STTR Phase II: Autonomous Landing of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems onto Moving Platforms

该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将使无人机系统(UAS或无人机)能够在海上移动的车辆和船只上安全可靠地运行。许多行业迫切需要这种能力。在商业捕鱼中，无人机将取代有人驾驶的飞机进行捕鱼作业，从根本上降低成本和风险。在海上安全方面，无人机将在船只周围提供监视，包括定位落水男子的位置。及时救人？S的性命。在石油和天然气行业，无人机将通过绘制浮油的位置和范围来对漏油做出快速反应，限制环境和经济损害。在水文测量中，无人机将识别并对导航辅助设备进行地理定位，这与当前测量方法的时间和成本相悖。在商业航运中，无人机将在船舶航行时对其进行检查和保护。在运输行业，无人机将包裹送到最后一英里？从送货卡车到客户？S门。在执法和边境安全方面，无人机将在移动的巡逻车上操作，而警察则保持在车内的安全和机动。这些应用目前是困难或不可能的，但通过拟议的技术，这些应用将变得更加安全和容易。这个小企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将推进UAS/无人机自主的当前水平，使其能够在海上移动的车辆和船只上可靠地进行无人机操作。由于船舶甲板的起伏和摇摆，潜在的大风，以及在着陆过程中所需的高精度控制，船舶着陆极其困难。目前的无人驾驶飞机技术不利于在移动平台上着陆；这阻碍了其在海上作业中的使用，并已成为该部门商业化的主要障碍。这项拟议的研究将开发一种视觉辅助相对导航系统，该系统将精确的空对船观测与船上传感器测量相结合，以准确估计无人机和船只之间的相对位置。这些相对状态估计将被用来动态地引导和控制无人机安全地到达甲板。这一方法的技术可行性已在第一阶段项目中得到论证，其中包括在相关环境中演示技术。第二阶段项目的主要目标是提高系统可靠性，扩大操作范围，并使我们的系统产品化。实现这些目标的计划包括科学发展与广泛的测试、验证和示范相结合。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will enable Unmanned Aerial Systems(UAS or drones) to safely and reliably operate from moving vehicles and moving vessels at sea.There is an immediate need for this capability in many industries. In commercial fishing, droneswill replace manned aircraft for fish-finding operations, radically reducing cost and risk. In maritimesecurity, drones will provide surveillance around ships, including locating a ?man-overboard? intime to save the person?s life. In the oil and gas industry, drones will provide rapid-response to oilspills by mapping the location and extent of the oil slick, limiting the environmental and economicdamage. In hydrographic surveying, drones will identify and geo-locate navigation aids, at afraction of the time and cost of current survey methods. In commercial shipping, drones willinspect and protect shipping vessels while they are underway. In the transport industry, droneswill delivery packages the ?last mile? from a delivery truck to a customer?s door. In law enforcementand border security, drones will operate from moving patrol vehicles while officers remain safeand mobile in the vehicle. These applications are currently difficult or impossible, but will becomeradically safer and easier with the proposed technology.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 project will advance the current stateof the art in UAS/drone autonomy, to enable reliable drone operations from moving vehicles andmoving vessels at sea. Shipboard landing is extremely difficult, due to the heaving and rolling ofthe ship deck, potential high winds, and the high precision control required during landing. Currentdrone technology does not facilitate landing on moving platforms; this prevents their use inmaritime operations, and has become the main barrier to commercialization in this sector. Theproposed research will develop a vision-aided relative navigation system that combines preciseair-to-ship observations with onboard sensor measurements to accurately estimate the relativestate between the drone and the ship. These relative state estimates will be used to dynamicallyroute and control the drone safely on to the ship deck. Technical feasibility of this approach hasbeen demonstrated during the Phase I project, which included demonstration of the technologyin a relevant environment. The primary goals of the Phase 2 project are to improve systemreliability, expand the operational envelope, and productize our system. The plan to achieve thesegoals includes scientific development paired with extensive testing, validation, and demonstration.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.