Swarming with Multiple Unmanned Aerial VehiclesREU Participants: Michael Alio, Cal Poly Pomona; Dan Champion and Emma Dorgan, University of Cincinnati

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Manish Kumar; Graduate Research Assistant: Balaji Sharma

Introduction

• Research in the development of UAVs has been growing in recent years

• UAVs can be utilized in a diverse range of applications from cooperative/distributed monitoring, remote sensing, cooperative mapping and distributed task allocation, among others

• They are computationally more efficient, are scalable and can work with very simple local control laws for desired global behavior

Conclusions• Investigated hardware systems and interfaced with software

for real-time communication and control. • Developed MATLAB-based control environmento High-level language provides convenience

 • Tested hardware and software individually on multiple CoaXs • Created control algorithm for stable hover • Established experimental platform and proof-of-concept 

Results

• CoaX helicopters were configured for wireless communications and real-time operations.

• A vision-based motion capture system was integrated with a MATLAB-based control environment.

• Wireless communications and real-time control of CoaX UAVs were tested out.

• A Proportional-Derivative controller was developed using both CoaX sensor data and Optitrack motion capture as sources of feedback to stabilize flight

• The experimental test bed thus developed can be extended for use in multi-UAV cooperative control applications

Acknowledgements:

Grant ID No. DUE-0756921

Methods

Configure Linux-based gumstix board on CoaX for wireless connection

Write and test codes to use feedback from the Optitrack cameras and from the CoaX sensors

Edit program for stabilized hover based on onboard sensor readings

Write control program using onboard sensor data

Experimental Setup

IMAGE Lab equipment

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Optitrack data

CoaX sensor data

Purpose

• Control multiple UAVs wirelessly through a motion tracking system and a computer program in a laboratory setting

• Understand the benefits and limitations of using a cooperative control system

Sensor height comparison

Hardware Software Operating Systems

• CoaX coaxial helicopters

• Optitrack Camera system

• MATLAB R2011a• Tracking Tools• PuTTY

• Windows 7• Ubuntu 8.04

Experimental Platform

Capabilities Limitations

• Larger tracking areas• Real-time data• One controller to

many robots• Military and civilian

applications• Indoor applications

• Lack of outdoor applications

• Short battery life• Long configuration

process• Requires connection

to transmitter

Proportional-Derivative (PD) Controller

Stable hover telemetry and trajectory