GPS Navigation Research Articles

Navigation and Guidance for Autonomous Quadcopter Drones Using Deep Learning on Indoor Corridors

Autonomous drones require accurate navigation and localization algorithms to carry out their duties. Outdoors drones can utilize GPS for navigation and localization systems. However, GPS is often unreliable or not available at all indoors. Therefore, in this research, an autonomous indoor drone navigation model was created using a deep learning algorithm, to assist drone navigation automatically, especially in indoor corridor areas. In this research, only the Caddx Ratel 2 FPV camera mounted on the drone was used as an input for the deep learning model to navigate the drone forward without a collision with the wall in the corridor. This research produces two deep learning models, namely, a rotational model to overcome a drone's orientation deviations with a loss of 0.0010 and a mean squared error of 0.0009, and a translation model to overcome a drone's translation deviation with a loss of 0.0140 and a mean squared error of 0.011. The implementation of the two models on autonomous drones reaches an NCR value of 0.2. The conclusion from the results obtained in this research is that the difference in resolution and FOV value in the actual image captured by the FPV camera on the drone with the image used for training the deep learning model results in a discrepancy in the output value during the implementation of the deep learning model on autonomous drones and produces low NCR implementation values.

Bridge coating inspection based on two-stage automatic method and collision-tolerant unmanned aerial system

Regular inspection of antirust coating is a vital approach to prevent steel bridges from corrosion. However, most existing coating inspection methods rely on inefficient manual examination with non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments. This study proposes a collision-tolerant unmanned aerial system (UAS) and the corresponding two-stage examination approach for bridge coating inspection. The contributions are as follows: (1) The UAS for coating inspection is designed with unique benefits including collision tolerance, non-GPS positioning, and NDT-based contact inspection. (2) Aiming at the problem that the GPS-based positioning method that existing UASs used is invalid in the close-range inspection for steel bridges because the GPS signal is blocked near steel bridges, a pseudo GPS navigation method using ultra-wideband (UWB) beacon is adopted to provide positioning data for the UAS. (3) To detect surface coating defects and coating thickness information in the inspection, a two-stage coating inspection method combining vision-based detection and contact-based measurement is proposed, in which surface defects of the coating are detected using a lightweight anchor-free network in real-time and then coating thickness around the defected area is measured with NDT method based on magnetic eddy current. The proposed method can detect the surface defects including coating spalling, fading, and hollowing in stage 1, and measure the coating thickness in stage 2. Experiments on an in-service bridge show the measured coating thickness error between the proposed method and manual inspection is less than 5%, which verifies the practicability and high precision of the proposed method.

Smart Watch System

Wearable technology used in daily life is the smartwatch (SW). It has features akin to those of a smartphone and is comparable to a traditional wristwatch. Access to the internet, calling, weather updates, text or video communications, GPS navigation, health and fitness data, etc. are some of these functions. The market for wearable technology and SWs is expanding daily. Smartwatches have a variety of advantages and disadvantages in medical settings. Reviewing the literature on smart watch applications in the biomedical field is the goal of this essay. This document gathers all the data about SW technology in the biomedical industry, as well as relevant journal papers, conference proceedings, web materials, market survey reports, and historical information, in one location. The analysis demonstrates that India has lower SW demand than other nations. Although it is growing over time, the total rate of demand is not what was anticipated. depending on the user's preference. The index keywords and the crucial author keyword have already been supplied. Vosviewer 1.6.16 software is also used to examine the terms in the abstract and title. The characteristics/criteria related to SWs are also included, which aids in the purchase of them. The essay also discusses the issues and flaws that need to be fixed in the current circumstance and various potential solutions for future research projects.

Аналіз навігаційних систем автомобілів як систем автоматизації

У статті зазначено, що в наш час автомобільні навігатори набули широкої популярності, а також викладено особливості застосування глобальних навігаційних супутникових систем як одних із найкращих для функціонування таких навігаторів. Описано історію першої супутникової навігаційної системи — Transit. Крім того, проаналізовано принципи роботи, основні особливості, недоліки, місця розташування і сумісність таких існуючих глобальних навігаційних супутникових систем, як NAVSTAR-GPS, ГЛОНАСС, Galileо, Beidou, QZSS (Michibiki) та NavIC. Зазначено, що найкращі показники роботи пристроїв було отримано при застосуванні глобальних навігаційних систем ГЛОНАСС і GPS. Наведено порівняльні характеристики існуючих типів навігаційних систем автомобілів, зокрема штатних і автономних, і навігаційного програмного забезпечення портативних комп’ютерів і систем. Описано особливості роботи і живлення найчастіше застосовуваної штатної навігаційної системи автомобіля. Висвітлено принцип роботи і будову стандартного автомобільного GPS-навігатора як одного з найкращих. Зазначено також, що серед користувачів найпопулярнішими навігаційними системами вважаються портативний комп’ютер і звичайний смартфон із встановленими навігаційними програмами, докладними актуальними мапами і покроковими інструкціями, на відміну від вбудованих систем. Викладено принцип дії всіх марок автомобільних навігаторів. Значну увагу приділено оцінці переваг і недоліків популярних марок штатних навігаційних систем автомобілів, таких як Garmin, TomTom і Magellan. За результатами проведеного дослідження представлено особливості платних і безкоштовних програм автомобільних навігаторів, які набули популярності серед водіїв автомобілів: Яндекс Навігатор, iGo Primo, TomTom, Waze, Google карти, Автоспутник, OsmAnd, 2ГИС і Sygic Car.

