Global Navigation Satellite System Signal Outages Research Articles

Robust Onboard Orbit Determination Through Error Kalman Filtering

Accurate and robust on-board orbit determination is essential for enabling autonomous spacecraft operations, particularly in scenarios where ground control is limited or unavailable. This paper presents a novel method for achieving robust on-board orbit determination by integrating a loosely coupled GNSS/INS architecture with an on-board orbit propagator through error Kalman filtering. This method is designed to continuously estimate and propagate a spacecraft’s orbital state, leveraging real-time sensor measurements from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver and an inertial navigation system (INS). The key advantage of the proposed approach lies in its ability to maintain orbit determination integrity even during GNSS signal outages or sensor failures. During such events, the on-board orbit propagator seamlessly continues to predict the spacecraft’s trajectory using the last known state information and the error estimates from the Kalman filter, which were adapted here to handle synthetic propagated measurements. The effectiveness and robustness of the method are demonstrated through comprehensive simulation studies under various operational scenarios, including simulated GNSS signal interruptions and sensor anomalies.

A Hybrid Algorithm of LSTM and Factor Graph for Improving Combined GNSS/INS Positioning Accuracy during GNSS Interruptions.

In urban road environments, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals may be interrupted due to occlusion by buildings and obstacles, resulting in reduced accuracy and discontinuity of combined GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) positioning. Improving the accuracy and robustness of combined GNSS/INS positioning systems for land vehicles in the presence of GNSS interruptions is a challenging task. The main objective of this paper is to develop a method for predicting GNSS information during GNSS outages based on a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network to assist in factor graph-based combined GNSS/INS localization, which can provide a reliable combined localization solution during GNSS signal outages. In an environment with good GNSS signals, a factor graph fusion algorithm is used for data fusion of the combined positioning system, and an LSTM neural network prediction model is trained, and model parameters are determined using the INS velocity, inertial measurement unit (IMU) output, and GNSS position incremental data. In an environment with interrupted GNSS signals, the LSTM model is used to predict the GNSS positional increments and generate the pseudo-GNSS information and the solved results of INS for combined localization. In order to verify the performance and effectiveness of the proposed method, we conducted real-world road test experiments on land vehicles installed with GNSS receivers and inertial sensors. The experimental results show that, compared with the traditional combined GNSS/INS factor graph localization method, the proposed method can provide more accurate and robust localization results even in environments with frequent GNSS signal loss.

An experimental analysis of outdoor UAV localisation through diverse estimators and crowd-sensed data fusion

Motivated by the challenge of achieving precise 3D outdoor localisation for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-denied environments, this paper introduces an innovative technique. Integrating crowd-sensed data fusion to counter inertial navigation system (INS) drift during GNSS signal outages, the proposed method exploits diverse estimators to enhance its efficacy. A micro lightweight frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar mounted on the UAV captures ground scatterer reflections, processed via fast Fourier transform (FFT) to generate a range-Doppler map. This map facilitates forward velocity estimation during GNSS signal loss. This approach employs adaptive thresholding, image binarisation, and connected components-based techniques for target detection from a computer vision standpoint. The derived radar-based velocity fuses with magnetometer, barometer, and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data using diverse estimators like extended Kalman filter (EKF) and particle filter (PF). Real-time flight data evaluation and simulated outage periods using EKF and PF validate the outdoor localisation system. Experimental analyses demonstrate substantial improvements, enhancing 3D positioning accuracy by 99.89% and 99.83% for the initial and subsequent flights, respectively, leveraging PF to fortify the standalone INS mode during GNSS signal loss. This approach significantly enhances UAV localisation precision, particularly in challenging GNSS-denied scenarios, showcasing the potential for real-world applications.

