Towards Obstacle Avoidance and Autonomous UAV Operation
Chen FriedmanInderjit Chopra, Svetlana Potyagaylo, Omri Rand · 2011
This paper presents the status and progress of the ongoing work directed towards the development and implementation of autonomous navigation algorithms for Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAV). The method proposed is founded on a mapping methodology, which is supported by a laser scan matching algorithm and virtual occupancy grid method. Navigation and path planning is performed by means of an extended and optimized version of the potential field approach. This paper contains a description of the methodology along with initial results from both simulations and experiments that demonstrate the ability to navigate around corners from start to goal positions as well as mapping realistic corridor environments using a ground platform. A notable advantage of the current methodology is the separation between the MAV’s model and the navigation algorithm, which makes them suitable for various rotary wing (and other) platforms.