[Paper Review] Towards Large-Scale Scalable MAV Swarms with ROS2 and UWB-based Situated Communication

Jorge Peña Queralta, Xianjia Yu+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Mar 11, 2021

UAV Applications and Optimization4 citations

TL;DR

This paper presents a scalable, low-cost micro-aerial vehicle (MAV) swarm platform using ROS2, Wi-Fi mesh networking, and UWB-based situated communication for distributed localization and control. By integrating UWB ranging with ROS2 topics and batman-adv mesh routing, the system enables decentralized, scalable swarm operations with real-time relative localization and communication, supporting complex collaborative behaviors in GNSS-denied environments.

ABSTRACT

The design and development of swarms of micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) has recently gained significant traction. Collaborative aerial swarms have potential applications in areas as diverse as surveillance and monitoring, inventory management, search and rescue, or in the entertainment industry. Swarm intelligence has, by definition, a distributed nature. Yet performing experiments in truly distributed systems is not always possible, as much of the underlying ecosystem employed requires some sort of central control. Indeed, in experimental proofs of concept, most research relies on more traditional connectivity solutions and centralized approaches. External localization solutions, such as motion capture (MOCAP) systems, visual markers, or ultra-wideband (UWB) anchors are often used. Alternatively, intra-swarm solutions are often limited in terms of, e.g., range or field-of-view. Research and development has been supported by platforms such as the e-puck, the kilobot, or the crazyflie quadrotors. We believe there is a need for inexpensive platforms such as the Crazyflie with more advanced onboard processing capabilities and sensors, while offering scalability and robust communication and localization solutions. In the following, we present a platform for research and development in aerial swarms currently under development, where we leverage Wi-Fi mesh connectivity and the distributed ROS2 middleware together with UWB ranging and communication for situated communication. We present a platform for building towards large-scale swarms of autonomous MAVs leveraging the ROS2 middleware, Wi-Fi mesh connectivity, and UWB ranging and communication. The platform is based on the Ryze Tello Drone, a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a companion computer together with a camera module, and a Decawave DWM1001 UWB module for ranging and basic communication.

Motivation & Objective

• To enable large-scale, decentralized MAV swarms with minimal central control.
• To address limitations of centralized control and traditional Wi-Fi in swarm robotics.
• To develop a low-cost, reproducible platform using off-the-shelf components.
• To integrate UWB-based relative localization with ROS2 for scalable communication and coordination.
• To support complex collaborative behaviors such as formation control and distributed perception.

Proposed method

• Leverages the Ryze Tello drone with a Raspberry Pi Zero W and Decawave DWM1001 UWB module for onboard processing and UWB communication.
• Employs batman-adv for Wi-Fi mesh networking to enable self-healing, scalable node discovery, and internet gateway support.
• Uses one-to-one UWB ranging and scalable systems like SnapLoc to estimate relative positions across the swarm.
• Embeds ROS2 messages within UWB ranging packets to enable concurrent localization and communication with minimal bandwidth overhead.
• Applies Wi-Fi mesh for high-bandwidth data transfer, with topic throttling to manage network load.
• Integrates a TFMini micro-lidar for improved altitude estimation and robustness.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can a low-cost, scalable MAV swarm be built using off-the-shelf components and decentralized communication?
• RQ2 How can UWB-based relative localization be effectively integrated with ROS2 for real-time swarm coordination?
• RQ3 To what extent does Wi-Fi mesh networking support reliable, scalable communication in large MAV swarms?
• RQ4 Can concurrent localization and communication be achieved via UWB message embedding without sacrificing scalability?
• RQ5 How does the system perform in GNSS-denied environments with distributed, mesh-based control?

Key findings

• The platform enables scalable, decentralized MAV swarm operation using only off-the-shelf components and open-source software.
• Wi-Fi mesh with batman-adv supports automatic node discovery and reliable communication in dynamic swarm configurations.
• UWB ranging enables accurate relative localization, with potential for global localization if gateway or anchor positions are known.
• Embedding ROS2 messages within UWB packets enables concurrent communication and localization with minimal overhead.
• The system supports complex collaborative behaviors such as formation control and distributed perception in GNSS-denied environments.
• The integration of ROS2, UWB, and Wi-Fi mesh provides a reproducible, low-cost foundation for large-scale swarm research.