GeneBird Design and Development of Micro Swarm Drones

GeneBird is a project that aims at developing semi-autonomous quadcopters to create agile and autonomous ?Swarm Drones?. With the world stepping into the 4-Industrial Revolution, GeneBird is equipped to handle the technologies such as  Edge computing, a

Project Title

GeneBird Design and Development of Micro Swarm Drones

Project Area of Specialization

Robotics

Project Summary

GeneBird is a project that aims at developing semi-autonomous quadcopters to create agile and autonomous “Swarm Drones”. With the world stepping into the 4-Industrial Revolution, GeneBird is equipped to handle the technologies such as  Edge computing, and Artificial Intelligence. With an easy to use and comprehensible interface. GeneBird is aimed at meeting the criteria for new ML-based algorithms.

Being a low cost, small and agile flight controller based on esp8266, esp32, tiva and Atmega. We also will be using these boards onboard Wifi capabilities, we designed an ‘ad-hoc’ networks for the swarm formation. Also, to implement different Machine Learning or Computer Vision (CV) Algorithms from the central controller (Cloud or Edge Computing). An ‘Application’ for “GeneBird” will also be developed which will be transmitting the video feed from every single quad to the server for processing. Multiple quads will be controlled at the same time. One of the goals for GeneBird is to maintain the cost of individual drones as low as possible to allow scalability, making each member of the swarm less demanding of resources as well as more efficient in terms of power/energy.

GeneBird will be equipped with WiFi connectivity hence, enabling IoT connectivity. From a technological and engineering perspective, UAV’s are an excellent way to introduce STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) students to building and maintaining technology. The implementation of different Machine learning algorithms is more robust in GeneBird; it’s easier to implement the different machine learning and computer vision algorithms and can also be used in the study of feedback control systems. By using GeneBird’s in colleges and universities one can get a deeper understanding of these subjects. The aim of GeneBird is to push the boundary of what can thus be accomplished with autonomous flight.

The use of GeneBird like any other Un-manned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is in the fields of inspection, surveying, military, cinematography, mapping, and gathering of information from places which are thus considered inaccessible by humans for example a crumbled building in the time of an earthquake or hovering a drone over a drowned village to look for survivors and many more search-rescue operations.

Project Objectives

The aim  of GeneBird is to make everyday life easy. To reduce the environmental pollution, while providing easy and efficient method for delivering packages from one place to another. Providing a more stimulant and attractive approach applied in STEM education by providing inspiring and captivating practical demonstrations of the different machine learning algorithms, computer vision and different control system’s concepts. GeneBird also aims on playing a valuable role in search and rescue operations by reaching the areas that are unreachable by humans. GeneBird also targets itself to be used in national security; as slaughter-bots.

Project Implementation Method

Being a low cost, small and agile flight controller based on esp8266 and esp32. We will be using a seperate core of the esp32 for on board stability using PID algoritihim. We will be using these boards for their  onboard WiFi capabilities to control the quads from a edge server. We designed an ‘ad hoc’ networks for the swarm formation of quads. Also, to implement different Machine Learning or Computer Vision(CV) Algorithms from the central controller (Cloud or Edge Server). An ‘Application’ for “GeneBird” will also be developed which will be transmitting the video feed from every single quad to the server for processing. Multiple quads will be controlled at the same time.

Benefits of the Project

Smart Delivery Services & Pollution Reduction:

GeneBird aims at contributing to the environment by developing framework of swarm drones that can be used to deliver the packages; removing the delivery vehicles from the roads and thus eliminating the pollution as well. Reducing the amount of the pollution produced by the delivery vehicles by providing an easier to access and efficient method of delivering packages via using a swarm of drones. Thus, also reducing the amount of time it takes a normal delivery vehicle to deliver a package.

STEM Learning & Practical Demonstration of Engineering concepts:

GeneBird also aims at providing a more vibrant, stimulant and attractive use in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education by providing a means of aspiring and captivating practical demonstrations of various different mathematical and computational concepts such as the study of different machine learning algorithms such as those used in image recognition and classification, different control system concepts such as feedback closed loops etc.

Smart Recue Services & Smart Mapping Services:

GeneBird also aims at playing an important and valuable role by providing a platform for the development and modification of search drones, able to reach the place of an accident or crisis on time thus monitoring the location and searching for the survivors, producing an AI-based map of the structure thus, guiding the rescuers to the survivors; saving precious time in such critical situations.

Smart Surveillance Services & Smart Warfare Services:

GeneBird aims at playing a paramount role in security of stores and infrastructures and thus can be highly resourceful as it’s use as Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT). We also target Genebird to be used in national security. And making a paramount effect in the surveillance and monitoring for large infrastructures.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

We have divided the project in overall 3 phases. Every phase has its separate milestones. In the first phase we aimed to develop TIVA and Atmega based drone which would have the capability of self-stabilization and control via RC controller. In the second phase we aim to develop ESP8266 based micro drone designed onto PCB board. The drones would have the OTA support.

In the third and final phase we aim to implement a swarm of 4 micro drones which would have on board self stabilization, along with built in OTA support, transmit live video onto edge server. The 4 micro drones will be in a swarm formation using ad hoc netwrok configuration using the Painless mesh library. The micro dornes hardware is based on custom designed PCBs and flight controller based on ESP artitecture. 

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Education

Other Industries

IT , Security

Core Technology

Robotics

Other Technologies

Internet of Things (IoT), Others

Sustainable Development Goals

Quality Education, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Required Resources

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