THE ROBOTICS INSTITUTE Carnegie Mellon University The University of Pennsylvania Extended Environmental Monitoring via Intelligent Autonomous Airship (NSF

THEROBOTICSINSTITUTE

Carnegie Mellon University The University of Pennsylvania

Extended Environmental Monitoring via Intelligent Autonomous Airship

(NSF Grant ECS-0086931)

Research Team:• Faculty

• Sanjiv Singh, PI (CMU)• David Wettergreen (CMU)• Cliff Davidson (CMU)• Jim Ostrowski (UPenn)

• Postdocs• George Kantor

• Graduate Students (CMU)• Jong Woo Kim (UPenn)

• Undergraduate Students• Michael Schultz (CMU)• Vito Sabella (UPenn)• Daniel Levin (UPenn)



Purpose:To use an airship as a robotic “field scientist” to collect, analyze, organize, and disseminate environmental data.

Requirements:Automatic flight control.

Integration of navigational and environmental sensors.

Renewable power source for extended duration operation.

Science-driven autonomy

Extended Environmental Monitoring via Intelligent Autonomous Airship

(NSF Grant ECS-0086931)



Motivating Examples

• Air Pollution• 3-D pollution profiles• Plume tracking

• Forest Management• Gypsy moth defoliation • Forest typing

• Wetlands• Delineation• Flora/fauna monitoring

• Other• Geological assessment/prospecting• Characterization of archeological sites



Theoretical Advances

6 DOF dynamic airship model

Feasibility study for solar powered airship

Path following for airship and other underactuated dynamical systems

Randomized path planning to generate near-optimal motion plans



Solar Power Airship Study

Airship must be large enough to carry the weight of solar cells and batteries. Required airship size is a function of

battery technology and desired operating velocity



Solar Airship Study

Solar array size is limited by the effective surface area of the airship. As a result, maximum airship cruising velocity

is a function of solar cell efficiency.



Underactuated Path Following

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A path following algorithm for for underactuated second order dynamic systems has beendeveloped. This algorithm combines the kinematic pure pursuits algorithmwith nonlinear control theory for mechanical systems.

In simulation, our algorithmprovides a means of following an arbitrary path in the presenceof wind.



Experimental Results

A 30’ remote controlled airship purchased from Mobile Airships, Inc. was used as a platform for autonomy research.

power source: gasoline

usable payload: ~10 kg

flight time: 45 minutes

flight controls:• thrust magnitude• thruster pitch• elevator angle• rudder angle



Sensor Integration



Flight Test (ground video)



Flight Test (onboard video)



RET Program

RET Extension supported Mr. Joseph Abraham, robotics teacher at Taylor Alderdice High School.

Mr. Abraham’s participation included:

• Assisted in airship configuration and field experiments• Studied camera-based remote guidance for indoor airship• Constructed 8 foot indoor blimp at Taylor Alderdice HS• Demonstrated feedback control with MATLAB• Involved high school students in all aspects of collaboration



STWING Blimp TeamThis project partially supported an undergraduate research team devoted to the study and development of autonomous

airships. The STWING Blimp team includes University of Pennsylvania students majoring in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and business.



Conclusion

Near term goals:• Airship flight control and autonomy.• Collect environmental data in flight.

Long term goals:• Autonomous, solar powered airship.• Continuous, month-long flight.

Project Accomplishments:• Configured 30’ airship with computer, navigation sensors, and

carbon monoxide monitor. Tested in flight.• Studied solar power collection for airship.• Modeled airship dynamics.• Developed path planning algorithms.

Documents

THE ROBOTICS INSTITUTE Carnegie Mellon University The University of Pennsylvania Extended Environmental Monitoring via Intelligent Autonomous Airship (NSF