Coppejans, H.H.G. (Hugo)Myburgh, Hermanus Carel2016-02-162016-02-162015-12-02Coppejans, HHG & Myburgh, HC 2015, 'A primer on autonomous aerial vehicle design', Sensors, vol. 15, pp. 30033-30061.1424-822010.3390/s151229785http://hdl.handle.net/2263/51412H.H.G. Coppejans performed this work as part of his Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, under the supervision of H.C. Myburgh. This work is the combination of three research assignments in the form of an exam assignment. Each assignment was thoroughly reviewed and graded by H.C. Myburgh, who also provided detailed feedback, which H.H.G Coppejans incorporated in the final draft.There is a large amount of research currently being done on autonomous micro-aerial vehicles (MAV), such as quadrotor helicopters or quadcopters. The ability to create a working autonomousMAV depends mainly on integrating a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) solution with the rest of the system. This paper provides an introduction for creating an autonomous MAV for enclosed environments, aimed at students and professionals alike. The standard autonomous system and MAV automation are discussed, while we focus on the core concepts of SLAM systems and trajectory planning algorithms. The advantages and disadvantages of using remote processing are evaluated, and recommendations are made regarding the viability of on-board processing. Recommendations are made regarding best practices to serve as a guideline for aspirant MAV designers.en© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons by Attribution.AutonomousQuadcopterData processingCompressionMicrosoft KinectSimultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)Micro-aerial vehicles (MAV)Laser interferometry detection and ranging (LiDAR)Article