Potential Cyber Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Protections of Unmanned Vehicles

Tools And Techniques

This study seeks to contribute to the literature by presenting a discussion of potential cyber risks and precautionary measures concerning unmanned vehicles as a whole. In this study, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing, jamming, password cracking, Denial-of-Service (DoS), injecting malware, and modification of firmware are identified as potential cyberattack methods against unmanned vehicles. Potential deterrents against the aforementioned cyberattack methods are suggested as well. Illustrations of such safeguards include creating an architecture of the multi-agent system, using solid-state storage components, applying distributed programming tools and techniques, implementing sophisticated encryption techniques for data storage and transmission, deploying additional sensors and systems, and comparing the data received from different sensors.

Virtual Electronic Aids to Navigation for Remote and Ecologically Sensitive Regions

Journal of Navigation ◽

10.1017/s0373463316000527 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 225-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

R. Glenn Wright ◽

Michael Baldauf

Keyword(s):

Denial Of Service ◽

Satellite System ◽

The Arctic ◽

Automatic Identification ◽

Identification System ◽

Digital Information ◽

Hostile Environment ◽

Ship Navigation ◽

Potential Methods ◽

Vessel traffic in the Arctic is expanding in volume both within and transiting the region, yet the infrastructure necessary to support modern ship navigation is lacking. This includes aids to navigation such as buoys and beacons that can be difficult to place and maintain in this hostile environment that stretches across vast distances. The results of research are described which determine whether virtual electronic Aids to Navigation (eAtoN) existing entirely as digital information objects can overcome the practical limitations of physical aids to navigation (AtoN) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) radio eAtoN. Capabilities unique to virtual eAtoN that are not available using either physical or AIS radio technologies are also examined including dynamic and real time properties and immunity to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and AIS spoofing, aliasing, denial of service attacks and service outages. Conclusions are provided describing potential methods of deployment based upon similar concepts already in use.

GNSS-based operational monitoring devices for forest logging operation chains

Journal of Agricultural Engineering ◽

10.4081/jae.2013.269 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (2s) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Raimondo Gallo ◽

Stefano Grigolato ◽

Raffaele Cavalli ◽

Fabrizio Mazzetto

Keyword(s):

Data Storage ◽

Data Communication ◽

Satellite System ◽

Time Study ◽

Forest Operations ◽

Operational Monitoring ◽

Additional Information ◽

First Results ◽

Gnss Data

The first results of a new approach for implementing operational monitoring tool to control the performance of forest mechanisation chains are proposed and discussed. The solution is based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) tools that are the core of a datalogging system that, in combination with a specific inference-engine, is able to analyse process times, work distances, forward speeds, vehicle tracking and number of working cycles in forest operations. As a consequence the operational monitoring control methods could provide an evaluation of the efficiency of the investigated forest operations. The study has monitored the performance of a tower yarder with crane and processor-head, during logging operations. The field surveys consisted on the installation of the GNSS device directly on the forest equipment for monitoring its movements. Simultaneously the field survey considered the integration of the GNSS information with a time study of work elements based on the continuous time methods supported by a time study board. Additionally, where possible, the onboard computer of the forest machine was also used in order to obtain additional information to be integrated to the GNSS data and the time study. All the recorded GNSS data integrated with the work elements study were thus post-processed through GIS analysis. The preliminary overview about the application of this approach on harvesting operations has permitted to assess a good feasibility of the use of GNSS in the relief of operative times in high mechanised forest chains. Results showed an easy and complete identification of the different operative cycles and elementary operations phases, with a maximum difference between the two methodologies of 10.32%. The use of GNSS installed on forest equipment, integrated with the inferenceengine and also with an interface for data communication or data storage, will permit an automatic or semi-automatic operational monitoring, improving the quantity of data and reducing the engagement of the surveyor.

