTony Dodd and Beniamin Apopei

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Overview• UAVs@Sheffield• The urban environment• The challenges• Quadrotor MAV• Future plans

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

UAVs@Sheffield• Platform development• Control, mission planning, co-operative UAVs• Simulation/hardware-in-the-loop co-simulation• Communications (wireless, fibre optics)• Smart and morphing structures• Advanced composites• Aerodynamics and design optimisation• Energy management

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Industrial links/projects• Three Rolls-Royce UTCs• Boeing sponsored AMRC• ASTRAEA• Blue Bear Systems Research• Home Office• EADS• SEAS DTC?

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

UG/MSc Projects• Technology carrier

platform• MAV group project• Autonomous

control (inertial and GPS)

• …

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

WUN Intelligent UAV Group• 19 research led universities• UK, Europe, US, China, Australia,

Canada• Brings together world’s leading

experts• Collaboration, funding and exchange

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Urban Applications• Security• Military• Communications

relay• Pollution

monitoring• Police and

surveillance

• Traffic monitoring• Fire brigade• Search and rescue• Crowd control• Building inspection• Mapping• ...

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

MoD Grand Challenge• “Create a system with a

high degree of autonomy that can detect, identify, monitor and report a comprehensive range of military threats in an urban environment” [7]

• www.challenge.mod.uk[7]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

The Urban Environment

[1]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

The Urban Environment

[1]

[2]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

The Urban Environment

[1]

[2]

[3]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

The Urban Environment

[1]

[2]

[3]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

The Challenges• Simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM)• Autonomous/semi-autonomous control• Collision avoidance• Gusting and turbulence• Reliable wireless communications• Stealth• Power and energy management• User interface/mission management• Portable

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Urban UAVs• Fixed wing – OTH

reconnaissance (superior range and endurance)

[6]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Urban UAVs• Fixed wing – OTH

reconnaissance (superior range and endurance)

• Rotary wing – urban operation (between and inside buildings)

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Urban UAVs• Fixed wing – OTH

reconnaissance (superior range and endurance)

• Rotary wing – urban operation (between and inside buildings)

• Advanced rotary/flapping wing (indoors)

[5]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Urban UAVs• Fixed wing – OTH

reconnaissance (superior range and endurance)

• Rotary wing – urban operation (between and inside buildings)

• Advanced rotary/flapping wing (indoors)

• Lighter than air? [4]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Quadrotor MAVDesign requirements:• VTOL• Stable and highly manoeuvrable• All electric• Indoor and outdoor operation• Flight time > 10 min• MTOW > 3.5kg (initial prototype > 400g)• Portable and robust

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Why Quadrotor?• Very efficient – all power to lift• Better payload/size ratio – compact• More stable• More manoeuvrable• More robust/fault tolerant

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

COTS ComponentsSensors• Inertial measurement unit• GPS• Firewire cameras• Ultrasonic• LaserPower• Brushless motors• Tilting, counter-rotating props (+

configuration)• Lithium polymer batteriesStructure• Glass and carbon fibre chassisProcessing• Microcontroller• Dual FPGA-DSP processors (Firewire ports)

[8]

[9]

[10]

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Quadrotor Prototype I

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

IMU Development• COTS gyros and accelerometers (Analog

Devices)• Gyros - 300 deg/s• Accelerometers - 2g • PCB design• Analogue to digital conversion by microcontroller• Very low cost < £200

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Simulation and control

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Simulation and control• Lyapunov stability analysis –

hovering operating point• Input coupling/correlation analysis• Hovering control• Nonlinear control – simulation• Tuned PID – simulation and real

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

User interface

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Quadrotor Prototype II

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Tiltrotor Mechanism

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Video

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

Future plansTechnical challenges• Sensor fusion• Navigation and collision avoidance• SLAM• Active/passive vibration suppressionUser interface/mission managementBatteries and structureTesting and applications

20 February 2007 IET Seminar on Micro UAVs

References[1] http://www.americasarmy.com/gallery/index.php?id=27 [Accessed 2 February

2007][2]http://www2.soros.org/photogalleries/mw_gallery.php?series=/resources/

events/mw9/hemmerle/ [Accessed 2 February 2007][3] http://www.actionla.org/Iraq/IraqReport/iraq_gallery_03/pages/IMGP0060.html

[Accessed 2 February 2007][4] http://www.otherlandtoys.co.uk/silver-mylar-blimp-envelope-p-941.html

[Accessed 2 February 2007][5] http://bicoreeos.solarbotics.net/mav.html [Accessed 2 February 2007][6] http://www.nd.edu/~mav/photo.htm [Accessed 2 February 2007][7] http://www.challenge.mod.uk [Accessed 3 February 2007][8] http://www.traquair.com/ [Accessed 3 February 2007][9] http://www.unibrain.com/Products/VisionImg/Fire_i_BC.htm [Accessed 3

February 2007][10] http://www.xsens.com/ [Accessed 3 February 2007]