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arXiv · 2404.12018

Automated Real-Time Inspection in Indoor and Outdoor 3D Environments with Cooperative Aerial Robots

Andreas Anastasiou·Angelos Zacharia·Savvas Papaioannou·Panayiotis Kolios·Christos G. Panayiotou·Marios M. Polycarpou
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Abstract

This work introduces a cooperative inspection system designed to efficiently control and coordinate a team of distributed heterogeneous UAV agents for the inspection of 3D structures in cluttered, unknown spaces. Our proposed approach employs a two-stage innovative methodology. Initially, it leverages the complementary sensing capabilities of the robots to cooperatively map the unknown environment. It then generates optimized, collision-free inspection paths, thereby ensuring comprehensive coverage of the structure's surface area. The effectiveness of our system is demonstrated through qualitative and quantitative results from extensive Gazebo-based simulations that closely replicate real-world inspection scenarios, highlighting its ability to thoroughly inspect real-world-like 3D structures.

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Andreas Anastasiou, Angelos Zacharia, Savvas Papaioannou, Panayiotis Kolios, Christos G. Panayiotou, Marios M. Polycarpou. 2024-04-18. Automated Real-Time Inspection in Indoor and Outdoor 3D Environments with Cooperative Aerial Robots. https://doi.org/10.1109/icuas60882.2024.10557006

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