PERCEPTION AND NAVIGATION FOR AN AUTONOMOUS QUADROTOR IN GPS-DENIED ENVIRONMENTS

Robots need autonomous navigation to complete their tasks efficiently. This becomes more challenging in GPS-denied environments where positioning information is not available. For small flying robots and quadrotors, inherent limitations such as limited sensor payload and small system time-constant add another layer of challenge to the problem. This paper presents a solution for autonomous navigation of a quadrotor rotorcraft by performing autonomous behaviours, such as exploration, returning home, or following waypoints. The solution relies on accurate localization, mapping, and navigation between waypoints. Multiple tests were performed in simulated and real-world environments to show the effectiveness of the proposed solution.