Reliable sensing-driven compact groups of micro aerial robots with adaptive shapes.

 

Main goal: 

Design a methodology increasing the safeness, reliability and efficiency of large, compact teams of autonomous micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) in distributed information gathering tasks. Exploit the advantage of closely cooperating MAV teams in the transition between GNSS and GNSS-denied workspaces.

Abstract: 

The aim of the project is to design a methodology that allows reliable deployment of teams of autonomous, closely cooperating, micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) using real (imperfect) sensors and communication in demanding conditions of real  deployment. To allow safe team stabilization and coordination, precise state estimation of the MAV group, which is tolerant to failures of onboard sensory and communication sub-systems, will be solved using distributed inner group perception. As an important side-product, problems of the transition between GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and GNSS-denied environments will be tackled using sensor fusion across the group. Coherence swarming behaviour relying on minimal  possible sensory information will be designed as a safety mechanism of group stabilization. Finally, an approach that enables adaptive distribution of MAVs of the group to maximize the information gain will be designed and experimentally verified in multi-robot scenarios.

 
 
 
 


Gallery:

 
 

Publications:

  1. V Walter, V Spurny, M Petrlik, T Báca, D Zaitlík, L Demkiv and M Saska. Extinguishing real fires by fully autonomous multirotor UAVs in the MBZIRC 2020 competition. Field Robotics 2:406–436, April 2022. PDF BibTeX

    @article{walter2022fr,
	author = "Walter, V. and Spurny, V. and Petrlik, M. and Báca, T. and Zaitlík, D. and Demkiv, L. and and Saska, M.",
	issn = "2771-3989",
	journal = "Field Robotics",
	month = "April",
	pages = "406--436",
	pdf = "data/papers/walter2022fr.pdf",
	title = "Extinguishing real fires by fully autonomous multirotor UAVs in the MBZIRC 2020 competition",
	volume = 2,
	year = 2022
}

  2. Matouš Vrba, Yurii Stasinchuk, Tomáš Báča, Vojtěch Spurný, Matěj Petrlík, Daniel Heřt, David Žaitlík and Martin Saska. Autonomous capture of agile flying objects using UAVs: The MBZIRC 2020 challenge. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 149:103970, March 2022. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @article{vrba_ras2022,
	author = "Matouš Vrba and Yurii Stasinchuk and Tomáš Báča and Vojtěch Spurný and Matěj Petrlík and Daniel Heřt and David Žaitlík and Martin Saska",
	doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2021.103970",
	issn = "0921-8890",
	journal = "Robotics and Autonomous Systems",
	keyword = "Unmanned aerial systems, Machine perception, Mobile robotics, Aerial safety",
	link = "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889021002396",
	month = "March",
	pages = 103970,
	pdf = "data/papers/vrba_ras2022.pdf",
	title = "Autonomous capture of agile flying objects using UAVs: The MBZIRC 2020 challenge",
	volume = 149,
	year = 2022
}

  3. Filip Novák, Viktor Walter, Pavel Petráček, Tomáš Báča and Martin Saska. Fast collective evasion in self-localized swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 16(6):066025, November 2021. DOI BibTeX

    @article{novak2021predator,
	author = "Filip Nov{\'{a}}k and Viktor Walter and Pavel Petr{\'{a}}{\v{c}}ek and Tom{\'{a}}{\v{s}} B{\'{a}}{\v{c}}a and Martin Saska",
	doi = "10.1088/1748-3190/ac3060",
	journal = "Bioinspiration {\&} Biomimetics",
	link = "https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/ac3060",
	month = "nov",
	number = 6,
	pages = 066025,
	publisher = "{IOP} Publishing",
	title = "Fast collective evasion in self-localized swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles",
	volume = 16,
	year = 2021
}

  4. Daniel Bonilla Licea, Giuseppe Silano, Ghogho Mounir and Martin Saska. Optimum Trajectory Planning for Multi-Rotor UAV Relays with Tilt and Antenna Orientation Variations. In 29th European Signal Processing Conference (EUSIPCO). September 2021, 1586–1590. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Silano2021EUSIPCO,
	author = "{Bonilla Licea}, Daniel and {Silano}, Giuseppe and {Mounir}, Ghogho and {Saska}, Martin",
	booktitle = "29th European Signal Processing Conference (EUSIPCO)",
	doi = "10.23919/EUSIPCO54536.2021.9616232",
	month = "September",
	pages = "1586--1590",
	pdf = "data/papers/EUSIPCO_2021.pdf",
	title = "Optimum Trajectory Planning for Multi-Rotor UAV Relays with Tilt and Antenna Orientation Variations",
	year = 2021
}

