Use of cooperative unmanned air and ground vehicles for detection and disposal of simulated mines

Erica Zawodny MacArthur; Donald MacArthur; Carl Crane

doi:10.1117/12.631314

16 November 2005 Use of cooperative unmanned air and ground vehicles for detection and disposal of mines

Erica Zawodny MacArthur, Donald MacArthur, Carl Crane

Proceedings Volume 5999, Intelligent Systems in Design and Manufacturing VI; 599909 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.631314
Event: Optics East 2005, 2005, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

The objective of this research is to extend the sensing capabilities of a multi-vehicle ground system by incorporating the environmental perception abilities of unmanned aerial vehicles. The aerial vehicle used in this research is a Miniature Aircraft Gas Xcell RC helicopter. It is outfitted with a sensor payload containing stereo vision cameras, GPS, and a digital compass. Geo- referenced images are gathered using the above sensors that are used in this research to create a map of the operating region. The ground vehicle used in this research is an automated Suzuki Mini-Quad ATV. It has the following onboard sensors: single-vision camera, laser range device, digital compass, GPS, and an encoder. The ground vehicle uses the above sensors and the map provided by the helicopter to traverse the region, locate, and isolate simulated land mines. The base station consists of a laptop that provides a communication link between the aerial and ground vehicle systems. It also provides the operator with system operation information and statistics. All communication between the vehicles and the base station is performed using JAUS (Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems) messages. The JAUS architecture is employed as a means to organize inter-vehicle and intra-vehicle communication and system component hierarchy. The purpose of JAUS is to provide interoperability between various unmanned systems and subsystems for both military and commercial applications. JAUS seeks to achieve this through the development of functionally cohesive building blocks called components whose interface messages are clearly defined. The JAUS architecture allows for a layered control strategy which has specific message sets for each layer of control. Implementation of the JAUS architecture allows for ease of software development for a multi- vehicle system. This experiment demonstrates how an air-ground vehicle system can be used to cooperatively locate and dispose of simulated mines.

Citation Download Citation

Erica Zawodny MacArthur, Donald MacArthur, and Carl Crane "Use of cooperative unmanned air and ground vehicles for detection and disposal of mines", Proc. SPIE 5999, Intelligent Systems in Design and Manufacturing VI, 599909 (16 November 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.631314

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