The developments in unmanned aerial vehicles make it possible to use this platform on a much larger scale. The current challenge is to use a team of flying robots to explore a city block, place lookouts at strategic points and if possible to enter some of the buildings. This challenge is still quite ambitious, but allows researchers to explore some of the aspects in simulation. This paper descr...

This paper addresses the recent development of real-time visual odometry system based on dual optical-flow systems and its integration to aided inertial navigation aiming for small-scale flying robots. To overcome the unknown depth information in optic-flows, a dual optic-flow system is developed. The flow measurements are then fused with a low-cost inertial sensor using an extended Kalman filt...

We propose a new approach for the reliable 6dimensional quasi-static manipulation of an aerial towed-cable system. The novelty of this approach lies in the combination of results deriving from the static analysis of cable-driven manipulators with the application of a cost-based motion-planning algorithm to solve manipulation queries. Using this approach, we can ensure that the produced paths ar...

The developments in unmanned aerial vehicles make it possible to use this platform on a much larger scale. The current challenge is to use a team of flying robots to explore a city block, place lookouts at strategic points and if possible to enter some of the buildings in the block, to search for hazards and/or people. This challenge is still quite ambitious, but allows researchers to explore s...

Abstract: Two models of mini-flying robots with four rotors called X4-flyer presented and studied for the stabilization. Both cases with and without motion planning are proposed in this paper. The first is called inertial model with axes orientation and the second is called the inertial model without axes orientation. The control algorithm of the X4-flyer is based on the Lyapunov method and obt...

Flapping-wing robotic insects are small, highly maneuverable flying robots inspired by biologicalinsects and useful for a wide range of tasks, including exploration, environmental monitoring, searchand rescue, and surveillance. Recently, robotic insects driven by piezoelectric actuators have achievedthe important goal of taking off with external power; however, fully autonomous operation requir...

This paper addresses the dynamic path planning for two mobile robots in unknownenvironment with obstacle avoidance and moving target tracking. These robots must form atriangle with moving target. The algorithm is composed of two parts. The first part of thealgorithm used for formation planning of the robots and a moving target. It generates thedesired position for the robots for the next step. ...

When flying robots are used in close-range interaction with humans, the noise they generate, also called consequential sound, is a critical parameter for user acceptance. We conjecture that there benefit adding natural sounds to noisy domestic drones. To test our hypothesis experimentally, we carried out mixed-methods research study (N=56) on reported perception of sonified robot three sound co...

This paper describes the first steps for the setting up and exploitation of the PLATFORM test bench. PLATFORM test bench is intended for the ground testing and validation of GNC technologies and sensors for scenarios including synchronized flight of two or more spacecraft (Formation Flying and Rendez-vous and Docking) and it can be eventually extended to cope with the requirements for robotic a...

This paper provides a novel meta-heuristic optimization algorithm. The behaviors of flying squirrels in the nature are the main inspiration of this research. These behaviors include flying from tree to tree and walking on the ground or on a tree branch to find food. They also contact each other with chirp or squeak. This algorithm is named flying squirrel optimizer (FSO). Two main theories of m...