Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Using Vision System and Sensor Fusion for Wing Shape Deflection Measurement

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents a Deflection-Detection-Vision-System (DDVS) for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) fixed-wing for control and navigation. This technique allows measurement of the fixed-wing shape, deflection, and identification of the aerodynamic coefficient acting on the system, using information from the stereo camera and strain gauge. It determines specific points to identify the wing's shape and deflection. The model consists of a stereo camera fixed at the top of the device with strain gauges placed in eight different points marked on the wing. Both sensors measure the deflection in chosen locations simultaneously. The DDVS performance and dynamic parameters are tested in a wind tunnel at speeds ranging from 10 km/h to 35 km/h, angles of attack (AOA), and roll angle ranging from 0 to 30°, respectively. An image acquisition, feature extraction, matching process, 3D reconstruction, and a stereo camera calibration are presented in this paper. This approach measures the wing deflection at each selected point and identifies the maximum deflection location based on various aerodynamic conditions such as wind speed, AOA, and roll angle. The drag and lift forces were obtained using the wing's surface area, and the experiment shows that less force is required for lifting as the AOA increases. The DDVS was implemented in the wind tunnel, and extensive experiment was conducted to determine the deflection of the wing in function of flight parameters like angle of attack, roll angle and flow velocity. The results have shown that the integration of strain gauge and vision system sensor measures wing deflections and identify the aerodynamic coefficient accurately by comparing with simulation result, and it could be used even in the most demanding environment.KeywordsControl systemsFixed-wingStereo cameraStrain gaugesDeflection measurementSensor fusion