3D Ground Control Station for Aerial Vehicles(NPO-50759-1)

With the growing use of autonomous quadrotors for research and deployment in a range of fields, there is a growing need for effective trajectory optimisation. To have effective trajectory optimisation, it is important to be able to assess the suitability of a planned trajectory prior to sending it to a hardware system, and to have the ability to edit and update a trajectory as needed. This software provides a 3D graphical user interface for intuitive generation, assessment, and modification of optimal trajectories for quadrotors through obstacle rich environments. Implemented in the software are three state-of-the-art algorithms that plan trajectories through a pre-mapped obstacle field. The software is designed to be integrated with a hardware system to: record a flown trajectory to repeat, send trajectories to a quadrotor to fly, and get live feedback during a flight. Use cases of the software include assessment of existing or new trajectory optimization algorithms, assessing feasibility of operations in a given environment, and the operational planning and flying of a quadrotor. The operational application is for flying in a pre-mapped environment, and requires other software tools for the complete system (map generation, and hardware system).