High-Precision UAV Localization System for Landing on a Mobile Collaborative Robot Based on an IR Marker Pattern Recognition

We present a novel high-precision UAV localization system for interconnection between two collaborative robots, i.e., unmanned ground robot (UGR) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of autonomous navigation and precise localization in an indoor environment. Based on our localization system we have achieved robust UAV landing on the moving robot using a fusion of 2D LIDAR sensors, camera, and ultrasonic system for localization. In addition, UAV is capable of accurate high-altitude indoor flights (up to 15 m) relative to the ground robot. Localization of UAV is based on the developed adaptive active IR marker system to achieve reliable flight on different altitudes and light conditions. In this paper, we describe the operating principle of the system and present the results of UAV flight experiments. One of promising applications of the developed system is automated inventory management of warehouses.