A Review of Radio Frequency Based Localisation for Aerial and Ground Robots with 5G Future Perspectives

in Sensors (2022), 23(1), 188

Efficient localisation plays a vital role in many modern applications of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which contributes to improved control, safety, power economy ... [more ▼]

Efficient localisation plays a vital role in many modern applications of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which contributes to improved control, safety, power economy, etc. The ubiquitous 5G NR (New Radio) cellular network will provide new opportunities to enhance the localisation of UAVs and UGVs. In this paper, we review radio frequency (RF)-based approaches to localisation. We review the RF features that can be utilized for localisation and investigate the current methods suitable for Unmanned Vehicles under two general categories: range-based and fingerprinting. The existing state-of-the-art literature on RF-based localisation for both UAVs and UGVs is examined, and the envisioned 5G NR for localisation enhancement, and the future research direction are explored. [less ▲]

Visual SLAM: What Are the Current Trends and What to Expect?

in Sensors (2022), 22(23), 9297

In recent years, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems have shown significant performance, accuracy, and efficiency gain. In this regard, Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM ... [more ▼]

In recent years, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems have shown significant performance, accuracy, and efficiency gain. In this regard, Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) methods refer to the SLAM approaches that employ cameras for pose estimation and map reconstruction and are preferred over Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR)-based methods due to their lighter weight, lower acquisition costs, and richer environment representation. Hence, several VSLAM approaches have evolved using different camera types (e.g., monocular or stereo), and have been tested on various datasets (e.g., Technische Universität München (TUM) RGB-D or European Robotics Challenge (EuRoC)) and in different conditions (i.e., indoors and outdoors), and employ multiple methodologies to have a better understanding of their surroundings. The mentioned variations have made this topic popular for researchers and have resulted in various methods. In this regard, the primary intent of this paper is to assimilate the wide range of works in VSLAM and present their recent advances, along with discussing the existing challenges and trends. This survey is worthwhile to give a big picture of the current focuses in robotics and VSLAM fields based on the concentrated resolutions and objectives of the state-of-the-art. This paper provides an in-depth literature survey of fifty impactful articles published in the VSLAMs domain. The mentioned manuscripts have been classified by different characteristics, including the novelty domain, objectives, employed algorithms, and semantic level. The paper also discusses the current trends and contemporary directions of VSLAM techniques that may help researchers investigate them. [less ▲]

A Lightweight Universal Gripper with Low Activation Force for Aerial Grasping

E-print/Working paper (2022)

Soft robotic grippers have numerous advantages that address challenges in dynamic aerial grasping. Typical multi-fingered soft grippers recently showcased for aerial grasping are highly dependent on the ... [more ▼]

Soft robotic grippers have numerous advantages that address challenges in dynamic aerial grasping. Typical multi-fingered soft grippers recently showcased for aerial grasping are highly dependent on the direction of the target object for successful grasping. This study pushes the boundaries of dynamic aerial grasping by developing an omnidirectional system for autonomous aerial manipulation. In particular, the paper investigates the design, fabrication, and experimental verification of a novel, highly integrated, modular, sensor-rich, universal jamming gripper specifically designed for aerial applications. Leveraging recent developments in particle jamming and soft granular materials, the presented gripper produces a substantial holding force while being very lightweight, energy-efficient and only requiring a low activation force. We show that the holding force can be improved by up to 50% by adding an additive to the membrane’s silicone mixture. The experiments show that our lightweight gripper can develop up to 15N of holding force with an activation force as low as 2.5N, even without geometric interlocking. Finally, a pick and release task is performed under real-world conditions by mounting the gripper onto a multi-copter. The developed aerial grasping system features many useful properties, such as resilience and robustness to collisions and the inherent passive compliance which decouples the UAV from the environment. [less ▲]

