Sense and Avoid Technology

Sense and Avoid Sensor Selection

by

Stanley D. Pebsworth

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

May 2016

A Research Project Submitted to the Worldwide Campus in partial fulfillment of the requirements for course UNSY 605, Unmanned Systems Sensing, Perception, and Processing

Sense and Avoid Sensor Selection

             In the area of Sense and Avoid (SAA) for small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) less than 55 pounds, there are few options to consider.  Many sUAS companies such as DJI are producing their versions of SAA technology in the new Phantom 4 (Amato, A., 2016).  The DJI SAA system offers two cameras that sense the area around the sUAS and determine if the sUAS will maneuver around an object or stop and wait for operator input (Amato, A., 2016).

            In order for a system to properly SAA, you must first determine how to best develop situational awareness (SA) of the environment around that particular system.  SA is described as the data collection, management, and dissemination that develops awareness of one’s surroundings (Erwin, T., 2015).  So why is it important?  Besides safety, SAA will be required to fully integrate all UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).

            Mid Air Collision Avoidance System (MIDCAS) is a European project that uses sensor fusion to best tackle the job of SAA.  With the integration of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders and electro-optical (EO) and Infrared (IR) sensors, MIDCAS has been successfully flight tested in Italy relying on fusion of non-cooperative sensors (European Defense Agency, 2015).  MIDCAS provides SA to UAS pilots, traffic avoidance or self-separation, and collision avoidance (Pellebergs, J., 2010).

            The technology that will make sUAS safe for our civilian skies will be a combination of integrated systems that provide the best SA to the operator.  The fusion of ADS-B and EO/IR sensors is the best current solution.  ADS-B systems have been developed that weigh approximately 3.5 ounces and EO/IR sensors have been developed that weight approximately 18 ounces (GCN.com, 2013) (Zarandy, A., Zsedrovits, T., Nagy, Z., Kiss, A., & Roska, T., 2012).  This light weight means that integration into sUAS weighing less than 55 pounds is feasible.  The MIDAS project developers plan to keep their design well contained as UAS systems come in all shapes and sizes from Global Hawk to ones that fit into your palm (GCN.com, 2013).

The real challenge is not the systems but regulatory issues.  Once SAA requirements are well defined by the FAA, systems can be designed that meet regulatory demands.  It is a difficult concept to grasp and one that is even harder given no boundaries or regulation to stay within.  Further research should be done that addresses the full spectrum of aviation for SAA and not just UAS.  The capabilities of electronically assisted SAA could prove beneficial to both manned and unmanned aircraft.

References

Amato, A. (2016). Why the DJI Phantom 4 may be the drone you are looking for. Retrieved from http://dronelife.com/2016/03/02/why-the-dji-phantom-4-may-be-the-drone-you-are-looking-for/

Erwin, T. (2015). Sense and avoid. Retrieved from http://www.harrisgeospatial.com/Company /PressRoom/Blogs/ImagerySpeaksDetail/TabId/901/ArtMID/2927/ArticleID/14506/Sense-and-Avoid.aspx

European Defense Agency. (2015). MIDCAS demonstrates progress for RPAS integration into civil airspace. Retrieved from https://www.eda.europa.eu/info-hub/press-centre/latest-news/2015/04/30/midcas-demonstrates-progress-for-rpas-integration-into-civil-airspace

GCN.com. (2013). The tech that will make drones safe for civilian skies. Retrieved from https://gcn.com/Articles/2013/07/12/Drone-UAV-sense-and-avoid-technologies-civilian-airspace.aspx?Page=2

Pellebergs, J. (2010). The MIDCAS project. Retrieved from http://www.icas.org/ICAS_ ARCHIVE/ICAS2010/PAPERS/821.PDF

Zarandy, A., Zsedrovits, T., Nagy, Z., Kiss, A., & Roska, T. (2012). Visual sense-and-avoid system for UAVs. Paper presented at the 1-5. doi:10.1109/CNNA.2012.6331447