Micro-CARTMicroprocessor-Controlled Aerial

Robotics Team

May 1, 2002

Team - Ongo03

Team Information

Team MembersSecond Semester• Eric Frana – Overall Team Leader• Matt Devries• Kirk Kolek – Flight Controls

Leader• Todd Welch – Communications

Leader• Loc Pham – System Requirements

Leader• Corey Lubahn

Advisors• Dr. John Lamont• Prof. Ralph Patterson III

First Semester• Damian N. McGrane• Kenny Nguyen-Pham • Andrew Teoh • Kelly Williams• Thomas Scanlan• Adam Horak• Justin Barrick• Raza Ali

Client• EE/CprE Department

Funded by• Lockheed Martin

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– Began in 1990 – Hosted annually by Georgia Institute of

Technology – Autonomous aerial vehicles are to accomplish

series of tasks in a given time– Tasks change and expand once completed (every

4 years)– Grand prize is $30,000

Problem Statement – Technical Problem

• Launch ISU into IARC competition• Modify RC helicopter to function autonomously• Create wireless base station link• Implement image recognition system

– Identify a beacon at 3km ( 2 miles)– Identify a 1 square meter figure (target building)

• Ground vehicle sensor platform (deploy from air)• Full integration among all components

Design Objectives• Modified gas powered RC helicopter

– Autonomous (PC/104 board for control)– Maximum lift: 8-12 lbs

• Sensors package– Sonar, GPS, Inertial Measuring Unit, Camera

• Autonomous ground vehicle (being researched)• Ground station

– Laptop PC– Wireless communications between ground and air– Display vital information

• Meets all criteria for IARC competition• Fair weather operating environment• Total project cost: ~$31,000

End Product

• Fully autonomous gas powered helicopter– Sensors package– Flight control algorithms

• Recognize targets and react appropriately• Collect and transmit images to the ground station• Ground vehicle• Qualified to compete in IARC

Assumptions

• Competition criteria will not change radically in the near future

• Continue to receive necessary funding• Suitable hardware available at affordable

price• Sensors will send information accurately and

reliably• Off-the-shelf image recognition software will

be suitable

Limitations• Helicopter payload (~8-12 lbs)

• Limited mounting space

• Power consumption

• Sensors accuracy (GPS, sonar)

• Lack of ME or Aero E team members

• High personnel turnover rate

Potential Risks

• Helicopter crash• Major rules change invalidates large amounts of work• Serious design flaws halt progress• Money and funding runs out

Technical Approach

Micro-CART is divided into subteams:– Flight Controls (Kirk Kolek)

• Flight algorithms, central processing

– Communications (Todd Welch)• Sensors, Communications: vehicle ground

– System Requirements (Loc Pham)• Long range planning, hardware

Flight Controls Subteam

• Create onboard computation and control system for autonomous flight– Onboard computation of sensor data– Servo position control

Flight Controls

• Past Accomplishments– Purchase Servo Motor Control, began

implementation– Researched microprocessors– Initial flight control development

Flight Controls

• Present Semester Goals and Status– Continue Research and Purchase microprocessor

• Goal 1: Determine necessary features (PC/104)

– 100% complete / successful

• Goal 2: Purchase

– 50% complete / marginally successful

– Implement Servo-Motor Controller• Goal 3: Develop software for servo-motor controller

– 100 % complete / successful

Flight Controls

• Present Semester Goals and Status (cont.)– Autonomous flight development

• Goal 4: Develop foundation and direction for flight control implementation

– 60% complete / marginally successful

• Goal 5: Design hardware interface switch to provide interface between human and computer control of helicopter.

