Experimental flight test for autonomous station-keeping of a lighter-than-air vehicle

The benefits of stationary aerial platforms for continuous observation of a fixed area are evident in cases such as natural disasters, environmental monitoring, intelligence gathering, etc. Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) technology has advanced significantly, for example high-pressure balloons that would make such a platform a potential solution for long, uninterrupted and persistent observation. An adaptive nonlinear control system was designed for LTA station-keeping, with an adaption mechanism to accommodate uncertainties in system parameters. The controller was subsequently implemented on a micro controller and tested in a flight experiment using a helium balloon. The tests were conducted in a 4.5 m by 4.5 m enclosure using infrared sensors to determine position by measuring distance from the walls.