Autonomous and high-precision mapping via vision-guided unmanned aerial systems

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In recent years, integrating three-dimensional (3D) vision to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has contributed a great deal to the advancement of geo-spatial technologies for fine-scale mapping. Despite the recent efforts, exploiting these systems to their maximum potential has remained limited due to the lack of extensive research and development with respect to the following aspects: increasing the precision, safety and intelligence of navigation; improving the quality and autonomy of data acquisition; integrating multiple complementary data-collection technologies; enhancing techniques of data processing to raise the level of accuracy, completeness, and interpretability of the outputs. In this regard, the long-term objective of my research program (10+ years) is to develop novel approaches for emerging cognitive and collaborative 3D-vision solutions in geomatics engineering. The geomatics applications of these solutions include the broad areas of infrastructure inspection, law enforcement, search and rescue, on-demand emergency mapping, city modeling, wildlife management, and precision farming.