Later menu items contain recordings from actual flights or from simulations. Each of them refers to a particular helicopter (real or virtual) that was used for the flight. (In addition, some of the recordings have been done from a staircase or other elevated position, looking down at traffic situations). The following is a list of the helicopter types that have been used so far.
The actual flights that have been made so far in this project have only been for the purpose of collecting video recordings for the type of video that can likely be collected by small autonomous helicopters and for our applications. We have not yet (May, 2000) made any fully autonomous helicopter flights.
The following helicopters are being used for video recording in the project:
Choppercam, operated by Videobolaget, Solna (near Stockholm).
Helicopter: Length 2.1 m, weight 12 kg (including camera), velocity 0-80 km/h, flight altitude 1 - 100 m.
Video camera: Panasonic DX 100 3 CCD DV.
APID Mk IIIb, built and operated by the Scandicraft company (a spinoff company from our university).
Helicopter: Length 2.8 m (not counting the rotor), empty weight 35 kg, maximum take-off weight 55 kg, velocity range 0-100 km/h, flight altitude 1 - 300 m.
Video camera:
In simulation mode, the closed loop from rendering, via video "input" of the rendered images, image analysis, and on to the high-level control of the helicopter has existed in this project since our December, 1998 demos. The simulated helicopters are defined as mathematical models that are used in the simulations, and that are being improved continuously. The following are the major milestones in that development.
The Phase I helicopter. A reasonably accurate helicopter model that was used for the demonstration systems of December 1997 and December 1998.
The Dummy helicopter. Very simple flight characteristics (simpler than the Phase I helicopter). Useful e.g. for characterizing dialogue scenarios.
The Skarman helicopter. A helicopter model defined by the project member Erik Skarman, as defined in three publications in Linköping University Electronic Press:
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Maintenance information: |
Latest update 11.5.2000 by EMTEK group. Edit mode aml, position code D.witas.testenv.aircraft. |