Analysis of GNSS, Hydroacoustic and Optoelectronic Data Integration Methods Used in Hydrography

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21237831 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (23) ◽

pp. 7831

Author(s):

Oktawia Lewicka ◽

Mariusz Specht ◽

Andrzej Stateczny ◽

Cezary Specht ◽

David Brčić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Integration ◽

Laser Scanning ◽

Satellite System ◽

Unmanned Vehicles ◽

Geospatial Data ◽

Integration Methods ◽

Spatial Reference ◽

Study Results ◽

Fusion Methods ◽

The integration of geospatial data in hydrography, performed using different measurement systems, involves combining several study results to provide a comprehensive analysis. Each of the hydroacoustic and optoelectronic systems is characterised by a different spatial reference system and the method for technical implementation of the measurement. Therefore, the integration of hydrographic data requires that problems in selected fields of electronics, geodesy and physics (acoustics and optics) be solved. The aim of this review is to present selected fusion methods applying the data derived from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Real Time Kinematic (RTK) measurements, hydrographic surveys, a photogrammetric pass using unmanned vehicles and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and compare their accuracy. An additional goal is the evalution of data integration methods according to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) S-44 standard. The publication is supplemented by implementation examples of the integration of geospatial data in the Geographic Information System (GIS). The methods described indicate the lack of a uniform methodology for data fusion due to differences in both the spatial reference systems and the techniques used. However, the integration of hydroacoustic and optoelectronic data allows for high accuracy geospatial data to be obtained. This is confirmed by the methods cited, in which the accuracy of integrated geospatial data was in the order of several centimetres.

GPS Week Number Rollover Timestamp Complement

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21237826 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (23) ◽

pp. 7826

Author(s):

Majdi K. Qabalin ◽

Muawya Naser ◽

Wafa M. Hawajreh ◽

Saja Abu-Zaideh

Keyword(s):

Mathematical Model ◽

Open Systems ◽

Satellite System ◽

Transport Layer ◽

Fleet Management ◽

Raw Data ◽

Open Systems Interconnection ◽

Precautionary Measures ◽

Tracking Devices

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a global navigation satellite system and the most common satellite system used in navigation and tracking devices. The phenomenon of week number rollover happened recently—a year ago—due to a design limitation in the week number variable that counting weeks which causes vast losses. As many fleet management systems depend on GPS raw data, such systems stopped working due to inaccurate data provided by GPS receivers. In this paper, we propose a technical and mathematical analysis for the GPS week number rollover phenomenon and suggest a solution to avoid the resulting damage to other subsystems that depend on the GPS device’s raw data. In addition, this paper seeks to provide precautionary measures to deal with the problem proactively. The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI) and transport layer level solution that has been suggested depends on a TCP packet reforming tool that re-formats the value of the week number according to a mathematical model based on a timestamp complement. At the level of the database, a solution is also suggested which uses triggers. A hardware-level solution is suggested by applying a timestamp complement over the GPS internal controller. Complete testing is applied for all suggested solutions using actual data provided by Traklink—a leading company in navigation and fleet management solutions. After testing, it is evident that the transport layer level solution was the most effective in terms of speed, efficiency, accuracy, cost, and complexity. Applying a transport layer level complement mathematical model can fix the consequences of GPS week number rollover and provide stability to all subsystems that used GPS data from infected devices.

The characteristics of transforming coordinates from the geocentric system WGS-84 for the Mercator projection under low latitudes conditions

Geodesy and Cartography ◽

10.22389/0016-7126-2018-940-10-2-6 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 940 (10) ◽

pp. 2-6

Author(s):

J.A. Younes ◽

M.G. Mustafin

Keyword(s):

Coordinate System ◽

Satellite System ◽

Programming Algorithm ◽

Low Latitude ◽

Model Calculations ◽

Mercator Projection ◽

Low Latitudes ◽

Rectangular Coordinates ◽

Coordination Methods

The issue of calculating the plane rectangular coordinates using the data obtained by the satellite observations during the creation of the geodetic networks is discussed in the article. The peculiarity of these works is in conversion of the coordinates into the Mercator projection, while the plane coordinate system on the base of Gauss-Kruger projection is used in Russia. When using the technology of global navigation satellite system, this task is relevant for any point (area) of the Earth due to a fundamentally different approach in determining the coordinates. The fact is that satellite determinations are much more precise than the ground coordination methods (triangulation and others). In addition, the conversion to the zonal coordinate system is associated with errors; the value at present can prove to be completely critical. The expediency of using the Mercator projection in the topographic and geodetic works production at low latitudes is shown numerically on the basis of model calculations. To convert the coordinates from the geocentric system with the Mercator projection, a programming algorithm which is widely used in Russia was chosen. For its application under low-latitude conditions, the modification of known formulas to be used in Saudi Arabia is implemented.

