MIT Lincoln Laboratory has expressed growing interest in projects involving quadrotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Our tasks were to develop a system providing computerized remote control of the provided UAV, as well as to develop a high-accuracy localization system. We integrated the UAV's control system with standard Robot Operating System (ROS) software tools. We measured the reliability of the control system, and determined performance characteristics. We found our control scheme to be usable pending minor improvements. To enable localization, we explored machine vision, ultimately altering the Augmented Reality library ARToolKit to interface with ROS. After several tests, we determined that ARToolKit is not currently a feasible alternative to standard localization techniques.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Berard, Brian M
• Petrie, Christopher J
• Smith, Nicholas A
• Petrie, Krysta J.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-121610-140424

Advisor

• Heineman, George T.
• Michalson, William R.

Year

• 2010

Center

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory-Lexington, Massachusetts Project Center - MQP

Sponsor

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Date created

• 2010-12-16

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Computer Science
• Robotics Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved