Development of UAV based virtual reality systems

This paper proposes two methods for developing UAV based virtual reality (VR) systems: (1) using a head tracking system and (2) using a panoramic 360 degrees' field of view (FoV) camera array. The former can be used to achieve real-time virtual reality experiences for users. The latter can be used to generate off-line VR contents. This work focuses on developing three techniques: (1) head-camera synchronization, (2) camera array design and (3) flight paths planning. The developed two methods have been validated through experiments that can either provide users with satisfactory real-time VR experiences or convert outdoor scenes into VR contents with high efficiency.