Communications of the ACM
Control System Helps Several Drones Team Up to Deliver Heavy Packages
Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have developed a modular solution for handling larger packages without the need for a complex fleet of drones of varying sizes.
Credit: John Toon/Georgia Tech
An adaptive control algorithm developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) helps unmanned aerial vehicles collaborate to deliver heavy parcels.
Georgia Tech's Kevin Webb designed a centralized computer system to monitor each drone lifting a package, sharing data about their location and motor thrust, and coordinating navigation and delivery instructions.
Georgia Tech's Jonathan Rogers said, "We take care of the difficult issues using the onboard intelligence, rather than expecting a human to precisely measure the package weight, center of gravity, and drone relative positions."
The team of drones could autonomously connect to a docking structure attached to a package via an infrared guidance system, without requiring human guidance.
From Georgia Tech Research Horizons
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Abstracts Copyright © 2021 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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