xVIO: A Range-Visual-Inertial Odometry Framework

TL;DR

xVIO is a versatile range-visual-inertial odometry system demonstrated on rotorcraft, capable of operating day and night using visible or thermal infrared cameras, with detailed technical descriptions of its architecture and navigation filter.

Contribution

It introduces a complete technical framework for xVIO, including system architecture, navigation filter implementation, and novel Jacobian derivations not previously published.

Findings

Operates in daytime and nighttime conditions

Demonstrated on-board unmanned rotorcraft

Includes detailed Jacobian derivations

Abstract

xVIO is a range-visual-inertial odometry algorithm implemented at JPL. It has been demonstrated with closed-loop controls on-board unmanned rotorcraft equipped with off-the-shelf embedded computers and sensors. It can operate at daytime with visible-spectrum cameras, or at night time using thermal infrared cameras. This report is a complete technical description of xVIO. It includes an overview of the system architecture, the implementation of the navigation filter, along with the derivations of the Jacobian matrices which are not already published in the literature.