Prof.

Suresh Ramaswamy Memorial Award

PERSONAL
PERSONAL INFORMATION
INFORMATION

Details of the team members:

Si.
No.
1

Name

ID No.

CGPA

Email

Contact No.

Karan Chawla

2012A4PS338G

8.3

9637107801

Akash Deep Singh

2012A8PS321G

5.9

3.

Siddharth Jadhav

2012A1PS509G

7.1

karanchawla.ck@g
mail.com
akash.singh011235
@gmail.com
f2012509@goa.bi
ts-pilani.ac.in

9628963929
9021217959

PROJECT
PROJECT INFORMATION
INFORMATION
1. Title of project

Discovery: A Human Search and Rescue Drone

2. Abstract

Our mission is to provide the government and organizations with a highly

user friendly and technologically advanced aerial tool that efficiently and
consistently collects and processes high quality data for search and rescue
operations. The aerial platform for accomplishing this is an electric flying
wing autonomous UAV called 'Discovery'. The generality and afford-ability of
such a system would be useful for years ahead and the threshold for realizing
applications which use any of these systems would therefore be reduced. A
drone based system like this can enhance search and rescue and assist the
majority by saving time, money and lives. It would prove to be a valuable life
saving tool in cases of emergencies like the recent Kashmir floods.
3. Explain (in not more than 300 words) the aim of the project and what

science, technology, design ideas do you have to propose to achieve

that objective.
Human search and rescue using an autonomous drone is the prime objective
of this project. By using autonomous drones, less experience is required by
the rescue personnels and the overall cost of the SAR mission is brought
down considerably. The drone carries all the necessary electronics required
for carrying out image processing so humans can be located and mapped.
The UAV design is optimized such that it achieves maximum endurance while
carrying the required payload.

One of the major aim of our project is to show how a visual human detection
system that uses images from a normal camera can be implemented in
software. The system would fit into the larger context of disaster
management and more specifically how it can benefit search and rescue
operations. The image processing and computer vision capabilities reduces
the psychological strain on the human operator.
The final design would be able explore an area entirely by itself and human
intervention would only be needed if a victim was discovered. Simultaneous
Localization and Mapping algorithms are implemented that allow the UAV to
map an unknown environment by using a variety of sensors. The mapping
information is combined with the detection system by recording the position
and orientation of the drone when a victim is detected. This would aid rescue
workers in locating and evacuating victims.

Image 1: First Prototype

4. In

what stage is the project currently? (Idea inception, Prototype

development, Prototype testing etc) Has it participated in any competitive
events so far? If so, provide details of the same.
Current Stage: Prototype Testing
The design process of the UAV includes first deciding a particular problem
statement which was completely elaborated. Due to difficulties in landing and
endurance conventional design was rejected and a flying wing which obeys
the same design requirements was designed.

The necessary research was then done to solidify the concept post which the
development of the airframe was initiated. The design was then documented
and the first prototype is constructed post which the next set of iterations will

take place. The first prototype of the design was the Discovery UAV which
was used to collect data in the form of videos and the autonomy of the
system was successfully tested.

Image 2: Maiden flight of the UAV

Image 3:The result of the HOG detector tested on a normal camera feed

A pair of temporarily and geometrically synchronized optical images are used for
human detection. First these images are processed independently and then related
information from the image sources is combined. For detection the optical images
are processed with several independent cascaded Haar classifiers trained for
detecting humans in different orientations and light/dark colors. Next the

overlapping detections from each of these independent classifiers is merged to

produce a coherent set of detections. Once the human is detected within optical
image, we search the geometrically corresponding area in the image (varying from
the environment) and if present the confidence level of this detection reported to
the end user is increased.
We simultaneously extract and process contours within image. Fused concurrent
detections obtained by the sets of classifiers form the final result. The confidence
level of this detection is further boosted if a contour of potential person matches the
Gaussian shape model and is present within the corresponding detecting region.
The contour shape analysis is introduced as a secondary confirmation step and is
not a primary source of detection due to the problems of cluttered environments
where contour clusters occur frequently.
The following objectives are yet to be completed :

Implement and evaluate algorithms for object detection based on a live feed
from a camera.

Implement and evaluate an algorithm for object tracking based on Human

detection. Test the algorithm in the payload CPU.

Implement data logging of the tracking results, video streaming and a simple
vision-based navigation algorithm.

Make the drone portable. Further optimize the design to increase range and
endurance of the plane.

5. Which stream would you identify your project most closely with? (Comp

Sci/Electrical/ Mechanical etc)?

Autonomous Aerial Robotics (Computer Science & Mechanical)
6. Any other information you would like to add that is relevant to your

application.
Rapid prototyping is the future of drones since it is highly cost effective and
will help the user deploy these from any location. The final aim would be to
create a 3D printed version of the drone that could be produced in a matter
of hours. The electronics for such drones would be designed in the form of
LEGO blocks which would reduce assembly time to minutes.
7.

References (maximum two) for your work

Nickel, K., and Wohlfahrt, M., Tailless Aircraft in Theory and Practice , AIAA
Education Series, AIAA Washington, DC, 1994