(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004-09)
Christophersen, Henrik B.; Pickell, Wayne J.; Koller, Adrian A.; Kannan, Suresh K.; Johnson, Eric N.
Future small UAVs will require enhanced capabilities like seeing and avoiding obstacles,
tolerating unpredicted flight conditions, interfacing with payload sensors, tracking moving
targets, and cooperating with other manned and unmanned systems. Cross-platform
commonality to simplify system integration and training of personnel is also desired. A
small guidance, navigation, and control system has been developed and tested. It employs
Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Digital Signal Processor (DSP) technology to
satisfy the requirements for more advanced vehicle behavior in a small package. Having
these two processors in the system enables custom vehicle interfacing and fast sequential
processing of high-level control algorithms. This paper focuses first on the design aspects of
the hardware and the low-level software. Discussion of flight test experience with the system
controlling both an unmanned helicopter and an 11-inch ducted fan follow.