A Review on Multi-GNSS for Earth Observation and Emerging Applications

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has drawn the attention of scientists and users all over the world for its wide-ranging Earth observations and applications. Since the end of May 2022, more than 130 satellites are available for fully global operational satellite navigation systems, such as BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Galileo, GLONASS and GPS, which have been widely used in positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), e.g., precise orbit determination and location-based services. Recently, the refracted, reflected, and scattered signals from GNSS can remotely sense the Earth’s surface and atmosphere with potential applications in environmental remote sensing. In this paper, a review of multi-GNSS for Earth Observation and emerging application progress is presented, including GNSS positioning and orbiting, GNSS meteorology, GNSS ionosphere and space weather, GNSS-Reflectometry and GNSS earthquake monitoring, as well as GNSS integrated techniques for land and structural health monitoring. One of the most significant findings from this review is that, nowadays, GNSS is one of the best techniques in the field of Earth observation, not only for traditional positioning applications, but also for integrated remote sensing applications. With continuous improvements and developments in terms of performance, availability, modernization, and hybridizing, multi-GNSS will become a milestone for Earth observations and future applications.

Highly Energy-Efficient Metaconductor-Based Integrated RF Passives: Metaconductor-Based RF Passives

Human beings are naturally mobile and crave freedom. But, for many years, we were leashed to our office desks/homes to make a long-distance phone call. Finally, in 1973, the first-ever cellular phone call was made by Motorola engineer Dr. Martin Cooper using a handmade prototype device that weighed almost 2.5 lb. As Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant,” and over the past 50 years, cellular phone technology has undergone a drastic makeover where we drifted from a 2.5-lb cellular phone to a 0.4-lb smartphone (an iPhone 13), from typewriters to digital systems like desktops and laptops, and from paper maps to GPS for navigation. Similarly, as shown in <xref ref-type="fig" rid="fig1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Figure 1</xref> , our journey in wireless mobile communications started with 1G with analog data transmission and a data rate at ∼2.4 Kb/s to a full-fledged and operating 4G at a maximum data rate of 1 Gb/s.

Design of a 1.29–1.61GHz LC-VCO with Improved Phase Noise and Figure-of-Merit (FoMT) for GPS and Satellite Navigation

This paper demonstrates a low-phase noise and high FoMT differential CMOS LC-VCO working at 1.29–1.61[Formula: see text]GHz. An RC filter tail current source is used in this design to reduce the second-harmonic oscillation phase noise. The VCO is implemented in 180[Formula: see text]nm process technology. The post-layout simulation results indicate that this proposed VCO operates faithfully in the 1.29–1.61[Formula: see text]GHz band with a frequency tuning range (FTR) of 320[Formula: see text]MHz. By using inversion mode N-MOSFET varactor, the designed VCO obtains 22.06% FTR. The phase noise of the VCO is [Formula: see text]130.21[Formula: see text]dBc/Hz at 1[Formula: see text]MHz offset frequency. It consumes 4.01[Formula: see text]mW average power from 1.3[Formula: see text]V supply. The cell area occupied by the design is [Formula: see text]. Figure-of-merit considering FTR (FoM[Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]194.14[Formula: see text]dBc/Hz at 1[Formula: see text]MHz offset frequency, phase noise and average power consumption. The proposed VCO can be used for low-phase noise GPS and satellite navigation.

