Title:
Real-time landing zone identification and object detection using a hardware accelerated deep learning module
Agreement Value:
$25,000.00
Agreement Date:
Mar 23, 2020 - Mar 31, 2021
Description:
Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft are often used for transporting goods to and from inaccessible areas, surveillance, ground support, etc. which can be enhanced and de-risked by increasing the autonomous capabilities of the vehicles. One of the main challenges in flight autonomy is the detection of landing zones (LZ) and obstacles to facilitate the safe, reliable, and quick landing of VTOL vehicles. The current research for LZ detection makes use of simple geometric rules to identify the safe LZs (e.g., can the helicopter fit in the available obstacle-free area). These approaches may not provide reliable results since the terrain characteristics such as slope, type of terrain, type of surrounding obstacles that affect landing safety are not taken into account. In this work, a sensing and dedicated computing module for real-time LZ identification and obstacle detection using deep learning will be developed. A novel dual-sensor solution, combining Laser Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and optical sensors, will be used, which allows identifying both geometric features and visual information of a scene with a high level of confidence. The performance of the proposed system will be evaluated using flight data captured using a VTOL drone.
Organization:
National Research Council Canada
Expected Results:
In the short term, anticipated outcomes will be strengthened collaborations across industry, academia, and government to support research excellence. In the medium term, anticipated outcomes will be the development of new and potentially disruptive technologies with collaborators.
Location:
St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, CA A1C 5S7
Reference Number:
172-2019-2020-Q4-945031
Report Type:
Grants and Contributions
Recipient Business Number:
107690273
Additional Information:
This agreement has been amended 1 time(s). The total amended value is 40,000 dollars.
Recipient's Operating Name:
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Recipient's Legal Name:
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Federal Riding Name:
St. John's East
Federal Riding Number:
10006
Program:
Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program – Ideation Fund
Program Purpose:
The Ideation Fund is intended to encourage, test and validate transformative research ideas generated by teams of NRC scientific personnel and external collaborators with complementary capabilities, acting as a demonstration phase for a continually-evolving suite of research and development (R&D) deliverables at the NRC. The fund supports exploratory research through two mechanisms: the New Beginnings Initiative and the Small Teams Initiative.