Adding Vision to a Quadrotor: A Design-Build-Test Adventure

Quadrotors are small and exceptionally agile vehicles with maneuverability that permits both indoor and outdoor flight. The vast majority of quadrotors are flown autonomously as drones or remotely by a human-operator. Applications of quadrotors range from commercial deliveries, to military and law reconnaissance as well as research tools for various fields. Our lab at Western Kentucky University built a quadrotor in 2013, and we have been exploring various modifications to refine its performance and various applications in which it could be productively employed. Recently, research has focused on the addition of a camera to add capabilities for first person view (FPV) piloting, photogrammetry, and real-time visual inspection. The new camera system was to be designed, built, and tested as part of a Faculty-Undergraduate Student Engagement (FUSE) grant. The system consists of a gimbal with pan/tilt capabilities has been designed and built via a Stratasys rapid prototyping machine The camera mount has met not only sizing and weight requirements, but also video transmission, recording, and live-viewing requirements. The design process has been successful in developing a pan/tilt camera mount for our lab’s quadrotor, and in creating countless learning outcomes as it produced multiple areas of research involving a variety of students with differing interests

Automatic control of a multirotor

Objective of this thesis is to describe the design and realisation phases of a multirotor to be used for low risk and cost aerial observation. Starting point of this activity was a wide literature study related to the technological evolution of multirotors design and to the state of the art. Firstly the most common multirotor configurations were defined and, according to a size and performance based evaluation, the most suitable one was chosen. A detailed computer aided design model was drawn as basis for the realisation of two prototypes. The realised multirotors were “X-shaped” octorotors with eight coaxially coupled motors. The mathematical model of the multirotor dynamics was studied. “Proportional Integral Derivative” and “Linear Quadratic” algorithms were chosen as techniques to regulate the attitude dynamics of the multirotor. These methods were tested with a nonlinear model simulation developed in the Matlab Simulink environment. In the meanwhile the Arduino board was selected as the best compromise between costs and performance and the above mentioned algorithms were implemented using this platform thanks to its main characteristic of being completely “open source”. Indeed the multirotor was conceived to be a serviceable tool for the public utility and, at the same time, to be an accessible device for research and studies. The behaviour of the physical multirotor was evaluated with a test bench designed to isolate the rotation about one single body axis at a time. The data of the experimental tests were gathered in real time using a custom Matlab code and several indoor tests allowed the “fine tuning” of the controllers gains. Afterwards a portable “ground station” was conceived and realised in adherence with the real scenarios users needs. Several outdoor experimental flights were executed with successful results and the data gathered during the outdoor tests were used to evaluate some key performance indicators as the endurance and the maximum allowable payload mass. Then the fault tolerance of the control system was evaluated simulating and experimenting the loss of one motor; even in this critical condition the system exhibited an acceptable behaviour. The reached project readiness allowed to meet some potential users as the “Turin Fire Department” and to cooperate with them in a simulated emergency. During this event the multirotor was used to gather and transmit real time aerial images for an improved “situation awareness”. Finally the study was extended to more innovative control techniques like the neural networks based ones. Simulations results demonstrated their effectiveness; nevertheless the inherent complexity and the unreliability outside the training ranges could have a catastrophic impact on the airworthiness. This is a factor that cannot be neglected especially in the applications related to flying platforms. Summarising, this research work was addressed mainly to the operating procedures for implementing automatic control algorithms to real platforms. All the design aspects, from the preliminary multirotor configuration choice to the tests in possible real scenarios, were covered obtaining performances comparable with other commercial of-the-shelf platforms

Can Urban Air Mobility become reality? Opportunities, challenges and selected research results

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a new air transportation system for passengers and cargo in urban environments, enabled by new technologies and integrated into multimodal transportation systems. The vision of UAM comprises the mass use in urban and suburban environments, complementing existing transportation systems and contributing to the decarbonization of the transport sector. Initial attempts to create a market for urban air transportation in the last century failed due to lack of profitability and community acceptance. Technological advances in numerous fields over the past few decades have led to a renewed interest in urban air transportation. UAM is expected to benefit users and to also have a positive impact on the economy by creating new markets and employment opportunities for manufacturing and operation of UAM vehicles and the construction of related ground infrastructure. However, there are also concerns about noise, safety and security, privacy and environmental impacts. Therefore, the UAM system needs to be designed carefully to become safe, affordable, accessible, environmentally friendly, economically viable and thus sustainable. This paper provides an overview of selected key research topics related to UAM and how the German Aerospace Center (DLR) contributed to this research in the project "HorizonUAM - Urban Air Mobility Research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR)". Selected research results that support the realization of the UAM vision are briefly presented.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, project HorizonUA