Improvement of differentiated fertilizer application technology in the forest-steppe of Novosibirsk Priobye

In the article, the authors presented the results of the experimental work (2019-2021) to study the application of differentiated fertilizer application on cereal crops. Western Siberia is a region with risky conditions for stable grain crop production. Soft spring wheat and spring barley are the primary crops for food and feed. Soft spring wheat and spring barley are also characterized by a high demand for the most important environmental factors, which are highly variable. Current trends in precision farming imply the need for different technological operations. These operations are differentiated both in time and by individual crop rotation fields. At the same time, operations take more fully into account the bio-resource potential of cultivated agricultural enterprises. And these operations also take into account soil and terrain features, which are controlled by the aggregates and their links to technological operations. In the field, the authors used aggregates with differentiated application rates of fertilizers or crop protection products. The yield mapping is an element of precision farming technology. This technology is achieved by signal sensors on combined and onboard computers and GPS receivers during the harvesting period. An accurate map of the field, showing the characteristics of each field section, enables rational resource allocation and increases yields from each section of the field. The availability of digital maps ensures the optimization of fertilizer, seed, and water application to each section of the field. Under the conditions of the JSC Livestock Breeding Farm Irmen, Ordynsiky district, Novosibirsk region, the data are entered into the on-board computer of agricultural equipment going into the field, and innovative control of technological processes in crop production is carried out through GPS navigation. The work aims to improve the technology of the application of differentiated fertilizers to grain crops in the precision agriculture system under forest-steppe conditions in the Novosibirsk region Priobye. The research was carried out in 2019-2021 in the soil and climatic zone of drained forest steppe on leached chernozem at JSC Livestock Breeding Farm «Irmen» on spring wheat varieties Novosibirskaya 31, Licamero, as well as the spring barley variety Paustian. The use of differentiated fertilizer application contributes to an increase in grain yield parameters of spring wheat by 36% and of spring barley varieties by 28%. The study showed that differential fertilizer application contributes to the improvement of grain quality parameters of soft spring wheat.

IMU Aided GPS Based Navigation of Ackermann Steered Rover

GPS signal loss is a major issue when the navigation system of rovers is based solely on GPS for outdoor navigation rendering the rover stuck in the mid of the road in case of signal loss. In this study, a low-cost IMU aided GPS-based navigation system for Ackermann Steered mobile robots is presented and tested to cater to the issue of GPS signal loss along. GPS path is selected and fed using the android application which provides real-time location tracking of the rover on the map embedded into the application. System utilizes Arduino along with the node MCU, compass, IMU, Rotary encoders, and an Ackermann steered rover. Controller processes the path file, compares its current position with the path coordinates and navigates using inertial sensor aided navigation algorithm, avoiding obstacles to reach its destination. IMU measures the distance traveled from each path point, and in case of signal loss, it makes the rover move for the remaining distance in the direction of destination point. Rover faced a sinusoidal motion due to the steering, so PID was implemented. The system was successfully tested on the IST premises and finds its application in the delivery trolley, institutional delivery carts, and related applications.

Self‐Powered Intelligent Voice Navigation Tactile Pavement Based on High‐Output Hybrid Nanogenerator

AbstractImproving the safety and usability of the blind movement is of great significance. The blind navigation system has always been the focus of attention. However, achieving an unconscious interaction and long‐term operation with high navigation accuracy is an urgent challenge. In this study, a distributed self‐powered intelligent voice navigation tactile pavement (SVP) based on a hybrid nanogenerator for blind navigation is reported. More than 4‐s effective output time is achieved under a single instantaneous pressure to the hybrid nanogenerator. The system is integrated with an inertial storage hybrid nanogenerator (ISNG), RF transmitter module, and voice broadcast module. It has the advantages of outstanding navigation accuracy, fatigue resistance (16 000 cycles), temperature stability (−50 to 50 °C), no required operation, and easy fabrication. The SVP may solve the difficulties of GPS navigation delay and lack of map information and realize the accurate identification and feedback of key locations, providing an effective and unconscious interaction navigation strategy for the blind. Integrating the hybrid nanogenerator under the road can provide an energy supply for the construction of the Internet of Things and smart city in the future.

The effect of different mobile uses on crash frequency among young drivers: application of statistical models and clustering analysis

This study focuses on investigating the use of mobile phones among young drivers by employing an online questionnaire survey data. Ordinal logistic regression model was used for modelling the probabilities of crashes due to different uses of mobile phone while driving. Moreover, binary logistic regression models were used for predicting the probabilities of different uses of mobile phone. Logistic regression models revealed that texting and internet use have the same likelihood of causing crashes. Drivers having prior experience of being fined for mobile phone use, also showed a higher tendency to be involved in 2 crashes. Moreover, these drivers had a higher likelihood of being involved in texting, as compared to other uses of mobile phones. Drivers with more education had a higher tendency for internet use during driving. Drivers who use mobile phone for long periods during driving have a lesser tendency to get involved in texting, internet use or GPS navigation. Moreover, drivers with a previous crash record have less likelihood of being involved in texting. The models of this study can be useful in developing effective road safety measures. Clustering was also applied in this study which reinforced the findings of the statistical analysis and models.

