Performance Characterization of Range Finding Sensors

The performance characterization of range finding sensors were a preliminary phase of the sensor integration process as part of the initial work to complete the Drone Modular Smart Pallet project. The sensor was the MB1242, I2CXL-MaxSonar-EZ4 ultrasonic sensor. The data was collected with the processing of the Raspberry Pi 4B microcomputer and analyzed in MATLAB. The project was split into four parts: collecting sensor data, analyzing the external factors affecting the sensor performance, building a model from the sensor measurements, and preliminary processing of the range readings using a moving average, median, and Kalman filter. The most significant performance factors were highlighted for consideration in the pallets future sensor fusion process. Compensation for changing wave propagation speeds in varying temperatures was implemented in real time to evaluate potential performance improvements. A simulation was done for range-finding in flight to evaluate the effectiveness of several noise filtering methods. Real data was used whenever possible for the cases of range finding a stationary target on a static platform.