Teleoperation of a drone based on a virtual environment*

In this paper, a teleoperation system for a quadrotor using a virtual environment is presented. A virtual aerial vehicle was introduced by applying the dynamic model of a quadrotor. An attitude controller was implemented for an operator to pilot the drone. The behavior of the virtual drone is communicated to a real vehicle through a mapping between the real and virtual spaces. This mapping is introduced in a robust quaternion-based controller ensures a safe flight in the real world. Simulations and experimental results are carried out to validate the proposal. With this idea of controlling a drone virtually, the performance of beginner and expert drone pilots is improved.