Contact-based navigation for an autonomous flying robot

Autonomous navigation in obstacle-dense indoor environments is very challenging for flying robots due to the high risk of collisions, which may lead to mechanical damage of the platform and eventual failure of the mission. While conventional approaches in autonomous navigation favor obstacle avoidance strategies, recent work showed that collision-robust flying robots could hit obstacles without breaking and even self-recover after a crash to the ground. This approach is particularly interesting for autonomous navigation in complex environments where collisions are unavoidable, or for reducing the sensing and control complexity involved in obstacle avoidance. This paper aims at showing that collision-robust platforms can go a step further and exploit contacts with the environment to achieve useful navigation tasks based on the sense of touch. This approach is typically useful when weight restrictions prevent the use of heavier sensors, or as a low-level detection mechanism supplementing other sensing modalities. In this paper, a solution based on force and inertial sensors used to detect obstacles all around the robot is presented. Eight miniature force sensors, weighting 0.9g each, are integrated in the structure of a collision-robust flying platform without affecting its robustness. A proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates the use of contact sensing for exploring autonomously a room in 3D, showing significant advantages compared to a previous strategy. To our knowledge this is the first fully autonomous flying robot using touch sensors as only exteroceptive sensors

Development of an inexpensive guidance system for agricultural purposes

Robotics is a rapidly growing technology and robots have pervaded into most of the industries. Robotics and automation are designed to remove the human factor from the labor intensive and monotonous work and thereby decrease the associated costs. The application of robotics to agriculture is fairly recent. Robotic applications in agriculture vary from autonomous row-guidance tractors to fruit picking robots. Similarly, soil testing and soil sampling is one area in agriculture where automation of tasks and the employment of an autonomous robot would be of great use to consultants and farmers employing site specific farming techniques. Soil testing is an important part of farming used to determine the average nutrient status in a field and to obtain a measure of nutrient availability in the field. Fertilizers and other nutrients are applied to the fields based on different soil tests. Site specific farming is greatly dependent on soil testing and can result in increased yield, reduced cost and reduced water pollution. Soil testing requires a lot of soil samples and soil sampling is a time consuming, laborious process and expensive process. Most of the consultants employing site specific techniques use ATVs to get around large fields when sampling. The development of an autonomous guidance system for an ATV to perform soil sampling would be greatly beneficial to them. Labor costs would be significantly reduced and the operators would be subjected to fewer environmental elements. The use of ATVs ensures that no extra capital is needed to buy a vehicle. The use of a small vehicle like an ATV also causes less soil compaction. A WAAS enabled Differential GPS with accuracies to within 9.84 feet was used as the position sensor. Pocket PCs are more portable than a laptop computer and are more suitable for farm conditions. Shape files were used to provide the sampling points as input to the guidance program. A guidance program was made to operate on a PDA and provide guidance instructions. A microprocessor was programmed to read the guidance instructions and actuate the different components like throttle and steering. Tests were conducted to test the accuracy and consistency of the system. The offsets of each stop point from the test point were documented and analyzed. The results indicated that the system was as accurate as the GPS used for guidance. They also indicated that a guidance system can be realized with the use of very few components and an accuracy needed for soil sampling can be achieved. Avoidance routines for obstacles within the field were indicated as future developments

An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development

This final technical report describes the results of a NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) Phase 2 study entitled "An Innovative Solution to NASA's NEO Impact Threat Mitigation Grand Challenge and Flight Validation Mission Architecture Development." This NIAC Phase 2 study was conducted at the Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) of Iowa State University in 2012-2014. The study objective was to develop an innovative yet practically implementable solution to the most probable impact threat of an asteroid or comet with short warning time (less than 5 years). The technical materials contained in this final report are based on numerous technical papers, which have been previously published by the project team of the NIAC Phase 1 and 2 studies during the past three years. Those technical papers as well as a NIAC Phase 2 Executive Summary report can be downloaded from the ADRC website (www.adrc.iastate.edu)

Effort reduction and collision avoidance for powered wheelchairs : SCAD assistive mobility system

