Autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle for search and rescue using software defined radio

To find missing people in a remote area, we propose an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) approach which attempts to locate the target by detecting and localising the radio signals produced by a GSM cell phone. By using a low- weight software defined radio and companion computer, the UAV can act as a GSM base station and induce the missing person's device to attempt to make contact. Through the signal strength values and known UAV location, a series of these contact attempts can be used to quickly and accurately localise their position. As the area in which the missing person might be located may be quite large, and the interaction of radio signals with terrain is potentially complex, an efficient search strategy for exploring the area is required in order to reduce time taken to make contact. We make use of a constraint-based graph-based path planning approach to produce a route for the UAV to traverse in the air passing through expected signals from a large number of possible source locations, and demonstrate through experiments the timely identification and localisation of the cell phone

Adoption of vehicular ad hoc networking protocols by networked robots

This paper focuses on the utilization of wireless networking in the robotics domain. Many researchers have already equipped their robots with wireless communication capabilities, stimulated by the observation that multi-robot systems tend to have several advantages over their single-robot counterparts. Typically, this integration of wireless communication is tackled in a quite pragmatic manner, only a few authors presented novel Robotic Ad Hoc Network (RANET) protocols that were designed specifically with robotic use cases in mind. This is in sharp contrast with the domain of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET). This observation is the starting point of this paper. If the results of previous efforts focusing on VANET protocols could be reused in the RANET domain, this could lead to rapid progress in the field of networked robots. To investigate this possibility, this paper provides a thorough overview of the related work in the domain of robotic and vehicular ad hoc networks. Based on this information, an exhaustive list of requirements is defined for both types. It is concluded that the most significant difference lies in the fact that VANET protocols are oriented towards low throughput messaging, while RANET protocols have to support high throughput media streaming as well. Although not always with equal importance, all other defined requirements are valid for both protocols. This leads to the conclusion that cross-fertilization between them is an appealing approach for future RANET research. To support such developments, this paper concludes with the definition of an appropriate working plan

Autonomous Obstacle Collision Avoidance System for UAVs in rescue operations

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 tasks, by using waypoint mission navigation using a GPS sensor. These autonomous tasks are also called 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. This can cause damage to surrounding area structures, humans or the UAV itself. 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 laser distance sensor called LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), 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 or RC controller are made via Wi-Fi telemetry or Radio telemetry. “Sense and Avoid” algorithm has two different modes: “Brake” and “Avoid and Continue”. These modes operate in different controlling methods. “Brake” mode is used to prevent UAV collisions with objects when controlled by a human operator that is using a RC controller. “Avoid and Continue” mode works on UAV’s autonomous modes, avoiding collision with objects in sight and proceeding with the ongoing mission. In this dissertation, 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.Os veículos aéreos não tripulados (UAV) e as suas aplicações estão cada vez mais a ser utilizadas para fins civis e militares. A operacionalidade de um UAV provou que algumas tarefas e operações podem ser feitas facilmente e com uma boa relação de custo-benefício. Hoje em dia, um UAV pode executar tarefas autonomamente, usando navegação por waypoints e um sensor de GPS. Essas tarefas autónomas também são designadas de missões. As missões autónomas poderão ser usadas para diversos propósitos, tais como na meteorologia, sistemas de vigilância, agricultura, mapeamento de áreas e operações de busca e salvamento. Um dos maiores problemas que um UAV enfrenta é a possibilidade de colisão com outros objetos na área, podendo causar danos às estruturas envolventes, aos seres humanos ou ao próprio UAV. Para evitar tais ocorrências, foi desenvolvido e implementado um algoritmo para evitar a colisão de um UAV com outros objetos. O algoritmo "Sense and Avoid" foi desenvolvido como um sistema para UAVs de modo a evitar objetos em rota de colisão. Este algoritmo utiliza um sensor de distância a laser chamado LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), para detetar objetos que estão em frente do UAV. Este sensor é ligado a um hardware de bordo, a controladora de voo Pixhawk, que realiza as suas comunicações com outro hardware complementar: o Raspberry Pi. As comunicações entre a estação de controlo ou o operador de comando RC são feitas via telemetria Wi-Fi ou telemetria por rádio. O algoritmo "Sense and Avoid" tem dois modos diferentes: o modo "Brake" e modo "Avoid and Continue". Estes modos operam em diferentes métodos de controlo do UAV. O modo "Brake" é usado para evitar colisões com objetos quando controlado via controlador RC por um operador humano. O modo "Avoid and Continue" funciona nos modos de voo autónomos do UAV, evitando colisões com objetos à vista e prosseguindo com a missão em curso. Nesta dissertação, alguns testes foram realizados para avaliar o desempenho geral do algoritmo "Sense and Avoid". Estes testes foram realizados em dois ambientes diferentes: um ambiente de simulação em 3D e um ambiente ao ar livre. Ambos os modos obtiveram funcionaram com sucesso no ambiente de simulação 3D e o mode “Brake” no ambiente real, provando os seus conceitos

