Development and Flight Test of a Robust Optical-Inertial Navigation System Using Low-Cost Sensors

<p>This report develops and tests a precision navigation algorithm fusing optical and inertial measurements.This algorithm provides an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) as a precision navigation sourceenabling navigation in GPS denied environments using low-cost sensors and equipment.A rigorous study of the fundamental nature of optical/inertial navigation is accomplished through theexamination of the observability grammian of the underlying measurement equations. Through this analysis a set ofprinciples of design are proposed guiding the development of a navigation algorithm. An algorithm titled theSimultaneous Location Aiding And Mapping Recursively (SLAAMR) is thus described incorporating theseprinciples of design an extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and a Simultaneous Location And Mapping (SLAM) process.The SLAAMR algorithm is designed to provide robust navigation performance in realistic full scale environments ata low cost.The principles of design and the SLAAMR algorithm are tested and evaluated using data collected at theUnited States Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS). A full-scale aircraft flying operationally representativeparameters and profiles was used to collect the data and was correlated with highly precise Time Space PositionInformation (TSPI) truth data for validation and evaluation purposes.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>