Real-time kinematic tracking of towed AEM birds

Abstract

In the absence of attitude and altitude sensors directly attached to the bird, helicopter airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data are typically interpreted assuming that the sensor bird maintains a fixed attitude as well as fixed vertical and horizontal offsets relative to the helicopter during survey. Laser altimeters fitted to the bird can be used for measuring bird-height over land, but these altimeters do not necessarily function over seawater, and in this case a fixed vertical offset is subtracted from the helicopter altimetry to estimate the height of the bird above sea level. With current navigation technology, these assumptions could be overcome by incorporating suitable altimetry and navigation sensors into AEM systems. We constructed an airborne testing rig to represent an AEM bird and fitted GPS, inertial navigation, and altimetry sensors to accurately measure bird attitude and height above seawater (as required for bathymetric mapping) during typical and atypical AEM-survey flight conditions. Bird height above sea level was measured with radar and laser altimeters, and was also estimated from the GPS receiver height. Bird attitude was obtained from the inertial navigation unit (INU) data and was compared with attitude data derived from a triangular configuration of three GPS antennas. Each antenna was linked to a pair of GPS receivers to allow comparison between dual-frequency, high-fidelity and single-frequency, low-fidelity measurements.Bird attitude and altimetry measurements were recorded during surveys flown offshore Tickera Bay (Spencer Gulf, SA) and within Broken Bay (Sydney, NSW). These surveys were flown at a maximum altitude of 180 m, with bird roll angles up to about ± 40°. Using dual-frequency GPS receivers, the agreement between heights derived from GPS and laser (radar) altimeter data is typically ~0.3 m (0.6 m). GPS antenna separations computed during flight from measured GPS positions gave agreement to within 0.4% (typically 0.2%) of measured values. The agreement between pitch and roll angles computed from GPS antenna positions and INU measurements was within ~1° and 2° respectively, neglecting the effects of any offsets in the alignment of coordinate axes between the two systems. A comparison of pitch and roll angles obtained from single and dual-frequency GPS receivers showed that the accuracy of pitch and roll angles obtained from single-frequency GPS receivers is generally about ± 2°. The discrepancy in results from the different GPS receivers increases at various points along the flight path. This increase was attributed to a decrease in accuracy in results from the single frequency GPS receivers. Roll and pitch angle profiles show oscillations consistent with harmonic (pendulum) motion of the bird at the end of the tow cable connecting the bird to the helicopter. We recommend the use of inertial navigation interfaced to a single dual-frequency GPS receiver for accurate attitude and position measurements, combined with laser and radar altimetry sensors. The future implications of this study are that we expect to accurately measure attitude and altitude of a towed bird over seawater and that consequently these altimetry and attitude sensors will be implemented on a new helicopter TEM system (SeaTEM) specifically designed for bathymetric mapping.