Automated extrinsic calibration of solid-state frame LiDAR sensors with non-overlapping field of view for monitoring indoor stockpile storage facilities

Several industrial and commercial bulk material management applications rely on accurate, current stockpile volume estimation. Proximal imaging and LiDAR sensing modalities can be used to derive stockpile volume estimates in outdoor and indoor storage facilities. Among available imaging and LiDAR sensing modalities, the latter is more advantageous for indoor storage facilities due to its ability to capture scans under poor lighting conditions. Evaluating volumes from such sensing modalities requires the pose (i.e., position and orientation) parameters of the used sensors relative to a common reference frame. For outdoor facilities, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) combined with an Inertial Navigation System (INS) can be used to derive the sensors’ pose relative to a global reference frame. For indoor facilities, GNSS signal outages will not allow for such capability. Prior research has developed strategies for establishing the sensor position and orientation for stockpile volume estimation while relying on multi-beam spinning LiDAR units. These approaches are feasible due to the large range and Field of View (FOV) of such systems that can capture the internal surfaces of indoor storage facilities.The mechanical movement of multi-beam spinning LiDAR units together with the harsh conditions within indoor facilities (e.g., excessive humidity, wide range of temperature variation, dust, and corrosive environment in deicing salt storage facilities) limit the use of such systems. With the increasing availability of solid-state LiDAR units, there is an interest in exploring their potential for stockpile volume estimation. Despite their higher robustness to harsh conditions, solid-state LiDAR units have shorter distance measurement range and limited FOV when compared with multi-beam spinning LiDAR. This research presents a strategy for the extrinsic calibration (i.e., estimating the relative pose parameters) of installed solid-state LiDAR units inside stockpile storage facilities. The extrinsic calibration is made possible using deployed spherical targets and a complete, reference scan of the facility from another LiDAR sensing modality. The proposed research introduces strategies for: 1) automated extraction of the spherical targets; 2) automated matching of these targets in the solid-state LiDAR and reference scans using invariant relationships among them; and 3) coarse-to-fine estimation of the calibration parameters. Experimental results in several facilities have shown the feasibility of using the proposed methodology to conduct the extrinsic calibration and volume evaluation with an error percentage less than 3.5% even with occlusion percentages reaching up to 50%.

A lightweight odometry network for GNSS/INS integration during GNSS outages

In challenging environments like urban canyons and tunnels, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal can be interrupted. When this happens, the integrated Global Navigation Satellite System/Inertial Navigation System (GNSS/INS) navigation system relies solely on INS, resulting in rapid dispersion of positioning accuracy over time. Incorporating odometer information into a filter algorithm is one potential solution for correcting INS errors and improving navigation accuracy. However, this approach increases the cost and power consumption of the system. To implement an odometer-assisted integrated navigation system without inflating cost and power consumption, we propose a lightweight odometer network, LONet. This network can emulate a wheeled odometer, determine the carrier’s forward velocity using Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) output data, and utilize non-holonomic constraint (NHC) and zero velocity update (ZUPT) to maintain the system’s positioning accuracy. To evaluate the performance of our network, we conducted velocity estimate experiments across different velocity intervals. The results demonstrated that our network requires fewer parameters and produces lower errors in estimated velocity compared to state-of-the-art networks. Furthermore, we integrated LONet into the navigation system to mitigate the effects of GNSS signal outages. The results show that the LONet-assisted integrated navigation system achieved horizontal errors comparable to, and sometimes lower than, those obtained using a real wheeled odometer.

LIDAR SLAM-AIDED VEHICULAR NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR GNSS-DENIED ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract. Typically, in situations where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are unavailable, navigation systems rely on integrating GNSS and inertial navigation system (INS) data. While such integration can provide accurate positioning during short GNSS signal outages, it cannot sustain prolonged GNSS outages. The reason for this is that the system's performance depends solely on the INS and can result in significant errors over time. To address this issue, additional onboard sensors are necessary. This study proposes a navigation system that integrates INS and LiDAR simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) using an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The system was tested using the raw KITTI dataset in various outdoor driving scenarios without GNSS signals. It is shown that the proposed system significantly outperformed the INS-only system, with an average RMSE improvement of around 93% and 58% in the horizontal and the up directions, respectively.

Numerical Analysis of GNSS Signal Outage Effect on EOPs Solutions Using Tightly Coupled GNSS/IMU Integration: A Simulated Case Study in Sweden.

