Vision Based Measurement of Refueling Drogue for Autonomous Aerial Refueling

Abstract:

Autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) can improve the long-distance and rapid strike capacities of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) significantly by extending its range as well as loiter time. This paper has mainly studied on the measurement of refueling drogue during the docking phase of the probe-drogue UAV-AAR. Firstly, the monocular vision based drogue detection and recognition method is presented. Secondly, the measuring method of relative position between the drogue and UAV based on the model of camera calibration is researched. Finally, the semi-physical experimental system of drogue spacial location for UAV-AAR during short-range docking phase is constructed. The drogue measuring experiment based on monocular vision is implemented, and the performance of the monocular vision method for drogue measurement and the validity of the experimental scheme are verified.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 590)
• Pages: 618-622
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.590.618
• Online since: June 2014
• Authors: Xu Feng Wang*, Xin Min Dong, Xing Wei Kong, Jian Hui Zhi
• Keywords: Autonomous Aerial Refueling, Measurement, Monocular Vision, Refueling Drogue, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

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