Projects

Indoor Unmanned Aircraft Navigation

This effort involves indoor vision-based navigation amongst known and/or unknown objects. Known objects are utilized as navigation landmarks. The unknown can also be mapped and used to refine navigation solution (such as to prevent collision). This work includes characterizing a variety of available sensors and developing and testing solutions for practical indoor flight.

High-speed Unmanned Aircraft Automation

Developing technology to enable high speed flight using vision sensors. Applications include autonomous drone racing and enabling nap-of-the-Earth flight to reduce vulnerability.

Ship-board Operations

Precision maneuvering near underway surface vessels has some unique challenges. This project includes precision placement for landing and for manipulation (such as picking up packages). It involves multiple flight test operations over water operating on/off and near boats.

Mission-Specific Unmanned Aircraft

Ongoing Office of Naval Research (ONR) project involving unmanned aircraft that can fly, as well as go underwater – being utilized to fly up rivers and along shorelines. Our efforts focus on challenges like obstacle avoidance, GPS-denied navigation, and aircraft design.