The absence of a reliable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal leads to degraded position robustness in standalone receivers. To address this issue, integrating GNSS with inertial measurement units (IMUs) can improve positioning accuracy. This article analyzes the performance of tightly coupled GNSS/IMU integration, specifically the forward Kalman filter and smoothing algorithm, using both single and network GNSS stations and the post-processed kinematic (PPK) method. Additionally, the impact of simulated GNSS signal outage on exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) solutions is investigated. Results demonstrate that the smoothing algorithm enhances positioning uncertainty (RMSE) for north, east, and heading by approximately 17-43% (e.g., it improves north RMSE from 51 mm to a range of 42 mm, representing a 17% improvement). Orientation uncertainty is reduced by about 60% for roll, pitch, and heading. Moreover, the algorithm mitigates the effects of GNSS signal outage, improving position uncertainty by up to 95% and orientation uncertainty by up to 60% using the smoothing algorithm instead of the forward Kalman filter for signal outages up to 180 s.

IMPACT OF GNSS SIGNAL OUTAGE ON EOPS USING FORWARD KALMAN FILTER AND SMOOTHING ALGORITHM

Abstract. The global navigation satellite system (GNSS) has been playing the principal role in positioning applications in past decades. Position robustness degrades with a standalone receiver due to GNSS signal outage in mobile mapping systems. The GNSS and inertial measurement unit (IMU) integration is used to solve positioning degradation. This article studies the GNSS/IMU integration processing (i.e., forward Kalman filter (KF) and smoothing algorithm) using a single or a network of nearby GNSS reference stations. In addition, we analyze the impact of simulated GNSS signal outage on exterior orientation parameters (EOPs). The outcomes confirm that the smoothing algorithm works better than the forward KF and improves the accuracy for position and orientation in the case when there is no GNSS signal outage. Also, it improves the position and orientation accuracy by about 95% and 60% when there is a 180 second GNSS signal outage, respectively.

Implementation of a MEMS-Based GNSS/INS Integrated Scheme Using Supported Vector Machine for Land Vehicle Navigation

The performance of the integrated global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and inertial navigation system (INS) has been proven to be more accurate, reliable, and continuous than stand-alone systems. The development of micro-electronic mechanical system (MEMS) enables inertial measurement unit (IMU) to meet the low-cost and small-size requirements of vehicular navigation. However, the stochastic error characteristics of the inertial sensors and the instability caused by the GNSS signal outages pose a threat to the MEMS-based GNSS/INS land vehicle navigation system. Within this context, we propose the following two-step GNSS/INS integrated architecture at two levels: 1) enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of MEMS-INS raw measurements utilizing a hybrid denoising algorithm with wavelet transform and support vector machine (SVM) and 2) improving the positioning accuracy by a SVM-based data fusion approach which could predict the accumulated error of the MEMS inertial sensors during the GNSS outages. A rotation platform experiment and a field test were carried out, which suggests that the proposed method can effectively eliminate the stochastic errors of MEMS-IMU, and significantly improve the overall positioning accuracy in land vehicle navigation.

A LSTM Algorithm Estimating Pseudo Measurements for Aiding INS during GNSS Signal Outages

Aiming to improve the navigation accuracy during global navigation satellite system (GNSS) outages, an algorithm based on long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed for aiding inertial navigation system (INS). The LSTM algorithm is investigated to generate the pseudo GNSS position increment substituting the GNSS signal. Almost all existing INS aiding algorithms, like the multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP), are based on modeling INS errors and INS outputs ignoring the dependence of the past vehicle dynamic information resulting in poor navigation accuracy. Whereas LSTM is a kind of dynamic neural network constructing a relationship among the present and past information. Therefore, the LSTM algorithm is adopted to attain a more stable and reliable navigation solution during a period of GNSS outages. A set of actual vehicle data was used to verify the navigation accuracy of the proposed algorithm. During 180 s GNSS outages, the test results represent that the LSTM algorithm can enhance the navigation accuracy 95% compared with pure INS algorithm, and 50% of the MLP algorithm.

Using Regularized Softmax Regression in the GNSS/INS Integrated Navigation System with Nonholonomic Constraints

The integration of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and Inertial navigation system (INS) is widely implemented in land-vehicle navigation applications. However, the satellite signal is vulnerable in some special urban scenarios, consequently errors in terms of position, velocity and attitude grow rapidly in stand-alone mode especially for low-cost MEMS-based INS. In the conventional tight combination navigation schemes, system works on predicting model during the GNSS signal outage and the positioning accuracy is determined by the precision of the inertial navigation. Besides the lack of observation makes the estimate of inertial navigation error with GNSS information less reliable due to the satellite signal loss. In this paper, an improved non-holonomic constraints (NHC) method based on regularized softmax regression is proposed to enhance navigation precision when the number of visible satellite is insufficient. The velocity constraint condition is applied to simplify the system calculating equations of MEMS-based INS. Furthermore, a regularization softmax regression model based on the collected data is trained to recognize the vehicle motion pattern so as to realize deeper constraints. Simulation and field-test results indicate that the method is beneficial to raise the precision of low-cost GNSS/INS integrated navigation receiver by efficiently reduce the navigation errors.