Detecting Apples in the Wild: Potential for Harvest Quantity Estimation

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13148054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 8054

Author(s):

Artur Janowski ◽

Rafał Kaźmierczak ◽

Cezary Kowalczyk ◽

Jakub Szulwic

Keyword(s):

Image Analysis ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Production Management ◽

Satellite System ◽

Morphological Operations ◽

Computational Performance ◽

Analysis Methods ◽

Manual Counting ◽

In The Wild ◽

Knowing the exact number of fruits and trees helps farmers to make better decisions in their orchard production management. The current practice of crop estimation practice often involves manual counting of fruits (before harvesting), which is an extremely time-consuming and costly process. Additionally, this is not practicable for large orchards. Thanks to the changes that have taken place in recent years in the field of image analysis methods and computational performance, it is possible to create solutions for automatic fruit counting based on registered digital images. The pilot study aims to confirm the state of knowledge in the use of three methods (You Only Look Once—YOLO, Viola–Jones—a method based on the synergy of morphological operations of digital imagesand Hough transformation) of image recognition for apple detecting and counting. The study compared the results of three image analysis methods that can be used for counting apple fruits. They were validated, and their results allowed the recommendation of a method based on the YOLO algorithm for the proposed solution. It was based on the use of mass accessible devices (smartphones equipped with a camera with the required accuracy of image acquisition and accurate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning) for orchard owners to count growing apples. In our pilot study, three methods of counting apples were tested to create an automatic system for estimating apple yields in orchards. The test orchard is located at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. The tests were carried out on four trees located in different parts of the orchard. For the tests used, the dataset contained 1102 apple images and 3800 background images without fruits.

GPS-BDS-Galileo double-differenced stochastic model refinement based on least-squares variance component estimation

Journal of Navigation ◽

10.1017/s0373463321000564 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Hong Hu ◽

Xuefeng Xie ◽

Jingxiang Gao ◽

Shuanggen Jin ◽

Peng Jiang

Keyword(s):

Stochastic Model ◽

Least Squares ◽

Stochastic Models ◽

Variance Component ◽

Satellite System ◽

Variance Component Estimation ◽

Short Baseline ◽

Component Estimation ◽

Zero Baseline ◽

Abstract Stochastic models are essential for precise navigation and positioning of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). A stochastic model can influence the resolution of ambiguity, which is a key step in GNSS positioning. Most of the existing multi-GNSS stochastic models are based on the GPS empirical model, while differences in the precision of observations among different systems are not considered. In this paper, three refined stochastic models, namely the variance components between systems (RSM1), the variances of different types of observations (RSM2) and the variances of observations for each satellite (RSM3) are proposed based on the least-squares variance component estimation (LS-VCE). Zero-baseline and short-baseline GNSS experimental data were used to verify the proposed three refined stochastic models. The results show that, compared with the traditional elevation-dependent model (EDM), though the proposed models do not significantly improve the ambiguity resolution success rate, the positioning precision of the three proposed models has been improved. RSM3, which is more realistic for the data itself, performs the best, and the precision at elevation mask angles 20°, 30°, 40°, 50° can be improved by 4⋅6%, 7⋅6%, 13⋅2%, 73⋅0% for L1-B1-E1 and 1⋅1%, 4⋅8%, 16⋅3%, 64⋅5% for L2-B2-E5a, respectively.

Investigation of Pre-Earthquake Ionospheric and Atmospheric Disturbances for Three Large Earthquakes in Mexico

Geosciences ◽

10.3390/geosciences11010016 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 16

Author(s):

