System architecture of a robotics airship

Abstract

This paper aims to present the conception, design, and realization of a robotics airship. Differently, from the classic bi-propulsion, this vehicle has four vectored thrusters. Tail surfaces complete the directional actuation. The project has the code-name DRONI, the acronym for “Dirigı́vel Robótico de Concepção Inovadora” (Robotic Airship with an Innovative Design in free translation). The initial motivation to start the project was the demand for an aerial platform for environmental monitoring of flooded areas in the Amazon region. This operation scenario imposes severe restrictions on the practical usage of quadrotors and fixed wings. High maneuverability, medium to long-endurance, flexible flight modes (hover, vertical takeoff and landing) are the most essential requirements for an effective aerial platform to overfly the vast Amazon canopy. Medium to long-endurance surveillance, cargo, and telecommunication relay are other common application of airships. The paper presents the current vehicle’s architecture. The main subsystems shown are the robotic embedded infrastructure, the ground station and the communication system. The 6 kg payload enables the use of several types of cameras and sensors. Moreover, the paper presents the dynamic modeling with a control based on Incremental Nonlinear Dynamics Inverse. The inaugural flight is also shown, and the results are promising, towards a multipurpose aerial platform, that can be applied beyond environmental monitoring.