  5. Lyubomyr Demkiv, Massimiliano Ruffo, Giuseppe Silano, Jan Bednar and Martin Saska. An Application of Stereo Thermal Vision for Preliminary Inspection of Electrical Power Lines by MAVs. In 2021 Aerial Robotic Systems Physically Interacting with the Environment (AIRPHARO). October 2021, 1–8. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Silano2021AIRPHARO,
	author = "{Demkiv}, Lyubomyr and {Ruffo}, Massimiliano and {Silano}, Giuseppe and {Bednar}, Jan and {Saska}, Martin",
	booktitle = "2021 Aerial Robotic Systems Physically Interacting with the Environment (AIRPHARO)",
	doi = "10.1109/AIRPHARO52252.2021.9571025",
	month = "October",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "1--8",
	pdf = "data/papers/airpharo_2021_Silano.pdf",
	title = "An Application of Stereo Thermal Vision for Preliminary Inspection of Electrical Power Lines by MAVs",
	year = 2021
}

  6. Dariuz Horla, Wojciech Giernacki, Tomas Baca, Vojtech Spurny and Martin Saska. AL-TUNE: In-flight tuning of an altitude controller for UAVs. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems 103(5):1-16, August 2021. DOI BibTeX

    @article{Horla2021AL-Tune,
	author = "{Horla}, Dariuz and {Giernacki}, Wojciech and {Baca}, Tomas and {Spurny}, Vojtech and {Saska}, Martin",
	doi = "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-021-01441-y",
	issue = 1,
	journal = "Journal of Intelligent {\&} Robotic Systems",
	link = "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10846-021-01441-y",
	month = "August",
	number = 5,
	pages = "1-16",
	publisher = "Springer",
	title = "AL-TUNE: In-flight tuning of an altitude controller for UAVs",
	volume = 103,
	year = 2021
}

  7. Tomas Baca, Matej Petrlik, Matous Vrba, Vojtech Spurny, Robert Penicka, Daniel Hert and Martin Saska. The MRS UAV System: Pushing the Frontiers of Reproducible Research, Real-world Deployment, and Education with Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems 102(26):1–28, May 2021. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @article{baca2021mrs,
	author = "Baca, Tomas and Petrlik, Matej and Vrba, Matous and Spurny, Vojtech and Penicka, Robert and Hert, Daniel and Saska, Martin",
	doi = "10.1007/s10846-021-01383-5",
	issue = 1,
	journal = "Journal of Intelligent {\&} Robotic Systems",
	link = "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10846-021-01383-5",
	month = "May",
	number = 26,
	pages = "1--28",
	pdf = "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2008.08050",
	publisher = "Springer",
	title = "The MRS UAV System: Pushing the Frontiers of Reproducible Research, Real-world Deployment, and Education with Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles",
	volume = 102,
	year = 2021
}

  8. Giuseppe Silano, Jan Bednar, Tiago Nascimento, Jesus Capitan, Martin Saska and Anibal Ollero. A Multi-Layer Software Architecture for Aerial Cognitive Multi-Robot Systems in Power Line Inspection Tasks. In 2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS). 2021, 1624-1629. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{ICUAS_Giuseppe,
	author = "Silano, Giuseppe and Bednar, Jan and Nascimento, Tiago and Capitan, Jesus and Saska, Martin and Ollero, Anibal",
	booktitle = "2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS)",
	doi = "10.1109/ICUAS51884.2021.9476813",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "1624-1629",
	pdf = "data/papers/ICUAS_Giuseppe.pdf",
	title = "A Multi-Layer Software Architecture for Aerial Cognitive Multi-Robot Systems in Power Line Inspection Tasks",
	year = 2021
}

