LUOJIA Explorer: An Auto-UAV for Unexposed Space Exploration

Abstract

With the advancement of technology, unexposed spaces have emerged as a new type of strategic area, attracting significant attention from researchers. These spaces often present complex environments, such as extreme lighting variations, irregular geometries, and the lack of external positioning signals, making human entry hazardous. Fortunately, advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence have enabled unmanned systems to mitigate these challenges, allowing for safer exploration of unexposed spaces. UAVs, as vital unmanned system platforms, are extensively used across various industrial scenarios and are particularly effective for detecting unexposed spaces. To facilitate automated exploration of these areas, we propose the autonomous UAV system, LUOJIA Explorer. Equipped with a LiDAR sensor, data transmission module, and external anti-collision devices to protect the aircraft, LUOJIA Explorer is designed for effective unexposed space detection. We have integrated a laser point cloud positioning and mapping subsystem, along with a planning and control subsystem, into the LUOJIA Explorer. Through both simulation and actual experiments, the Luojia Explorer has demonstrated the capability to achieve stable flight based on self-positioning in unexposed spaces, with an exploration efficiency of 88.83 m3/s.