Using inertial navigation systems (INS) to navigate small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) when GPS is lost or inaccurate

Authors' Class Standing

Alex Goodan, Senior Michael du Breuil, Senior

Lead Presenter

Alex Goodan

Faculty Mentor Name

Brian Davis

Format Preference

Demonstration

Abstract

The presented research provides an analysis of the implementation of an Inertial Navigation System (INS) to augment GPS navigation in small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) when GPS is unavailable or inaccurate. The quality of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) required to create a stable INS solution will be analyzed, and for how long that solution would remain valid. This is essential for an sUAS system, as the accuracy of the INS solution will degrade rapidly over time. Data has been collected using an sUAS platform to acquire readings from multiple selected IMUs, and the data is compared against the recorded flight path, GPS data, and developed models. This research will enable future research into creating robust sUAS capable of operating in GPS degraded environments, and make sUAS safer for their integration into the National Airspace.

Location

AC1-107 (Bldg. 74)

Start Date

4-4-2014 2:25 PM

End Date

4-4-2014 2:40 PM

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Apr 4th, 2:25 PM Apr 4th, 2:40 PM

Using inertial navigation systems (INS) to navigate small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) when GPS is lost or inaccurate

AC1-107 (Bldg. 74)

The presented research provides an analysis of the implementation of an Inertial Navigation System (INS) to augment GPS navigation in small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) when GPS is unavailable or inaccurate. The quality of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) required to create a stable INS solution will be analyzed, and for how long that solution would remain valid. This is essential for an sUAS system, as the accuracy of the INS solution will degrade rapidly over time. Data has been collected using an sUAS platform to acquire readings from multiple selected IMUs, and the data is compared against the recorded flight path, GPS data, and developed models. This research will enable future research into creating robust sUAS capable of operating in GPS degraded environments, and make sUAS safer for their integration into the National Airspace.