Aerial Robot Model based design and verification of the single and multi-agent inspection application development

TL;DR

This paper presents a virtual prototyping and simulation framework for designing and verifying single and multi-agent UAV inspection systems, enhancing safety and efficiency in development and testing.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation environment combining multi-body simulation and software-in-the-loop methods for aerial robot system development.

Findings

Effective virtual prototype for harbor inspection UAVs

Simulation of multi-UAV communication relaying system

Comparison with post-field tests demonstrates reliability

Abstract

In recent decade, potential application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has enabled replacement of various operations in hard-to-access areas, such as, inspection, surveillance or search and rescue applications in challenging and complex environments. Furthermore, aerial robotics application with multi-agent systems are anticipated to further extend its potential. However, one of the major difficulties in aerial robotics applications is the testing of the elaborated system within safety concerns, especially when multiple agents are simultaneously applied. Thus, virtual prototyping and simulation-based development can serve in development, assessment and improvement of the aerial robot applications. In this research, two examples of the specific applications are highlighted, harbor structure and facilities inspection with UAV, and development of autonomous positioning of multi-UAVs communication relaying system. In this research, virtual prototype was designed and further simulated in multi-body simulation (MBS) feigning the sensing and actuating equipment behaviors. Simultaneous simulation of the control and application system running with software in the loop (SITL) method is utilized to assess the designed hardware behavior with modular application nodes running in Robot Operating System. Furthermore, prepared simulation environment is assessed with multi-agent system, proposed in previous research with autonomous position control of communication relaying system. Application of the virtual prototype's simulation environment enables further examination of the proposed system within comparison degree with postfield tests. The research aims to contribute through case assessment of the design process to safer, time and cost-efficient development and application design in the field of aerial robotics.