scholarly journals Design and construction of a prototype of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with artificial vision for the search of people

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (41) ◽  
pp. 9-26
Author(s):  
Andrés Espinal Rojas ◽  
Andrés Arango Espinal ◽  
Luis Ramos ◽  
Jorge Humberto Erazo Aux
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Wireless Transmission ◽  
Image Processing Algorithm ◽  
Image Capture ◽  
Aerial View ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Recognition Of Objects ◽  
Technological Challenge

This paper describes the development and implementation of a six-pointed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle [UAV] prototype, designed for finding lost people in hard to access areas, using Arduino MultiWii platform. A platform capable of performing a stable flight to identify people through an on-board camera and an image processing algorithm was developed. Although the use of UAV represents a low cost and quick response –in terms of displacement– solution, capable to prevent or reduce the number of deaths of lost people in away places, also represents a technological challenge, since the recognition of objects from an aerial view is difficult, due to the distance of the UAV to the objective, the UAV’s position and its constant movement. The solution proposed implements an aerial device that performs the image capture, wireless transmission and image processing while it is in a controlled and stable flight.

Implementation of vision-based automatic guidance system on a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle

2012 ◽  
Vol 116 (1183) ◽  
pp. 895-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
C-S Lee ◽  
F-B Hsiao
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Image Plane ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Aerial Images ◽  
Colour Properties ◽  
Image Processing Algorithm ◽  
Automatic Guidance ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

Abstract This paper presents the design and implementation of a vision-based automatic guidance system on a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The system utilises a low-cost ordinary video camera and simple but efficient image processing techniques widely used in computer-vision technology. The paper focuses on the identification and extraction of geographical tracks such as rivers, coastlines, and roads from real-time aerial images. The image processing algorithm primarily uses colour properties to isolate the geographical track of interest from its background. Hough transform is eventually used to curve-fit the profile of the track which yields a reference line on the image plane. A guidance algorithm is then derived based on this information. In order to test the vision-based automatic guidance system in the laboratory without actually flying the UAV, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation system is developed. Description regarding the system and significant simulation result are presented in the paper. Finally, an actual test flight where the UAV successfully follows a stretch of a river under automatic vision-based guidance is also presented and discussed.

scholarly journals Simulation of the Photodetection in the PPS CMOS Sensors

2013 ◽  
Vol 8-9 ◽  
pp. 611-618
Author(s):  
Florin Toadere ◽  
Radu Arsinte
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Image Processing Algorithm ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Spectral Image ◽  
Image Capture ◽  
Visible Image ◽  
Optical Part ◽  
Electrical Part

The paper contains an analysis and simulation of passive pixel based sensors. The passive pixel CMOS image acquisition sensor (PPS) is the key part of a visible image capture systems. The PPS is a complex circuit composed by an optical part and an electrical part, both analog and digital. The goal of this paper is to simulate the functionality of the photodetection process that happens in the PPS sensor. The photodetector is responsible with the conversion from photons to electrical charges and then into current. In the optical part, the sensor is analyzed by a spectral image processing algorithm which uses as input data: the lenses array transmittance, the red, green and blue filters and the quantum efficiency of the PPS. In the electrical part of simulation, the program is computing the signal to noise ratio of the sensor taking into account the photon shot, white and fixed pattern noises. Our basic analysis is based on camera equation to which we add the noises.

Marker-guided auto-landing on a moving platform

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iryna Borshchova ◽  
Siu O’Young
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Visual Servoing ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Processing Algorithm ◽  
Prototype System ◽  
Image Processing Algorithm ◽  
Suggested Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moving Platform

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for a vision-based automatic landing of a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a moving platform. The landing system must be highly accurate and meet the size, weigh, and power restrictions of a small UAV. Design/methodology/approach The vision-based landing system consists of a pattern of red markers placed on a moving target, an image processing algorithm for pattern detection, and a servo-control for tracking. The suggested approach uses a color-based object detection and image-based visual servoing. Findings The developed prototype system has demonstrated the capability of landing within 25 cm of the desired point of touchdown. This auto-landing system is small (100×100 mm), light-weight (100 g), and consumes little power (under 2 W). Originality/value The novelty and the main contribution of the suggested approach are a creative combination of work in two fields: image processing and controls as applied to the UAV landing. The developed image processing algorithm has low complexity as compared to other known methods, which allows its implementation on general-purpose low-cost hardware. The theoretical design has been verified systematically via simulations and then outdoors field tests.

