Micro-CART Micro-Controlled Aerial Robotics Team December 13, 2001

Team Information Designation – Ongo 3 Team Members Second Semester Nathan Ellefson Scott Dang Steve Smith Bernard Lwakabamba Advisors Prof. John Lamont Prof. Ralph Patterson III Prof. Ganesh Rajagopalan First Semester Kirk Kolek Eric Frana Loc Pham Corey Lubahn Todd Welch Matt Devries Client EE/CprE Department

Agenda Problem Statement Design Objectives End Product Assumptions/Limitations Risks Technical Approach –Flight Controls –Communications –System Requirements Financial and Human Budgets Lessons Learned Conclusion

Problem Statement - Background International Aerial Robotics Competition –Held by Georgia Tech annually –Started in 1990 –Autonomous aerial vehicles –Accomplish series of tasks in least amount of time –Tasks change and expand once completed (every 4 to 5 years)

Problem Statement – Technical Problem ISU’s first entry into IARC competition Modify RC helicopter to function autonomously –1 hour to complete tasks Create wireless base station link Image recognition system that can: –Identify a beacon at ~ 3km –Identify a 1 square meter figure (target building) Ground vehicle sensor platform (deploy from air) Full integration among all components

Design Objectives Gas powered, modified RC helicopter (X-cell #1005) –Autonomous (PC/104 board for control) –Dimensions: 54”x17.5”x6” –Unit weight: lbs –Maximum lift: 6-10 lbs –Total project cost: ~$10,000 Sensors package – Sonar, GPS, Compass, Gyros, Accelerometer Autonomous ground vehicle (specs not set) Ground station –Dell 500Mhz PC –Image recognition software –Wireless communications between ground and air Meets all criteria for IARC competition Fair weather operating environment

End Product Fully autonomous gas powered helicopter –Sensors package –Flight control algorithms Collect and transmit digital images to the ground station Recognize targets and react appropriately Ground vehicle sensor platform Qualified to compete in IARC

Assumptions Suitable hardware available at affordable price Helicopter can be controlled by a CPU Sensors will send information accurately and reliably Off-the-shelf image recognition software will be suitable Wireless technology exists to allow for transmission of video Enough funding The competition criteria will not change radically in the near future

Limitations Helicopter payload (~6-10 lbs depending on variables) Aerodynamic issues Helicopter flight time (depends on variables) Sensors accuracy (GPS, sonar) Range, resolution and accuracy of image recognition Power consumption Limited mounting space Funding dependent on outside donors Lack of previously skilled RC helicopter pilot Lack of ME or Aero E members High personnel turnover rate

Potential Risks Major rules change invalidates large amounts of work Helicopter crash Serious design flaw halts progress Money and funding runs out

Technical Approach Micro-CART has been divided into subteams: –Flight Controls (Scott Dang) Flight algorithms, central processing –Communications (Steve Smith) Sensors, Communications: vehicle  ground –System Requirements (Bernard Lwakabamba) Long range planning, hardware

Flight Controls Subteam Create software helicopter model Create software that will allow the helicopter to maintain stable flight –Responsible for: Control algorithm that will work reliably if there are hardware failures

Flight Controls Final Autonomous Flight Helicopter Sensor PIC PC/104 Micro-computer Helicopter Transceiver Ground PC Servos Ground Transceiver Interface Human Remote Transmitter On Ground In Air

Flight Controls Past Accomplishments –Model of the helicopter written in MatLab –Researched specific PC/104 –Written C++ code that reads data from serial ports

Flight Controls Present Semester Goals and Status –Design communication flow hardware Goal 1: Design the communication between servo-motor controller and servo –100 % complete –Research helicopter servos Goal 2: Determine what is necessary to control the servos –100% complete

Flight Controls Present Semester Goals and Status –Write code to test controls of servos Goal 3: Use the servo micro-controller to test whether the code is able to communicate successfully with servos –100% complete

Flight Controls Future Work –Next Semester: Begin developing control algorithms for servo program Code to communicate between PC104 and servos –Long Term: A working PC/104 board Have the servo micro-controller and various sensors integrated with PC/104 board

Communications Subteam Design and implement communications systems –Sensors to microprocessor –Microprocessor to ground station (Wireless) Current Sensor Components - Polaroid 6500 Ranging Module  Altitude & Proximity - Digital Compass  Direction - Accelerometers  Acceleration - Gyroscopes  Pitch, Yaw, Roll Future Sensor Components - GPS  Global Coordinate - Imaging System  Image Recognition

Communications

Past Accomplishments –Purchased sensors –PIC tutorial labs completed in SSOL –Initial assembly code developed for Sonar

Communications Present Semester Goals and Status –PIC introduction Goal 1: Introduce 1st semester students to PIC programmer –100% complete –Sonar sensors Goal 2: Continue debugging Sonar code –85% complete

Communications Present Semester Goals and Status –Compass sensor Goal 3: Debug and test Compass Code –70% complete –Interfacing sensors with PC/104 Goal 4: Research components which are compatible –65% complete

Communications Future Work –Next Semester: Finish debugging Sonar and Compass code Start code for Accelerometers and GPS sensors Image Recognition System –Long Term: Algorithm for polling data from all sensors Develop wireless communication

Systems Requirements Oversee and act as an administrative source for the overall team –Responsible for the following: Develop the long term Strategic Plan Insure helicopter flightworthiness Identify design limitations Coordinate integration of the two groups

Systems Requirements Past Accomplishments –Created last semester’s team-handbook –Acquired Ground Station –Acquired Flight Simulator Software

Systems Requirements Present Semester Goals and Status –Helicopter Repair Goal 1: Insure flightworthiness of the vehicle –100% complete –Develop the long term strategic plan Goal 2: Identify the milestones to meet competition date –80% complete –Edit Team Handbook Goal 3: Quickly orient the incoming members –100% complete

Systems Requirements Present Semester Goals and Status –Pilot Training Program Goal 4: Trained pilots to prevent helicopter damage –100% complete (ongoing) –Check- out List Goal 5: Create an inventory tracking system –95% complete

Systems Requirements Future Work –Next Semester: Helicopter Limitations –Goal: Identify the payload capacity and fuel consumption of the helicopter Deployed Vehicle Research –Goal: Identify performance requirements –Long Term: Sub-team Expansion and Integration –Goal: Specify personnel requirements

Financial Budget

Human Budget Estimated(hrs) Actual(hrs) Nathan Ellefson8483 Steven Smith9386 Scott Dang8187 Bernard Lwakabamba9085 Kirk Kolek8885 Eric Frana84111 Loc Pham8075 Corey Lubahn8590 Todd Welch7780 Matt Devries7777

Lessons Learned If you need to do something, it may have been done before –GPS, aerial cameras, servos, sonars PIC programming RC helicopter flight Servo micro-controller programming Right skills for the job are important Investigation/research Long range planning

Summary Goal: Create autonomous aerial vehicle to compete in the IARC competition by Solution: Modify RC helicopter to fit needs, create ground vehicle, integrate with image rec.

Demonstrations & Questions