Reference Model for Interoperability of Autonomous Systems

This thesis proposes a reference model to describe the components of an Un-manned Air, Ground, Surface, or Underwater System (UxS), and the use of a single Interoperability Building Block to command, control, and get feedback from such vehicles. The importance and advantages of such a reference model, with a standard nomenclature and taxonomy, is shown. We overview the concepts of interoperability and some efforts to achieve common refer-ence models in other areas. We then present an overview of existing un-manned systems, their history, characteristics, classification, and missions. The concept of Interoperability Building Blocks (IBB) is introduced to describe standards, protocols, data models, and frameworks, and a large set of these are analyzed. A new and powerful reference model for UxS, named RAMP, is proposed, that describes the various components that a UxS may have. It is a hierarchical model with four levels, that describes the vehicle components, the datalink, and the ground segment. The reference model is validated by showing how it can be applied in various projects the author worked on. An example is given on how a single standard was capable of controlling a set of heterogeneous UAVs, USVs, and UGVs

MODELING OF INNOVATIVE LIGHTER-THAN-AIR UAV FOR LOGISTICS, SURVEILLANCE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft that can operate without the presence of pilots, either through remote control or automated systems. The first part of the dissertation provides an overview of the various types of UAVs and their design features. The second section delves into specific experiences using UAVs as part of an automated monitoring system to identify potential problems such as pipeline leaks or equipment damage by conducting airborne surveys.Lighter-than-air UAVs, such as airships, can be used for various applications, from aerial photography, including surveying terrain, monitoring an area for security purposes and gathering information about weather patterns to surveillance. The third part reveals the applications of UAVs for assisting in search and rescue operations in disaster situations and transporting natural gas. Using PowerSim software, a model of airship behaviour was created to analyze the sprint-and-drift concept and study methods of increasing the operational time of airships while having a lower environmental impact when compared to a constantly switched-on engine. The analysis provided a reliable percentage of finding the victim during patrolling operations, although it did not account for victim behaviour. The study has also shown that airships may serve as a viable alternative to pipeline transportation for natural gas. The technology has the potential to revolutionize natural gas transportation, optimizing efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Additionally, airships have a unique advantage in accessing remote and otherwise inaccessible areas, providing significant benefits in the energy sector. The employment of this technology was studied to be effective in specific scenarios, and it will be worth continuing to study it for a positive impact on society and the environment

Teleoperated visual inspection and surveillance with unmanned ground and aerial vehicles,” Int

Abstract—This paper introduces our robotic system named UGAV (Unmanned Ground-Air Vehicle) consisting of two semi-autonomous robot platforms, an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The paper focuses on three topics of the inspection with the combined UGV and UAV: (A) teleoperated control by means of cell or smart phones with a new concept of automatic configuration of the smart phone based on a RKI-XML description of the vehicles control capabilities, (B) the camera and vision system with the focus to real time feature extraction e.g. for the tracking of the UAV and (C) the architecture and hardware of the UAV

