# Episode 85: Drone vision and navigation - Margarita Chli

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2024-05-17
- Length: 25m
- Episode: 85
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-eighty-five-margarita-chli

## Summary

Margarita Chli, Professor of Robotic Vision at the University of Cyprus and ETH Zurich, discusses her lab's research into vision-based navigation for small aerial drones. She explains how her team uses a mix of machine learning and handcrafted geometric methods to handle perceptually degraded environments like smoke and rain. Chli details the architecture of their collaborative drone swarm system, which uses centralized and peer-to-peer communication to map environments and correct localization errors. She highlights applications in search and rescue, wildfire monitoring, and infrastructure inspection, emphasizing the need for robust perception in hazardous conditions.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli#t=8) Introduction and Lab Overview
- [3:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli#t=189) Machine Learning vs. Handcrafted Methods
- [4:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli#t=282) Perceptually Degraded Environments
- [7:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli#t=459) Sensor Fusion and Bio-Inspiration
- [13:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli#t=785) Collaborative Drone Swarm Architecture
- [19:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-05-17-episode-85-drone-vision-and-navigation-margarita-chli#t=1198) Real-World Applications and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- University of Cyprus (company)
- ETH Zurich (company)
- Google (company)
- Fukushima (other)
- Parthenon (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [State of robotic perception with RGo Robotics' Amir Bousani](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2022-05-27-state-of-robotic-perception-with-rgo-robotics-amir-bousani) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [301: Giant Novelty Check](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-08-29-301-giant-novelty-check) (Embedded.fm)
- [Autonomous Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments with Ben Williams, COO at Exyn Technologies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-10-26-autonomous-navigation-in-gps-denied-environments-with-ben-williams-coo-at-exyn-t) (Over the Air)
- [377: Robot at the Park](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-06-17-377-robot-at-the-park) (Embedded.fm)
- [Autonomous vehicle technology deep dive at John Deere and Zoox](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2023-04-18-autonomous-vehicle-technology-deep-dive-at-john-deere-and-zoox) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

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