To enable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators to efficiently and intuitively convey their commands to a swarm of UAVs, we propose the use of natural and human-centric input modalities, such as voices and gestures. This paper addresses the fusion of input modalities such as voice and gesture data, which are captured through a microphone and a Leap Motion controller, respectively, to control UAV swarms. The obtained experimental results are presented, and the achieved performance (accuracy) is analyzed. Finally, combined human factor ergonomics test with a questionnaire to verify the method’s validity.

Due to the low signal-to-noise ratio, limited training samples, and inter-subject variabilities in electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, developing a subject-independent brain-computer interface (BCI) system used for new users without any calibration is still challenging. In this letter, we propose a novel Multi-Attention Convolutional Recurrent mOdel (MACRO) for EEG-based event-related potential (ERP) detection in the subject-independent scenario. Specifically, the convolutional recurrent network is designed to capture the spatial-temporal features, while the multi-attention mechanism is integrated to focus on the most discriminative channels and temporal periods of EEG signals. Comprehensive experiments conducted on a benchmark dataset for RSVP-based BCIs show that our method achieves the best performance compared with the five state-of-the-art baseline methods. This result indicates that our method is able to extract the underlying subject-invariant EEG features and generalize to unseen subjects. Finally, the ablation studies verify the effectiveness of the designed multi-attention mechanism in MACRO for EEG-based ERP detection.

Using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to estimate and predict the position and motion of the ground target has been widely focused on in many computer vision tasks. This work aims to address the development of a vision-based ground target localization and estimation for a fixed-wing UAV. Limited by the lightweight onboard processor, it is conflicting with the need for online onboard operation and the computing resource limitation of the platform. In this paper, we develop a practical approach to recover dynamic targets based on extended Kalman filter (EKF) for localization and locally weighted regression for trajectory smoothing. Our methods run online in real time with the only data up to the current timestep. The flight experiment results show the effective tracking and localization of the ground moving target.

Flocking navigation, involving alignment-guaranteed path following and collision avoidance against obstacles, remains to be a challenging task for drones. In this paper, we investigate how to implement flocking navigation when only one drone in the swarm masters the predetermined path, instead of all drones mastering their routes. Specifically, this paper proposes a hierarchical weighting Vicsek model (WVEM), which consists of a hierarchical weighting mechanism and a layer regulation mechanism. Based on the hierarchical mechanism, all drones are divided into three layers and the drones at different layers are assigned with different weights to guarantee the convergence speed of alignment. The layer regulation mechanism is developed to realize a more flexible obstacle avoidance. We analyze the influence of the WVEM parameters such as weighting value and interaction radius, and demonstrate the flocking navigation performance through a series of simulation experiments.

Flocking navigation and obstacle avoidance in complex environments remain challenging for multiple unmanned aerial vehicle (multi-UAV) systems, especially when only one UAV (termed as information UAV) knows the predetermined path and the communication range is limited. To this end, we propose a hierarchical weighting Vicsek model (HWVEM). In this model, a hierarchical weighting mechanism and an obstacle avoidance mechanism are designed. Based on the hierarchical weighting mechanism, all the UAVs are divided into different layers, and assigned with different weights according to the layer to which they belong. The purpose is to align the rest of UAVs with the information UAV more efficiently. Subsequently, the obstacle avoidance mechanism that utilizes only the local information is developed to ensure the system safety in an environment filled with obstacles differing in size and shape. A series of simulations have been conducted to demonstrate the high performance of HWVEM in terms of convergence time, success rate, and safety.

The application of UAVs in surveillance, disaster management, and military operations has surged, necessitating robust and real-time tracking systems for moving targets. However, accurately tracking and predicting the trajectories of ground targets pose significant challenges due to factors such as target occlusion, varying speeds, and dynamic environments. To address these challenges and advance the capabilities of UAV-based tracking systems, a novel vision-based approach is introduced in this paper. This approach leverages the visual data captured by the UAV’s onboard cameras to achieve real-time tracking, geolocation, trajectory recovery, and predictive analysis of moving ground targets. By employing filter, regression and optimization techniques, the proposed system is capable of accurately estimating the target’s current position and predicting its future path even in complex scenarios. The core innovation of this research lies in the development of an integrated algorithm that combines object detection, target geolocation, and trajectory estimation into a single, cohesive framework. This algorithm not only facilitates the online recovery of the target’s motion trajectory but also enhances the UAV’s autonomy and decision-making capabilities. The proposed methods are validated through real flight experiments, demonstrating their effectiveness and feasibility.