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Design and implementation of an integrated navigation device for unmanned aerial vehicles

Antonopoulos Angelos

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Summary

Nowadays, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as “Drones” have gained popularity in our everyday life. The functionality provided by those vehicles allows their usage in many applications. Such applications can be recreational, professional as well as applications which can have a higher impact in our lives. Aerial imaging, 3D mapping, precision agriculture as well as search and rescue missions are just some examples of how UAVs can influence our lives. Many of these scenarios require navigation. The navigation process can be executed by either the operator or an on-board flight command module autonomously. Both cases require continuous spatial awareness throughout the flight. Modern UAVs rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for their positioning and navigation. However, numerous scenarios require UAV operation in GNSS denied environments.The aim of this study is the design and implementation of an integrated UAV navigation system which can be autonomously adjusted to the flight environment, providing spatial awareness to both the UAV and the operator.The system designed and implemented in this study expands the functionality of UAVs as it allows navigation in different environments, while providing autonomous geolocation abilities. The system was designed as an auxiliary module of a UAV. A custom hexacopter was utilized as a host development and testing platform. Continuous spatial awareness is provided by a multi-tier localization architecture. GNSS estimations, inertial data acquired by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) as well as visual-depth perception data provided by an RGB-D sensor are combined to ensure continuous localization. Moreover, the system facilitates a geolocation module with the ability to autonomously track and estimate the position of objects in the flight area. The autonomous geolocation process is enabled by the use of a three-axis motorized gimbal system which houses a camera, integrated rotary encoders as well as distance measuring equipment. The implemented system was tested and evaluated in both simulated and actual flight conditions in multiple environments.

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