Aeronautical Engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 154

This bibliography lists 511 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in October 1982

Aerial Vehicles

This book contains 35 chapters written by experts in developing techniques for making aerial vehicles more intelligent, more reliable, more flexible in use, and safer in operation.It will also serve as an inspiration for further improvement of the design and application of aeral vehicles. The advanced techniques and research described here may also be applicable to other high-tech areas such as robotics, avionics, vetronics, and space

Aeronautical engineering, a continuing bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 419 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in March 1985

System-of-Systems Considerations in the Notional Development of a Metropolitan Aerial Transportation System

There are substantial future challenges related to sustaining and improving efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly transportation options for urban regions. Over the past several decades there has been a worldwide trend towards increasing urbanization of society. Accompanying this urbanization are increasing surface transportation infrastructure costs and, despite public infrastructure investments, increasing surface transportation "gridlock." In addition to this global urbanization trend, there has been a substantial increase in concern regarding energy sustainability, fossil fuel emissions, and the potential implications of global climate change. A recently completed study investigated the feasibility of an aviation solution for future urban transportation (refs. 1, 2). Such an aerial transportation system could ideally address some of the above noted concerns related to urbanization, transportation gridlock, and fossil fuel emissions (ref. 3). A metro/regional aerial transportation system could also provide enhanced transportation flexibility to accommodate extraordinary events such as surface (rail/road) transportation network disruptions and emergency/disaster relief responses

A Model-Based Systems Engineering Approach to e-VTOL Aircraft and Airspace Infrastructure Design for Urban Air Mobility

This paper serves to contribute to Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) by following the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook framework for a Systems Engineering (SE) design approach to an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (e-VTOL) aircraft and the incorporating airspace infrastructure. The focus of this study is, by using the MBSE model created, to capture the technical requirements definition and design intent of the vehicle and airspace inclusive of community specific knowledge derived from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) NextGen Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Concept of Operations (ConOps) version 1.0. The stakeholder requirements derived from the FAA UAM NextGen ConOps will form the bedrock for the aircraft infrastructure requirements from which the flight mission requirements are derived. From these requirements, the profile of a notional flight mission is provided. Additionally, from the flight mission requirements, a design solution can be proposed and examined to ensure it meets the original stakeholder needs. The vehicle and associated airspace environment are modeled using an MBSE dedicated platform, Cameo Systems Modeler, in a language called SysML. The resulting MBSE model created can demonstrate the traceability between top-level system requirements down to the subcomponent-level design. In the conclusive study of the sub-system behavioral relationships, the analysis and validation of the proposed design solution can support model reliability

Англійська мова загальнотехнічного спрямування: Sensors and control

Практикум для студентів другого курсу факультету авіаційних і космічних систем укладено відповідно до чинної програми з дисципліни “Іноземна мова”, яка передбачає формування у студентів комунікативної компетенції, необхідної для ефективної участі в процесі навчання та в різноманітних ситуаціях професійного спілкування. Мета практикуму – розширення та закріплення студентами загальнотехнічної термінологічної лексики та опанування граматичними конструкціями, що дозволяють розуміти автентичні тексти, пов’язані з навчанням та спеціальністю. Розроблений практикум сприяє систематизації іншомовного навчального матеріалу, формуванню навичок, розвитку та удосконаленню вмінь у читанні, говорінні, письмі, аудіюванні та перекладі.The practicum for the 2nd year students of Faculty of Airspace Systems was designed according to the recommendations of the current curriculum that implies the students’ professional language competence formation. The objective of the practicum is to widen students’ technical thesaurus, to broaden students’ knowledge of specialty, to improve reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The practicum helps to develop a broad understanding of international socio-cultural issues in order to operate appropriately in professional and cultural environment. The practicum highlights the requirements to students’ knowledge on different types of language activity.Практикум для студентов второго курса факультета авиационных и космических систем отвечает действующей программе дисциплины «Иностранный язык», которая предполагает формирование у студентов коммуникативных компетенций, необходимых для эффективного участия в процессе обучения. Цель практикума расширить и закрепить у студентов знание терминологической лексики, овладение грамматическими конструкциями, которые позволяют понимать аутентичные тексты. Данное учебное издание поможет систематизировать обучающий материал, сформировать навыки, развить и усовершенствовать умения в чтении, говорении, письме аудировании и переводе общетехнических текстов