Skip to main content
Log in

Low-cost Multi-UAV Technologies for Contour Mapping of Nuclear Radiation Field

  • Published:
Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Low cost UAVs are becoming more and more popular in both research and practical applications, and it leads to a new, potentially significant service product known as UAV-based personal remote sensing (PRS). Multi-UAV system with advanced cooperative control algorithms has advantages over single UAV system, especially in time urgent tasks such as detecting nuclear radiation before deploying the salvage. This paper considers two scenarios for nuclear radiation detection using multiple UAVs, of which contour mapping of the nuclear radiation is simulated. Then, for real applications, this paper presents a low-cost UAV platform with built-in formation flight control architecture together with a formulated standard flight test routine. Three experimental formation flight scenarios that imitate the nuclear detection missions are prepared for contour mapping of nuclear radiation field in 3D space.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Di, L., Chen, Y.: Autonomous flying under 500 USD based on RC aircraft. In: Proc. of 2011 ASME/IEEE International Conference on Mechatronic and Embedded Systems and Applications (MESA 2011). Washington DC, USA, 28–31 Aug 2011

  2. Chao, H., Jensen, A.M., Han, Y., Chen, Y.: AggieAir: Towards Low-cost Cooperative Multispectral Remote Sensing Using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Advances in Geoscience and remote sensing, pp. 463–490, IN-TECH, ch. (2009)

  3. Chao, H., Chen, Y.: Remote sensing and actuation using unmanned vehicles. IEEE Book Series on Systems Science and Engineering, 206 pp. Wiley-IEEE Press (2012)

  4. Geramifard, A., Redding, J., Roy, N., How, J.P.: UAV cooperative control with stochastic risk models. In: American Control Conference. O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA, USA, 29 June–1 July 2011

  5. Nemra, A., Aouf, N.: Robust cooperative UAV visual SLAM. In: 2010 IEEE 9th International Conference on Cybernetic Intelligent Systems (CIS). University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, 01–02 Sept 2010

  6. Abdessameud, A., Tayebi, A.: Formation stabilization of VTOL UAVs subject to communication delays. In: 49th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control. Hilton Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, GA, USA, 15–17 Dec 2010

  7. Gan, S.K., Sukkarieh, S.: Multi-UAV target search using explicit decentralized gradient-based negotiation. In: IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Shanghai International Conference Center, Shanghai, China, 9–13 May 2011

  8. Casbeer, D., Beard, R., Mclain, T., Li, S.-M., Mehra, R.: Forest fire monitoring with multiple small UAVs. In: American Control Conference. Portland, OR, USA, 8–10 June 2005

  9. UAV for nuclear scouting missions: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/news/uav-for-nuclear-scouting-missions/1001237.article. Accessed 10 Jan 2012

  10. Carey, B.: Honeywell’s micro-UAV monitors damaged nuclear plant. http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/ain-defense-perspective/2011-05-02/honeywells-micro-uav-monitors-damaged-nuclear-plant. Accessed 12 Jan 2012

  11. Eliaz, I.: Nuclear radiation protection protocol. http://www.qmmc-wisdom.com/nuclear-radiation-protection-protocol.html (2011). Accessed 5 Feb 2012

  12. Teimoori, H., Savkin, A.: Equiangular navigation and guidance of a wheeled mobile robot based on range-only measurements. Robot. Auton. Syst. 58(2), 203–215 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Manchester, I., Savkin, A.: Circular navigation missile guidance with incomplete information and uncertain autopilot model. J. Guid. Control Dyn. 27, 1078–1082 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gadre, A., Stilwell, D.: Toward underwater navigation based on range measurements from a single location. In: Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pp. 4472–4477. New Orleans, LA, USA, 26 April–1 May 2004

  15. Matveev, A., Teimoori, H., Savkin, A.: Navigation of a non-holonomic vehicle for gradient climbing and source seeking without gradient estimation. In: American Control Conference, pp. 203–215. Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, MD, USA, 30 June–2 July 2010

  16. Moore, B.J., de Wit, C.C.: Source seeking via collaborative measurements by a circular formation of agents. In: American Control Conference. Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, MD, USA, 30 June–2 Jul 2010

  17. Di, L., Fromm, T., Chen, Y.: A data fusion system for attitude estimation of low-cost miniature UAVs. J. Intell. Robot. Syst. 65(1), 621–635 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Chao, H., Luo, Y., Di, L., Chen, Y.: Roll-channel fractional order controller design for a small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle. IFAC Control Eng. Pract. 18(7), 761–772 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Paparazzi: Software. http://paparazzi.enac.fr/wiki/Software. Accessed 20 Jan 2012

  20. Di, L., Chao, H., Han, J., Chen, Y.: Cognitive multi-UAV formation flight: principle, low-cost UAV testbed, controller tuning and experiments. In: Proc. of 2011 ASME/IEEE International Conference on Mechatronic and Embedded Systems and Applications (MESA 2011). Washington DC, USA, 28–31 Aug 2011

  21. Paparazzi: Log function. http://paparazzi.enac.fr/wiki/Logs. Accessed 2 Feb 2012

  22. VPI Engineering: http://www.vpiengineering.com/. Accessed 16 Jan 2012

  23. MiniRad-V: http://www.dtectsystems.com. Accessed 16 Jan 2012

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinlu Han.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Han, J., Xu, Y., Di, L. et al. Low-cost Multi-UAV Technologies for Contour Mapping of Nuclear Radiation Field. J Intell Robot Syst 70, 401–410 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-012-9722-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-012-9722-5

Keywords

Navigation