Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This project developed a low-cost avionics system for a miniature helicopter to be used for
research in the field of autonomous flight (UAVs).
Previous work was done on a small, electrically powered helicopter with some success, but the
overall conclusion was that the vehicle was underpowered. A new vehicle, the Miniature Aircraft
X−Cell, was chosen for its ability to lift a larger payload, and previous work done with it by a
number of other institutions.
An expandable architecture was designed to allow sensors and actuators to be arbitrarily added to
the system, based on the CAN standard. A CAN sensor node was developed that could digitize
12 channels at up to 16 bit resolution and do basic filtering of the data. Onboard computing was
provided by a PC/104 based computer running Linux, with additional hardware added to
interface with the CAN bus and assist with timing.
A simulation environment for the helicopter was evaluated and shown to provide a good test bed
for the control of the helicopter. Finally, the avionics was used during piloted test-flights to
measure data and judge the performance of both the modified helicopter and the electronics itself.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/2814 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Groenewald, Stephanus |
| Contributors | Jones, T., Milne, G. W., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 10646435 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch, University of Stellenbosch |
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