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Real-time machine-vision-based position sensing system for UAV aerial refueling

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Abstract

This paper describes the design of a Real Time Machine-Vision (MV) Position Sensing System for the problem of Semi-Autonomous Docking within Aerial Refueling (AR) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In this effort, techniques and algorithms have been developed and extensively tested in the MATLAB/Simulink® Soft Real-Time environment as well as in Linux/RTAI Hard Real-Time environment. The overall MV software performs several tasks, such as the image acquisition from a real camera, the Feature Extraction (FE) from the acquired image, the Detection and Labeling (DAL) of the features, and the tanker-UAV Pose Estimation (PE). A Cyclic Asynchronous Buffer (CAB) mechanism was implemented for inter-process communication among Real Time and Non Real Time processes. The entire sensing system was tested using an 800 MHz PC-104 computer. The results confirmed the feasibility of executing image processing algorithms in real-time using off-the-shelf commercial hardware to obtain reliable relative position and orientation estimations.

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Abbreviations

3DW:

3 Dimensional window

AR:

Aerial refueling

CAB:

Cyclic asynchronous buffer

CG:

Center of gravity

DAL:

Detection and labeling

FE:

Feature extraction

GPS:

Global positioning system

LXRT:

LinuX real time

MV:

Machine vision

NRT:

Non real time

OTS:

Off the shelf

PE:

Pose estimation

RGB:

Red green blue

RPOS:

Relative position and orientation sensor

RT:

Real-time

RTAI:

Real-time application interface

RTOS:

Real-time operating system

UAV:

Unmanned aerial vehicle

USB:

Universal serial bus

VRML:

Virtual reality modeling language

VW:

Virtual World

WVU:

West Virginia University

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6106, 535 Eng. Science Bldg, Evansdale Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506/6106, USA

    Rocco V. Dell’Aquila, Giampiero Campa, Marcello R. Napolitano & Marco Mammarella

Authors
  1. Rocco V. Dell’Aquila
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  2. Giampiero Campa
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  3. Marcello R. Napolitano
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  4. Marco Mammarella
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Correspondence to Giampiero Campa.

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Dell’Aquila, R.V., Campa, G., Napolitano, M.R. et al. Real-time machine-vision-based position sensing system for UAV aerial refueling. J Real-Time Image Proc 1, 213–224 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11554-007-0023-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11554-007-0023-3

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