MULTITETHER. Multiple ground-steered, virtually-tethered UAVs for corridor mapping
MultiTether aims at enhancing mapKITE, the total 3D mapping concept based on a tandem UAV-plus-car in which the UAV follow the car by a virtual (waypoint-based) tether, with the capability of including multiple aerial nodes (i.e. UAVs) that cooperate in-flight for corridor mapping missions. This project will therefore research and rehearse on a novel aerial mapping paradigm.
The goals of MultiTether are the following:
- to build a demonstrator based on an extended mapKITE system i.e. double-UAV and a steering ground vehicle, to execute mission with different in-flight geometries for aerial image acquisition, depending on the particularities of the corridor segment being explored,
- to proof such configuration as a valid option within the mapKITE paradigm, that is, assessing the ability to provide high-accuracy, total-point-of-view 3D geodata as in a regular mapKITE one,
- to contribute to the RAWFIE ecosystem with a means to execute mapKITE-like operations (virtually tethered multiple UAVs), and
- to promote the contribution of RAWFIE as a supporter of real-world mapping applications for UAVs.