A low-cost and fail-safe inertial navigation system for airplanes

Stefan Leutenegger, Roland Y. Siegwart

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

A typical Inertial Navigation System (INS) fuses acceleration and angular rate readings with aiding measurements obtained by GPS and a compass. Here we present a robust state estimation framework based on the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) applied to low-cost electronics typically installed on-board small unmanned airplanes. It uses airspeed measurements as a backup operation mode replacing GPS updates when temporarily unavailable. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach to real-world scenarios using a challenging dataset recorded on-board a manned glider including long-term circling. A comparison between the normal operation mode and the backup solution reveals minimal difference between the respective orientation estimates, a position error growth sub-linear with time during GPS outage and a seamless transition back to GPS-based operation.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2012
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages612-618
Number of pages7
ISBN (Print)9781467314039
DOIs
StatePublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes
Event 2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2012 - Saint Paul, MN, United States
Duration: 14 May 201218 May 2012

Publication series

NameProceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
ISSN (Print)1050-4729

Conference

Conference 2012 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySaint Paul, MN
Period14/05/1218/05/12

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