Towards Improved Inertial Navigation by Reducing Errors Using Deep Learning Methodology

A Novel Ranging and IMU-Based Method for Relative Positioning of Two-MAV Formation in GNSS-Denied Environments

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) with weak anti-jamming capability are vulnerable to intentional or unintentional interference, resulting in difficulty providing continuous, reliable, and accurate positioning information in complex environments. Especially in GNSS-denied environments, relying solely on the onboard Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) of the Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) for positioning is not practical. In this paper, we propose a novel cooperative relative positioning method for MAVs in GNSS-denied scenarios. Specifically, the system model framework is first constructed, and then the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm, which is introduced for its ability to handle nonlinear systems, is employed to fuse inter-vehicle ranging and onboard IMU information, achieving joint position estimation of the MAVs. The proposed method mainly addresses the problem of error accumulation in the IMU and exhibits high accuracy and robustness. Additionally, the method is capable of achieving relative positioning without requiring an accurate reference anchor. The system observability conditions are theoretically derived, which means the system positioning accuracy can be guaranteed when the system satisfies the observability conditions. The results further demonstrate the validity of the system observability conditions and investigate the impact of varying ranging errors on the positioning accuracy and stability. The proposed method achieves a positioning accuracy of approximately 0.55 m, which is about 3.89 times higher than that of an existing positioning method.

Multi-Sensor Fusion for Lateral Vehicle Localization in Tunnels

The satellite navigation signal in the tunnel is weak, and it is difficult to achieve accurate lateral positioning in complex conditions such as low-speed congestion by relying solely on inertial navigation or line image recognition, which is one of the problems of automatic driving at present. In this paper, a lane-level location method based on multi-sensor fusion is proposed. Using the machine vision method, detecting lane lines with the monocular camera, and fitting the lane lines to determine the driving status of the vehicle based on the lane line information. The top view of the lane line is taken by the binocular camera, and the distance of the vehicle from the lane line and the width of the lane are calculated from the pictures taken by the binocular camera. Obtaining the heading angle information of the vehicle using the gyroscope in inertial navigation and the distance information of the vehicle using the odometer. When a car changes lanes or overtakes, the new lane the vehicle is in is calculated by calculating the difference in heading angle and combining it with the lane width and odometer information so as to complete the lateral positioning of the vehicle. The simulation results show that the algorithm has high lateral positioning accuracy. The positioning accuracy is less affected by the drift of inertial elements, and the error will not accumulate.