Autonomous drones rely highly on navigation via GPS. Without it, they become “blind” unless the operator takes control. But against the background of increasing attacks on GPS systems, this poses significant challenges, especially in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, where both sides use various methods of electronic warfare against drones. But one research group decided to use an old but reliable method of navigation for drones — by the stars.
Engineers at the University of South Australia have developed a low-cost prototype system that combines celestial triangulation with visual analysis algorithms for drones used for night flying. The unique feature of this system is that it emits no signals at all, making it immune to modern GPS suppression tools.
As the researchers point out in their paper published in the journal Drones, star navigation is not typically used in drones due to the excessive weight and size of the equipment, as well as lack of accuracy. At the same time, it is one of the few ways to provide global navigation at night over the ocean without relying on satellite systems.
To realize the project, the team created a custom payload including a Raspberry Pi 5 mini-computer along with a monochrome sensor with a wide-angle lens. The device was connected to the drone’s onboard system, where it analyzed the resulting stellar images to determine its location.
“If we identify the stars and compare them to the database, taking into account the orientation of the camera and the time of taking the image, we can determine the exact position of the drone,” explains Samuel Teague, co-author of the study.
During the tests, the drone equipped with this system was able to determine its location with an accuracy of up to 4 km, flying at a constant altitude and speed. Of course, such accuracy is not comparable to GPS, however, the system can be a powerful backup tool in case of failures or interference. It also depends on clear night skies, but researchers plan to improve this technology.
The application of stellar navigation can be useful not only in military operations, but also in long surveillance missions, flying over oceans, and monitoring remote regions. The researchers are confident that their low-cost approach will help improve the autonomy and reliability of drones.
We previously reported on how the military used satellites for navigation and communications.
Provided by Popular Science
