A Survey on 3D Visual Tracking of Multicopters

Three-dimensional (3D) visual tracking of a multicopter (where the camera is fixed while the multicopter is moving) means continuously recovering the six-degree-of-freedom pose of the multicopter relative to the camera. It can be used in many applications, such as precision terminal guidance and control algorithm validation for multicopters. However, it is difficult for many researchers to build a 3D visual tracking system for multicopters (VTSMs) by using cheap and off-the-shelf cameras. This paper firstly gives an overview of the three key technologies of a 3D VTSMs: multi-camera placement, multi-camera calibration and pose estimation for multicopters. Then, some representative 3D visual tracking systems for multicopters are introduced. Finally, the future development of the 3D VTSMs is analyzed and summarized.