Analysis of Sensing Technologies for Collision Avoidance for Small Rotary-Wing Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles

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dc.contributor.authorGandhi, Manaven
dc.contributor.committeechairKochersberger, Kevin Bruceen
dc.contributor.committeememberWoolsey, Craig A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberLeonessa, Alexanderen
dc.contributor.departmentMechanical Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-23T08:00:10Zen
dc.date.available2022-06-23T08:00:10Zen
dc.date.issued2022-06-22en
dc.description.abstractAs UASs (Uncrewed Aerial System) are further integrated into operations, the need for on-board environmental perception and sensing is necessitated. An accurate and reliable creation of a 3D map resembling an aircraft's surrounding is crucial for accurate collision avoidance and path planning. Consumer UASs are now being equipped with sensors to fulfill such a requirement – but no system has been proven as capable of being fully relied upon. With many sensing options available, there are several constraints regarding size, weight, and cost that must be considered when developing a sensing solution. Additionally, the robustness of the system must not be diminished when moving to a system that minimizes size, weight, or cost. An analysis of different sensing technologies that small rotary-wing aircraft (below 25kg) can be outfitted with for collision avoidance is performed. Several sensing technologies are initially compared through technology analyses and controlled experiments. The topmost systems were then further integrated onto a small low-cost quadcopter for flight testing and data acquisition. Ultimately, a fusion between stereo vision imagery and radar was deemed the most reliable method for providing environmental data needed for collision avoidance.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralAs drones become further integrated in several industries, it is important that their operations are conducted in a safe manner. Most drones today have a limited ability to sense and react to the environment around them. This results in the risk of the drone colliding with people or obstacles such as buildings, trees, light poles, etc. Thus, an accurate and reliable creation of a 3D map resembling a drone's surrounding is crucial for collision avoidance. This would allow for the avoidance of people and obstacles during automated flights where the drone may encounter obstacles during flight. With many sensing options available, there are several constraints regarding size, weight, and cost that must be considered when developing a sensing solution. Additionally, the reliability of the system must be of the topmost priority to ensure safe operations. An analysis of different sensing technologies that small rotary-wing aircraft (below 25kg) can be outfitted with for collision avoidance is performed. Rotary-wing aircraft are a specific subset of drones that are capable of vertical takeoff, landing, and hover (i.e not planes). An analysis regarding the several sensing technologies was first conducted to select the three topmost solutions. These solutions were then integrated onto a small low-cost quadcopter for data collection and flight testing. Ultimately, a combination of stereo vision imagery and radar was deemed the most reliable method for collecting collision avoidance data.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:35165en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/110893en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectUASen
dc.subjectDroneen
dc.subjectCollision Avoidanceen
dc.subjectObstacleen
dc.titleAnalysis of Sensing Technologies for Collision Avoidance for Small Rotary-Wing Uncrewed Aerial Vehiclesen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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