"VEHICLE CONTROL SPEED BASED ON GPS MATCHING POSTED SPEEDS/IMAGES "

In this paper we are going to control vehicle maximum posted speed without human interaction. Detecting the speed of the vehi cle is an important aspect for observing speed limitation law and traffic condition. Safety is very important to reduce the occurrence of accidents in speed restricted zones. According to recent surveys an accidents happen near the school zones, hospital zones and sharp turns. The GPS map plays a major role in this research. The Technology includes GPS navigation receiver, GPS computer ,vehicle engine computer, map database ,speed sensor ,video display, image recognition system, Posted speed Board. The vehicle location,longitude,latitude and speed of the vehicle is identified by GPS computer. The database processing facility can be local or remote is managed by GPS computer. The data processing facility processes the GP S data and obtains the location and maximum posted speed of the vehicle. The comparison between the vehicle speed and the maximum Posted speed is performed by th e GPS computer and engine computer, which signals the speedometer to decrease the vehicle speed according to the Posted Speed i f it exceeds the maximum posted speed. RFID is used in tunnels and covered regions where GPS signal cannot be reached. Images recognition is done by Deep Learning and Machine Learning algorithms.

PHOTOGRAMMETRIC 3D MEASUREMENTS IN FORESTS WITH ACTION CAMERAS

Abstract. This paper presents a study of the application of action cameras, such as the GoPro, for the extraction of 3D models in a forest environment. These cameras are very small and can be used by any operator, even in other forestry works, to collect imagery for photogrammetric post processing. The method implemented uses the Structure from Motion approach in order to obtain the 3D model. The model becomes georeferenced by means of the camera positions which are recorded by the camera navigation GPS receiver. The aim of the study is to assess the geometric accuracy of such methodology, especially in relative terms, in the evaluation of object dimensions. Several tests were carried out both in open sky and under trees, with worse conditions for GPS positioning. The results pointed to scale accuracy of around 3%, which may be acceptable for many applications. Accuracy can be improved by using a scale bar of known length placed in the scene. The method is intended to be used in tree measurements for forest inventory or other outdoor measuring.

The use of a random number generator to develop a technique for predicting the departure of quantum clocks

The issues related to the development of models for predicting the divergence of scales of spatially dispersed quantum clocks are considered. The graphs of discrepancies between the scales of the onboard clocks of navigation satellites (NS) GLONASS and GPS relative to the scale of the central synchronizer are given. Mathematical models are proposed for predicting the departure of the onboard clock scales from the CA scale, consisting of three analytical components and an autoregression equation. The first two components analytically define linear and parabolic trends in the divergence of the scales. The third component is represented by a trigonometric polynomial with non-multiple harmonics. The parameters of all three components are estimated using the least squares method (OLS) based on the data of discrepancies in the NS clock scales individually for each NS. The forecast of residual stochastic changes is made using the autoregression equation. To work out forecasting models, it is proposed to use a software simulator of the instability process of quantum clocks.

LEO based Satellite Navigation and Anti-Theft Tracking System for Automobiles

Abstract: GPS and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) are used today in automobile navigation and tracking systems to locate themselves in Four Dimensions (latitude, longitude, altitude, time). However, GNSS or GPS still has its own bottleneck, such as the long initialization period of Precise Point Positioning (PPP) without dense reference network. For navigation, a number of selected LEO satellites can be equipped with a transmitter to transmit similar navigation signals to land users, so they can act like GNSS satellites but with much faster geometric change to enhance GNSS capability, which is named as LEO constellation enhanced GNSS (LeGNSS). This paper focuses on Low Earth Orbit navigation and anti-theft tracking system in automobiles that represents a framework which enables a navigating vehicle to aid its Inertial Navigation System when GNSS or GPS signal becomes unusable. Over the course of following years LEO satellite constellation will be available globally at ideal geometric locations. LEO Satellite aided Inertial navigation system with periodically transmitted satellite positions has the potential to achieve meter-level-accurate location. Keywords: LEO constellation, LEO enhanced GNSS (LeGNSS), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Inertial Navigation System (INS), Precise Orbit Determination (POD)

Using virtual global landmark to improve incidental spatial learning

To reduce the decline of spatial cognitive skills caused by the increasing use of automated GPS navigation, the virtual global landmark (VGL) system is proposed to help people naturally improve their sense of direction. Designed to accompany a heads-up navigation system, VGL system constantly displays silhouette of global landmarks in the navigator’s vision as a notable frame of reference. This study exams how VGL system impacts incidental spatial learning, i.e., subconscious spatial knowledge acquisition. We asked 55 participants to explore a virtual environment and then draw a map of what they had explored while capturing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals and eye activity. The results suggest that, with the VGL system, participants paid more attention during exploration and performed significantly better at the map drawing task—a result that indicates substantially improved incidental spatial learning. This finding might kickstart a redesigning navigation aids, to teach users to learn a route rather than simply showing them the way.

