# Cooperative Circumnavigation for Multi-Quadrotor Systems via Onboard Sensing

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.20954 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.20954/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 26 Jun 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [PILOT: Privileged Imitation Learning for End-to-End Motion Planning of Autonomous UAVs under Partial Observability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.14082/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

A cooperative circumnavigation framework is proposed for multi-quadrotor systems to enclose and track a moving target without reliance on external localization systems. The distinct relationships between quadrotor-quadrotor and quadrotor-target interactions are evaluated using a heterogeneous perception strategy and corresponding state estimation algorithms. A modified Kalman filter is developed to fuse visual-inertial odometry with range measurements to enhance the accuracy of inter-quadrotor relative localization. An event-triggered distributed Kalman filter is designed to achieve robust target state estimation under visual occlusion by incorporating neighbor measurements and estimated inter-quadrotor relative positions. Using the estimation results, a cooperative circumnavigation controller is constructed, leveraging an oscillator-based autonomous formation flight strategy. We conduct extensive indoor and outdoor experiments to validate the efficiency of the proposed circumnavigation framework in occluded environments. Furthermore, a quadrotor failure experiment highlights the inherent fault tolerance property of the proposed framework, underscoring its potential for deployment in search-and-rescue operations.