The Automatic Flying Security Drone (AFSD) is an attempt to reduce the manpower needed to patrol a large open perimeter. The AFSD would instead patrol a route defined by a single member of the security personnel and stream live video data to that one person wirelessly. The AFSD would navigate via GPS coordinates, regularly comparing its position with its goal and correcting its course automatically. The AFSD will be spherical in shape, with the propellers and control surfaces located inside the frame. The external frame allows AFSD to bump into obstacles without crashing. It will also support a gyro sensor and will be able to automatically correct its attitude should any outside forces threaten its stability (wind, collision, etc.). The most important feature of the AFSD, however, is its self-maintenance: Upon completing a route, the AFSD will return to a specially-made docking station, which will charge the device in preparation for its next patrol.
The AFSD Control application will show the user a top-down satellite photo of the docking station’s position and surrounding area. Using the mouse, the user will be able to define a route in one of three manners: Clicking individual points on the photo, clicking-and-dragging line segments, or drawing a free-hand route and having the computer interpolate points that resemble the route. The application will allow the user to redefine the route mid-flight, or to issue specific commands (Halt, Emergency Landing, Return to Docking Station) that will change the AFSDs behavior.
Initial Design Description