Computer vision-based control of an autonomous blimp

Computer vision-based control of an autonomous blimp

The objective of this study is twofold: to approximate a model of a blimp, and to use this model to develop a setup to track a target with the blimp that is outfitted with a wireless camera and radio-controlled propellers. This article presents a powerful method to track any moving or stationary target with an unmanned aerial vehicle by combining the advantages of the proportional derivative (P...

An Autonomous Blimp

This paper describes the design of a lighter than air autonomous robot and its natural landmark navigation system that operates in three dimensions. The robot has successfully flown the University banner at science shows and open days under public scrutiny. The robot is nearly 2m long and 0.8m wide, making the robot suitable for use in indoor environments. The robot may be programmed to fly a c...

Visual Control of an Autonomous Indoor Robotic Blimp

The problem of visual control of an indoor blimp autonomously is investigated in this chapter. Autonomous aerial vehicles have been an attractive platform for a wide range of applications, especially since they don’t have the terrain limitations the autonomous ground vehicles face. They have been used for advertisements, terrain mapping, surveillance and environmental research. Blimps are a spe...

Q-Learning for Navigation Control of an Autonomous Blimp

In this research, an autonomous control system for blimp navigation was developed using reinforcement learning algorithm. The aim of this research is to provide a blimp the capability to approach a goal position autonomously in an environment, where the dynamical models of the blimp and the environment are unknown. WebotsTM Robotics Simulator (WRS) was used to simulate and evaluate the control ...

Vision based station keeping and docking for an aerial blimp