Department - Author 1
Electrical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Electrical Engineering
Date
6-2015
Primary Advisor
Lynne Slivovsky
Abstract/Summary
This is an ongoing design project being funded by Northrop Grumman in which Cal Poly SLO is working in collaboration with Cal Poly Pomona to complete a working design at the end of each academic school year. The project consists of two UAVs that can navigate around a given area without running into each other or other obstacles. There are sensors to be mounted on the vehicles that can detect objects within a given distance and a microcontroller is used to control how the vehicle responds to an object being detected. The avoidance code has been written for previous years’ designs but improvements are to be made to improve the speed and accuracy of the current code. The UAVs should be able to communicate wirelessly with a nearby ground station so they may be controlled during flight. The previous years’ communication system high level diagram is shown below in Figure 1. When needed, an autopilot is to be implemented that can still avoid objects as it flies around. Additionally there needs to be security in the communication system to ensure interference is eliminated. In the past GPS was allowed to be used to track where the vehicles were in space, however, this year a communication system must be implemented that can operate in an area in which GPS is not available. A simulator is to be implemented that can test how the avoidance system works on the computer before testing it with UAVs.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/284