3D Self-Localization of Drones using a Single Millimeter-Wave Anchor

TL;DR

MiFly is a novel drone self-localization system that uses a single mmWave anchor to achieve accurate 6DoF localization in challenging environments, including dark and occluded settings.

Contribution

It introduces a new mmWave anchor design and integrates it with drone-mounted radars and algorithms for robust 3D localization in GPS-denied environments.

Findings

Median localization error of 7cm

90th percentile error less than 15cm

Effective even with full occlusion

Abstract

We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of MiFly, a self-localization system for autonomous drones that works across indoor and outdoor environments, including low-visibility, dark, and GPS-denied settings. MiFly performs 6DoF self-localization by leveraging a single millimeter-wave (mmWave) anchor in its vicinity - even if that anchor is visually occluded. MmWave signals are used in radar and 5G systems and can operate in the dark and through occlusions. MiFly introduces a new mmWave anchor design and mounts light-weight high-resolution mmWave radars on a drone. By jointly designing the localization algorithms and the novel low-power mmWave anchor hardware (including its polarization and modulation), the drone is capable of high-speed 3D localization. Furthermore, by intelligently fusing the location estimates from its mmWave radars and its IMUs, it can accurately and robustly track its 6DoF trajectory. We implemented and evaluated MiFly on a DJI drone. We demonstrate a median localization error of 7cm and a 90th percentile less than 15cm, even when the anchor is fully occluded (visually) from the drone.