GNC of a cargo spacecraft for on-orbit servicing of Herschel at L2

in IAC 2022 congress proceedings, 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) (2022, September)

t is anticipated that space exploration will need to rely on In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) in order toextend spacecraft lifetime and/or reduce the missions cost and/or the cruise time. For the Moon ... [more ▼]

t is anticipated that space exploration will need to rely on In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) in order toextend spacecraft lifetime and/or reduce the missions cost and/or the cruise time. For the Moon and, inthe future, Mars colonization, relying on in-situ resources is a necessary step to become independent fromthe Earth. The possibility to produce resources on the Moon is advantageous for those missions that aretoo far from the Earth to be resupplied. At the SnT Research Centre, the Luxembourg Space Agency issupporting a feasibility study to assess the benefit of on-orbit servicing (OOS), exploiting lunar resourcesfor the Herschel Space Observatory. Herschel ended its operations in 2013 as a consequence of the depletionof its coolant and, in turn, of the capability of cooling down its instruments. To extend its operations,a resupply mission has been envisaged relying on an adapted cargo spacecraft employed in lunar gatewayoperations. This paper deals with the trajectory design and optimization of the cargo on its journey from theMoon to rendezvous with Herschel and with orbit and attitude control. Considering Herschel’s orientationon its orbit, with the sunshield in the direction of the Sun and the need to access to Herschel’s rear panelto perform the resupply operation, a final approach along the negative x-axis, where the primaries lie, isconsidered. A multiple shooting technique is used to perform a flanking manoeuvre. Moreover, an attitudecontrol algorithm is adopted to track the attitude trajectory provided by the guidance algorithms which, inturn, ensure minimum thrusting errors of the cargo spacecraft and a continuous visibility of Herschel. Infuture works, different perturbations will be considered and angular rates induced by the movement of therobotic arms will be compensated [less ▲]

Relative State Estimation for LEO Formations with Large Inter-satellite Distances Using Single-Frequency GNSS Receivers

Scientific Conference (2022, June)

Relative baseline estimation is an integral part of satellite formation flying missions. GNSS-based relativepositioning has been a dominating technology for formation missions in LEO, where very precise ... [more ▼]

Relative baseline estimation is an integral part of satellite formation flying missions. GNSS-based relativepositioning has been a dominating technology for formation missions in LEO, where very precise estimatescould be obtained for formations with small inter-satellite distances (1 − 10 km). Larger baselines betweenthe satellites (> 10 km) pose the problem of considerable differences in the ionospheric delays experiencedby the signals received by each receiver. This problem could be mitigated by using precise ionospheric-freecombinations that could only be obtained by dual-frequency receivers, which is not a cost-efficient optionfor modern low-cost miniature missions. In this paper, the problem of relative baseline vector estimation isaddressed for formation missions with large inter-satellite distances equipped with single-frequency receivers.The problem is approached using the space-proven relatively simple Extended Kalman Filter with anadvantageous setting for the observation vector [less ▲]

From SLAM to Situational Awareness: Challenges and Survey

E-print/Working paper (2021)

Metaheuristics for the Online Printing Shop Scheduling Problem

in European Journal of Operational Research (2020)

In this work, the online printing shop scheduling problem introduced in (Lunardi et al., Mixed Integer Linear Programming and Constraint Programming Models for the Online Printing Shop Scheduling Problem ... [more ▼]

In this work, the online printing shop scheduling problem introduced in (Lunardi et al., Mixed Integer Linear Programming and Constraint Programming Models for the Online Printing Shop Scheduling Problem, Computers & Operations Research, to appear) is considered. This challenging real scheduling problem, that emerged in the nowadays printing industry, corresponds to a flexible job shop scheduling problem with sequencing flexibility; and it presents several complicating specificities such as resumable operations, periods of unavailability of the machines, sequence-dependent setup times, partial overlapping between operations with precedence constraints, and fixed operations, among others. A local search strategy and metaheuristic approaches for the problem are proposed and evaluated. Based on a common representation scheme, trajectory and populational metaheuristics are considered. Extensive numerical experiments with large-sized instances show that the proposed methods are suitable for solving practical instances of the problem; and that they outperform a half-heuristic-half-exact off-the-shelf solver by a large extent. Numerical experiments with classical instances of the flexible job shop scheduling problem show that the introduced methods are also competitive when applied to this particular case. [less ▲]

Large scale realistic virtual environments for lunar robotics testing using real-time computer games engines

Poster (2020, October 23)

Virtual simulation environments are a great tool for testing different rover systems before they are sent to the moon. They allow for perfect repeatability and give abetter idea how specific parameters ... [more ▼]

