Fast Monte-Carlo Localization on Aerial Vehicles using Approximate Continuous Belief Representations

3D Model Generation for Cities Using Aerial Photographs and Ground Level Laser Scans

In this paper we describe techniques for 3D textured model construction of urban areas using acquisition devices such as intensity cameras, as well as 2D laser scanner. Our experimental set up consists of a truck equipped with one camera and two fast, inexpensive 2D laser scanners, traveling on city streets under normal traffic conditions. The horizontal laser scans are used to determine the ap...

A Continuous-Time Model of an Autonomous Aerial Vehicle to Inform and Validate Formal Verification Methods

If autonomous vehicles are to be widely accepted, we need to ensure their safe operation. For this reason, verification and validation (V&V) approaches must be developed that are suitable for this domain. Model checking is a formal technique which allows us to exhaustively explore the paths of an abstract model of a system. Using a probabilistic model checker such as PRISM, we may determine pro...

Monte Carlo Simulation Analysis of Tagged Fish Radio Tracking Performance by Swarming Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Fractional Order Potential Fields

Tracking fish using implanted radio transmitters is an important part of studying and preserving native fish species. However, conventional methods for locating the fish after they are tagged can be time consuming and costly. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) have been used in general radio localization applications and can possibly be used to locate fish quickly and effectively. However, the meth...

“Where’s the Boss?”: Monte Carlo Localization for an Autonomous Ground Vehicle using an Aerial Lidar Map

Stable Directed Belief Propagation in Gaussian DAGs using the auxiliary variable trick

We consider approximate inference in a class of switching linear Gaussian State Space models which includes the switching Kalman Filter and the more general case of switch transitions dependent on the continuous hidden state. The method is a novel form of Gaussian sum smoother consisting of a single forward and backward pass, and compares favourably against a range of competing techniques, incl...