SUMMARY

A novel system for autonomous UAV landings on moving targets will be proposed and presented. This system is designed to be robust to outdoor conditions like wind and varying lighting. A proof-of-concept system was designed, fabricated, and flight-tested to meet these mobile landing goals. This system includes a dock made of a magnetic metal mesh plate mounted to a modified RC truck and a quadcopter UAV. The UAV is equipped with magnetic feet so that it "sticks" to the dock upon landing. Infrared beacons beneath the mesh provide localization feedback for the UAV. The magnetic plate is designed such that current flows from the dock to the UAV for recharging. A description of the algorithms for localization and control will be presented, and then experimental results illustrating successful docking outdoors at speeds of up to 4.5 m/s (10 mph) will be covered. To continue investigation of the problem, a simulation to model the mobile landings is being developed. Also, the IR-beacon system will be improved to resolve the full relative pose between UAV and ground vehicle. Finally, the entire system is being moved over to ROS 2 to enable compatibility across the lab and open-source research ecosystem.

Meeting Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/96764592610