  9. Giuseppe Silano, Tomas Baca, Robert Penicka, Davide Liuzza and Martin Saska. Power Line Inspection Tasks with Multi-Aerial Robot Systems via Signal Temporal Logic Specifications. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 6(2):4169–4176, April 2021. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @article{silano2021powerline,
	author = "{Silano}, Giuseppe and {Baca}, Tomas and {Penicka}, Robert and {Liuzza}, Davide and {Saska}, Martin",
	doi = "10.1109/LRA.2021.3068114",
	journal = "IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters",
	month = "April",
	number = 2,
	pages = "4169--4176",
	pdf = "data/papers/Silano2021RAL.pdf",
	title = "Power Line Inspection Tasks with Multi-Aerial Robot Systems via Signal Temporal Logic Specifications",
	volume = 6,
	year = 2021
}

  10. Hamidreza Heidari and Martin Saska. Collision-free trajectory planning of multi-rotor UAVs in a wind condition based on modified potential field. Mechanism and Machine Theory 156(2):104140, February 2021. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @article{heidari2021pathPlanner,
	author = "Hamidreza {Heidari} and Martin {Saska}",
	doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2020.104140",
	journal = "Mechanism and Machine Theory",
	month = "feb",
	number = 2,
	pages = 104140,
	pdf = "data/papers/Heidari21pathPlanning.pdf",
	publisher = "ElSevier",
	title = "Collision-free trajectory planning of multi-rotor UAVs in a wind condition based on modified potential field",
	volume = 156,
	year = 2021
}

  11. A Ahmad, V Walter, P Petracek, M Petrlik, T Baca, D Zaitlik and M Saska. Autonomous Aerial Swarming in GNSS-denied Environments with High Obstacle Density. In 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). June 2021, 570–576. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{ahmad2021autonomous,
	author = "A. {Ahmad} and V. {Walter} and P. {Petracek} and M. {Petrlik} and T. {Baca} and D. {Zaitlik} and M. {Saska}",
	booktitle = "2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)",
	doi = "10.1109/ICRA48506.2021.9561284",
	month = "June",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "570--576",
	pdf = "data/papers/afzal2021Icra.pdf",
	title = "Autonomous Aerial Swarming in GNSS-denied Environments with High Obstacle Density",
	year = 2021
}

  12. V Pritzl, P Stepan and M Saska. Autonomous Flying into Buildings in a Firefighting Scenario. In 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). May 2021, 239–245. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{pritzl2021icra,
	author = "V. {Pritzl} and P. {Stepan} and M. {Saska}",
	booktitle = "2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)",
	doi = "10.1109/ICRA48506.2021.9560789",
	month = "May",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "239--245",
	pdf = "data/papers/pritzl2021icra.pdf",
	title = "Autonomous Flying into Buildings in a Firefighting Scenario",
	year = 2021
}

  13. Yurii Stasinchuk, Matous Vrba, M Petrlik, T Baca, Vojtech Spurny, Daniel Hert, D Zaitlik, Tiago Nascimento and M Saska.. A Multi-UAV System for Detection and Elimination of Multiple Targets. In 2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). May 2021, 555–561. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{stasinchuk2021ICRA,
	author = "Yurii {Stasinchuk} and Matous {Vrba} and M. {Petrlik} and T. {Baca} and Vojtech {Spurny} and Daniel {Hert} and D. {Zaitlik} and Tiago {Nascimento} and M. {Saska}.",
	booktitle = "2021 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)",
	doi = "10.1109/ICRA48506.2021.9562057",
	month = "May",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "555--561",
	pdf = "data/papers/stasinchuk2021ICRA.pdf",
	title = "A Multi-UAV System for Detection and Elimination of Multiple Targets",
	year = 2021
}

  14. Thulio Amorim, Tiago Nascimento, Pavel Petracek, Giulia Masi, Eliseo Ferrante and Martin Saska. Self-Organized UAV Flocking Based on Proximal Control. In 2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS). 2021, 1374-1382. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{ICUAS_Thulio,
	author = "Amorim, Thulio and Nascimento, Tiago and Petracek, Pavel and de Masi, Giulia and Ferrante, Eliseo and Saska, Martin",
	booktitle = "2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS)",
	doi = "10.1109/ICUAS51884.2021.9476847",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "1374-1382",
	pdf = "data/papers/ICUAS_Thulio.pdf",
	title = "Self-Organized UAV Flocking Based on Proximal Control",
	year = 2021
}