Radar and Visual Odometry Integrated System Aided Navigation for UAVS in GNSS Denied Environment.

Drones are becoming increasingly significant for vast applications, such as firefighting, and rescue. While flying in challenging environments, reliable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements cannot be guaranteed all the time, and the Inertial Navigation System (INS) navigation solution will deteriorate dramatically. Although different aiding sensors, such as cameras, are proposed to reduce the effect of these drift errors, the positioning accuracy by using these techniques is still affected by some challenges, such as the lack of the observed features, inconsistent matches, illumination, and environmental conditions. This paper presents an integrated navigation system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in GNSS denied environments based on a Radar Odometry (RO) and an enhanced Visual Odometry (VO) to handle such challenges since the radar is immune against these issues. The estimated forward velocities of a vehicle from both the RO and the enhanced VO are fused with the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), barometer, and magnetometer measurements via an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to enhance the navigation accuracy during GNSS signal outages. The RO and VO are integrated into one integrated system to help overcome their limitations, since the RO measurements are affected while flying over non-flat terrain. Therefore, the integration of the VO is important in such scenarios. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed system’s ability to significantly enhance the 3D positioning accuracy during the GNSS signal outage.

Vehicle Positioning in GNSS-Deprived Urban Areas by Stereo Visual-Inertial Odometry

Accurate and continuous positioning in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) deprived urban areas is crucial for autonomous vehicles and mobile mapping systems. To achieve this goal, we propose a stereo visual-inertial odometry approach using a multistate constraint Kalman filter (MSCKF). In contrast with the conventional MSCKF, in which an inertial navigation system (INS) propagates the vehicle motion, and then the propagation is corrected by measurements of salient features extracted from images of a single camera, we update the propagation with observations extracted from images of a stereo pair of cameras. This way, additional constraints across the stereo pairs of images are exploited to improve the pose estimation. Experimental results on several KITTI datasets show that the stereo MSCKF outperforms the mono one achieving an average positioning error of 0.9% of the trajectory length compared to 1.3% for the mono approach and 2.5% for INS-only integration. These results show that visual-inertial odometry has a promising potential for vehicle positioning in short periods of GNSS signal outage.

Motion Constraints and Vanishing Point Aided Land Vehicle Navigation.

In the typical Inertial Navigation System (INS)/ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) setup for ground vehicle navigation, measures should be taken to maintain the performance when there are GNSS signal outages. Usually, aiding sensors are utilized to reduce the INS drift. A full motion constraint model is developed allowing the online calibration of INS frame with respect to (w.r.t) the motion frame. To obtain better heading and lateral positioning performance, we propose to use of vanishing point (VP) observations of parallel lane markings from a single forward-looking camera to aid the INS. In the VP module, the relative attitude of the camera w.r.t the road frame is derived from the VP coordinates. The state-space model is developed with augmented vertical attitude error state. Finally, the VP module is added to a modified motion constrains module in the Extended Kalman filter (EKF) framework. Simulations and real-world experiments have shown the validity of VP-based method and improved heading and cross-track position accuracy compared with the solution without VP. The proposed method can work jointly with conventional visual odometry to aid INS for better accuracy and robustness.

A data fusion system of GNSS data and on-vehicle sensors data for improving car positioning precision in urban environments

