How to Design, Build and Operate a GPS-Guided Autopilot System for RC Aircraft (PDF)

Project Report from the year 2012 in the subject Engineering - Mechanical Engineering, grade: A, DeVry University, course: ECET 494, language: English, abstract: The objective of this project is to design, build, and operate a GPS-Guided Autopilot system for Radio Controlled Aircraft. This product will have to be small, lightweight, aerodynamic, and modular. It will only have to rely on 1 channel input from the aircraft receiver for the RC/Autopilot switching function. It will have to be able to fly a predetermined route while having the ability for the consumer to override the autopilot feature if desired by using their remote control. Our RC aircraft autopilot system will be interfaced with a computer in order to program the way-points that will make up the flight plan. All of these objectives are critical in order to have a functional RC aircraft autopilot system. Our time frame for completion of this project is 32 weeks and our target for total cost for the build is $500.
The product that we are proposing is a GPS-Guided Autopilot System designed for radio-controlled aircraft. This project is a modular RC/Autopilot Aircraft System that will be designed for small, inexpensive, and basic radio controlled unmanned aerial vehicles. Although our target market will be RC hobbyists that are interested in flying their airplanes autonomously, our system will also have the potential to expand to larger markets such as hobbyists flying helicopters as well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles used in the military. There will be three phases to this project, Phase (1) is our goal and is dedicated as the Autopilot function once the aircraft has reached altitude. Phase (2) is the addition of Autopilot landing, and Phase (3) is the addition of Autopilot takeoff. Phases (2) and (3) are left as optional and will be completed if and only if the team has enough time before the end of the series of Senior Project courses. The project can be broken down into three basic modules to perform these tasks. These modules are the Sensing module, the Receiver/Processor module, and a flight Control module. The combination of these three modules will be assembled to form the autopilot function.
The Sensing module will consist of a GPS antenna and a signal processor along with a 2-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer. The GPS signal from satellites will be processed into information that will be used by the receiver/processor module to send flight path corrections to the flight control module to keep the aircraft on the programmed path. The flight controls affected by the GPS signals will be the engine speed and the rudder.