Week 10: Drone Net Updates and Future Goals

By -
Hello Everyone! During this week, the Professor and I modified the Drone Net and set it up to acquire data with its new design.

What modifications has Drone Net incurred over since February?

The initial design of drone net includes a basic weatherproof, outdoor electrical box. The box is mounted on a regular camera tripod. Inside the box, three cameras are mounted with the color cameras arranged like a pair of eyes and infrared camera in the middle.

This design features the classic stereo camera "eyes."
The new design condenses the cameras down to one color and one infrared. The cameras are mounted at the same height and close together. This modification was chosen because closer cameras allow for quicker software processing time and easier calibration of the cameras. We also drilled holes in the electrical box to keep the Drone Net more weatherproof, allowing it to be left outside for extended periods of time.
This design puts the two cameras closer together.

The cable management holes make the Drone Net far more weatherproof.

What are the future goals of the Drone Net research team?

Since I plan to continue working with the research team as summer approaches, I have collaborated with the team in selecting goals for the summer. Our current goals include:

  1. Integrate acoustic sensors into Drone Net
  2. Integrate LIDAR into Drone Net
  3. Upgrade current optical and infrared cameras with USB 3.0 equivalents.
  4. Finalize integration of a small, low-power computing device, like the NVIDIA Jetson (pictured below).

Next week, I would like to wrap up the experience I have had working with the Drone Net team so far. 

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