scholarly journals Suitability of a Non-Dispersive Infrared Methane Sensor Package for Flux Quantification Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (21) ◽  
pp. 4705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adil Shah ◽  
Joseph Pitt ◽  
Khristopher Kabbabe ◽  
Grant Allen
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Mole Fraction ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Methane Flux ◽  
Gain Factor ◽  
Measured Signal ◽  
Allan Deviation ◽  
Methane Sensor ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Flux Quantification

Point-source methane emission flux quantification is required to help constrain the global methane budget. Facility-scale fluxes can be derived using in situ methane mole fraction sampling, near-to-source, which may be acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform. We test a new non-dispersive infrared methane sensor by mounting it onto a small UAV, which flew downwind of a controlled methane release. Nine UAV flight surveys were conducted on a downwind vertical sampling plane, perpendicular to mean wind direction. The sensor was first packaged in an enclosure prior to sampling which contained a pump and a recording computer, with a total mass of 1.0 kg. The packaged sensor was then characterised to derive a gain factor of 0.92 ± 0.07, independent of water mole fraction, and an Allan deviation precision (at 1 Hz) of ±1.16 ppm. This poor instrumental precision and possible short-term drifts made it non-trivial to define a background mole fraction during UAV surveys, which may be important where any measured signal is small compared to sources of instrumental uncertainty and drift. This rendered the sensor incapable of deriving a meaningful flux from UAV sampling for emissions of the order of 1 g s−1. Nevertheless, the sensor may indeed be useful when sampling mole fraction enhancements of the order of at least 10 ppm (an order of magnitude above the 1 Hz Allan deviation), either from stationary ground-based sampling (in baseline studies) or from mobile sampling downwind of sources with greater source flux than those observed in this study. While many methods utilising low-cost sensors to determine methane flux are being developed, this study highlights the importance of adequately characterising and testing all new sensors before they are used in scientific research.

scholarly journals Simulation of UAV Systems

10.14311/754 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kaňovský ◽  
L. Smrcek ◽  
C. Goodchild
Keyword(s):  
Dynamical System ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Inertial System ◽  
Principal Function ◽  
Low Weight ◽  
High Bandwidth ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Selection Of

The study described in this paper deals with the issue of a design tool for the autopilot of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and the selection of the airdata and inertial system sensors. This project was processed in cooperation with VTUL a PVO o.z. [1]. The feature that distinguishes the autopilot requirements of a UAV (Figs. 1, 7, 8) from the flight systems of conventional manned aircraft is the paradox of controlling a high bandwidth dynamical system using sensors that are in harmony with the low cost low weight objectives that UAV designs are often expected to achieve. The principal function of the autopilot is flight stability, which establishes the UAV as a stable airborne platform that can operate at a precisely defined height. The main sensor for providing this height information is a barometric altimeter. The solution to the UAV autopilot design was realised with simulations using the facilities of Matlab® and in particular Simulink®[2]. 

scholarly journals Design of a Low-Cost Fixed Wing UAV

2018 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 02045
Author(s):  
Mochammad Ariyanto ◽  
Joga D. Setiawan ◽  
Teguh Prabowo ◽  
Ismoyo Haryanto ◽  
Munadi
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Flight Test ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Straight Wing

This research will try to design a low cost of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using low-cost material that able to fly autonomously. Six parameters of UAV’s structure will be optimized based on basic airframe configuration, wing configuration, straight wing, tail configuration, fuselage material, and propeller location. The resulted and manufactured prototype of fixed-wing UAV will be tested in autonomous fight tests. Based on the flight test, the developed UAV can successfully fly autonomously following the trajectory command. The result shows that low-cost material can be used as a body part of fixed-wing UAV.

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