Wheelies, a Russian robotics software developer and part of the ITG corporation, has created a navigation subsystem demonstrator for multi-rotor drones. The technology integrates GNSS data, computer vision, and ground-based radio beacons to maintain positioning accuracy even when satellite signals are unavailable.
The system utilizes a hardware-software module installed on each drone that connects to the flight controller. It dynamically selects the most reliable positioning source. When GNSS signals fail or fail validation, the system switches to proprietary visual odometry, which calculates movement via camera-captured optical flow.
The visual odometry method tracks environmental changes between frames to determine displacement and rotation, with a distance estimation error of up to 1% of the route length. A radio altimeter is used to scale these measurements. Once reliable GNSS data returns, the system corrects any accumulated errors.
For local positioning and landing, the system employs ultra-wideband radio navigation using ground beacons. This method uses a Kalman filter to process distance measurements from reference points. It provides a unified coordinate system for drone swarms, allowing multiple devices to operate in a shared space.
This navigation subsystem serves as a core component of the company's broader drone management platform. Wheelies is currently developing additional modules for the platform, including inter-device data exchange, collision avoidance, and local coordination of joint operations.
