Autonomous Helicopter Senior Design I

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Autonomous Helicopter Senior Design I

• Inaki Iglesias, Scott Rainwater, Torki
  Abualshamat, Warren Sumpter

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Project Goals

• The objective of this project is to develop an
  autonomously controlled small helicopter platform
  
• modest maneuverability
• GPS guided way-point navigation
• The control system and all necessary control
  hardware will be carried aboard the platform. 
• A user would only need to tell the system where
  to go or what to do through a remote computer
  interface and the system would carry out those
  instructions on its own.

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Description

• Designed primarily to operate outdoors or in
  large indoor areas. 
• Indoor operation may be limited by GPS
  reception. 
• At a minimum, the completed system will be able
  to hover in a desired position, travel a
  specified path or course, take-off, and land. 
• We will also work to include the capability to
  perform some level of aerobatic maneuvers.

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Analysis - Hardware

• Sensor SparkFun IMU 6 Degrees of Freedom v4
  with Bluetooth.
• Microcontroller Gumstix Verdex Pro with Robostix
  expansion board.
• GPS Locosys LS23060 V1.0
• Ultrasonic Range Finder LV-MaxSonar EZ0
• Custom PCBs for PWM Switch, etc.

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Hardware Continued
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Hardware Continued
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New Technology

• Custom PCB designed by the group
• Need to be able to connect unlike components.
• Vibration isolators
• Mounting must consider center-of-mass issues.
• Must modify the helicopter frame

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Current Status

• Low-level communication between devices
• Unexpected delays or issues
• Hardware mounting on the helicopter itself.
• Difficulties finding appropriate simulation
  environment.
• Nonfunctioning Bluetooth Module.

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Semester Goals

• Continue refining simulation model and control
  system
• Develop / Port software for use on control
  hardware
• Test sensor system on helicopter for response and
  vibration immunity
• Test and refine control system through hardware
  in the loop testing

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Analysis - Software

• Selecting a simulator
• Developing and testing the control system on the
  computer.
• FlightGear
• LabView
• Kalman Filters (KF)
• Extended Kalman Filters (EKF)

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Software Continued

• FlightGear Simulation

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Software Continued

• LabView Interface

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Team/Resources

• Allocated Funds
• 500 from the EE Department
• 500 from the Research Department
• 1000 from the Office of the Dean
• Tools from the Robotics Lab
• Space allocated in the Graduate Student Lab

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Related Links

• Blog http//www.sumpwa.com/blog
• SparkFun http//www.sparkfun.com
• Gumstix http//www.gumstix.com
• Analog Devices http//www.analog.com
• Questions?