425 research outputs found
From Monocular SLAM to Autonomous Drone Exploration
Micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) are strongly limited in their payload and power
capacity. In order to implement autonomous navigation, algorithms are therefore
desirable that use sensory equipment that is as small, low-weight, and
low-power consuming as possible. In this paper, we propose a method for
autonomous MAV navigation and exploration using a low-cost consumer-grade
quadrocopter equipped with a monocular camera. Our vision-based navigation
system builds on LSD-SLAM which estimates the MAV trajectory and a semi-dense
reconstruction of the environment in real-time. Since LSD-SLAM only determines
depth at high gradient pixels, texture-less areas are not directly observed so
that previous exploration methods that assume dense map information cannot
directly be applied. We propose an obstacle mapping and exploration approach
that takes the properties of our semi-dense monocular SLAM system into account.
In experiments, we demonstrate our vision-based autonomous navigation and
exploration system with a Parrot Bebop MAV
C-blox: A Scalable and Consistent TSDF-based Dense Mapping Approach
In many applications, maintaining a consistent dense map of the environment
is key to enabling robotic platforms to perform higher level decision making.
Several works have addressed the challenge of creating precise dense 3D maps
from visual sensors providing depth information. However, during operation over
longer missions, reconstructions can easily become inconsistent due to
accumulated camera tracking error and delayed loop closure. Without explicitly
addressing the problem of map consistency, recovery from such distortions tends
to be difficult. We present a novel system for dense 3D mapping which addresses
the challenge of building consistent maps while dealing with scalability.
Central to our approach is the representation of the environment as a
collection of overlapping TSDF subvolumes. These subvolumes are localized
through feature-based camera tracking and bundle adjustment. Our main
contribution is a pipeline for identifying stable regions in the map, and to
fuse the contributing subvolumes. This approach allows us to reduce map growth
while still maintaining consistency. We demonstrate the proposed system on a
publicly available dataset and simulation engine, and demonstrate the efficacy
of the proposed approach for building consistent and scalable maps. Finally we
demonstrate our approach running in real-time on-board a lightweight MAV.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, conferenc
Fast, Autonomous Flight in GPS-Denied and Cluttered Environments
One of the most challenging tasks for a flying robot is to autonomously
navigate between target locations quickly and reliably while avoiding obstacles
in its path, and with little to no a-priori knowledge of the operating
environment. This challenge is addressed in the present paper. We describe the
system design and software architecture of our proposed solution, and showcase
how all the distinct components can be integrated to enable smooth robot
operation. We provide critical insight on hardware and software component
selection and development, and present results from extensive experimental
testing in real-world warehouse environments. Experimental testing reveals that
our proposed solution can deliver fast and robust aerial robot autonomous
navigation in cluttered, GPS-denied environments.Comment: Pre-peer reviewed version of the article accepted in Journal of Field
Robotic
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