Pose estimation for multi-sensor UAVs

ICA is a research laboratory that focuses on the study of structures, systems and mechanical processes. Our activity sectors are in the mechanical industries with a particular focus on aerospace, space, transportation and energy. Our work usually focus on behavior modeling, instrumentation and the study of the durability of the structures or products considered. A large part of our research focus on composite materials, which play today an important role in structures.

The goal of this project is to develop algorithms and methods to analyze in situ deformations of kite wings in-
stalled on boats using the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and digital image processing techniques.
Such an effort would greatly improve the understanding of the mechanics of wind-based propulsion by providing
experimental data regarding the behavior of such flexible structures in real conditions. This project aims to use a
drone to move a camera close to the kite itself to obtain well resolved kinematic fields, which in turn will provide
important mechanical information about the state of the wing

The internship will take place within the Pose Estimation workpackage of the project and will focus on the es-
timation of the drone position and orientation with respect to a reference frame using a multi-instrumented setup.
By using multiple sources of informations such as GPS, LIDAR or visual œdometry, the candidate will aim to show
the faisability of such positioning on-shore and to quantify the associated uncertainties during flight. To do so,
several experiments will be conducted with multi-instrumented drones. Measured quantities will then be analyzed
using post-processing algorithms to be developped during the internship.

The candidate must own or follow a Master degree in a field relevant to the project (mechanics, robotics, elec-
tronics, computer vision...). We are seeking for an higly motivated individual interested in working on an original
project, solid analytical skills and independance. Strong communication skills both written and verbal (at least in
English) will be essential for the collaboration in a multi-disciplinary environment. Proficiency with the relevant
software tools (Python, C and the relevant libraries) would be a great addition