Outdoor Dataset for Flying a UAV an Appropriate Altitude

The increasing popularity of drones for Internet of Things (IoT) applications has led to significant research interest in autonomous navigation within unknown and dynamic environments. Researchers are utilizing supervised learning techniques that rely on image datasets to train drones for autonomous navigation, which are typically used for rescue, surveillance, and medical aid delivery. Current datasets lack data that allow drones to navigate in a 3D environment; most of these data are dedicated to self-driving cars or navigation inside buildings. Therefore, this study presents an image dataset for training drones for 3D navigation. We developed an algorithm to capture these data from multiple worlds on the Gazebo simulator using a quadcopter. This dataset includes images of obstacles at various flight altitudes and images of the horizon to assist a drone in flying at an appropriate altitude, which allows it to avoid obstacles and prevents it from flying unnecessarily high. We used deep learning (DL) to develop a model to classify and predict the image types. Eleven experiments performed with the Gazebo simulator using a drone and a convolution neural network (CNN) proved the database’s effectiveness in avoiding different types of obstacles while maintaining an appropriate altitude and the drone’s ability to navigate in a 3D environment.