Vision-based Tracking by a Quadrotor on ROS

Abstract

Vision-based tracking of a moving target is achieved in three steps: image processing, coordinate recovery and trajectory following. A testing platform containing two spawned quadrotors as the target and the tracker is developed on ROS, from which sequences of image frames are generated by an on-board camera while the target moves along a given path on the ground. A simple image processing algorithm is developed that achieves visual tracking and is robust to image blur and other background noises. Coordinate recovery recovers the original target trajectory as the desired path of the tracker in the real-world. A target following control law moves the tracker along the desired trajectory point-by-point. An analysis of the robustness of the tracking approach with respect to image blur and measurement noise of the tracker position is carried out to assure the applicability of the approach to real-world scenarios.