Position Stabilization of Drones in Indoor Environments: Evaluation of Sensors and Techniques and Integration into the PX4 Flight Control Software

In the last years, unmanned vehicles are gaining a lot of interests all over the world, due to their capability of adapting functionalities to always different and various applications. For example, just think that, in some countries, drones deliver food directly at your home. So, the application of drones is mainly intended to optimize already existing processes, to reduce the risk of injuries or even save lives (like search and rescue applications), covering a wide range of scenarios, such as smart agriculture, emergency situations and safety inspections. This master’s thesis investigates the critical aspects of indoor drones, focusing on the development and enhancement of position stabilization techniques, sensor evaluation, and the integration of these advancements into the PX4 flight control software. As most of the standard solutions implemented in drone navigation rely on GNSS positioning, indoor navigation represents one of the main challenges to be managed. The UAV uses a camera to give the pilot an overview of the drones surroundings, and a set of IMUs and Barometers to give the drone a reliable reference system. This thesis was born in order to improve the already existing positioning system for simplifying the inspection of the UAV in endangered situations. A way to do that is the use of range sensors to regulate the distance of the drone from a wall or from certain objects.