Reflection-Based Relative Localization for Cooperative UAV Teams Using Active Markers

Tim Lakemann, Daniel Bonilla Licea, Viktor Walter

Keywords: Aerial Systems: Perception and Autonomy, Localization, Multi-Robot Systems

TL;DR: We exploit typically unwanted reflections from active markers for relative localization in marine environments.

Abstract:

Reflections of active markers in the environment are a common source of ambiguity in onboard visual relative localization.
This work presents a novel approach for onboard relative localization in multi-robot teams that exploits these typically unwanted reflections of active markers in the environment.
It operates without prior knowledge of robot size or predefined marker configurations and remains independent of surface properties, an essential feature for heterogeneous micro-aerial swarms cooperating in unknown environments.
The proposed method explicitly accounts for uncertainties caused by non-flat surfaces, which are especially relevant for marine deployments.
We validated the approach in both indoor and outdoor experiments, demonstrating that the proposed reflection-based localization system operates reliably without prior knowledge of team member size and achieves greater effective range (above \emph{30 m}) and accuracy than state-of-the-art methods.
The video is available at: https://youtu.be/y0zp8cIwkig.

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Paper Acceptance: Yes

Submission Number: 4