Obstacle Detection and Avoidance Device for Multirotor UAVs through interface with Pixhawk Flight Controller

A device for enabling obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities on a Pixhawk Flight controller driven Multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is proposed as a mean of increasing the navigation and guidance capabilities of this system. The required hardware is explained as well as how the components interface with the flight controller. Furthermore, the algorithms that process the sensor information (LIDAR scanner) and decide the actions to take are described. Finally, the tests performed on this system are shown and the results are discussed.