ROS+unity: An efficient high-fidelity 3D multi-UAV navigation and control simulator in GPS-denied environments

In this paper, we will introduce our newly developed 3D simulation system for miniature unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) navigation and control in GPS-denied environments. As we know, simulation technologies can verify the algorithms and identify potential problems before the actual flight test and to make the physical implementation smoothly and successfully. To enhance the capability of state-of-the-art of research-oriented UAV simulation system, we develop a 3D simulator based on robot operation system (ROS) and a game engine, Unity3D. Unity3D has powerful graphics and can support high-fidelity 3D environments and sensor modeling which is important when we simulate sensing technologies in cluttered and harsh environments. On the other hand, ROS can provide clear software structure and simultaneous operation between hardware devices for actual UAVs. By developing data transmitting interface and necessary sensor modeling techniques, we have successfully glued ROS and Unity together. The integrated simulator can handle real-time multi-UAV navigation and control algorithms, including online processing of a large number of sensor data.