Precise localization of a UAV using visual odometry

Within the AEROWORKS group at the UT we are researching aerial manipulation. The manipulators we develop have to be tested on a UAV. Indoors we can fly using the OptiTrack motion capturing system. This project focuses on creating a setup which enables us to experiment with aerial manipulation in an outdoor environment. Precise localization is necessary to perform the aerial manipulation tasks. GPS doesn't offer enough precision for these tasks. We aim at using stereo vision to observe the environment and localize the UAV since cameras provide a lot of information about the environment whilst being light-weight and compact. The VI-sensor used in this project combines a stereo camera with an IMU. Visual odometry is the process of obtaining motion from camera images. These measurements are fused with the IMU measurements to obtain a high-bandwidth pose of the VI-sensor. A working setup with a hexacopter carrying a VI-sensor has been created which can fly using the pose estimation obtained by visual odometry.