Near-Parallel Binocular-Like Camera Pair for Multi-Drone Detection and 3D Localization

Abstract

The paper presents the concept of using a pair of cameras that are setup near and almost parallel to each other to do detection and 3D localization of multiple drone at far distance away. These setup of the two cameras resemble the binocular cameras, as such the 3D positions of the detected drones can be estimated by epipolar-like geometry. For the special case of detecting the multiple drones at a distance, quick depth distance approximation based on similar triangles is also proposed. Sample field tests of detecting and tracking multiple drones at near and far distances in open areas are presented. The depth distances obtained are comparable to the actual GPS readings from the detected drones.