An Autonomous Mission Framework for Quadrotor-Based Target Detection, Localization, and Inspection in Indoor Environments

This paper presents a framework that enables a quadrotor to systematically search, detect, localize, and inspect targets in GPS-denied, indoor environments. It introduces an autonomous inspection routine that navigates the vehicle to a sequence of close‑range viewpoints around targets without manual intervention. The system combines a deterministic search strategy with vision‑based navigation, localization, and a custom‑trained real‑time object detector, all running within the computational constraints of an onboard processor. The mission pipeline transitions between global search and inspection, empirically validated across multiple target layouts and mission scenarios. Controlled hardware trials in a netted arena confirm complete area coverage, successful target inspection, and fully autonomous operation. This work aims to advance the practical deployment of autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for first‑responder search and rescue (SAR) applications where rapid assessment of inaccessible areas is critical.