Adaptive path planning of an autonomous marine vehicle (surface or subsurface) in the role of a communication and navigation aid (CNA) for multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for survey missions is studied. This path planning algorithm can be run before deployment, based on the planned paths of the survey AUVs, or underway, based on information transmitted by the survey AUVs. The planner considers the relative depth of the CNA and survey AUVs (not previously done) allowing the CNA to better aid survey AUVs that maintain a set distance over the ocean floor while surveying. Results are presented from simulations and in-water trials for both pre-deployment and underway planning modes, the latter being preferred since it can adapt to the survey AUV path during the mission. The necessity of bounding the distance between the CNA and any survey AUV in order to bound survey AUV position error is also described.

Orientadores: Paulo Roberto Gardel Kurka, Helder Anibal Hermini / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-12T23:15:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Diogenes_LucianaClaudiaMartinsFerreira_D.pdf: 1973089 bytes, checksum: f2ce9df7707c0da30e35bae49d195299 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: O presente trabalho tem como finalidade estabelecer um conjunto de procedimentos básicos de navegação e controle de robôs autônomos, baseado em imagens. Mapas de intensidade provenientes das imagens de duas câmeras são convertidos em mapas de profundidade, que fornecem ao robô informações sobre o seu posicionamento em um ambiente composto de objetos distintos. O modelo de robô de duas rodas com acionamento diferencial é usado, permitindo que o processo de navegação se dê através da fusão sensorial das informações obtidas pelas câmeras e dos dados de odometria do seu movimento. O filtro linear de Kalman é usado nesse processo de fusão, para obter estimativas ótimas de posição do robô, baseados nas imagens observadas pelas câmeras e pela informação de odometria medida pelos encoders de rotação das rodas. Realizamse simulações computacionais da tarefa de obtenção e processamento da imagem de um ambiente bidimensional simplificado, bem como do procedimento de navegação com fusão sensorial. As simulações têm por finalidade testar a viabilidade e robustez do procedimento de navegação, na presença de incertezas nas medidas de posição através de câmeras bem como nas medidas de odometria / Abstract: The work establishes a collection of procedures for image based navigation control of an autonomous robot. Intensity maps obtained from cameras are transformed in depth maps, which provide information about the robot's localization in an environment, comprised of distinct objects. A two wheeled, differential powered robot model is used, allowing the navigation process to combine double source information from the camera and odometry sensors. The Kalman filter technique is used in this information combination in order to yield optimal estimates of position of the robot, based on the camera and odometry information. Computational simulations are used to validate the image capture and processing, as well as the sensorial fusion technique, in a simplified bi-dimensional environment. The simulations are also useful in accessing the viability and robustness of the navigation process, in the presence of measurement uncertainties associated to the camera and odometry measurements / Doutorado / Mecanica dos Sólidos e Projeto Mecanico / Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica

The subject of this master‘s thesis is the design of a passenger quadcopter, which is intended for transporting two passengers and luggage. Diploma thesis includes an analysis of the existing products and deals with further direction in the solved topic. The goal of this thesis is to create a conceptual design that respects the technical, ergonomic and aesthetic requirements. The proposal itself offers possible direction of autonomous passenger quadcopters in the future.

It is a well-recognized fact that unmanned aerial vehicles are an essential element in today’s network-centric integrated battlefield environment. Compared to solo UAV missions, multiple unmanned aerial vehicles deployed in co-operative mode, offer many advantages that has motivated UAV researchers all over the world to evolve concept of operations that aims in achieving a paradigm shift from traditional ”dull” missions to perform ”dirty” and ”dangerous” missions. In future success of a mission will depend on interaction among UAV groups with no interaction with any ground entity. To reach this capability level, it is necessary for researchers, to first understand the various levels of autonomy and the crucial role that information and communication plays in making these autonomy levels possible. The thesis is in four parts: (i) Development of an organized framework to realize the goal of achieving fully autonomous systems. (ii) Design of UAV grouping algorithm and coordination tactics for ground attack missions. (iii) Cooperative network management in GPS denied environments. (iv) UAV group tactical path and goal re-plan in GPS denied wide area urban environments. This research thesis represents many first steps taken in the study of autonomous UAV systems and in particular group autonomy. An organized framework for autonomous mission control level by defining various sublevels, classifying the existing solutions and highlighting the various research opportunities available at each level is discussed. Significant contribution to group autonomy research, by providing first of its kind solution for UAV grouping based on Dubins’ path, establishing GPS protected wireless network capable of operating in GPS denied environment and demonstration of group tactical path and goal re-plan in a layered persistent ISR mission is presented. Algorithms discussed in this thesis are generic in nature and can be applied to higher autonomous mission control levels, involving strategic decisions among UAVs, satellites and ground forces in a network centric environment.

Die Kartierung und Lokalisierung eines mobilen Roboters in seiner Umgebung ist eine wichtige Voraussetzung für dessen Autonomie. In dieser Arbeit wird der Einsatz eines 3D-Laserscanners zur Erfüllung dieser Aufgaben untersucht. Durch die optimierte Anordnung eines rotierenden 2D-Laserscanners werden hochauflösende Bereiche vorgegeben. Zudem wird mit Hilfe von ICP die Kartierung und Lokalisierung im Stillstand durchgeführt. Bei der Betrachtung zur Verbesserung der Bewegungsschätzung wird auch eine Möglichkeit zur Lokalisierung während der Bewegung mit 3D-Scans vorgestellt. Die vorgestellten Algorithmen werden durch Experimente mit realer Hardware evaluiert.