Autonomisen multikopteriparven hallinta etsintä- ja pelastustehtävissä

This thesis presents the requirements and implementation of a Ground Control Station (GCS) application for controlling a fleet of multicopters to perform a Search And Rescue (SAR) mission. The requirements are put together by analysing existing drone types, SAR practices, and available GCS applications. Multicopters are found to be the most feasible drone to use for the SAR use case because of their maneuverability, despite not having the best endurance. Several existing area coverage methods are presented and their usefulness is analyzed for SAR scenarios where different amounts of prior knowledge is available. It is stated that most search patterns can be used with a fleet of drones, by creating drone formations and by dividing the target area into sub-areas. It is noted that most currently available GCS applications are focused on controlling a single drone for either industrial or hobby use. A proof of concept prototype is developed on top of an open source GCS and tested in field tests. Based on all the previous learnings from the protype and research, a new GCS is designed and developed. The development on optimizing communications between the GCS and the autopilot leads to a filed patent application. The new software is tested with three multicopters in a water rescue scenario and several user interface improvements are made as a result of the learnings. The development of a GCS for controlling a drone fleet for search and rescue is proven feasible.Työssä esitetään multikopteriparven hallintaan käytettävän Ground Control Station (GCS) ohjelmiston vaatimukset ja toteutus Search And Rescue (SAR) etsintä- ja pelastustehtävien suorittamiseksi. Vaatimukset kootaan yhteen analysoimalla saatavilla olevia droonityyppejä, SAR pelastuskäytäntöjä, sekä GCS ohjelmistoja. Multikopterit osoittautuvat liikkuvuutensa ansiosta pelastustehtäviin sopivimmaksi vaihtoehdoksi, vaikka niiden saavutettavissa oleva lentoaika ei ole parhaimmasta päästä. Erilaisia etsintämetodeja esitetään alueiden kattamiseksi ja niiden hyödyllisyyttä analysoidaan SAR tilanteissa, joissa ennakkotietoa on saatavilla vaihtelevasti. Osoitetaan, että useimpia etsintäalgoritmeja voidaan hyödyntää drooniparvella, muodostamalla lentomuodostelmia, sekä jakamalla kohdealue pienempiin osa-alueisiin. Huomataan, että suurin osa tällä hetkellä saatavilla olevista GCS ohjelmistoista on suunnattu teollisuuden tai harrastelijoiden käyttöön, pääasiassa yksittäisen droonin hallintaan. Prototyyppi kehitetään avoimen lähdekoodin GCS ohjelmiston pohjalta ja testataan kenttätesteissä. Tästä saadun tiedon avulla suunnitellaan ja kehitetään uusi GCS ohjelmisto. Kehitystyö viestinnän optimoinniksi autopilotin ja GCS ohjelmiston välillä johtaa patenttihakemukseen. Uusi ohjelmisto testataan kolmella multikopterilla vesipelastustilanteessa ja sen seurauksena käyttöliittymään tehdään useita parannuksia. GCS ohjelmiston luominen drooniparven hallintaan etsintä- ja pelastustehtävissä todetaan mahdolliseksi

Modular Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Control Framework with Integrated Payloads

Small unmanned aircraft are being used in an increasing number of applications ranging from emergency response to parcel delivery. Many of these applications are benefited when employed as a multiple-vehicle operation. Such operations often require tight cooperation between heterogeneous vehicles and often depend on integration with sensors and payloads. Multi-agent control algorithms can be implemented to control such systems but often require the development of an underlying vehicle communications framework in addition to a sensors and payloads communications framework. This thesis presents a single unified modular framework, named Clark, and supports heterogeneous multi-agent control and sensor/payload integration. Clark provides a wireless network between agents without relying on pre-existing communications infrastructure, and provides software interfaces for connecting to a variety of payloads. This thesis first reviews small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS), multi-agent control, multi-agent control testbeds, and wireless networking technologies used on SUAS. Systems engineering is then employed to develop an Identified Need, Concept of Operations (ConOps), and requirements. All Defined, Derived, and Design Requirements are explained and justified. Some requirements are highlighted to demonstrate key features of the Clark framework. The software architecture is explained in detail in a top-down approach. Hardware is selected for prototyping and shown to meet the requirements. Bench tests, ground tests, and flight tests are conducted to verify the framework’s ability to communicate between agents and affect control. Ground testing includes a multi-agent cooperative mission while flight testing features two and three agent missions. Test results are presented and demonstrate the candidacy of Clark as a modular heterogeneous multi-agent control framework with integrated payloads