Cooperative Localization System of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by UWB System and GNSS Sensors

This article puts forward an indirect cooperative relative localization method to estimate the position of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) relative to their neighbors based solely on distance and self-displacement measurements in GPS denied environments. Our method consists of two stages. Initially, assuming no knowledge about its own and neighbors’ states and limited by the environment or task constraints, each unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solves an active 2D relative localization problem to obtain an estimate of its initial position relative to a static hovering quadcopter (a.k.a. beacon), which is subsequently refined by the extended Kalman filter to account for the noise in distance and displacement measurements. Starting with the refined initial relative localization guess, the second stage generalizes the extended Kalman filter strategy to the case where all unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) move simultaneously. In this stage, each unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carries out cooperative localization through the inter-unmanned aerial vehicle distance given by ultra-wideband and exchanging the self-displacements of neighboring unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Extensive simulations and flight experiments are presented to corroborate the effectiveness of our proposed relative localization initialization strategy and algorithm.

Download Full-text

Aided inertial navigation of small unmanned aerial vehicles using an ultra-wideband real time localization system

2018 IEEE Aerospace Conference ◽

10.1109/aero.2018.8396534 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Krzysztof Cisek ◽

Kristoffer Gryte ◽

Torleiv H. Bryne ◽

Tor A. Johansen

Keyword(s):

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽

Real Time ◽

Inertial Navigation ◽

Ultra Wideband ◽

Localization System ◽

Aerial Vehicles

Download Full-text

Radio Frequency (RF)-based, Real-Time, Indoor Localization System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Mobile Robot Applications

Acta Polytechnica Hungarica ◽

10.12700/aph.17.9.2020.9.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (9) ◽

pp. 19-40

Author(s):

Sándor Tihamér Brassai ◽

István Zsolt Székely

Keyword(s):

Mobile Robot ◽

Radio Frequency ◽

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽

Real Time ◽

Indoor Localization ◽

Localization System ◽

Aerial Vehicles

Download Full-text

Cooperative Localization of Drones by using Interval Methods

Acta Cybernetica ◽

10.14232/actacyb.24.3.2020.15 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 557-572

Author(s):

Ide Flore Kenmogne ◽

Vincent Drevelle ◽

Eric Marchand

Keyword(s):

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽

Pose Estimation ◽

Interval Analysis ◽

Constraint Propagation ◽

Interval Methods ◽

Cooperative Localization ◽

Position Accuracy ◽

Aerial Vehicles ◽

Bounded Error ◽

Real Robot

In this article we address the problem of cooperative pose estimation in a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in a bounded error context. The UAVs are equipped with cameras to track landmarks positions, and a communication and ranging system to cooperate with their neighbours. Measurements are represented by intervals, and constraints are expressed on the robots poses (positions and orientations). Each robot of the group first computes a pose domain using only its sensors measurements using set inversion via interval analysis. Then, through position boxes exchange, positions are cooperatively refined by constraint propagation in the group. Results with real robot data are presented, and show that the position accuracy is improvedthanks to cooperation.

Download Full-text

Localization System for Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Inspection Tasks

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21175937 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (17) ◽

pp. 5937

Author(s):

Diego Benjumea ◽

Alfonso Alcántara ◽

Agustin Ramos ◽

Arturo Torres-Gonzalez ◽

Pedro Sánchez-Cuevas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Altitude ◽

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽

Satellite System ◽

Localization System ◽

Aerial Vehicles ◽

System Defect ◽

Angular Velocities ◽

Infrastructure Inspection ◽

Inspection Tasks ◽

Global Navigation Satellite

This paper presents a localization system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) especially designed to be used in infrastructure inspection, where the UAVs have to fly in challenging conditions, such as relatively high altitude (e.g., 15 m), eventually with poor or absent GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signal reception, or the need for a BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operation in some periods. In addition, these infrastructure inspection applications impose the following requirements for the localization system: defect traceability, accuracy, reliability, and fault tolerance. Our system proposes a lightweight solution combining multiple stereo cameras with a robotic total station to comply with these requirements, providing full-state estimation (i.e., position, orientation, and linear and angular velocities) in a fixed and time-persistent reference frame. Moreover, the system can align and fuse all sensor measurements in real-time at high frequency. We have integrated this localization system in our aerial platform, and we have tested its performance for inspection in a real-world viaduct scenario, where the UAV has to operate with poor or absent GNSS signal at high altitude.

Download Full-text