Estimation, Mapping and Navigation with Micro Aerial Vehicles for Infrastructure Inspection
Published in PhD Thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 2020
This thesis investigates the use of Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) for infrastructure inspection in GPS-denied, tunnel-like environments such as dam penstocks. It presents methods for onboard state estimation, mapping, and navigation using IMU, cameras, and 2D/3D LiDARs. A key focus is on combining lidar and visual data through Kalman filtering to estimate 6-DOF states, particularly in dark and low-texture conditions. The work is validated through field deployments in multiple dams, demonstrating autonomous and shared control capabilities.
Recommended citation: Özaslan, T. (2020). "Estimation, Mapping and Navigation with Micro Aerial Vehicles for Infrastructure Inspection." PhD Thesis, University of Pennsylvania.
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Related people: Tolga Ozaslan