UAV Charging Pad Navigation with Fiducial Marker Constellations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in precisely identifying and landing on designated charging pads within a cluster due to limited GPS accuracy, necessitating an augmented navigation system to disambiguate between similar pads.
Innovation Solution
UAVs utilize a reference map of fiducial markers distributed across charging pads, capturing their constellations to perform pattern matching and disambiguate the correct pad using imaging systems, allowing for context-based navigation without precise geolocation determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-based navigation is used for UAVs to locate charging pads, then the navigation system is simple and provides broad coverage, but the positioning accuracy is insufficient to distinguish between similar charging pads in a cluster
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is segmented into two levels: coarse GPS-based navigation to reach the general cluster area, and fine fiducial marker-based navigation to identify the specific charging pad. This segmentation allows each subsystem to operate at its optimal precision level without requiring the entire system to be overly complex.
Solution Approach 2:
Fiducial markers serve as intermediary objects between the GPS navigation system and the charging pad identification system. These markers provide the intermediate level of precision needed to disambiguate between similar charging pads, bridging the gap between coarse GPS positioning and precise pad identification.
2Reliability
If fiducial markers are precisely geolocated and maintained to enable accurate pad identification, then charging pad disambiguation accuracy improves, but maintenance burden and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fiducial markers utilize distinct visual patterns, colors, and configurations that can be easily detected by the UAV's imaging system. These visual characteristics provide reliable identification without requiring precise physical measurements or complex deployment procedures, as the markers can be identified through image processing alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy or representation of the charging pad layout through fiducial markers that form recognizable patterns. This visual copy allows the UAV to identify the correct pad through pattern matching rather than requiring precise geolocation data, simplifying both deployment and maintenance.
3Loss of information
If multiple fiducial markers are distributed across charging pads to form unique constellations, then pad disambiguation capability improves, but the quantity of markers and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fiducial markers are merged into a single constellation pattern that represents the entire charging pad cluster layout. Rather than treating each marker as a separate information source, the system combines them into a unified visual pattern that provides complete navigation information for pad identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from one-dimensional linear marker arrangements to two-dimensional constellation patterns distributed across the charging pads. This dimensional change allows for more information to be encoded in the spatial relationships between markers, improving disambiguation capability without linearly increasing the number of markers.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, a method carried out by an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) may involve receiving a reference map of a cluster of charging pads from a server. The cluster may include a layout of charging pads and fiducial markers distributed across the layout, the reference map representing the layout and fiducial markers. The UAV may fly to the cluster and acquire an image of charging pads and observed fiducial markers near the charging pads. The image may capture an observed constellation of fiducial markers at apparent positions and orientations relative to the charging pads. A reference constellation of fiducial markers at reference positions and orientations relative to reference charging pads may be identified in the reference map. Identities of the reference charging pads and a match of the reference constellation to the observed constellation may be used to disambiguate a particular charging pad from among the charging pads.