Christina Oikonomou ◽

Haris Haralambous ◽

Sergey Pulinets ◽

Aakriti Khadka ◽

Shukra R. Paudel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Potential ◽

Atmospheric Model ◽

Satellite System ◽

Seismic Events ◽

Electron Content ◽

Total Electron ◽

Atmospheric Disturbances ◽

Global Ionospheric Maps ◽

Large Earthquakes

The purpose of the present study is to investigate simultaneously pre-earthquake ionospheric and atmospheric disturbances by the application of different methodologies, with the ultimate aim to detect their possible link with the impending seismic event. Three large earthquakes in Mexico are selected (8.2 Mw, 7.1 Mw and 6.6 Mw during 8 and 19 September 2017 and 21 January 2016 respectively), while ionospheric variations during the entire year 2017 prior to 37 earthquakes are also examined. In particular, Total Electron Content (TEC) retrieved from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) networks and Atmospheric Chemical Potential (ACP) variations extracted from an atmospheric model are analyzed by performing statistical and spectral analysis on TEC measurements with the aid of Global Ionospheric Maps (GIMs), Ionospheric Precursor Mask (IPM) methodology and time series and regional maps of ACP. It is found that both large and short scale ionospheric anomalies occurring from few hours to a few days prior to the seismic events may be linked to the forthcoming events and most of them are nearly concurrent with atmospheric anomalies happening during the same day. This analysis also highlights that even in low-latitude areas it is possible to discern pre-earthquake ionospheric disturbances possibly linked with the imminent seismic events.

Estimation of fractional cycle bias for GPS/BDS-2/Galileo based on international GNSS monitoring and assessment system observations using the uncombined PPP model

Satellite Navigation ◽

10.1186/s43020-021-00039-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jin Wang ◽

Qin Zhang ◽

Guanwen Huang

Keyword(s):

Estimation Method ◽

Satellite Orbit ◽

Satellite System ◽

Assessment System ◽

Navigation Satellite ◽

Dual Frequency ◽

Fractional Cycle Bias ◽

The Stability ◽

High Consistency ◽

AbstractThe Fractional Cycle Bias (FCB) product is crucial for the Ambiguity Resolution (AR) in Precise Point Positioning (PPP). Different from the traditional method using the ionospheric-free ambiguity which is formed by the Wide Lane (WL) and Narrow Lane (NL) combinations, the uncombined PPP model is flexible and effective to generate the FCB products. This study presents the FCB estimation method based on the multi-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) precise satellite orbit and clock corrections from the international GNSS Monitoring and Assessment System (iGMAS) observations using the uncombined PPP model. The dual-frequency raw ambiguities are combined by the integer coefficients (4,− 3) and (1,− 1) to directly estimate the FCBs. The details of FCB estimation are described with the Global Positioning System (GPS), BeiDou-2 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-2) and Galileo Navigation Satellite System (Galileo). For the estimated FCBs, the Root Mean Squares (RMSs) of the posterior residuals are smaller than 0.1 cycles, which indicates a high consistency for the float ambiguities. The stability of the WL FCBs series is better than 0.02 cycles for the three GNSS systems, while the STandard Deviation (STD) of the NL FCBs for BDS-2 is larger than 0.139 cycles. The combined FCBs have better stability than the raw series. With the multi-GNSS FCB products, the PPP AR for GPS/BDS-2/Galileo is demonstrated using the raw observations. For hourly static positioning results, the performance of the PPP AR with the three-system observations is improved by 42.6%, but only 13.1% for kinematic positioning results. The results indicate that precise and reliable positioning can be achieved with the PPP AR of GPS/BDS-2/Galileo, supported by multi-GNSS satellite orbit, clock, and FCB products based on iGMAS.

Improving DGNSS Performance through the Use of Network RTK Corrections

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13091621 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1621

Author(s):

Duojie Weng ◽

Shengyue Ji ◽

Yangwei Lu ◽

Wu Chen ◽

Zhihua Li

Keyword(s):

Carrier Phase ◽

Local Area ◽

Satellite System ◽

High Accuracy ◽

Single Frequency ◽

Baseline Length ◽

Low Latitude ◽

Phase Measurements ◽

Network Rtk ◽

The differential global navigation satellite system (DGNSS) is an enhancement system that is widely used to improve the accuracy of single-frequency receivers. However, distance-dependent errors are not considered in conventional DGNSS, and DGNSS accuracy decreases when baseline length increases. In network real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning, distance-dependent errors are accurately modelled to enable ambiguity resolution on the user side, and standard Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) formats have also been developed to describe the spatial characteristics of distance-dependent errors. However, the network RTK service was mainly developed for carrier-phase measurements on professional user receivers. The purpose of this study was to modify the local-area DGNSS through the use of network RTK corrections. Distance-dependent errors can be reduced, and accuracy for a longer baseline length can be improved. The results in the low-latitude areas showed that the accuracy of the modified DGNSS could be improved by more than 50% for a 17.9 km baseline during solar active years. The method in this paper extends the use of available network RTK corrections with high accuracy to normal local-area DGNSS applications.