Velocity estimation using optic flow and radar

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a static estimator for obtaining state information from optic flow and radar measurements. It is shown that estimates of translational and rotational speed can be extracted using a least squares inversion. The approach is demonstrated in a simulated three dimensional urban environment on an autonomous quadrotor micro-air-vehicle (MAV). The resulting methodology has the advantages of computation speed and simplicity, both of which are imperative for implementation on MAVs due to stringent size, weight, and power requirements.