Perception-Aware Communication-Free Multi-UAV Coordination in the Wild

TL;DR

This paper introduces a perception-aware, communication-free multi-UAV coordination method using onboard LiDAR for navigation and obstacle detection in GNSS-denied environments, validated through simulations and real-world tests.

Contribution

It presents a novel perception-aware 3D navigation framework that enables safe multi-robot coordination without communication in complex, GNSS-denied environments.

Findings

Demonstrates scalability and robustness in diverse scenarios

Validated effectiveness through real-world experiments

Achieves safe navigation without inter-robot communication

Abstract

We present a communication-free method for safe multi-robot coordination in complex environments such as forests with dense canopy cover, where GNSS is unavailable. Our approach relies on an onboard anisotropic 3D LiDAR sensor used for SLAM as well as for detecting obstacles and neighboring robots. We develop a novel perception-aware 3D navigation framework that enables robots to safely and effectively progress toward a goal region despite limited sensor field-of-view. The approach is evaluated through extensive simulations across diverse scenarios and validated in real-world field experiments, demonstrating its scalability, robustness, and reliability.