  15. A Dmytruk, T Nascimento, A Ahmad, T Báča and M Saska. Safe Tightly-Constrained UAV Swarming in GNSS-denied Environments. In 2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS). 2021, 1391–1399. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{dmytruk2021safe,
	author = "A. {Dmytruk} and T. {Nascimento} and A. {Ahmad} and T. {Báča} and M. {Saska}",
	booktitle = "2021 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS)",
	doi = "10.1109/ICUAS51884.2021.9476794",
	pages = "1391--1399",
	pdf = "data/papers/dmytruk2021safe.pdf",
	title = "Safe Tightly-Constrained UAV Swarming in GNSS-denied Environments",
	year = 2021
}

  16. Thulio G S Amorim, Leonardo A Souto, Tiago P. Do Nascimento and Martin Saska. Multi-Robot Sensor Fusion Target Tracking With Observation Constraints. IEEE Access 9:52557-52568, 2021. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @article{Thulio_2021a,
	author = "Amorim, Thulio G. S. and Souto, Leonardo A. and P. Do Nascimento, Tiago and Saska, Martin",
	doi = "10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3070180",
	journal = "IEEE Access",
	pages = "52557-52568",
	pdf = "data/papers/Thulio_2021a.pdf",
	publisher = "IEEE",
	title = "Multi-Robot Sensor Fusion Target Tracking With Observation Constraints",
	volume = 9,
	year = 2021
}

  17. T P Nascimento and M Saska. Fast Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Very-Small Aerial Vehicles. In 2020 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), Athens, Greece. 2020, 523-528. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{TiagoICUAS2020,
	author = "T. P. {Nascimento} and M. {Saska}",
	booktitle = "2020 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), Athens, Greece",
	doi = "10.1109/ICUAS48674.2020.9213924",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "523-528",
	pdf = "data/papers/TiagoICUAS2020.pdf",
	title = "Fast Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Very-Small Aerial Vehicles",
	year = 2020
}

  18. Martin Saska. Large sensors with adaptive shape realised by self-stabilised compact groups of micro aerial vehicles. In Robotics Research. Springer, 2020, pages 101–107. BibTeX

    @incollection{saska2020large,
	title = "Large sensors with adaptive shape realised by self-stabilised compact groups of micro aerial vehicles",
	author = "Saska, Martin",
	booktitle = "Robotics Research",
	pages = "101--107",
	year = 2020,
	publisher = "Springer"
}

  19. Pavel Petráček, Viktor Walter, Tomáš Báča and Martin Saska. Bio-Inspired Compact Swarms of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles without Communication and External Localization. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 16(2):026009, December 2020. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @article{petracek2020swarms,
	author = "Pavel Petr{\'{a}}{\v{c}}ek and Viktor Walter and Tom{\'{a}}{\v{s}} B{\'{a}}{\v{c}}a and Martin Saska",
	doi = "https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/abc6b3",
	journal = "Bioinspiration {\&} Biomimetics",
	month = "dec",
	number = 2,
	pages = 026009,
	pdf = "data/papers/BB20swarm.pdf",
	publisher = "{IOP} Publishing",
	title = "Bio-Inspired Compact Swarms of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles without Communication and External Localization",
	volume = 16,
	year = 2020
}

  20. T Uzakov, T P Nascimento and M Saska. UAV Vision-Based Nonlinear Formation Control Applied to Inspection of Electrical Power Lines. In 2020 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), Athens, Greece. 2020, 1301-1308. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{TimurICUAS2020,
	author = "T. {Uzakov} and T. P. {Nascimento} and M. {Saska}",
	booktitle = "2020 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ICUAS), Athens, Greece",
	doi = "10.1109/ICUAS48674.2020.9213967",
	organization = "IEEE",
	pages = "1301-1308",
	pdf = "data/papers/TimurICUAS2020.pdf",
	title = "UAV Vision-Based Nonlinear Formation Control Applied to Inspection of Electrical Power Lines",
	year = 2020
}

  21. V Walter, M Vrba and M Saska. On training datasets for machine learning-based visual relative localization of micro-scale UAVs. In 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (). August 2020, 10674-10680. PDF BibTeX

    @inproceedings{walter_icra2020,
	author = "V. {Walter} and M. {Vrba} and M. {Saska}",
	booktitle = "2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)",
	month = "Aug",
	number = "",
	pages = "10674-10680",
	pdf = "data/papers/walter2020_icra.pdf",
	title = "On training datasets for machine learning-based visual relative localization of micro-scale {UAVs}",
	volume = "",
	year = 2020
}