Abstract: Drone docking stations promote efficient operations of drones, but they usually support only one vehicle and are accessible primarily through vertical landing. These limitations hinder multidrone operations and result in challenges for fast precise docking, particularly under severe wind conditions. This article assesses the EAGLES Port, which uses a horizontal … [Read more...] about Drone Landing Performance in Windy Conditions: Comparing the Vertical and Horizontal Landing Approaches With the EAGLES Port
Autonomous aerial vehicles
Cooperative Aerial Robot Inspection Challenge: A Benchmark for Heterogeneous Multi-Uncrewed-Aerial-Vehicle Planning and Lessons Learned
Abstract: We propose the Cooperative Aerial Robot Inspection Challenge (CARIC), a simulation-based benchmark for motion planning algorithms in heterogeneous multi-uncrewed-aerial-vehicle (UAV) systems. CARIC features UAV teams with complementary sensors, realistic constraints, and evaluation metrics prioritizing inspection quality and efficiency. It offers a ready-to-use … [Read more...] about Cooperative Aerial Robot Inspection Challenge: A Benchmark for Heterogeneous Multi-Uncrewed-Aerial-Vehicle Planning and Lessons Learned
Int-Ball2: On-Orbit Demonstration of Autonomous Intravehicular Flight and Docking for Image Capturing and Recharging
This article presents the system architecture and the orbital demonstration results of the Int-Ball2, a free-flying camera robot developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The purpose of the Int-Ball2 project is to assist astronauts and reduce their workload in the International Space Station (ISS). This robot is an upgrade from the first Int-Ball, enhancing … [Read more...] about Int-Ball2: On-Orbit Demonstration of Autonomous Intravehicular Flight and Docking for Image Capturing and Recharging
Survey of Simulators for Aerial Robots: An Overview and In-Depth Systematic Comparisons [Survey]
Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) research faces challenges with safety, scalability, costs, and ecological impact when conducting hardware testing. High-fidelity simulators offer a vital solution by replicating real-world conditions to enable the development and evaluation of novel perception and control algorithms. However, the large number of available simulators poses a … [Read more...] about Survey of Simulators for Aerial Robots: An Overview and In-Depth Systematic Comparisons [Survey]
New Era in Cultural Heritage Preservation: Cooperative Aerial Autonomy for Fast Digitalization of Difficult-to-Access Interiors of Historical Monuments
Digital documentation of large interiors of historical buildings is an exhausting task as most of the areas of interest are beyond typical human reach. We advocate the use of fully autonomous teams of cooperating multirotor UAVs to speed up the documentation process by several orders of magnitude while allowing for a repeatable, accurate, and condition-independent solution … [Read more...] about New Era in Cultural Heritage Preservation: Cooperative Aerial Autonomy for Fast Digitalization of Difficult-to-Access Interiors of Historical Monuments
