A Small Drone of a Million Dollars
The autonomously flying, object-tracking drone
About the Drone
Our project entails modifications in drone control and capability that the technology today does not offer. The goal of the project is to implement a computer vision system in concert with an aeronautics package and stability control system to autonomously track a user-controlled moving object.
Autonomous Control
The controls behind the drone
The drone utilizes a computer vision system in tandem with a stability control system to detect and track a moving object. With the use of open-source OpenCV libraries, the drone is able to detect where a moving object is relative to the itself. By processing camera images, optical flow, laser altimeter values, attitude estimation from the Pixhawk, the control node sends RC commands to the drone to control its flight path.
Customized Hardware
The components that make it work
Featuring an ultra-light carbon-fiber body and carefully spec'd components needed to achieve reliable flight, this drone boasts:
Thrust-to-Weight Ratio > 2.5
Camera Field of View: Field of View > 100⁰
Power Output: 5 min battery life
Computational Power: Update rate > 10 Hz
Gripping Strength: > 2 lbf grip strength
State Observability: Direct observation of position, velocity, and acceleration (3% error)
Structural Stability: Drone chassis loading Factor of Safety >2
Real-Time Tracking
See the drone in action
The challenge of autonomously visualizing and tracking an object is no trivial task.
The Team
Get to Know Us
Patrick Scholl
Patrick is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student, and is the programming and control systems lead on the project. His previous experience includes work on climate research at the UC Berkeley Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology Laboratory, and work on the James Webb Space Telescope at Northrop Grumman.
Lace Co Ting Keh
Lace is a 4th year mechanical engineering student who spent the last two years working on hardware design and electronics integration of lower cost exoskeletons for paraplegic patients.
Andrew Kyong
Andrew is a 4th year mechanical engineering student who has had experience with designing and working on wearable devices, renewable energy systems, and 3D printing manufacturing techniques
