A 10-gram vision-based flying robot

Authors: Zufferey, Jean-Christophe¹; Klaptocz, Adam²; Beyeler, Antoine²; Nicoud, Jean-Daniel³; Floreano, Dario²

Source: Advanced Robotics, Volume 21, Number 14, 2007 , pp. 1671-1684(14)

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Abstract:

We aim at developing ultralight autonomous microflyers capable of freely flying within houses or small built environments while avoiding collisions. Our latest prototype is a fixed-wing aircraft weighing a mere 10 g, flying around 1.5 m/s, and carrying the necessary electronics for airspeed regulation and lateral collision avoidance. This microflyer is equipped with two tiny camera modules, two rate gyroscopes, an anemometer, a small microcontroller and a Bluetooth radio module. In-flight tests were carried out in a new experimentation room specifically designed for easy changing of surrounding textures.

Keywords: INDOOR FLYING ROBOT; VISION-BASED NAVIGATION; COLLISION AVOIDANCE; OPTIC FLOW

Document Type: Short communication

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156855307782227417

Affiliations: 1: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; DIDEL SA, Chemin de la Mouette 5, 1092 Belmont-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland 2: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland 3: DIDEL SA, Chemin de la Mouette 5, 1092 Belmont-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland

Publication date: 2007-10-01