Development of Blimp Platform for Aerial Photography

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a semi-automated blimp platform for aerial photography. The blimp can be tele-operated from a ground station and is capable of autonomously holding its heading and altitude when the pilot releases control. The blimp consists of a helium-filled envelope to achieve the buoyancy and a pair of propellers to drive the blimp in the desired direction. A basic control algorithm and sensing system are also proposed to control and maintain the heading and altitude of the blimp.