Design and implementation of ground monitor and control system for a mini unmanned helicopter

Ground monitor and control system (GMCS) is an important part of the entire unmanned helicopter system. It gives a flexible graphical interface monitoring the real-time status of the UAV helicopter such as position, attitude, waypoints, trajectory and error alarm. Meanwhile, combining with the Geographic Information System (GIS), it's convenient to utilize the digital map to indicate current position and to plan trajectory in geographical features. This paper emphasizes the design and implementation of GMCS for a mini unmanned helicopter. It describes the main functional requirements, framework and structure of GMCS and uses the object-oriented method to develop the GMCS software. It presents a detailed description of functional modules and key technical points including wireless transmission, task planning, system calibration, system monitor and so on. This system software has been successfully tested in actual experiments of an unmanned helicopter and shows good performance.