Skip to Main Content The wide range of applications and
configurations of UAVs raises the need for different types of
navigation methodologies compared to the conventional INS/GPS
system. For instance, the limitation in cost, size and weight of
indoor UAVs makes conventional navigation system unsuitable for
these vehicles. In addition, the INS/GPS navigation system is
impractical for indoor applications because the GPS signal is
not reliable in closed territories. This paper proposes a new,
cost-effective and simple indoor navigation system using three
laser beams fixed to the body of the UAV and shooting to the
ground. Then, a camera and computer vision algorithm are used to
capture the laser dots on the ground and determine their
coordinates. The position of laser dots is used to obtain full
information about the position and orientation of the UAV. The
proposed navigation system can be classified as a vision based
navigation system, yet, it does not depend highly on the quality
of the video shots taken fro