UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
Micro Aerial Vehicle
Optical Navigation
Software Subsystem
System Requirements Specification
Jacob Schreiver, Justin Clark, Adrian Fletcher, and Nathan Armentrout
Sponsored by: Dr. Adrian Lauf
7/13/2017
Revision 11
This is the System Requirements Specification for the Micro Aerial Vehicle Vision Project
ECE 599/CECS 596
ECE Team 3 – CECS Team 1
Table of Contents
1.
Purpose of the System .......................................................................................................................... 3
2.
Background Information ....................................................................................................................... 3
3.
Operational Concept ............................................................................................................................. 3
4.
System Description ............................................................................................................................... 4
4.1.
Functional Requirements ................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.2.
Major Components ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.3.
External Interfaces ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.4.
Internal Interfaces .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.5.
Design Constraints ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
5.
Standards/References ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
6.
Appendix ................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
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ECE 599/CECS 596
ECE Team 3 – CECS Team 1
1. Purpose of the System
The purpose for the Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) Optical Navigation Software Subsystem is to enable a
flapping-wing MAV to autonomously navigate to a predetermined target location in a closed, static
environment (e.g. a room) using purely optical sensor input.
2. Background Information
MAVs are a subset of the highly recognized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). MAVs are unique because
of their small size and nimbleness, relative to UAVs. Within the MAV subset there are three dominant
mechanical designs: fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and flapping-wing. Flapping-wing MAVs are designed for
higher maneuverability than rotary-wing designs, however they are currently underdeveloped
compared to the other two designs.
MAVs cannot provide a large amount of lift, and therefore are designed to be light weight. This severely
limits the amount of electronics and sensors a MAV can have. Typical sensors include accelerometers,
gyroscopes, cameras, GPS, and range finders. The MAV particular to this project is equipped with a large
scale and small scale 3-axis accelerometers, a gyroscope, and a camera-transceiver unit. Due to the
real-time nature and accuracy needs of the MAVs navigation system, the desired approach is to use a
purely optical navigation approach.
In general, this technology lends itself to many future applications. One application is to map the
internal structure of an unknown structure. This can be helpful in two very distinct situations. One
situation is intelligence gathering. An adversary’s compound can be internally investigated with low risk
to human life by using the 3D mapping capabilities. The other situation is search and rescue. An MAV
equipped with the vision subsystem can be sent into unstable structures to look for disaster survivors
while providing more information than current alternatives.
3. Operational Concept
To use the MAV Optical Navigation Software subsystem, the user will place the camera at the desired
start location for the navigation process and set up the optical navigation software subsystem for
autonomous operation. The user will then open the graphical user interface on a computer that will
have access to the live video feed. The user can then manually move the camera to mimic the
necessary flight pattern of the MAV for learning about the environment. The subsystem will
simultaneously display and record the video feed, track objects within the video feed, and generate a 3D map of the environment. The user may select desired locations for the camera to travel. The
subsystem will calculate the optimal route to reach to target location and provide the user with
navigational output.
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ECE 599/CECS 596
ECE Team 3 – CECS Team 1
4. System Description
Camera-Tranceiver
Unit
Receiver Unit
Navigation Output
Optical Navigation
Software Subsystem
3-D Map
Graphical User
Interface
Figure 1 - System Block Diagram
4.1. Functional Requirements
4.1.1. 3D Mapping
The optical navigation software subsystem has to produce a 3D map of the closed, static
environment. The 3D map must have a high enough resolution to be useful for navigation and
user interpretation. The 3D map is an asset to both the software and the user. The software may
use the map to calculate a path from the current location to the target destination. The user
may verify the performance of the software subsystem by viewing the 3D model.
4.1.2. Target Destination Recognition
The optical navigation software subsystem must recognize a target destination defined by the
user.
4.1.3. Path Planning
The optical navigation software subsystem must be able to plan a path between its current
location and the target destination.
4.1.4. Real Time Navigation Output
The optical navigation software subsystem must output real time navigation information
relevant to staying on the calculated path.
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ECE 599/CECS 596
ECE Team 3 – CECS Team 1
4.1.5. Room Agnostic
The optical navigation software subsystem must be able to work in any closed, static
environment. The environment may have any number of objects inside so long as the object
does not produce motion.
4.2. Major Components
There are two major physical components to the optical navigation software subsystem. They
are a camera and a computer. The software subsystem will be executing from the supporting
computer and will use many existing and custom software components.
4.2.1. Camera
The camera will be a typical COTS web camera. It will interface with the supporting computer to
provide optical input for the MAV optical navigation software subsystem. Additionally, the
image quality of the web camera will more closely resemble the performance of a MAV
mounted camera.
4.2.2. Supporting Computer
The supporting computer will interface with the camera and run the optical navigation software
subsystem. It will feed the camera output to the software and perform the software operations
quickly enough to produce real time navigation information through a visual display.
4.2.3. Software
The optical navigation software will synthesize the incoming camera data into a 3D map and
provide navigation output regarding the direction the camera should travel, understandable to
the user.
4.3. External Interfaces
4.3.1. Camera
The camera will observe the closed, static environment as an input for the optical navigation
software subsystem.
4.3.2. Graphical User Interface (GUI)
The graphical user interface will display the current state of the optical navigation software
subsystem. The user will be able to see the camera input, a representation of the 3D map, and
the suggested navigation output produced by the software.
4.4. Internal Interfaces
The camera will be external to the supporting computer. The two components will communicate
through integrated transceiver units.
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ECE 599/CECS 596
ECE Team 3 – CECS Team 1
4.5. Design Constraints
4.5.1. Single Camera Input
Only one camera can be used to gather optical data. The primary reason for this constraint is to
model the constraints that the MAV will have.
4.5.2. Stand Alone System
The software cannot rely on extra sensor data provided by the MAV. However, extra data may
be used to supplement calculations.
5. Standards/References
List research articles and books found here.
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