Ubiquitous Positioning Technologies for Modern Intelligent Navigation Systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guenther Retscher ◽  
Allison Kealy

Recently new location technologies have emerged that can be employed in modern advanced navigation systems. They can be employed to augment Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning techniques and dead reckoning as they offer different levels of positioning accuracies and performance. An integration of other technologies is especially required in indoor and outdoor-to-indoor environments. The paper gives an overview of the newly developed ubiquitous positioning technologies and their integration in navigation systems. Furthermore two case studies are presented, i.e., the improvement of land vehicle safety using Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and pedestrian navigation services for the guidance of users to certain University offices. In the first case study the integration of map matching into a Kalman filter approach is performed (referred to as “Intelligent Vehicle Navigation”) and its principle is briefly described. This approach can also be adapted for the pedestrian navigation service described in the second case study.

2013 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyh-Ching Juang ◽  
Chiu-Teng Tsai ◽  
Yu-Hsuan Chen

Beidou is the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) being developed in China, with the aim to provide a global navigation service that is similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Galileo navigation systems. In this paper, it is demonstrated that through the flexibility and re-configurability of a PC-based software receiver in which the baseband operations are realized in terms of software, it is possible to acquire, track, and demodulate Beidou satellite signals even when only a limited amount of information is known. Further, with the Beidou interface control document now available, the proposed PC-based software receiver can be easily adapted to perform navigation functions. This research lays the foundation for the further development of navigation receivers and exploration of multi-GNSS applications.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (13) ◽  
pp. 4390
Author(s):  
Debao Yuan ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Ximin Cui ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
...  

At present, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning technology is widely used for outdoor positioning services because of its high-precision positioning characteristics. However, in indoor environments, effective position information cannot be provided, because of the signals being obscured. In order to improve the accuracy and continuity of indoor positioning systems, in this paper, we propose a PDR/UWB (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning and Ultra Wide Band) integrated navigation algorithm based on an adaptively robust EKF (Extended Kalman Filter) to address the problem of error accumulation in the PDR algorithm and gross errors in the location results of the UWB in non-line-of-sight scenarios. First, the basic principles of UWB and PDR location algorithms are given. Then, we propose a loose combination of the PDR and UWB algorithms by using the adaptively robust EKF. By using the robust factor to adjust the weight of the observation value to resist the influence of the gross error, and by adjusting the variance of the system adaptively according to the positioning scene, the algorithm can improve the robustness and heading factor of the PDR algorithm, which is constrained by indoor maps. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by the measured data. The experimental results showed that the algorithm can not only reduce the accumulation of PDR errors, but can also resist the influence of gross location errors under non-line-of-sight UWB scenarios.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 2450 ◽  
Author(s):  
April Warnock ◽  
Christopher Ruf

In recent years, the use of Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry (GNSS-R) for remote sensing of the Earth’s surface has gained momentum as a means to exploit existing spaceborne microwave navigation systems for science-related applications. Here, we explore the potential for using measurements made by a spaceborne GNSS-R bistatic radar system (CYGNSS) during river overpasses to estimate its width, and to use that width as a proxy for river flowrate. We present a case study utilizing CYGNSS data collected in the spring of 2019 during multiple overpasses of the Pascagoula River in southern Mississippi over a range of flowrates. Our results demonstrate that a measure of river width derived from CYGNSS is highly correlated with the observed flowrates. We show that an approximately monotonic relationship exists between river flowrate and a measure of river width which we define as the associated GNSS-R width (AGW). These results suggest the potential for GNSS-R systems to be utilized as a means to estimate river flowrates and widths from space.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6981
Author(s):  
Marcela Bindzarova Gergelova ◽  
Slavomir Labant ◽  
Jozef Mizak ◽  
Pavel Sustek ◽  
Lubomir Leicher

