M²APix: A Bio-Inspired Auto-Adaptive Visual Sensor for Robust Ground Height Estimation

Abstract : This paper presents for the first time the embedded stand-alone version of the bio-inspired M²APix (Michaelis-Menten auto-adaptive pixels) sensor as a ventral optic flow sensor to endow glider-type unmanned aerial vehicles with autonomous landing ability. Assuming the aircraft is equiped with any reliable speed measurement system such as a global positionning system or an inertial measurement unit, we can use the velocity of the glider to determine with high precision its height while landing. This information is robust to different outdoor lighting conditions and over different kinds of textured ground, a crucial property to control the landing phase of the aircraft.