Title:
Efficient ranging-sensor navigation methods for indoor aircraft

dc.contributor.advisor Johnson, Eric N.
dc.contributor.author Sobers, David Michael, Jr. en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMember Bishop, Carlee
dc.contributor.committeeMember Costello, Mark
dc.contributor.committeeMember Dellaert, Frank
dc.contributor.committeeMember Feron, Eric
dc.contributor.department Aerospace Engineering en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2010-09-15T19:09:22Z
dc.date.available 2010-09-15T19:09:22Z
dc.date.issued 2010-07-09 en_US
dc.description.abstract Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are often used for reconnaissance, search and rescue, damage assessment, exploration, and other tasks that are dangerous or prohibitively difficult for humans to perform. Often, these tasks include traversing indoor environments where radio links are unreliable, hindering the use of remote pilot links or ground-based control, and effectively eliminating Global Positioning System (GPS) signals as a potential localization method. As a result, any vehicle capable of indoor flight must be able to stabilize itself and perform all guidance, navigation, and control tasks without dependence on a radio link, which may be available only intermittently. Since the availability of GPS signals in unknown environments is not assured, other sensors must be used to provide position information relative to the environment. This research covers a description of different ranging sensors and methods for incorporating them into the overall guidance, navigation, and control system of a flying vehicle. Various sensors are analyzed to determine their performance characteristics and suitability for indoor navigation, including sonar, infrared range sensors, and a scanning laser rangefinder. Each type of range sensor tested has its own unique characteristics and contributes in a slightly different way to effectively eliminate the dependence on GPS. The use of low-cost range sensors on an inexpensive passively stabilized coaxial helicopter for drift-tolerant indoor navigation is demonstrated through simulation and flight test. In addition, a higher fidelity scanning laser rangefinder is simulated with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) onboard a quadrotor helicopter to enable active stabilization and position control. Two different navigation algorithms that utilize a scanning laser and techniques borrowed from Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) are evaluated for use with an IMU-stabilized flying vehicle. Simulation and experimental results are presented for each of the navigation systems. en_US
dc.description.degree Ph.D. en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1853/34824
dc.publisher Georgia Institute of Technology en_US
dc.subject Rotorcraft en_US
dc.subject Sensor en_US
dc.subject Dilution en_US
dc.subject Helicopter en_US
dc.subject Precision en_US
dc.subject Scanner en_US
dc.subject Wall en_US
dc.subject Obstacle en_US
dc.subject Flight en_US
dc.subject Coaxial en_US
dc.subject Quadrotor en_US
dc.subject Stabilization en_US
dc.subject Indoor en_US
dc.subject Sonar en_US
dc.subject Mapping en_US
dc.subject UAV en_US
dc.subject MAV en_US
dc.subject Autonomous en_US
dc.subject Aircraft en_US
dc.subject Guidance en_US
dc.subject Navigation en_US
dc.subject Control en_US
dc.subject Indoor en_US
dc.subject Laser en_US
dc.subject Inertial en_US
dc.subject SLAM en_US
dc.subject Localization en_US
dc.subject Infrared en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Detectors
dc.subject.lcsh Stability of helicopters
dc.subject.lcsh Aerodynamics
dc.subject.lcsh Proximity detectors
dc.title Efficient ranging-sensor navigation methods for indoor aircraft en_US
dc.type Text
dc.type.genre Dissertation
dspace.entity.type Publication
local.contributor.advisor Johnson, Eric N.
local.contributor.corporatename College of Engineering
local.contributor.corporatename Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering
local.relation.ispartofseries Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Aerospace Engineering
relation.isAdvisorOfPublication 175a1f2b-c14e-4c43-a9e5-136fb7f8e5d0
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