Research report · Planned
Risk-Aware UAV Return-to-Home
Planned UAV autonomy prototype · repository coming soon
This planned project extends the portfolio’s robust-autonomy narrative to aerial robots by linking localization confidence with return-to-home decision making.
Abstract
Design a return-to-home planning prototype for UAVs that considers localization confidence, battery constraints, wind risk, and safe landing feasibility.
Scientific question: How should a UAV select a safe return trajectory when state estimation and environment risk are uncertain?
Contribution: Planned simulation prototype connecting VIO health, path risk, and returnability for aerial autonomy.
Marked research artifact slot
UAV safety architecture
Architecture figure slot for verified diagrams of modules, data flow, and software boundaries.
Marked research artifact slot
Health trigger · route risk · return policy
Pipeline slot for GIFs or animations that explain estimation, planning, perception, or evaluation steps.
Marked research artifact slot
Synthetic UAV return map
Demo slot reserved for real project videos or synthetic demos that are explicitly labeled as synthetic.
Research questions
- When should a UAV initiate return-to-home because localization health is degrading?
- How can battery, wind, and landing-site uncertainty be combined into route risk?
- What minimal simulation is sufficient for a reproducible prototype?
Methods
Implementation status
Implemented
- Concept definition
Research prototype
- Synthetic route-risk mockup
Planned
- Repository creation
- 2D simulator
- Risk-cost model
- Return policy comparison
Experiments and metrics
Experiments
- Planned route-risk simulation
- Planned return-trigger ablation
Metrics
- return success — planned
- risk exposure — planned
- remaining battery margin — planned
Quantitative benchmark tables will be added only after reproducible experiments are available.
Limitations
- This project is explicitly planned and not presented as validated UAV research.
- Quantitative claims are intentionally withheld until reproducible benchmark runs are available.
- Visual figures and GIFs are placeholders unless a project page explicitly states that an artifact is generated from real experiments.
Reproducibility plan
Experiment workflow
Each module is prepared to document configuration files, datasets, evaluation metrics, and repeated experiment runs before quantitative claims are shown.
Repository setup
Public repositories are linked when available. Private, planned, or incomplete repositories remain clearly labelled rather than being presented as finished systems.
Literature context
- UAV autonomy
- Safe return-to-home
- Risk-aware planning
Roadmap
- Create simulator
- Connect SHIELD-VIO health signal
- Report baseline comparisons