Trajectories Generation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Obstacle Avoidance Located by a Visual Sensing System

Abstract

In this work, vectorial trajectories for unmanned aerial vehicles are completed based on a new algorithm named trajectory generation based on object avoidance (TGBOA), which is presented using a UAV camera as a visual sensor to define collision-free trajectories in scenarios with randomly distributed objects. The location information of the objects is collected by the visual sensor and processed in real-time. This proposal has two advantages. First, this system improves efficiency by focusing the algorithm on object detection and drone position, thus reducing computational complexity. Second, online trajectory references are generated and updated in real-time. To define a collision-free trajectory and avoid a collision between the UAV and the detected object, a reference is generated and shown by the vector, symmetrical, and parametric equations. Such vectors are used as a reference in a PI-like controller based on the Newton–Euler mathematical model. Experimentally, the TGBOA algorithm is corroborated by developing three experiments where the F-450 quadcopter, MATLAB® 2022ª, PI-like controller, and Wi-Fi communication are applied. The TGBOA algorithm and the PI-like controller show functionality because the controller always follows the vector generated due to the obstacle avoidance.