Accurate car positioning on the Earth's surface is a requirement for many state-of-the-art automotive applications, but current low-cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers can suffer from poor precision and transient unavailability in urban areas. In this article, a real-time data fusion system of absolute and relative positioning data is proposed with the aim of increasing car positioning precision. To achieve this goal, a system based on the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) was employed to fuse absolute positioning data coming from a low-cost GNSS receiver with data coming from four wheel speed sensors, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a steering wheel angle sensor. The bicycle kinematic model and the Ackerman steering geometry were employed to particularize the EKF. The proposed system was evaluated through experimental tests. The results showed precision improvements of up to 50% in terms of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), 50% in terms of the 95th-percentile of the distance error distribution, and 75% in terms of the maximum distance error, with respect to using a stand-alone, low-cost GNSS receiver. These results suggest that the proposed data fusion system for car vehicles can significantly reduce the positioning error with respect to the positioning error of a low-cost GNSS receiver. The best precision improvements of the system are expected to be achieved in urban areas, where tall buildings hinder the effectiveness of GNSS systems. The main contribution of this work is the proposal of a novel system that enables accurate car positioning during short GNSS signal outages. This advance could be integrated in larger expert and intelligent systems such as autonomous cars, helping to make self-driving easier and safer.

Development of GNSS/WSS/YRS integration algorithm for land vehicle positioning

Since the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technique provides precise navigation solutions for a long time, it has been broadly applied for the automotive navigation system. However, the inherent weakness of the GNSS technique is their reliance on the GNSS signal reception environment. To solve this problem, it is necessary to integrate dead reckoning sensors with GNSS positioning technique. Recently, the vehicle dynamic sensors are mounted on the passenger car to improve safety and convenience in driving. Among various vehicle dynamic sensors, wheel speed sensor (WSS) and yaw rate sensor (YRS) can measure the vehicle motion to operate dead reckoning system. In this study, GNSS/WSS/YRS integration algorithm for land vehicle positioning system is developed based on the loosely coupled integration using extended Kalman filter. The performance of the integration algorithm is evaluated based on two test data sets obtained by real test driving by simulating GNSS signal outage. It is found that the proposed algorithm estimates the horizontal positions with meter-level of accuracy when GNSS outage occurs for 30 s. However, the accuracy would be degraded due to irregular road surface so that the study to find additional constraints or integrate with other sensors is necessary in further study.

A Novel GNSS Integrity Augmentation System for Civil and Military Aircraft

This paper presents a novel Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Avionics Based Integrity Augmentation (ABIA) system architecture suitable for civil and military air platforms, including Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Taking the move from previous research on high-accuracy Differential GNSS (DGNSS) systems design, integration and experimental flight test activities conducted at the Italian Air Force Flight Test Centre (CSVRSV), our research focused on the development of a novel approach to the problem of GNSS ABIA for mission- and safety-critical air vehicle applications and for multi-sensor avionics architectures based on GNSS. Detailed mathematical models were developed to describe the main causes of GNSS signal outages and degradation in flight, namely: antenna obscuration, multipath, fading due to adverse geometry and Doppler shift. Adopting these models in association with suitable integrity thresholds and guidance algorithms, the ABIA system is able to generate integrity cautions (predictive flags) and warnings (reactive flags), as well as providing steering information to the pilot and electronic commands to the aircraft/UAS flight control systems. These features allow real-time avoidance of safety-critical flight conditions and fast recovery of the required navigation performance in case of GNSS data losses. In other words, this novel ABIA system addresses all three cornerstones of GNSS integrity augmentation in mission- and safety-critical applications: prediction (caution flags), reaction (warning flags) and correction (alternate flight path computation).

A New Avionics-Based GNSS Integrity Augmentation System: Part 1 – Fundamentals

The aviation community has very stringent navigation integrity requirements that apply to a variety of manned and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operational tasks. This paper presents the results of the research activities carried out by the Italian Air Force Flight Test Centre (CSV-RSV) in collaboration with the Nottingham Geospatial Institute (NGI) and Cranfield University (CU) in the area of Avionics-Based Integrity Augmentation (ABIA) for mission- and safety-critical Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) applications. Based on these activities, suitable models were developed to describe the main causes of GNSS signal outage and degradation in flight, namely: antenna obscuration, multipath, fading due to adverse geometry and Doppler shift. Adopting these models in association with suitable integrity thresholds and guidance algorithms, the ABIA system delivers integrity caution (predictive) and warning (reactive) flags, as well as steering information to the pilot and electronic commands to the aircraft/UAV flight control system. These features allow real-time avoidance of safety-critical flight conditions and fast recovery of the required navigation performance in case of GNSS data losses. This paper presents the key ABIA concepts, architecture and mathematical models. A successive paper will address the ABIA integrity thresholds criteria and detailed results of a TORNADO simulation case-study.