Tactile-based Exploration, Mapping and Navigation with Collision-Resilient Aerial Vehicles

2023-05-26

AI Summary

To address the weak obstacle avoidance capability and poor exploration robustness of conventional UAVs in unknown environments, this paper proposes XPLORER—a spring-enhanced tactile UAV endowed with passive deformation and proprioceptive sensing. Our method introduces three novel tactile-driven motion primitives—tactile traversal, tactile turning, and spring-assisted bouncing—that actively exploit collisions and contacts as navigational resources. We develop a real-time external force estimation algorithm integrating IMU measurements, motor encoder data, and a physics-based spring model. Furthermore, we design a closed-loop navigation control framework that autonomously synthesizes motion primitives based on tactile feedback. Experimental results demonstrate that XPLORER achieves efficient, collision-free exploration and mapping in densely cluttered environments. It exhibits superior robustness and practicality in applications including non-destructive inspection, security patrol, and dynamic pursuit-evasion tasks.

Abstract

This article introduces XPLORER, a passive deformable UAV with a spring-augmented chassis and proprioceptive state awareness, designed to endure collisions and maintain smooth contact. We develop a fast-converging external force estimation algorithm for XPLORER that leverages onboard sensors and proprioceptive data for contact and collision detection. Using this force information, we propose four motion primitives, including three novel tactile-based primitives: tactile-traversal, tactile-turning, and ricocheting-to aid XPLORER in navigating unknown environments. These primitives are synthesized autonomously in real-time to enable efficient exploration and navigation by leveraging collisions and contacts. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, highlighting the potential of passive deformable UAVs for contact-rich real-world tasks such as non-destructive inspection, surveillance and mapping, and pursuit/evasion.

Problem

• Exploratory Robotics
• Mapping
• Navigation

Innovation

• Tactile Sensing
• Collision Resilience
• Intelligent Navigation Strategies