9,045 research outputs found
Aerial-Ground collaborative sensing: Third-Person view for teleoperation
Rapid deployment and operation are key requirements in time critical
application, such as Search and Rescue (SaR). Efficiently teleoperated ground
robots can support first-responders in such situations. However, first-person
view teleoperation is sub-optimal in difficult terrains, while a third-person
perspective can drastically increase teleoperation performance. Here, we
propose a Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV)-based system that can autonomously provide
third-person perspective to ground robots. While our approach is based on local
visual servoing, it further leverages the global localization of several ground
robots to seamlessly transfer between these ground robots in GPS-denied
environments. Therewith one MAV can support multiple ground robots on a demand
basis. Furthermore, our system enables different visual detection regimes, and
enhanced operability, and return-home functionality. We evaluate our system in
real-world SaR scenarios.Comment: Accepted for publication in 2018 IEEE International Symposium on
Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics (SSRR
Visual servoing of an autonomous helicopter in urban areas using feature tracking
We present the design and implementation of a vision-based feature tracking system for an autonomous helicopter. Visual sensing is used for estimating the position and velocity of features in the image plane (urban features like windows) in order to generate velocity references for the flight control. These visual-based references are then combined with GPS-positioning references to navigate towards these features and then track them. We present results from experimental flight trials, performed in two UAV systems and under different conditions that show the feasibility and robustness of our approach
Unmanned Aerial Systems for Wildland and Forest Fires
Wildfires represent an important natural risk causing economic losses, human
death and important environmental damage. In recent years, we witness an
increase in fire intensity and frequency. Research has been conducted towards
the development of dedicated solutions for wildland and forest fire assistance
and fighting. Systems were proposed for the remote detection and tracking of
fires. These systems have shown improvements in the area of efficient data
collection and fire characterization within small scale environments. However,
wildfires cover large areas making some of the proposed ground-based systems
unsuitable for optimal coverage. To tackle this limitation, Unmanned Aerial
Systems (UAS) were proposed. UAS have proven to be useful due to their
maneuverability, allowing for the implementation of remote sensing, allocation
strategies and task planning. They can provide a low-cost alternative for the
prevention, detection and real-time support of firefighting. In this paper we
review previous work related to the use of UAS in wildfires. Onboard sensor
instruments, fire perception algorithms and coordination strategies are
considered. In addition, we present some of the recent frameworks proposing the
use of both aerial vehicles and Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UV) for a more
efficient wildland firefighting strategy at a larger scale.Comment: A recent published version of this paper is available at:
https://doi.org/10.3390/drones501001
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