The concept of further sustainable development in the area of administration of the register of old mining works and recent mining works in Slovakia requires precise determination of the locations of the objects that constitute it. The objects in this register have their uniqueness linked with the history of mining in Slovakia. The state of positional accuracy in the registration of objects in its current form is unsatisfactory. Different database sources containing the locations of the old mining works are insufficient and show significant locational deviations. For this reason, it is necessary to precisely locate old mining works using modern measuring technologies. The most effective approach to solving this problem is the use of LiDAR data, which at the same time allow determining the position and above-ground shape of old mining works. Two localities with significant mining history were selected for this case study. Positional deviations in the location of old mining works among the selected data were determined from the register of old mining works in Slovakia, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements, multidirectional hill-shading using LiDAR, and accessible data from the open street map. To compare the positions of identical old mining works from the selected database sources, we established differences in the coordinates (ΔX, ΔY) and calculated the positional deviations of the same objects. The average positional deviation in the total count of nineteen objects comparing documents, LiDAR data, and the register was 33.6 m. Comparing the locations of twelve old mining works between the LiDAR data and the open street map, the average positional deviation was 16.3 m. Between the data sources from GNSS and the registry of old mining works, the average positional deviation of four selected objects was 39.17 m.


Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Hossein Shoushtari ◽  
Thomas Willemsen ◽  
Harald Sternberg

There are many ways to navigate in Global Navigation Satellite System-(GNSS) shaded areas. Reliable indoor pedestrian navigation has been a central aim of technology researchers in recent years; however, there still exist open challenges requiring re-examination and evaluation. In this paper, a novel dataset is used to evaluate common approaches for autonomous and infrastructure-based positioning methods. The autonomous variant is the most cost-effective realization; however, realizations using the real test data demonstrate that the use of only autonomous solutions cannot always provide a robust solution. Therefore, correction through the use of infrastructure-based position estimation based on smartphone technology is discussed. This approach invokes the minimum cost when using existing infrastructure, whereby Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) forms the basis of the autonomous position estimation. Realizations with Particle Filters (PF) and a topological approach are presented and discussed. Floor plans and routing graphs are used, in this case, to support PDR positioning. The results show that the positioning model loses stability after a given period of time. Fifth Generation (5G) mobile networks can enable this feature, as well as a massive number of use-cases, which would benefit from user position data. Therefore, a fusion concept of PDR and 5G is presented, the benefit of which is demonstrated using the simulated data. Subsequently, the first implementation of PDR with 5G positioning using PF is carried out.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Yuan Xu ◽  
Hao-Miao Zhou

A multiband printed loop mobile phone antenna for LTE/WWAN/GNSS application is presented. It covers seven communication bands (VSWR < 3) and GNSS band (VSWR < 1.5). The so-called GNSS (global navigation satellite system) band includes COMPASS, GALILEO, GPS, and GLONASS. From the analysis of the structure, the coupled-fed antenna mainly consists of three parts: the feeding strip, shorted strip, and U-shaped parasitic coupling strip. The proposed antenna works in three resonant modes, respectively, at 860 MHz (0.25λ), 1620 MHz (0.5λ), and 2620 MHz (1λ). A solution is provided, by which the navigation antenna can be integrated into the communication main antenna to save space. The antenna not only can work in GSM850/900/1800/1900/UMTS2100/LTE2300/2500 bands but also covers the world’s four major navigation systems. Moreover, the proposed antenna can be easily printed on the circuit board without loading any lumped element and only occupies a small volume of 18 × 32 × 3 mm3, which is suitable for smartphone application. In addition, the redundant design of multinavigation system is quite favorable for the elimination of errors or shadow area caused by single navigation system, especially for outdoor investigation, national security, and so on.


2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-155
Author(s):  
Timo Saari ◽  
Markku Poutanen ◽  
Veikko Saaranen ◽  
Harri Kaartinen ◽  
Antero Kukko ◽  
...  

