Sensing and State Estimation for Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Intelligent robotics and autonomous systems are transforming industries worldwide, from aerial drones and self-driving vehicles to industrial automation, agriculture, and search-and-rescue. At the core of this transformation lies a fundamental requirement: the ability of autonomous platforms to perceive their environment and accurately determine their own internal states. Advanced sensing and estimation together enable reliable navigation, control, and decision-making in complex, uncertain environments.

Significant challenges remain. Autonomous systems must operate under sensor noise, model uncertainty, and unknown inputs such as wind gusts, unmeasured loads, faults, and malicious interference. These challenges, alongside rising safety and regulatory demands, make this a timely research area for both academia and industry.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances in sensing technologies and estimation methods for intelligent robotics and autonomous systems, spanning theoretical developments and experimental validation.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Novel sensors and sensor integration
• Multi-sensor fusion for localization, navigation, and mapping
• State and unknown input estimation; observers and filtering
• Fault detection and estimation
• Learning-aided and AI-enhanced estimation
• GNSS-denied and vision-based navigation
• Secure and resilient estimation
• Applications to UAVs, UGVs, marine, and industrial robots

Dr. Sheikh Izzal Azid
Guest Editor

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