The new research described in this dissertation created systems and methods to assist wheelchair users and provide them with new realistic and interesting driving opportunities. The work also created and applied novel effort reduction and collision avoidance systems and some new electronic interactive devices. A Scanning Collision Avoidance Device (SCAD) was created that attached to standard powered wheelchairs to help prevent children from driving into things. Initially, mechanical bumpers were used but they made many wheelchairs unwieldy, so a novel system that rotated a single ultra-sonic transducer was created. The SCAD provided wheelchair guidance and assisted with steering. Optical side object detectors were included to cover blind spots and also assist with doorway navigation. A steering lockout mode was also included for training, which stopped the wheelchair from driving towards a detected object. Some drivers did not have sufficient manual dexterity to operate a reverse control. A reverse turn manoeuvring mode was added that applied a sequential reverse and turn function, enabling a driver to escape from a confined situation by operating a single turn control. A new generation of Proportional SCAD was created that operated with proportional control inputs rather than switches and new systems were created to reduce veer, including effort reduction systems. New variable switches were created that provided variable speed control in place of standard digital switches and all that research reduced the number of control actions required by a driver. Finally, some new systems were created to motivate individuals to try new activities. These included a track guided train and an adventure playground that including new interactive systems. The research was initially inspired by the needs of young people at Chailey Heritage, the novel systems provided new and more autonomous driving opportunities for many powered wheelchair users in less structured environments.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 04)

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1211 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between 1 Jul. and 30 Dec. 1991. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems

Small business innovation research: Program solicitation

This, the seventh annual SBIR solicitation by NASA, describes the program, identifies eligibility requirements, outlines the required proposal format and content, states proposal preparation and submission requirements, describes the proposal evaluation and award selection process, and provides other information to assist those interested in participating in NASA's SBIR program. It also identifies the Technical Topics and Subtopics in which SBIR Phase 1 proposals are solicited in 1989. These Topics and Subtopics cover a broad range of current NASA interests, but do not necessarily include all areas in which NASA plans or currently conducts research. High-risk high pay-off innovations are desired

AngGo-N: Transformable Personal Mobility Providing The Autonomous and Manual Driving Mode

Department of Creative Design EngineeringThis thesis describes the development of a Shared Indoor Smart Mobility device called AngGo-N. During the development process, We conducted researches and studies on PMVs(Personal Mobility Vehicles) and AngGo. AngGo is the indoor personal mobility finding potential users who need indoor transportation movements. The goal was to develop Shared Indoor Smart Mobility and to ensure AngGo-N meet user requirements practically. This study contributes to how a Shared Indoor Smart Mobility can meet transport users' needs around an indoor environment. We state two research questions to develop AngGo-N. The first one is 'How to improve the acceptance of the SISM?'. The second one is 'What is the needed design implication of SISM?'. Based on AngGo's problems, We found solutions to them and apply them to AngGo-N's design. We applied transformable factors in AngGo-N to give interaction between user and personal mobility. The AngGo-N give user different forms in autonomous mode and user-controlled manual mode. After making the prototype of AngGo-N, We do competitive testing and value opportunity analysis. With the result of the analysis, We make answers for those two research questions.??? ????????? AngGo-N ????????? ???????????? ??????????????? ????????? ????????? Shared Indoor Smart Mobility ????????? ????????? ?????? ???????????????. ?????? ???????????? PMV (Personal Mobility Vehicles)??? AngGo ??? ?????? ????????? ????????? ??????????????????. AngGo ??? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????????????????. ??? ?????? ???????????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ?????? Shared Indoor Smart Mobility ??? ???????????? AngGo-N ??? ????????? ?????? ????????? ??????????????? ????????????????????? ?????? ????????????. ??? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ??????????????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ??? ???????????? ???????????????. AngGo-N ??? ???????????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ????????? ??????????????????. ??? ????????? 'SISM ???????????? ????????? ??????' ?????????. ??? ????????? 'SISM ??? ????????? ???????????? ????????? ?????? ??????????????? ????????? ????????????????' ?????????. AngGo ??? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????? AngGo-N ??? ???????????? ??????????????????. AngGo-N ??? ?????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ??????????????????. AngGo-N ??? ??????????????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ????????? ????????? ????????????, ?????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????????. ???????????? AngGo-N ??? ????????? ????????? ???????????? Value Opportunity analysis ??? Competitive Test ??? ??????????????????. ???????????????, AngGo-N ??? ?????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ??????????????? ???????????? ????????? ??????????????? ?????????, ????????? ???????????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????? ????????? ???????????????.clos

Sensors for autonomous navigation and hazard avoidance on a planetary micro-rover

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1993.Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-264).by William N. Kaliardos.M.S

Space station systems: A bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 967 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1987 and June 30, 1987. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural and thermal analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems. The coverage includes documents that define major systems and subsystems, servicing and support requirements, procedures and operations, and missions for the current and future space station

Significant NASA inventions available for licensing in foreign countries

Abstracts of various NASA-owned inventions which are available for foreign licensing in the identified countries are listed in accordance with the NASA Patent Licensing Regulations. Instructions for requested applicatons are explained