Design and construction methodology of an indoor uav system with embedded vision

Abstract

This paper describes the design and construction of an autonomous indoor coaxial rotorcraft system with onboard vision processing capability. A radio-controlled (RC) helicopter was modified and upgraded with essential avionics and processing elements for autonomous flight. This paper shows that in an indoor environment, where GPS signals are unavailable, vision-based navigation system can be used as a substitution. An embedded vision system that is compact and light enough to be carried by indoor UAVs is integrated into the control loop. The system has been successfully tested and the UAV was able to follow a painted track on the ground autonomously.