《[无人机技术]Lighter than Air Robots_Chapter 1 Introduction_fulltext》.pdf

Chapter 1 Introduction Abstract An aerial robot is a system capable of sustained flight with no direct human control and able to perform a specific task. A Lighter Than Air Robot (LTAR) is an unmanned lighter than air vehicle with sufficient autonomy. Robotic airships can also be called Aerobot. Lighter-Than-Air-Vehicles are becoming more popular in aerial missions. A Lighter Than Air Robot behaves and functions differently to a heavier than air craft: airplane and helicopter. It does not require any motor action to maintain a certain altitude and position in the space as it relies on low density gas inside the envelope to balance its own weight. It uses buoyancy to float in the air. 1.1 Aerial Robotics Aerial robotics is a growing field with many application possibilities. Aerial robots can be viewed as the evolution of the unmanned aerial vehicles. An unmanned Sys- tem is defined as an electro-mechanical system, with no human operator aboard, that is able to exert its power to perform designed missions. An autonomous system re- acts to its external inputs and takes some action without operator control. The goal is to design a system that reacts to its environment and plans its own activities to achieve the mission goals. An unmanned system may be mobile or stationary and it includes categories of unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned surface ve- hicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are divided into three categories: rotary wings (helicopter), fixed wing (airplane) and lighter than air (airship). An airship is an engine-driven lighter-than-air craft that can be steered. Modern airships employ advanced technologies such as composite materi- als, modern electronic systems, fly by light or fly by wire transmissions controls and the latest theories in stability, control and aerodynamics. Some aspects of modern design are borrowed from other disciplines, while in certain areas