Week 3: Drone Net Introduction

By -
Hello Everyone! This week, the research team heard back about the proposal for funds through Embry-Riddle. The project will receive 87% of the requested funding amount, distributed over the next two years. I am extraordinarily excited to hear this, because it means that the research team can initiate new experiments

For week 3, I will attempt to answer the following question:

What is the Drone Net?


Drone Net is a name that encompasses both the hardware and software parts of a motion detection and drone identification device, currently in use at Embry-Riddle. Another name for the system is a Software-Defined MultiSpectral Imaging System (SDMSI). The full name shows that the Drone Net uses software to analyze and manipulate the output from physical hardware.

The Drone Net utilizes two panchromatic (black-white) cameras and a single infrared camera. The images from all three cameras are fused together and analyzed by software in real time. The hardware components are most easily visualized with the prototype designs below:

SDMSI Prototype Physical Design Used in Aircraft and Drone Detection Experiments

The software utilized by the Drone Net is intended to run on a linux operating system. One important feature of the Drone Net's design is its open framework that can easily be implemented on different hardware configurations.
I obviously cannot post the whole code set for Drone Net. However, if you are technologically inclined and interested in exploring the code, you can view the main motion detector file here.

Next week, I will discuss the current airspace security in place worldwide.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 1: All About Drones

By -
Image
Hello Everyone! I have been working with Professor Siewert and the research team from ERAU and UC:Boulder. During this week, I have been trying to catch up with the graduate-level mathematics and software engineering knowledge required to perform experiments with the Drone Net. Initially, I wasn't sure how to approach these weekly posts, but I guess I should start my research project by asking a decent question. For week 1, I would like to answer the following: What is a drone? Now, this question is deceptively simple. The word "drone" is just slang for any unmanned aerial system. Military and commercial/recreational drone are the two main types of drones currently in production. Below, you will find two infographics that display the diversity of drone design. Military drones are typically much larger than any other type of drone. Recreational and commercial drones have generally simpler designs. In terms of design elements, recreational and commercial...
Read more

Week 7: How The Drone Net Works - Software Pt. 1 - Code

By -
Image
Hello Everyone! This week, I have been coordinating resources for the upcoming Drone Net tests. Because Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is only 1/4 mile from the Prescott airport, the research team has to file a flight plan in order to fly drones on the campus. Also, we can't fly the drones while classes are in session, so the tests are quite unique, designed to quickly gather data on drone flight patterns. This week, I would like to begin a discussion of the Drone Net software. What software does Drone Net utilize? Currently, Drone Net utilizes an open-source computer vision library as the foundational library for its software. This library is called OpenCV  and the current language of the Drone Net code is C++.  Computer vision describes the ways that computers can gain an 'understanding' of digital images or videos. Let's take a minute to discuss this concept. A computer obviously does not see things as we humans see things; therefore, we must design ...
Read more

Week 6: How Drone Net Works - Hardware Pt. 2 - Mounting and Deployment

By -
Image
Hello Everyone! This week, I began my early spring break, but I have been able to continue analyzing previous drone net tests. This week , I would like to dive into a discussion of the Drone Net hardware: How does Drone Net's physical design affect its deployability? The Drone Net system can fit into the form factor of a medium shoe box, making extremely portable. The computer box can mount on most standard-form tripods and needs only two cables to be operated. Additionally, the drone net's weatherproof casing allows the device to remain in use during most weather conditions. First deployment of the Drone Net at ERAU Also, the Drone Net is currently designed to operate on 9.5 Watts while utilizing three cameras. By comparison, the average home computer uses 250 to 500 Watts. The low power consumption allows multiple Drone Net devices to be placed in various locations around a sensitive area. Likewise, the fact that Drone Net is fully automated saves money and t...
Read more