Description
In order to address the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ban on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in the National Air Space System (NAS) due primarily to their potential for mid-air collisions, this thesis investigates different collision avoidance methods for UAVs. After reviewing the benefits and limitations of a number of different collision avoidance methods, a sense-and-avoid solution is designed based on a Geometric Vector Algorithm and recommended herein as a collision avoidance system for development and prototyping. The two-part solution proposed consists of (1) a radar system to be used to detect a potential target, and (2) a collision avoidance algorithm that changes the pre-planned path of a UAV. The collision avoidance algorithm designed and tested herein demonstrates the ability to determine a new flight trajectory for a UAV so that a head-on collision can be avoided. The scope of this research is limited only to the case of two aircraft on a collision path. Although, it is hypothesized herein that this research could ultimately be extended for use in the prevention of a collision involving multiple-aircraft.
