DESIGN OF AN ADVANCED GROUND STATION FOR SIMULTANEOUSCONTROL OF MULTIPLE UAVS IN A COORDINATED MISSION

摘要

In this paper an interactive human-machineinterface for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)mission control is described. It provides afunctional scenario to manage coordinatedformations of civil UAVs. The aim is to enhancethe capabilities of unmanned vehicles in case ofcomplex tasks.Based on the implementation of animmersive environment - as a multiple screenstereo visual system equipped with interactivedevices, such as virtual gloves - the systemallows a formation to be controlled directly inthe 3D graphic scene. By selecting andgrabbing the trajectory waypoints in the scenethe operator can intuitively modify UAVsmission paths. Moreover, communicationbetween ground support and onboard logic ismanaged by means of high level orders.Simultaneous control of multiple aircrafts isobtained and one or two operators manage thewhole mission in a single control station.Both the telemetric data and the imagescoming from onboard cameras and sensors aresimulated in the advanced ground station andvisualized in the virtual 3D scenario. One of themost effective features of the immersiveenvironment is based on real time mapping ofthe live images – consisting also in false colormaps and contour maps – as textures onappropriate areas of the synthetic terrainmodel.The background logic is "sensor driven"since some flight modes allow the operator todrive the sensor window on a (even moving) target, while the flight path of each UAV isautomatically adjusted to perform themonitoring task.In order to further increase the situationalawareness UAVs flight information arepresented to the operator intuitively as 3D pathsvisualized as channels in the air-space.In some of the operation modes, thebackground logic automatically helps theoperator in controlling multiple UAVs flying atthe same time, showing a list of suggestedactions and graphic aids on the scene.According to the displayed information theoperator can perform new decisions, forinstance re-planning the mission or selectingnew targets.The mission is based on contemporarycontrol of two UAVs, which should find an oiltanker that discharges oil in the sea. Oncedetected the slick, one UAV must track it whilethe other aircraft searches the oil tanker,driving for the civil protection intervention.