Decentralized cluster formation based on UWB|The latest research by the team of Shen Shaojie of HKUST Fully autonomous drone swarm

Decentralized cluster formation is the latest research result published by Xu Hao, a doctoral student in the team of Professor Shen Shaojie of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and his paper was accepted by the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), one of the most influential academic conferences in the field of robotics, in 2020. Based on the LinkTrack UWB positioning system, vision, and IMU core sensors, multiple UAVs can fly in swarm formations without geographical constraints indoors and outdoors without GPS navigation. Paper download link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.05138
Positioning drone swarms is a challenging endeavor. Previous research has only been able to achieve incompletely distributed external positioning with the help of lights or specific optical markers on drones; Not only does the drone require major modifications, but it also lacks flexibility. For example, depending on a specific host, or the cluster must fly at an angle to maintain observation. Or rely on GPS/UWB to carry out large-pitched formations outdoors. In the GPS environment is more complicated, the environment is narrow buildings, streets or indoor environments, can not fly normally. With the help of Nooploop UWB, the Aerial Robotics Group of HKUST overcomes these limitations. In terms of reliability and flexibility, this is the first distributed relative state estimation algorithm with practical application value. For the first time, the algorithm enables autonomous dense formations indoors that do not depend on any external devices or specific signs.
­­ ­ ­ ­ ­In the past, drone swarms had to rely on positioning devices such as GPS or Vicon. This work makes it possible for us to achieve truly autonomous flight, autonomous control of drone swarms. Among them, the LinkTrack UWB positioning system provides indispensable ranging, communication and timing functions.
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