Abstract
FlightGoggles is a photorealistic sensor simulator for perception-driven robotic vehicles. The key contributions of FlightGoggles are twofold. First, FlightGoggles provides photorealistic exteroceptive sensor simulation using graphics assets generated with photogrammetry. Second, it also provides the ability to combine $\textit{(i)}$ synthetic exteroceptive measurements generated $\textit{in silico}$ in real time and $\textit{(ii)}$ vehicle dynamics and proprioceptive measurements generated $\textit{in motio}$ by vehicle(s) in flight in a motion-capture facility. FlightGoggles is capable of simulating a virtual-reality environment around autonomous vehicle(s) in flight. While a vehicle is in flight in the FlightGoggles virtual reality environment, exteroceptive sensors are rendered synthetically in real time while all complex extrinsic dynamics are generated organically through the natural interactions of the vehicle. The FlightGoggles framework allows for researchers to accelerate development by circumventing the need to estimate complex and hard-to-model interactions such as aerodynamics, motor mechanics, battery electrochemistry, and behavior of other agents. The ability to perform vehicle-in-the-loop experiments with photorealistic exteroceptive sensor simulation facilitates novel research directions involving, $\textit{e.g.}$, fast and agile autonomous flight in obstacle-rich environments, safe human interaction, and flexible sensor selection. FlightGoggles has been utilized as the main test for selecting nine teams that will advance in the AlphaPilot autonomous drone racing challenge. Subsequently, FlightGoggles has been actively used by the community. We survey approaches and results from the top twenty AlphaPilot teams, which may be of independent interest.
Abstract (translated)
FlightGoggles是一种用于感知驱动机器人车辆的真实感传感器模拟器。护目镜的主要作用是双重的。首先，FlightGoggles使用摄影测量生成的图形资源提供了真实的外部探测传感器模拟。其次，它还提供了将实时生成的$ extit（i）$synthetic extroceptive measurements generated$ extit和实时生成的$ extit（ii）$vehicle dynamics和运动捕获设备中飞行车辆生成的$ extit$飞行护目镜能够模拟飞行中自主飞行器周围的虚拟现实环境。当飞行器在护目镜虚拟现实环境中飞行时，外部传感器是实时综合渲染的，而所有复杂的外部动力学都是通过飞行器的自然相互作用有机生成的。FlightGoggles框架允许研究人员通过规避评估复杂和难以建模的相互作用（如空气动力学、电机力学、电池电化学和其他因素的行为）的需要来加速发展。利用真实感外处理传感器模拟进行车辆在环试验的能力有助于实现新的研究方向，包括：$ extit，例如：$；在障碍物丰富的环境中快速灵活的自主飞行、安全的人与人的交互以及灵活的传感器选择。飞行护目镜已被用来作为主要测试，选择九个小组，将在阿尔法匹洛特自主无人机竞赛挑战前进。随后，护目镜被社会广泛使用。我们调查的方法和结果来自前20个阿尔法pilot团队，这可能是独立的兴趣。
URL
https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.11377
