To fulfill the need for a cm-accurate non-RF reference system, we propose to develop an Optical Precision Reference system for UHARS (UHARS-OPR). The system will be designed and implemented to be compatible with the existing UHARS/SPIDER environment and, as a result, streamline the development process, improve the maintainability, and increase mission effectiveness while maximizing return on investment for the Government. The system will consist of two complimentary modules: a precision Laser-coded Environmental Absolute Positioning (LEAP) module and a passive, Optical Precision-reference Tool Kit (OPTK). These modules are designed to cooperatively observe environmental landmarks to determine highly-accurate position and attitude information. In order to provide the maximum mission flexibility, both modules use a seamless combination of pre-surveyed reference landmarks and landmarks of opportunity.
Benefits: The sensor-fusion mechanization proposed herein has significant commercialization potential for both military and commercial applications. A non-RF reference system for Air Force Test Center (AFTC) ranges is an example military commercialization direction that we will pursue. Commercialization for other military applications such as navigation of autonomous aerial vehicles (UAV) in GPS-denied environments will be pursued in collaboration with Honeywell whose support letter is included at the end of the proposal. For the private sector, the largest commercialization potential will be realized by applying the positioning technology for automotive safety applications for driving scenarios where GPS and GNSS signals are challenged or denied due to man-made and natural obstacles such as urban canyons and dense tree canopies.
Keywords: laser navigation, inertial navigation, image navigation, vision navigation, sensor fusion
