Date of Award
2012
Access Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
Department
Mechanical Engineering
Committee Chair
Charles F. Reinholtz. Ph.D.
First Committee Member
Timothy A. Wilson, Sc.D.
Second Committee Member
Shawn Doherty, Ph.D.
Abstract
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.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Rigby, Kevin Todd, "Ranging of Aircraft Using Wide-baseline Stereopsis" (2012). Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses. 119.
https://commons.erau.edu/edt/119
