Distributed State Estimation for Vision-Based Cooperative Slung Load Transportation in GPS-Denied Environments

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.04571v1
• Date: Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:59:11 GMT
• Title: Distributed State Estimation for Vision-Based Cooperative Slung Load Transportation in GPS-Denied Environments
• Abstract summary: This paper presents a distributed and decentralized payload state estimation framework for vision-based multilift operations.<n>Using onboard monocular cameras, each UAV detects a fiducial marker on the payload and estimates its relative pose.<n>This payload state estimate is then used for closed-loop trajectory tracking control.
• Score: 2.3747069320845067
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Transporting heavy or oversized slung loads using rotorcraft has traditionally relied on single-aircraft systems, which limits both payload capacity and control authority. Cooperative multilift using teams of rotorcraft offers a scalable and efficient alternative, especially for infrequent but challenging "long-tail" payloads without the need of building larger and larger rotorcraft. Most prior multilift research assumes GPS availability, uses centralized estimation architectures, or relies on controlled laboratory motion-capture setups. As a result, these methods lack robustness to sensor loss and are not viable in GPS-denied or operationally constrained environments. This paper addresses this limitation by presenting a distributed and decentralized payload state estimation framework for vision-based multilift operations. Using onboard monocular cameras, each UAV detects a fiducial marker on the payload and estimates its relative pose. These measurements are fused via a Distributed and Decentralized Extended Information Filter (DDEIF), enabling robust and scalable estimation that is resilient to individual sensor dropouts. This payload state estimate is then used for closed-loop trajectory tracking control. Monte Carlo simulation results in Gazebo show the effectiveness of the proposed approach, including the effect of communication loss during flight.

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