inControl ep15 - Davide Scaramuzza: Vision-Based Navigation, Agile Drone Racing, Perception-Aware Control, and Event Cameras
Oct 16, 2023
Davide Scaramuzza, a professor at the University of Zurich and a visionary in robotics and perception, shares his insights on autonomous flying technology. He discusses the thrilling world of drone racing, emphasizing speed optimization and algorithm advancements. The conversation dives into GPS-denied navigation and the revolutionary potential of event-based cameras, which enhance processing speed and environmental awareness. Scaramuzza also touches on the future of robotics, advocating for interdisciplinary collaboration to drive innovation.
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First Vision-Based Flight
- Davide Scaramuzza's team demonstrated the first vision-based autonomous drone flight in 2009.
- Although the drone crashed after 10 meters, this achievement was a historic milestone for vision-based navigation.
Enabling Vision-Based Navigation
- Advances in Visual SLAM, system integration, and sensor fusion enabled the leap to vision-based drone navigation.
- Combining monocular SLAM with IMU data provides both absolute scale and drift correction, crucial for drone control.
Interdisciplinary Robotics
- Robotics requires expertise from various fields, making interdisciplinary collaboration essential.
- A successful robotics project needs mechanical, electrical, control engineers, and computer vision specialists.