A Two-Axis Electro-Optical Sensor Stabilization System for UAVs

A Two-Axis Electro-Optical Sensor Stabilization System for UAVs

Electro-optical (EO) systems are electronic devices that generate, detect, and/or measure radiation in the optical spectrum.two axis electro optical sensor The spectrum includes visible light, infrared radiation, and UV radiation. EO systems are commonly found on UAVs, where they provide surveillance and target tracking capabilities. In order to perform optimally, EO systems must be stabilized. This is usually achieved by means of a dual-axis Inertially Stabilized Platform (ISP), consisting of an inner gimbal that carries the EO devices and a outer gimbal that rotates in the Yaw and Pitch directions about the Y-axis to provide stabilization.

The ISP system is designed to be compact and lightweight, and must also be able to support the weight of the EO devices.two axis electro optical sensor A key issue is how to combine the torques generated by gimbal kinematics and geometrical coupling in an efficient way. One approach is to use the Euler rigid body dynamics model to establish the dynamics equation of the visual axis of the structure. Another method is to apply a feed-forward control strategy.

Feed-forward control is a simple and effective control technique that is widely used in various applications.two axis electro optical sensor It is especially useful for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where the gimbal-based stabilization of the visual axis requires a high level of accuracy and stability. The feed-forward controller is implemented as a closed loop control with an inverse servo motor, which is capable of compensating for the effects of gimbal angular velocity and geometry on the visual axis.

In this paper, we propose a new approach to achieving highly accurate feed-forward control for the two-axis four-gimbal coarse-fine composite UAV electro-optical pod. We study the dynamic modeling and theory of this system, and develop a new method to improve its disturbance suppression performance. Our results show that this method can be effective in engineering application and can significantly enhance the UAV performance.

Geert Van Steenberge graduated in Electrical Engineering in 2002 and received his PhD in Engineering Sciences in 2006, both at Ghent University, Belgium. He is currently a research engineer at CMST, an IMEC associated lab, where he works on optical sensors and interconnects. He is the principal investigator of several EC-FP7 funded projects, including PHOSFOS and FIREFLY. He has authored or co-authored 11 SCI-stated journal papers and over 40 international conference proceedings. He is also a member of the ISOC/IEEE JTC8 Working Group on Standardization of Micro-robotic Sensors and Control.

Tags:electro optical infrared sensor systems | electro optical infrared systems | electro optical pod