Precise levelling is known for its accuracy and reliability in height determination, but the process itself is slow, laborious and expensive. We have started a project to study methods for height determination that could decrease the creation time of national height systems without losing the accuracy and reliability that is needed for them. In the pilot project described here, we study some of the alternative techniques with a pilot field test where we compared them with the precise levelling. The purpose of the test is not to evaluate the mutual superiority or suitability of the techniques, but to establish the background for a larger test and to find strong and weak points of each technique. The techniques chosen for this study were precise levelling, Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) levelling, which included static Global Positioning System (GPS) and Virtual Reference Station (VRS) measurements. This research highlighted the differences of the studied techniques and gave insights about the framework and procedure for the later experiments. The research will continue in a larger scale, where the suitability of the techniques regarding the height systems is to be determined.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 999
Author(s):  
Yung-Fu Tsai ◽  
Wen-Hao Yeh ◽  
Jyh-Ching Juang ◽  
Dian-Syuan Yang ◽  
Chen-Tsung Lin

The global positioning system (GPS) receiver has been one of the most important navigation systems for more than two decades. Although the GPS system was originally designed for near-Earth navigation, currently it is widely used in highly dynamic environments (such as low Earth orbit (LEO)). A space-capable GPS receiver (GPSR) is capable of providing timing and navigation information for spacecraft to determine the orbit and synchronize the onboard timing; therefore, it is one of the essential components of modern spacecraft. However, a space-grade GPSR is technology-sensitive and under export control. In order to overcome export control, the National Space Organization (NSPO) in Taiwan completed the development of a self-reliant space-grade GPSR in 2014. The NSPO GPSR, built in-house, has passed its qualification tests and is ready to fly onboard the Triton satellite. In addition to providing navigation, the GPS/global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is facilitated to many remote sensing missions, such as GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO) and GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R). Based on the design of the NSPO GPSR, the NSPO is actively engaged in the development of the Triton program (a GNSS reflectometry mission). In a GNSS-R mission, the reflected signals are processed to form delay Doppler maps (DDMs) so that various properties (including ocean surface roughness, vegetation, soil moisture, and so on) can be retrieved. This paper describes not only the development of the NSPO GPSR but also the design, development, and special features of the Triton’s GNSS-R mission. Moreover, in order to verify the NSPO GNSS-R receiver, ground/flight tests are deemed essential. Then, data analyses of the airborne GNSS-R tests are presented in this paper.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Spogli ◽  
Hossein Ghobadi ◽  
Antonio Cicone ◽  
Lucilla Alfonsi ◽  
Claudio Cesaroni ◽  
...  

&lt;p&gt;We investigate the reliability of the phase scintillation index determined by receiving Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals at ground in the high-latitudes. To the scope, we report about the capabilities of recently introduced detrending scheme based on the signal decomposition provided by the Fast Iterative Filtering (FIF) technique. This detrending scheme enables a fine tuning of the cutoff frequency for phase detrending used in the phase scintillation index definition, aimed at disentangling diffraction and refraction effects. On a single case study based on GPS and Galileo data taken by a GNSS Ionospheric Scintillation Monitor Receiver (ISMR) in Concordia Station (Antarctica), we show how the FIF-based detrending allows deriving adaptive cutoff frequencies, whose value changes minute-by-minute. They are found to range between 0.4 Hz and 1.2 Hz. This allows better accounting for diffractive effects in phase scintillation index calculation and also showing the limitations on the use of such index, being still widely used in the community, both to characterize the features of ionospheric irregularities and to adopt mitigation solutions.&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alton Yeung

A small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was developed with the specific objective to explore atmospheric wind gusts at low altitudes within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). These gusts have major impacts on the flight characteristics and performance of modern small unmanned aerial vehicles. Hence, this project was set to investigate the power spectral density of gusts observed at low altitudes by measuring the gusts with an aerial platform. The small UAV carried an air-data system including a fivehole probe that was adapted for this specific application. The air-data system measured the local wind gusts with an accuracy of 0.5 m/s by combining inputs from a five-hole probe, an inertial measurement unit, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. Over 20 flights were performed during the development of the aerial platform. Airborne experiments were performed to collect gust data at low altitudes between 50 m and 100 m. The result was processed into turbulence spectrum and the measurements were compared with the MIL-HDBK-1797 von K´arm´an turbulence model and the results have shown the model underpredicted the gust intensities experienced by the flight vehicle. The anisotropic properties of low-altitude turbulence were also observed when analyzing the measured gusts spectra. The wind and gust data collected are useful for verifying the existing turbulence models for low-altitude flights and benefit the future development of small UAVs in windy environment.


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