MSc Thesis – UAV Simulation for Semantic Mapping and Human Detection

UAV Simulation for Semantic Mapping and Human Detection

Project Overview

  The project focuses on the development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) application designed for manual keyboard-controlled navigation, real-time Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) utilizing RTAB-Map (Real-Time Appearance-Based Mapping), and advanced computer vision-based human detection using YOLO.

Purpose

  By leveraging custom CAD digital modeling, modern robotics frameworks, and artificial intelligence, this system establishes a scalable platform suitable for complex, large-scale missions such as surveillance, mapping, and search-and-rescue operations. Full technical documentation and architectural details are available in the Master’s Thesis (currently available in Greek).

Development

System Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)
IDE & Tools Visual Studio 2013, Qt Creator
Programming Languages C++ (Low-level performance/development), Python (High-level script orchestration)
Robotics Framework ROS 2 (Jazzy Jalisco)
UAV Modeling SolidWorks with URDF Exporter plugin (URDF & STL generation)
Simulation Gazebo (Harmonic), RViz
Flight Control Stack PX4 Autopilot Stack
SLAM Package RTAB-Map (Real-Time Appearance-Based Mapping)
Computer Vision Packages OpenCV, YOLO (You Only Look Once)
Ground Control & Telemetry QGroundControl (Real-time flight operation management)
Repository

Screenshots