Flying Robot with Biologically Inspired Vision

Abstract

An autonomous helicopter controlled by biologically inspired vision detects the displacement of altitude with real-time video processing, using has 2 CCD video cameras to see landscape objects and processing circuitry with an FPGA. Each image is divided into 800 areas for edge detection, used to detect displacement. Each of these small areas works as an ommatidium, i.e., the compound eye of an insect. In a typical indoor setting (objects such as desks, walls, etc.) visual feedback was not sufficient to realize stable hovering, but additional external feedback helps keep the unstable robot in more stable flight.