The article “The Flying Robot Might Prevent Deforestation” (2012), introduces the functionality and purpose of drones, which provide aerial surveillance and data gathering. The drones act as “tiny, silent guardians of the rainforest” and gather data from disaster zones and illegal logging. The quadrotors capture live footage and allow immediate response to the situation. The article also states that drones can be used to capture “illegal drug trafficking and mining, as well as environmental crimes”. According to Kumar, deputy dean of the University of Pennsylvania, quadrotors can operate automatically for spying, unlike the “fixed-wing drone” that pilots manually. The quadrotors are palm-sized and smarter. Quadrotors have high situation awareness to react to obstructions by adjusting the rotors’ speed to orientate itself and maneuver through. Each quadrotor runs independently, which affects coordination with other units. The size and ability serve the purpose for quadrotors to regulate the rainforest by flying through the canopies. Quadrotors are one of the most versatile mini flying surveillance robots as their features and function have the ability to monitor the rainforest and provide aerial investigations effectively and efficiently.
One of the main features that make
the quadrotors flexible is that the flying robot weighs approximately 250g and 15cm
in diameter (Loianno et al., 2015). They
are equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which enables the
quadrotors to speed up to 4.5m/s and accelerates up to 1.5g. It can also roll
and pitch to an angle of 90 degrees and has angular rates of up to 800 degrees
per second without any structures to rely on (Loianno et al., 2015). The motion
capture system transmits feedback to the quadrotors. Thus, enabling quadrotors
to perform aggressive maneuvers and be able to rest or hover above any
vertical surfaces. With this feature, it allows the quadrotors to carry out
missions and tasks that are time-bound, such as search and rescue missions.
Entering constricted or confined areas does not pose any problem for these
quadrotors as well.
One of the most important components
to detect a target, conduct surveillance, or monitor rainforest activities would
be the drone’s onboard downward-facing camera. The downward-facing camera has a
resolution of 176 x 144 pixels and it runs at 60 Frames per Second (FPS) (Ajmera
et al., 2015). It covers a field of view at 47.5 degrees x 36.5 degrees.
Results have shown that the relationship between image and real word
coordinates is maintained (Ajmera et al., 2015). The downward camera has the
capability to track and detect stationary or moving targets while working hand
in hand with the IMU (Thomas et al., 2017). The target is kept within the field
of view of the downward camera. This allows the quadrotors to continuously
track targets without losing sight of them. Images and data of the estimated
position of the targets will be transmitted to ground control stations for
off-board image processing.
Large numbers of the quadrotors can
be used to monitor large areas and the surveillance is manageable (Pimenta et
al., 2013). The quadrotors function individually but work as a team in ensuring
that each task such as artistic pattern formation, tracking of mobile targets,
perimeter surveillance and boundary coverage, and environmental monitoring is
done as required (Pimenta et al., 2013). With multiple quadrotors in the air,
aerial surveillance and monitoring will turn out to be more effective as it has
the capability to cover large areas of land and to detect activities that run
in the area.
With all the functions and features
of the quadrotors, they are able to detect activities that run in the
rainforest be it from a moving or stationary target. Along with the compact
size and sheer weight of the object, quadrotors are one of the most versatile
mini flying surveillance robots that could effectively and efficiently monitor
and conduct aerial surveillance in a large area.
References
Ajmera
J., PR S., K.M. R., Vasan G., Balaji N., Sankara V. (2015). Autonomous visual
tracking and landing of a quadrotor on a moving platform. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7414792
Loianno
G., Brunner C., McGrath G., Kumar V. (2015). Estimation, Control, and Planning
for Aggressive Flight With a Small Quadrotor With a Single-Camera and IMU. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7762111
Pimenta,
L., Peireira, G., Goncalves M., Michael N., Turpin M., & Kumar V. (April
2013). Decentralized controllers for perimeter surveillance with teams of
aerial robots. Advanced Robotics, 27(9),
697-709.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01691864.2013.778942
Thomas
J., Welde J., Loianno G., Daniilidis K., Kumar V. (July 2017). Autonomous
Flight for Detection, Localization, and Tracking of Moving Targets With a Small
Quadrotor. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7921549
