IRIS Research Assistant

Marcus Jackson

Graduate Research Assistant

Office:
213-A Ferris Hall
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-2100
Telephone:
(865) 974-9685
FAX:
N/A
Email:

Current Work:  

Integration of Multi-Vehicle Systems

Here, work is presented on the development of a control system for a network of  miniature robot vehicles. Each vehicle might have a different level of intelligence (from teleoperated to fully-autonomous), a different method of mobility (stationary, wheels, flying, etc.), different communication schemes and protocols (FM, WLAN, Wired Ethernet, RS232, etc.), and/or different onboard sensing suites. The end goal is to create a common control and coordination system between these vehicles at a high-level. A single central command station should be able to directly control any vehicle  in the network at any time, as well as receive and process sensor data in real-time. Moreover, the robots should autonomously plan, coordinate, and act when left on their own.

Current research is focused upon visual-servoing techniques for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Utilizing the modular sensor bricks engineered for the SAFEbot program, any vehicle can be readily equipped with a complete sensing package. Interesting topics include automated take-off and landing, as well as autonomous navigation using only visual feedback (removing any dependency on GPS and/or inertial sensors).

A miniature electric R/C helicopter and truck will be the initial test platforms. Each will be equipped with a sensor suite, onboard computer, and a standard communication protocol (WLAN).

Vehicle Control System Block Diagram:

Primary Components: