MRS Drone: A Modular Platform for Real-World Deployment of Aerial Multi-Robot Systems

This paper presents a modular autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platform called the Multi-robot Systems (MRS) Drone that can be used in a large range of indoor and outdoor applications. The MRS Drone features unique modularity with respect to changes in actuators, frames, and sensory configuration. As the name suggests, the platform is specially tailored for deployment within a MRS group. The MRS Drone contributes to the state-of-the-art of UAV platforms by allowing smooth real-world deployment of multiple aerial robots, as well as by outperforming other platforms with its modularity. For real-world multi-robot deployment in various applications, the platform is easy to both assemble and modify. Moreover, it is accompanied by a realistic simulator to enable safe pre-flight testing and a smooth transition to complex real-world experiments. In this manuscript, we present mechanical and electrical designs, software architecture, and technical specifications to build a fully autonomous multi UAV system. Finally, we demonstrate the full capabilities and the unique modularity of the MRS Drone in various real-world applications that required a diverse range of platform configurations.Comment: 49 pages, 39 figures, accepted for publication to the Journal of Intelligent & Robotic System

tinySLAM-based exploration with a swarm of nano-UAVs

This paper concerns SLAM and exploration for a swarm of nano-UAVs. The laser range finder-based tinySLAM algorithm is used to build maps of the environment. The maps are synchronized using an iterative closest point algorithm. The UAVs then explore the map by steering to points selected by a modified dynamic coverage algorithm, for which we prove a stability result. Both algorithms inform each other, allowing the UAVs to map out new areas of the environment and move into them for exploration. Experimental findings using the nano-UAV Crazyflie 2.1 platform are presented. A key challenge is to implement all algorithms on the hardware limited experimental platform.Comment: Published at the Sixth International Symposium on Swarm Behavior and Bio-Inspired Robotics 2023 (SWARM 6th 2023). Pages 899-90