– 25% complete / unsuccessful

Flight Controls

• Future Work– Next Semester:

• Finish design, build & implement hardware switch

• Develop control laws (diagrams)

• Integrate microprocessor into onboard embedded system

• Instrument helicopter by compiling sensor data and gain vital flight control coefficients

– Long Term:• Full development of flight control algorithms

• Integrated onboard computer

Communications Subteam

• Design and implement communications systems– Sensors to the PC/104 directly or through a microprocessor

• Current Sensor Components- Polaroid 6500 Ranging Module Altitude & Proximity

• Future Sensor Components- Inertial Measuring Unit Pitch, Yaw, Roll

Acceleration, Direction

- GPS Global Positioning System- Wireless Modem Base Station

Communication- Camera Image Capturing System

Communications

• Past Accomplishments– Purchased sensors

• Sonars• Gyro• Compass• Accelerometer

– PIC tutorial labs completed in SSOL– Initial assembly code developed for Sonar

Communications

• Present Semester Goals and Status– Sensor Requirements

• Goal 1: Determine specific sensors needs for autonomous flight

– 90% complete / successful

• Goal 2: Verify validity of previously purchased sensors

– 100% complete / successful

Communications

• Present Semester Goals and Status (Cont)– Testing Polaroid 6500 Sonar

• Goal 3: Test and improve current software– 95% complete / successful

• Goal 4: Interface the sonar with PIC microprocessor

– 100% complete / successful

Communications

• Present Semester Goals and Status (Cont)– Flight Control Integration

• Goal 5: Integrate sonar program with flight control software

– 0% complete / unsuccessful

• Goal 6: Research and purchase Inertial Measuring Unit

– 75% complete / marginally successful

Communications

• Future Work– Next Semester:

• Integrate sensor package for instrumentation• Research GPS unit• Research wireless communication

– Long Term:• Image Recognition System• Purchase GPS unit• Integrate sensor package with Flight Control system

Systems Requirements

• Oversee and act as administrative source for team– Maintain long term Strategic Plan– Insure helicopter flightworthiness– Identify design limitations – Coordinate integration of all groups– Pilot training

Systems Requirements

• Past Accomplishments– Created team handbook – Created strategic plan– Completed inventory list to track equipment– Acquired flight simulator software– Helicopter repair

Systems Requirements

• Present Semester Goals and Status– Update the long term strategic plan

• Goal 1: Identify milestones to meet competition date

• 100% / successful

– Pilot Training Program• Goal 2: Train pilots to fly helicopter

• Ongoing / marginally successful

Systems Requirements

• Present Semester Goals and Status– Information book

• Goal 3: Create book containing information to support team

• Ongoing / successful

– Security box• Goal 4: Build a security box

• 75% complete / marginally successful

Systems Requirements

• Present Semester Goals and Status cont.

– Ground vehicle research• Goal 5: Research requirements for ground vehicle

• Official rules of the IARC website

• Type of ground vehicle (walking, wheel based, track, etc.)

• Determine necessary components to perform desired tasks

• Low priority (flight first, but consider ground vehicle)

Systems Requirements

• Future Work– Next Semester:

• Continue ground vehicle research• Update Team Handbook• Maintain helicopter• Recruit AeroE and ME students

– Long Term:• Ensure team is completing needed goals to compete in

IARC competition

Financial Budget

Helicopter Sensors GPS Image Rec.Sys.

WirelessEthernet

PC/104board

Servo MotorBoard

Entry Fee Misc

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Cost ($)

Items

Expected vs. Actual Expenses

Expected Actual

Human Budget Estimated(hrs) Actual(hrs)

Eric Frana 127 130Kirk Kolek 99 90Loc Pham 87 75Matt Devries 83 79Todd Welch 81 86Corey Lubahn 70 72Raza Ali 70 70Justin Barrick 111 100Adam Horak 81 87Damian McGrane 100 120Kenny Nguyen-Pham 69 80Thomas Scanlan 95 86Andrew Teoh 85 85Kelly Williams 93 89

Lessons Learned

• Non Technical– If you need to do something, it may have

been done before• GPS, aerial cameras, servos, sonars, IMU

– Right skills for the job are important– Investigation/research– Long range planning

Lessons Learned

• Technical– PIC programming – RC helicopter flight– Servo micro-controller programming– Hardware switch design– Helicopter maintenance

Summary

Goal:

Create autonomous aerial vehicle to compete in the IARC competition by 2004.

Solution:

Modify RC helicopter to fit needs, create ground vehicle, integrate with image recognition system.

Demonstrations & Questions