Ranging of Aircraft Using Wide-baseline Stereopsis

<p>The purpose of this research was to investigate the efficacy of wide-baseline stereopsis as a method of ranging aircraft, specifically as a possible sense-and-avoid solution in Unmanned Aerial Systems. Two studies were performed: the first was an experimental pilot study to examine the ability of humans to range in-flight aircraft and the second a wide-baseline study of stereopsis to range in-flight aircraft using a baseline 14.32 meters and two 640 x 480 pixel charge coupled device camera. An experimental research design was used in both studies. Humans in the pilot study ranged aircraft with a mean absolute error of 50.34%. The wide-baseline stereo system ranged aircraft within 2 kilometers with a mean absolute error of 17.62%. A t-test was performed and there was a significant difference between the mean absolute error of the humans in the pilot study and the wide-baseline stereo system. The results suggest that the wide-baseline system is more consistent as well as more accurate than humans.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Year

2012

Author dc:creator

• Rigby, Kevin Todd

• stereopsis
• aircraft
• Aviation
• Mechanical Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.erau.edu/edt/119

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.erau.edu:edt-1118