MicaSense Aerial Pointing And Stabilization System: Dampening In-Flight Vibrations For Improved Agricultural Imaging

Abstract: This paper describes the design, manufacturing, testing, and evaluation of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) gimbal designed to stabilize multiple sensors. The gimbal is designed to carry the MicaSense RedEdge multispectral camera as well as the FLIR Vue Pro R infrared camera which are used in precision agriculture applications. The gimbal is designed to be modular in the sense that the gimbal can interface with a wide range of aircraft. Trade studies and design compromises related to the design of the gimbal are presented. The gimbal is designed to balance functionality with manufacturability and economic viability. In addition to detailing the engineering design of the gimbal, this paper outlines the testing campaign to validate the functionality of the gimbal. Various metrics are used to assess and evaluate the performance of the system. These metrics are targeted to the specific application of precision agriculture with UAS.

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Authors: Zach D. Caratao, Kelsey F. Gabel, Abijit Arun, Brett Myers, David L. Swartzendruber, and Christopher W. Lum.

Associations: University of Washington