SBIR-STTR Award

Due to the limitations and power requirements of modern computational hardware and sensors, the central goals of smallness and high-level autonomy (usually associated with higher algorithmic complexity and computational cost) are directly at odds with each other. Current small UAVs often shed weight through the use of limited sensors and rudimentary algorithms, while very high-level autonomy usually comes packaged in a UAV that is by no means “small.” Our proposed project is uniquely situated to tackle this “highly autonomous small UAV” challenge through the innovative combination of high-performance, compact hardware and efficient, advanced algorithms. The proposing team will combine a flight-proven, state-of-the-art miniature avionics system, flight-proven, real-time image processing techniques, and efficient, high-level autonomous guidance algorithms to develop a Small, Image-aided Navigation and Autonomous Path-planning System (SINAPS) for small UAVs. The Phase I result will be a complete flight-proven SINAPS with very high levels of autonomy contained in an extremely small, lightweight package.

Keywords:
Uav, Image-Aided Navigation, Autonomy, Collision Avoidance, High Speed Maneuvering

The proposing team will continue the development, testing, and productization of a Small, Image-aided Navigation and Autonomous Path-planning System (SINAPS) for UAVs. The SINAPS utilizes a capable suite of sensors together with state-of-the-art computing to enable real-time autonomous sensing and maneuvering at high speeds even in obstacle-rich environments. Due to the limitations and power requirements of modern computational hardware and sensors, the UAV goals of smallness and high-level autonomy (usually associated with higher algorithmic complexity and computational cost) are directly at odds with each other. Current small UAVs often shed weight through the use of limited sensors and rudimentary algorithms, while high-level autonomy usually comes packaged in a UAV that is by no means “small”. Our project is uniquely situated to tackle this “highly autonomous small UAV” challenge through the innovative combination of high-performance, compact hardware and efficient, advanced algorithms. While the SINAPS is compatible with most small UAVs capable of carrying it, the Phase II of this project will see it integrated and flown in three UAV testbeds including both fixed and rotary wing Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs).

Keywords:
Collision Avoidance, Optical Flow, Path Planning, Mapping, Image Aided Navigation