EVPeriscope: Extended Air-Ground Perception via Event-Based Propeller Tracking
Original title:EVPeriscope: Extended Perception across Aerial and Ground Vehicles with Event-based Propeller Tracking
EVPeriscope introduces an alternative approach to air-ground robotic coordination by tracking the high-frequency visual signature of quadrotor propellers. Instead of relying on fiducial markers vulnerable to lighting shifts and motion blur, an upward-facing event camera mounted on a ground vehicle detects the rotating blades directly. Operating at a 200 Hz onboard control loop, the system functions through dense foliage, across day and night conditions, and under wind speeds up to 15 mph, turning the aerial drone into a reliable external sensor node.
Why it's worth reading
By turning natural propeller flicker into an intrinsic tracking signature, this work eliminates artificial markers and achieves reliable 200 Hz air-ground relative localization under severe occlusion and lighting extremes.