Open AccessAutonomous, Long-Range, Sensor Emplacement Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Author(s) -
Adam Plowcha,
Justin Bradley,
Jacob Hogberg,
Thomas Ammon,
Mark Nail,
Brittany Duncan,
Carrick Detweiler
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
field robotics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2771-3989
DOI - 10.55417/fr.2022016
Subject(s) - software deployment , autopilot , range (aeronautics) , computer science , remote sensing , site selection , aerospace engineering , real time computing , process (computing) , environmental science , engineering , geology , law , political science , operating system
Automated, in-ground sensor emplacement can significantly improve remote, terrestrial, data collection capabilities. Utilizing a multicopter, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for this purpose allows sensor insertion with minimal disturbance to the target site or surrounding area. However, developing an emplacement mechanism for a small multicopter, autonomy to manage the target selection and implantation process, as well as long-range deployment are challenging to address. We have developed an autonomous, multicopter UAS that can implant subsurface sensor devices. We enhanced the UAS autopilot with autonomy for target and landing zone selection, as well as ensuring the sensor is implanted properly in the ground. The multicopter UAS, limited by onboard energy, can be carried by a transport aircraft to within 1 km of the desired sensor location site and deployed by a novel parachuting-canister system. Through a comprehensive set of field trials and testing, we assess the effectiveness of each subsystem. We evaluate our system on missions covering distances up to 25 km away in mountains 1 km above the takeoff location.