Drone navigation in GNSS-denied environments using custom, low-cost radio beacon systems

• Main Author: Asgari, Aref
• Other Authors: Bibeau, Eric (Mechanical Engineering), Isleifson, Dustin (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Ferguson, Philip
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Drone; Navigation; Extended Kalman Filter; Beacons; Optimization; Arctic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/37490

Drone systems are being used everyday for many applications including delivery of goods and surveillance systems, which require a reliable navigation system to allow for a safe and successful mission. Global Navigation Satellite Systems have been the main means of navigation for decades, however, regions with poor GNSS coverage, such as the Arctic or urban centers, are challenging environments to navigate. In this thesis, the design and implementation of a low-cost portable beacon system that can provide position information using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is presented. For the beacon system, an angle beacon prototype and two range beacon prototypes, one based on the received signal strength and the other based on the signal’s time of flight, were developed. The positioning performance of the EKF and beacons system in different scenarios was evaluated using Matlab simulations. The simulation results indicate that the range beacons offered the best positioning performance compared to the angle beacons or a mixture of both. Additionally, particle swarm optimization was used to optimally place an additional range/angle beacon, improving the overall system performance. Finally, the integrated system was tested in indoor and outdoor scenarios and the system output was compared with the ground truth data. The experimental tests resulted in a minimum error of 10.1 cm and 31.8 cm for indoor and outdoor tests, respectively. The steady state error was in orders of ≈ ±25 cm for the indoor tests and ≈ ±40 cm for the outdoor tests. Overall, the custom beacon designs provided reliable performance for drone navigation. With future hardware improvements, the system could be a viable option for low-cost portable navigation systems. October 2023