JOINT TRACKING GPS AND LEO SIGNALS WITH ADAPTIVE VECTOR TRACKING LOOP IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract. Navigation from LEO satellites own many merits and attracts increasing popularity recently. In addition to increasing the signal availability, the low signal strength loss and fast satellite geometry change from LEO satellite are particularly appealing in challenging environments. Recently, a few researchers attempt to navigate with non-cooperative signals from LEO satellites with pure phase lock loop (PLL) or frequency lock loop (FLL), while a more practical solution to utilizing LEO navigation is joint positioning with the existing GNSS signals which has not been seriously studied. In this study, we proposed a joint GPS and LEO navigation signal tracking strategy that employs a vector tracking loop (VTL) with fully considering the high dynamic characteristics of the LEO signals. In order to solve the high dynamics problem, the second-order deviation parameters were considered in the extended Kalman filter, which is more adaptive to the non-linear variation of the signal acceleration. In addition, a carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N0) based observation noise determination strategy is employed to adapt different observation conditions. The proposed method was verified with different simulation data and the results indicate the adaptive vector tracking loop is capable of tracking GPS and LEO signals simultaneously and robustly. The benefit is particularly in the weak signal scenarios. The experiment results also reveal that the joint vector tracking loop improves positioning accuracy in GNSS challenging environments.

An in-motion alignment method based on vehicle-carried RINS and GPS

In order to realize the rapid start-up of a vehicle-carried inertial navigation system, this paper studies an in-motion alignment method based on an onboard rotating inertial navigation system (RINS) and GPS velocity information. Working with the rotation characteristics of the RINS, a Kalman filter model was established, that included the installation angles between gyros, the lever arm and the asynchronous time, by measuring the velocity difference between RINS and GPS. Multiple simulations and experimental verifications of the proposed in-motion alignment method have been carried out. The results show that the proposed in-motion alignment method can realize a rapid estimation of platform deflection angle, gyro installation errors, lever arm and the asynchronous time of RINS in the process of motion, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed in-motion alignment method.

Fusion of Information in Indoor Localization Techniques

In this work, a study of location systems in indoor environments is carried out, starting with the measurement techniques used, the different types of methodologies that can be applied to obtain the position of a device, and the technologies most used to solve these kinds of problems. Lately, it has been an expansion in utilizing location-based services, which builds the investigation of this framework. Also, while the outdoor location is substantially more progressed, the indoor location is continually under audit and, by its inclination, requires a lot tighter precision. The indoor environment can lead the communication from global navigation system and GPS system. The ultrawide band and WLAN techniques are many communication protocols those applications need proper techniques to guide indoor environment. The main objective of this article is based on making a review of the state of the art of location systems in indoor environments, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems and analysing the possibility of proposing, from a theoretical point of view, the use of information fusion techniques to improve existing systems. Specifically, the possibility of using a system architecture in which several technologies are merged to achieve a more precise result will be analysed. To compare various existing Indoor Navigational methods advantages, disadvantages, and applications. All proposed Indoor Methods based on the requirement the user utilizes required localization techniques. This article mainly focuses on sensor fusion techniques. Moreover, this research introduces an architecture with different layers based on sensor fusion techniques to smooth indoor navigations. The novel methodology providing efficient outcomes like sensitivity 98.34%, accuracy 97.89%, Recall 96.78% and F measure 96.73%.

Anti-spoofing Kalman filter for GPS/rotational INS integration

The navigation and positioning accuracy of the carrier can be effectively improved through the integrated navigation of GPS and Inertial navigation system (INS). However, signals from GPS satellites are affected by the external environment, which may reduce the positioning accuracy of GPS. More seriously, the GPS receiver may receive spoofing signals, resulting in positioning errors in the integrated navigation. Therefore, an anti-spoofing integrated navigation method is proposed in this paper. The error propagation characteristics of inertial navigation and the prediction estimation value in Kalman filter are used to detect the spoofing. After spoofing detection, credible GPS positioning results are used for Kalman filter as measurements. The method proposed in this paper can effectively improve the accuracy and robustness of integrated navigation. At the same time, it does not need to modify the existing GPS equipment or additional equipment. The effectiveness of the method is verified by simulation and vehicular experiments.