Development of ultra wideband (UWB) based GPSless localization for UAVs

• Main Author: Ji, Tete
• Other Authors: Xie Lihua
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/67862
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Localization information is significant for autonomous operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The commonly used technology for UAV localization is the Global Positioning System (GPS). However, in many applications, such as indoor navigation, GPS signal may not be available and may have limitations in cluttered environment. Therefore, a localization system that does not depend on GPS becomes essential for UAVs. This project is motivated by this concern and focuses on developing a localization system for UAVs in GPS-denied environment based on Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless communication. UWB as a radio technology can provide fast and accurate distance measurement between two devices. To achieve localization purpose, four UWB sensors are fixed in space with known positions, and another one is carried on a quadcopter. The distances between the quadcopter and the four anchors are measured sequentially in real time. Based on the distance measurements and the IMU data of the quadcopter, the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) for state estimation is then implemented to obtain estimated positions of the quadcopter. Simulation and flight testing results have shown that the UWB system is able to provide precise and reliable localization with an accuracy of a few centimeters. Therefore, it is concluded that the UWB ranging technique is a powerful and applicable approach for the localization of UAVs in GPSless environment.