Two imaging systems for positioning and navigation

We present two approaches for using imaging sensors on-board small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for positioning and navigation. Two types of sensors are used; laser scanners and a camera operating in the visual wavelengths. The laser scanners produce sparse 3D data that are registered to produce a local map. For the images from the video camera the optical flow and height estimates are fused and then matched with a geo-referenced aerial image. Both approaches include data from the inertial navigation system. The approaches can be used for accurate ego-positioning, and thus for navigation. The approaches are GPS independent and can work in GPS denied conditions, for example urban canyons, indoor environments, forest areas or while jammed. Applications are primarily within societal security and military defense.