Development of an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Aerobiological Sampling

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorDingus, Benjamin Rossen
dc.contributor.committeechairReinholtz, Charles F.en
dc.contributor.committeecochairSchmale, David G. IIIen
dc.contributor.committeememberWicks, Alfred L.en
dc.contributor.departmentMechanical Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:38:17Zen
dc.date.adate2007-05-25en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:38:17Zen
dc.date.issued2007-05-08en
dc.date.rdate2007-05-25en
dc.date.sdate2007-05-22en
dc.description.abstractThe ability to detect, monitor, and forecast the movement of airborne plant pathogens in agricultural ecosystems is essential for developing rational approaches to managing these habitats. We developed an autonomous (self-controlling) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform for aerobiological sampling tens to hundreds of meters above agricultural fields. Autonomous UAVs have the potential to extend the range of aerobiological sampling, improve positional accuracy of sampling paths, and enable coordinated flight with multiple aircraft at different altitudes. We equipped a Senior Telemaster model airplane with two spore-sampling devices and a MicroPilot autonomous system, and we conducted over 60 autonomous microbe-sampling flights at Virginia Tech's Kentland Farm. To determine the most appropriate sampling path for aerobiological sampling, we explored a variety of different sampling patterns for our autonomous UAVs including multiple GPS waypoints plotted over a variety of spatial scales. We conducted a total of 25 autonomous aerobiological sampling flights for five different aerobiological sampling patterns. The pattern of a single waypoint exhibited the best flight characteristics with good positional accuracy and standard deviations in altitude from 1.6 to 2.8 meters. The four point pattern configured as a rectangle also demonstrated good flight characteristics and altitude standard deviations from 1.6 to 4.7 meters.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.identifier.otheretd-05222007-143900en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05222007-143900/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/33119en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartBDingus2.pdfen
dc.relation.haspartBDingus1.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectaerial samplingen
dc.subjectunmanned aerial vehicleen
dc.subjectautonomousen
dc.titleDevelopment of an Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Aerobiological Samplingen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
BDingus1.pdf
Size:
28.52 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
Thumbnail Image
Name:
BDingus2.pdf
Size:
1.16 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Masters Theses