Immersive Operation of a Semi-Autonomous Aerial Platform for Detecting and Mapping Radiation
This work addresses the operational inefficiency for users in nuclear monitoring by reducing the need for multiple operators, though it is incremental as it builds on existing sUAS and visualization technologies.
The paper tackled the problem of requiring two operators for unmanned aerial systems (sUASs) used in radiation detection by developing a Virtual Reality interface that integrates real-time 3D radiation visualization with semi-autonomous control, enabling a single operator to handle both flight and monitoring tasks.
Recent advancements in radiation detection and computer vision have enabled small unmanned aerial systems (sUASs) to produce 3D nuclear radiation maps in real-time. Currently these state-of-the-art systems still require two operators: one to pilot the sUAS and another operator to monitor the detected radiation. In this work we present a system that integrates real-time 3D radiation visualization with semi-autonomous sUAS control. Our Virtual Reality interface enables a single operator to define trajectories using waypoints to abstract complex flight control and utilize the semi-autonomous maneuvering capabilities of the sUAS. The interface also displays a fused radiation visualization and environment map, thereby enabling simultaneous remote operation and radiation monitoring by a single operator. This serves as the basis for development of a single system that deploys and autonomously controls fleets of sUASs.