Visual localization of unmanned aerial vehicles based on marker detection and processing

A system for facilitating determination of positions of mobile devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles within an operating space containing a number of objects, comprising:

• at least three markers placed on exposed surfaces of the objects, wherein each of the markers includes a pattern of linear bars adjacent a data area, wherein the pattern of linear bars is identical on each of the markers and the data area has a pattern that varies between the markers and wherein the pattern of linear bars comprises at least a pair of spaced apart and parallel bars disposed on either side of the data area;
• a mobile device operable to move about the operating space in response to control signals;
• and
• a controller on the mobile device generating the control signals based on a determination of a position of the mobile device within the operating space relative to locations of the markers, wherein the controller executes a localization module to locate each of the markers, to extract data from the pattern of the data areas, and to estimate the position of the mobile device based on the extracted data.

A method for locating markers in an image of an operating space for a mobile device, comprising:

• with a processor on the mobile device, preprocessing an image to generate a set of image data;
• with the processor, locating fixed features of markers by tracing edges of the fixed features;
• and
• with the processor, extracting variable data payloads of each of the markers associated with the located fixed features,
• wherein the fixed features of each of the markers comprise a pair of parallel lines extending along opposite sides of a data area containing the variable data payload.