{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/153836"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/153836","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"3D Self-Localization of Drones using a Single Millimeter-Wave Anchor","abstract":"We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of MiFly, a self-localization system for autonomous drones that works across indoor and outdoor environments, including low-visibility, dark, and GPS-denied settings. MiFly performs 6DoF self-localization by leveraging a single millimeter-wave (mmWave) anchor in its vicinity- even if that anchor is visually occluded. MmWave signals are used in radar and 5G systems and can operate in the dark and through occlusions. MiFly introduces a new mmWave anchor design and mounts light-weight high-resolution mmWave radars on a drone. By jointly designing the localization algorithms and the novel low-power mmWave anchor hardware (including its polarization and modulation), the drone is capable of highspeed 3D localization. Furthermore, by intelligently fusing the location estimates from its mmWave radars and its IMUs, it can accurately and robustly track its 6DoF trajectory We implemented and evaluated MiFly on a DJI drone. We demonstrate a median localization error of 7cm and a 90th percentile less than 15cm, even when the anchor is fully occluded (visually) from the drone.","abstract_html":"We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of MiFly, a self-localization system for autonomous drones that works across indoor and outdoor environments, including low-visibility, dark, and GPS-denied settings. MiFly performs 6DoF self-localization by leveraging a single millimeter-wave (mmWave) anchor in its vicinity- even if that anchor is visually occluded. MmWave signals are used in radar and 5G systems and can operate in the dark and through occlusions. MiFly introduces a new mmWave anchor design and mounts light-weight high-resolution mmWave radars on a drone. By jointly designing the localization algorithms and the novel low-power mmWave anchor hardware (including its polarization and modulation), the drone is capable of highspeed 3D localization. Furthermore, by intelligently fusing the location estimates from its mmWave radars and its IMUs, it can accurately and robustly track its 6DoF trajectory We implemented and evaluated MiFly on a DJI drone. We demonstrate a median localization error of 7cm and a 90th percentile less than 15cm, even when the anchor is fully occluded (visually) from the drone.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lam, Maisy Lilian"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":"Master","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Adib, Fadel"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-02","date_published":"2024-02","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:52Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright retained by author(s)"],"rights_urls":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153836","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Adib, Fadel"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lam, Maisy Lilian"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2024-03-21T19:09:15Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-03-21T19:09:15Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2024-02"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master","Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright retained by author(s)"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153836"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of MiFly, a self-localization system for autonomous drones that works across indoor and outdoor environments, including low-visibility, dark, and GPS-denied settings. MiFly performs 6DoF self-localization by leveraging a single millimeter-wave (mmWave) anchor in its vicinity- even if that anchor is visually occluded. MmWave signals are used in radar and 5G systems and can operate in the dark and through occlusions. MiFly introduces a new mmWave anchor design and mounts light-weight high-resolution mmWave radars on a drone. By jointly designing the localization algorithms and the novel low-power mmWave anchor hardware (including its polarization and modulation), the drone is capable of highspeed 3D localization. Furthermore, by intelligently fusing the location estimates from its mmWave radars and its IMUs, it can accurately and robustly track its 6DoF trajectory We implemented and evaluated MiFly on a DJI drone. We demonstrate a median localization error of 7cm and a 90th percentile less than 15cm, even when the anchor is fully occluded (visually) from the drone."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.M."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["3D Self-Localization of Drones using a Single Millimeter-Wave Anchor"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Adib, Fadel"],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science"],"dc:creator":["Lam, Maisy Lilian"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2024-03-21T19:09:15Z"],"dc:date.available":["2024-03-21T19:09:15Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2024-02"],"dc:description.abstract":["We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of MiFly, a self-localization system for autonomous drones that works across indoor and outdoor environments, including low-visibility, dark, and GPS-denied settings. MiFly performs 6DoF self-localization by leveraging a single millimeter-wave (mmWave) anchor in its vicinity- even if that anchor is visually occluded. MmWave signals are used in radar and 5G systems and can operate in the dark and through occlusions. MiFly introduces a new mmWave anchor design and mounts light-weight high-resolution mmWave radars on a drone. By jointly designing the localization algorithms and the novel low-power mmWave anchor hardware (including its polarization and modulation), the drone is capable of highspeed 3D localization. Furthermore, by intelligently fusing the location estimates from its mmWave radars and its IMUs, it can accurately and robustly track its 6DoF trajectory We implemented and evaluated MiFly on a DJI drone. We demonstrate a median localization error of 7cm and a 90th percentile less than 15cm, even when the anchor is fully occluded (visually) from the drone."],"dc:description.degree":["S.M."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/153836"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted","Copyright retained by author(s)"],"dc:rights.uri":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/"],"dc:title":["3D Self-Localization of Drones using a Single Millimeter-Wave Anchor"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master","Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:52Z"}