Drone Navigation From Stars

A surge in GPS jamming attacks in drone warfare has inspired Australian researchers to develop a celestial navigation system that uses visual data from stars rather than relying on the global positioning system. Remote sensing engineers from the University of South Australia have combined celestial navigation with vision-based technology to provide an alternative means of nighttime navigation in environments where GPS is unavailable or unreliable.

The lightweight, affordable celestial navigation system can be integrated into standard drones, offering a dependable backup with impressive accuracy. The system relies on an algorithm that uses visual data from stars and processes it through standard autopilot systems. Testing on a fixed-wing drone demonstrated accurate positioning within four kilometres. By relying on passive celestial navigation rather than radio frequency GNSS signals, drones are resistant to jamming.

More information:

https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2024/gps-alternative-for-drone-navigation-using-visual-data-from-stars/

Ants Inspire Robots to Find Their Way

Imagine a robot trying to find its way through a dense forest or a field filled with tall grass. It can't rely on familiar landmarks because the scenery might change, and everything might look the same. So, scientists face a significant challenge: how to help robots remember where they've been and recognize places they've visited before.

Scientists have developed a new artificial neural network that mimics the brain structures of ants and helps robots recognize and remember routes in complex natural environments, such as cornfields. The approach could improve the performance of agricultural robots that need to move through dense and plant-filled landscapes.

More information:

https://interestingengineering.com/science/how-ant-brains-inspire-robots-find-their-way-in-farmlands

Timing for Autonomous Bus Sounds

Cornell University and Linköping University are using sound to improve autonomous buses' navigation and communication capabilities. Researchers found the timing of sounds is the critical factor in ensuring effective social engagement by autonomous buses in the Swedish town of Linköping. The researchers designed potential bus sounds through an iterative process.

They played various sounds through a Bluetooth speaker outside of a bus to alert pedestrians and cyclists to the vehicle’s approach, analyzed videos of interactions, and chose new sounds to test based on that information. They observed through video analysis that timing and duration, rather than sound type, were key to signaling the bus's intentions.

More information:

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/04/autonomous-bus-sounds-its-all-about-when-not-how

3D Images from Single Exposure

Researchers have developed a camera that uses a thin microlens array and new image processing algorithms to capture 3D information about objects in a scene with a single exposure. The camera could be useful for a variety of applications such as industrial part inspection, gesture recognition and collecting data for 3D display systems. Researchers consider their camera lensless because it replaces the bulk lenses used in conventional cameras with a thin, lightweight microlens array made of flexible polymer.

Because each microlens can observe objects from different viewing angles, it can accomplish complex imaging tasks such as acquiring 3D information from objects partially obscured by objects closer to the camera. The camera learns from existing data how to digitally reconstruct a 3D scene, therefore it can produce 3D images in real time. This 3D camera could be used to give robots 3D vision as well as provide content for 3D displays used in gaming, entertainment or many other applications.

More information:

https://www.optica.org/en-us/about/newsroom/news_releases/2022/september/lensless_camera_creates_3d_images_from_single_expo/