Application of Image-Based Visual Servoing on Autonomous Drones

This work presents an Image-Based Visual Servoing (IBVS) technique for an autonomous drone to track and follow an object in 3D space using Image-Based Visual Servoing. Unlike implementing tracking mechanism using GPS positions, Radars or other high-level position determining devices, we present our approach in which we use an onboard camera that captures real-time video stream to processes information such that a given target in 3D space is tracked. We perform IBVS during the flight. A technique to use the video stream and locate the target is presented in this paper. Here we also discuss the mathematical model and system architecture of this technique on an autonomous drone. The advantage of this approach is that the tracking by drones can be made completely autonomous even in GPS-denied environments. We then walk through the applications and future scope of this methodology.