Biologically Inspired Vision and Control for an Autonomous Flying Vehicle

Abstract

This thesis makes a number of new contributions to control and sensing for unmanned vehicles. I begin by developing a non-linear simulation of a small unmanned helicopter and then proceed to develop new algorithms for control and sensing using the simulation. The work is field-tested in successful flight trials of biologically inspired vision and neural network control for an unstable rotorcraft. The techniques are more robust and more easily implemented on a small flying vehicle than previously attempted methods. ¶ ...