Autonomous Drone Control System

Overview

The autonomous drone control system is designed to control the movement and behavior of a drone using ROS (Robot Operating System). It consists of modules for Trajectory Generation, Finite State Machine (FSM), Telemetry, Ground Station, and Behavior Planner.

File Structure

• scripts/trajectory_generator.py: Module for generating drone trajectories
• scripts/fsm.py: Module for implementing the Finite State Machine logic
• scripts/.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json: Configuration file for C/C++ properties
• scripts/.vscode/settings.json: Configuration file for settings
• scripts/ground_station/ground_station.py: Module for handling user input and mission commands from the ground station
• scripts/telemetry.py: Module for telemetry data collection from the drone
• scripts/behavior_planner.py: Module for planning and executing drone behaviors based on telemetry and mission commands
• msg/Status.msg: Message file defining the status data structure
• CMakeLists.txt: CMake configuration file for building and installing the package

Error Handling and Solutions

During the development process, the following errors were encountered and addressed:

Error 1: Connectivity Issues

• Cause: Connection problems between the drone and the ground control system.
• Solution: Implemented retry mechanisms and verified connection status through the Telemetry module.

Error 2: Mission Invalidation

• Cause: Invalid or conflicting mission commands being received by the drone.
• Solution: Updated the FSM module to handle and validate mission commands before execution.

Error 3: Input Permission Synchronization

• Cause: Inconsistencies in input permission coordination between the Ground Station and Behavior Planner.
• Solution: Synchronized input permissions using message acknowledgement and rate management.

Error 4: ROS Message Parsing

• Cause: Inaccurate parsing of ROS messages leading to data inconsistency.
• Solution: Implemented robust message parsing and validation mechanisms in the Telemetry and Ground Station modules.

Error 5: Finite State Machine Logic

• Cause: Improper transitions and logical flaws in the Finite State Machine.
• Solution: Refactored FSM logic to ensure correct state transitions and mission execution.

Conclusion

The development of the autonomous drone control system involved addressing various errors and challenges, ultimately leading to a robust and reliable system for controlling the drone's behavior and movements.