Virtual simulation environments are a great tool for testing different rover systems before they are sent to the moon. They allow for perfect repeatability and give abetter idea how specific parameters can impact the overall system. Most current simulators however suffer from low visual fidelity which is problematic for testing the vision sensors needed for autonomous navigation.Additionally, due to technical and practical limitations, most simulations are limited in environment scale. This is problematic for long range navigation testing needed for missions such as the mars sample fetch rover[1]. In order to solve both issues, we turn towards a popular computer game engine,Unreal Engine 4. It allows for larger environments than what is currently possible in robotics simulators such as Gazebo[2]or V-rep[3]. It also addresses the visual fidelity with a range of tools including real-time ray-tracing.The tradeoff is a low physics fidelity, which can be an issue when testing wheel-soil interaction. For our use-case we focus primarily on perception systems needed for rover navigation, such as mono and stereo camera systems, where visual fidelity is more important. [less ▲]

BUILDING A PIECE OF THE MOON: CONSTRUCTION OF TWO INDOOR LUNAR ANALOGUE ENVIRONMENTS

in Proceedings of the 71st International Astronautical Congress 2020 (2020, October 12)

Developing and testing autonomous systems to ensure that they work reliably on the moon is a difficult task, as testing on location is not an option. Instead, engineers rely on simulations, testing ... [more ▼]

Developing and testing autonomous systems to ensure that they work reliably on the moon is a difficult task, as testing on location is not an option. Instead, engineers rely on simulations, testing facilities and outdoor lunar analogues. Due to the lack of lunar analogue testing facilities in Europe, ispace Europe and the University of Luxembourg have teamed up to build two of these facilities with the goal of designing new vision-based navigation systems. These systems will enable autonomous long-range traverses for lunar rovers. These two facilities have a surface area of 64 and 77 square meters, respectively. Regarding the type of testing needed for vision-based systems, the optical fidelity of the environment has been considered as the most important factor. Thus, different types of Basalt have been used for the two facilities to create a larger number of possible landscapes, such as craters, hills, rocky areas and smooth planar surfaces. Regolith simulant was also considered but, due to the health restrictions and the cost factor, basalt was selected instead. As a result, this has allowed for larger testing areas. The illumination setup has been designed to simulate the highland regions of the Moon, with a single light source positioned low above the horizon, casting long shadows over the entire area. To mitigate problems with feature detection algorithms picking up features at the edge of the facility, the walls have been painted black. This also produces high contrast shadows, which is exactly what makes vision-based navigation challenging in the polar regions. The outcome of this research is a set of lessons learned which will enable other researchers to replicate similar facilities and to reproduce the same fidelity in indoor testing for future vision-based navigation systems. [less ▲]

Semantic situation awareness of ellipse shapes via deep learning for multirotor aerial robots with a 2D LIDAR

in 2020 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS) (2020, September)

In this work, we present a semantic situation awareness system for multirotor aerial robots equipped with a 2D LIDAR sensor, focusing on the understanding of the environment, provided to have a drift-free ... [more ▼]

In this work, we present a semantic situation awareness system for multirotor aerial robots equipped with a 2D LIDAR sensor, focusing on the understanding of the environment, provided to have a drift-free precise localization of the robot (e.g. given by GNSS/INS or motion capture system). Our algorithm generates in real-time a semantic map of the objects of the environment as a list of ellipses represented by their radii, and their pose and velocity, both in world coordinates. Two different Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures are proposed and trained using an artificially generated dataset and a custom loss function, to detect ellipses in a segmented (i.e. with one single object) LIDAR measurement. In cascade, a specifically designed indirect-EKF estimates the ellipses based semantic map in world coordinates, as well as their velocity. We have quantitative and qualitatively evaluated the performance of our proposed situation awareness system. Two sets of Software-In-The-Loop simulations using CoppeliaSim with one and multiple static and moving cylindrical objects are used to evaluate the accuracy and performance of our algorithm. In addition, we have demonstrated the robustness of our proposed algorithm when handling real environments thanks to real laboratory experiments with non-cylindrical static (i.e. a barrel) objects and moving persons. [less ▲]