The objective of this project is to use a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone to detect breaks in a fence at an autonomous vehicle testing facility in Gothenburg, Sweden; this project was in collaboration with students from Chalmers University in Sweden.
Sponsored by: AstaZero AB
Team Members
Will Kraus Kabir Bhatia Andrew Blickensderfer Matthew Denelsbeck Mason Elliott
Instructor: Dr. Nick Vlajic
Project Poster
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Project Video
Project Summary
Overview
AstaZero AB has an autonomous vehicle testing and research facility in a heavily wooded area in Sweden. This facility is surrounded by an approximately 10 kilometer fence to prevent moose, deer, and other animals from interrupting outdoor experiments. The team had the opportunity to automate this process using existing drone hardware at AstaZero.
Objectives
– Create fence tracking and detection program compatible with DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drone.
– Automate drone startup, flight planning, and landing sequence.
– Determine image recognition review methods and accompanying program.
Approach
– A line detection software was created using Python and the openCV programming library. The code isolates the fence in the captured drone video and flags any gaps in where the fence appears.
– The drone flight program is built using the DSS (Drone Security System) library and Python code. Perimeter fence GPS coordinates are recorded into the system and the drone flies to a certain altitude to detect the fence, reaches all GPS locations, and lands safely.
Outcomes
– Fence detection software functions within acceptable range for the current application. The software detects false positives to be manually reviewed by AstaZero faculty.
– Neural network improvements for fence detection are in development and will be continued by Chalmers University students.
– Drone automated flight software directs drone along GPS waypoint path successfully.
– Implementation and further refinement of the solution will save AstaZero employees an average of 2 hours each month in travel around the facility and prevent injuries when traversing the 8-10 kilometer fence.