Flying Machine Arena
Introduction
Footsteps away from the beautiful lake Zürich sits an incredible place commonly known the Flying Machine Arena - an open space designated for the design and testing of autonomous vehicles. It is a part of the Institute of Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC) at ETH Zürich, headed by Professors Raffaello D'Andrea and Lino Guzzella.
With the use of an extremely precise motion capture system, this 10x10x10 metre space becomes the perfect environment to develop control algorithms and research advanced methods of learning and adaptation.
My Role
Over the summer of 2013, I had the tremendous pleasure of working at the IDSC. Specifically I assisted Ph.D. candidate Federico Augugliaro with the aerial construction project, which aims to develop new techniques for building structures with flying machines. See the video for an example:
Footsteps away from the beautiful lake Zürich sits an incredible place commonly known the Flying Machine Arena - an open space designated for the design and testing of autonomous vehicles. It is a part of the Institute of Dynamic Systems and Control (IDSC) at ETH Zürich, headed by Professors Raffaello D'Andrea and Lino Guzzella.
With the use of an extremely precise motion capture system, this 10x10x10 metre space becomes the perfect environment to develop control algorithms and research advanced methods of learning and adaptation.
My Role
Over the summer of 2013, I had the tremendous pleasure of working at the IDSC. Specifically I assisted Ph.D. candidate Federico Augugliaro with the aerial construction project, which aims to develop new techniques for building structures with flying machines. See the video for an example:
Over the course of three months, I was responsible for redesigning the rope deployment system to incorporate active tension control. This involved a multifaceted approach beginning with physically improving the spool to be attached to the quadrocopters. Keeping the weight at a minimum while implementing tension control and maximizing rope length was the primary objective. I went through several iterations, solid modelling them in SolidWorks and rapid prototyping with laser cut parts. The final design used a DC motor to control the torque being applied on the rope. As the mechanical components came together, I also worked on the circuit that connected the motor to the onboard controller. Before testing the entire system assembled, I spent some time looking into DC motor control. I used a National Instruments Data Acquisition unit interfaced with MATLAB to do some preliminary testing and see how a simple PID loop would fare.
Before I knew it, three months in the amazing city of Zürich had passed and it was time to return home. I had a terrific summer and am extremely grateful to be given such an opportunity.
Before I knew it, three months in the amazing city of Zürich had passed and it was time to return home. I had a terrific summer and am extremely grateful to be given such an opportunity.
Update (Summer 2015)
Federico has been working hard! Check out this bridge made solely by quadrocopters
Federico has been working hard! Check out this bridge made solely by quadrocopters
