Autonomous dirigible navigation using visual tracking and pose estimation

Describes a methodology for visual navigation of dirigibles based on tracking and pose estimation of visual beacons-artificial landmarks with known geometrical and visual properties. Fast pose estimation for the dirigible is necessary since the 3D position and orientation data may be used for attitude control. Robust tracking of the beacons is also an important feature. The methodology is validated through different experiments. Results on precision of position and velocity parameters, robustness in tracking the beacon in unstructured environments and time performance of the system are discussed. Finally, future improvements and applications to external airships are discussed