This thesis describes the development of the Texas A&M University Autonomous
Helicopter System and the integration of obstacle avoidance capabilities into that system.
The helicopter system, composed of a Bergen Observer helicopter and a Rotomotion
Autonomous Flight Control System (AFCS), was developed as a platform to support the
development of the obstacle avoidance system through integration of sensors and
onboard processing capabilities. The system has proven in various flight tests that it has
the capability to autonomously hover and fly to user defined GPS waypoints. The
obstacle avoidance algorithm has been proven in simulations involving an interface with
the Rotomotion AFCS and the flight simulation software they created to facilitate the
development of that system. The helicopter has also demonstrated appropriate responses
to sensor input commensurate with the obstacle avoidance algorithm. Full avoidance
tests were unable to be performed due to hardware malfunctions inherent in the obstacle
avoidance sensors.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/3874 |
| Date | 16 August 2006 |
| Creators | Mentzer, Christopher Isaac |
| Contributors | Langari, Reza |
| Publisher | Texas A&M University |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Thesis, text |
| Format | 1114054 bytes, electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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