Design and Implementation of Autonomous Takeoff and Landing UAV System for USV Platform

Abstract

In order to realize the autonomous takeoff and landing function of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) platform to improve the operation capability of the UAV in wide waters. In this paper, a phased takeoff and landing method is proposed and a corresponding hardware system is designed. The system is mainly an UAV system and an USV platform system.The UAV system designed in this paper is divided into a communication control part and a sensor part. The communication control part contains flight control board, take-off and landing harpoon device and wireless digital transmission. The sensor part contains infrared thermal imaging module and non-differential global positioning system (GPS), etc.The equipped infrared thermal imaging sensor is used as a precise position data feedback when it is closer to the USV platform. It uses visual processing to accurately identify the location of the positive temperature coefficient PTC heat source in the center of the USV and feeds it back to the UAV. The non-differential GPS is used for position data feedback at longer distances. The landing harpoon device is used to secure the UAV to the landing net to prevent the small sway of the USV platform from causing the UAV to tip over.The USV system is equipped with a landing net, a PTC heat source, and a 4G communication module and a 2.4G communication module. Finally, the experimental verification of the autonomous takeoff and landing system in this paper was conducted.The designed system can realize the autonomous takeoff and landing function of the UAV on the USV platform. The landing can be completed when the USV platform is moving at 20cm/s and its attitude angle wobble is less than 10 degrees.