Vision-Based Autonomous Landing of an Helicopter on a Moving Target

This paper presents the design and implementation of an algorithm for landing a helicopter autonomously on a moving target. The target is neutral; it is neither adversarial nor cooperative. A downward-looking camera is used to acquire and track the target. A template matching algorithm is used for acquiring the target in the images. This is integrated with a trajectory controller for landing the helicopter. The position of the target in the image is the input to a robust Kalman filter for tracking in successive frames. A linear controller based on a kinematic model of the helicopter is used to perform trajectory following and landing. We present results from experimental trials showing successful trajectory tracking and landing on moving targets. Copyright 2009 by Srikanth Saripalli.

Vision-Based Autonomous Landing of an Helicopter on a Moving Target Conference Paper