Autonomous Drone Landing: Marked Landing Pads and Solidified Lava Flows

Abstract: Landing is the most challenging and risky aspect of multirotor drone flight, and only simple landing methods exist for autonomous drones. We explore methods for autonomous drone landing in two scenarios. In the first scenario, we examine methods for landing on known landing pads using fiducial markers and a gimbal-mounted monocular camera. This method has potential in drone applications where a drone must land more accurately than GPS can provide (e.g.~package delivery in an urban canyon). We expand on previous methods by actuating the drone's camera to track the marker over time, and we address the complexities of pose estimation caused by fiducial marker orientation ambiguity. In the second scenario, and in collaboration with the RAVEN project, we explore methods for landing on solidified lava flows in Iceland, which serves as an analog environment for Mars and provides insight into the effectiveness of drone-rover exploration teams. Our drone uses a depth camera to visualize the terrain, and we are developing methods to analyze the terrain data for viable landing sites in real time with minimal sensors and external infrastructure requirements, so that the solution does not heavily influence the drone's behavior, mission structure, or operational environments.