GPS on the Web
Web-based resources on GPS/INS integration Hung Kyu Lee Æ Steve Hewitson Æ Jack Wang
Introduction The global positioning system (GPS) and inertial navigation systems (INSs) have complementary operational characteristics; GPS has long-term stability with a homogeneous accuracy, while the short-term stability of the INS is excellent with high navigation accuracy but the standalone positioning accuracy of INSs deteriorate very rapidly with time. Integrating GPS with INS combines the advantages of each system while mitigating the disadvantages. The result is a robust navigation and positioning with a high data rate of complete navigation solutions (e.g., position, velocity, and attitude) with superior shortterm and long-term accuracy, improved availability, smoother trajectories, and greater integrity. The integrated GPS/INS system has become an indispensable tool for providing precise and continuous position, velocity and attitude information for many positioning and navigation applications, from surveying and mapping to vehicle navigation, guidance and control. There is an extensive variety of websites that are directly or indirectly related to the technologies and applications of GPS/INS integration. This column presents a selection of the publicly available web-based resources on research-based activities for GPS/INS integration. The
selection encompasses those international universities and companies that provide electronic versions of their publications.
Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR), University of Sydney, Australia http://www.acfr.usyd.edu.au This is the website of the ACFR, The University of Sydney, Australia. As navigation is an essential competence of any autonomous vehicle, the ACFR has actively been involved in the development of navigation systems for autonomous vehicles of all types. This website discusses the challenges and the research areas related to INS and GPS/INS integration techniques. Classification of INSs and configuration of IMUs and types of gyrocopes are well documented. Inertial navigation equations are presented to clearly describe the INS navigation algorithm. In addition, the implementation of an inertial navigation software package, developed by the ACFR, in a number of land- and air-based systems are depicted.
This column provides the web-based GPS resources and their technical background information. Its purpose is to inform the reader about the data, software, electronic documents that are available on-line. This column is coordinated by Dr. Jinling Wang, The University of New South Wales, Sydney. Comments and suggestions are appreciated (
[email protected]). In this issue’s column, Dr. Hung-Kyu Lee, Mr. Steve Hewitson http://www.cfm.ohio-state.edu This is the homepage and Mr. Jack Wang introduce the on-line resources on GPS/INS of CFM at Ohio State University. Extensive information integration. on the CFMs ‘‘Airborne Integrated Mapping System’’
Center for mapping (CFM), Ohio State University, USA
Received: 29 June 2004 / Accepted: 7 July 2004 Published online: 5 August 2004 ª Springer-Verlag 2004 H. K. Lee (&) Æ S. Hewitson Æ J. Wang School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia E-mail:
[email protected] Tel.: +61-2-93854208 Fax: +61-2-93137493
project can be found at http://www.cfm.ohio-state.edu/ research/AIMS/3.htm. The proposed system is installed on an aerial platform and incorporates state-of-the-art GPS/INS positioning and imaging technologies (e.g., charge-coupled-device (CCD), infrared, thermal). A list of publications on related topics is provided with a few of the papers available electronically. Lecture slides covering the system architecture, algorithms and performance evaluation results can also be found. Details on the GPSVan project are given at http:// www.cfm.ohio-state.edu/research/gpsvan.php. The GPSVan is the first land-based mobile mapping system in the
DOI 10.1007/s10291-004-0107-5
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world that can map rail, highway and the transportation infrastructure (e.g., roads, signs, and bridges) while travelling at normal traffic speed.
Mobile Multi-Sensor Systems (MMSS) Research Team, University of Calgary, Canada
http://www.geomatics.ucalgary.ca/research/MMSensor The MMSS research team has actively investigated algorithms and metrologies of the integration and optimal combination of multi-sensors for position, locahttp://waas.stanford.edu/research/insIntegration, navigation, attitude determination and GIS applition.htm The GPS Laboratory at Stanford University cations. This website presents the team’s past and current have developed a ‘‘Joint Precision Approach and Land- research projects and publications, addressing the ing System (JPALS),’’ which is a key component to broader areas of novel multi-sensor system theory and enabling US military forces to be highly mobile and applications. The research team has recently proposed capable of ‘‘rapid response’’ on a global basis to a wide innovative algorithms that can improve the positioning range of military scenarios. This webpage describes accuracy of a GPS/INS integration system during GPS features of GPS/INS integration and receiver tracking signal blockage. loop which have been studied for the JPALS development.
GPS Laboratory, Stanford University, USA
Institute of Geodesy and Navigation, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Germany
Position, Location and Navigation (PLAN) Research Group, University of Calgary, Canada
http://plan.geomatics.ucalgary.ca/gpsins.html The PLAN research group has been involved in a large number of research projects on GPS/INS integration for many http://ifen.bauv.unibw-muenchen.de/tmp/research/couyears. This section of the PLAN website provides almost all pling.htm This section of the Institute of Geodesy and Navigation website describes the principles of GPS/ of the publications related to past and ongoing GPS/INS integration projects in pdf-format. INS integration methodologies (e.g., loose, tight, and deep coupling). Sensor components that can be used for GPS/INS integration are also introduced. In addition, documents on the institute’s research projects involving Professor Farrell, Department GPS/INS integration are provided: GPS/INS tight coupling investigations, attitude determination, car navigaof Electrical Engineering, Univertion, railway track irregularity measurement and sity of California, USA airborne vector gravimetry. A variety of other related published papers can be obtained in pdf-format via the http://www.ee.ucr.edu/farrell This is Professor FarResearch Database. rell’s webpage, Department of Electrical Engineering at University of California, Riverside. He has developed and demonstrated a differential GPS/INS system to provide the Institute for Photogrammetry full six degrees of freedom vehicle state information. Final research reports, photos and movies showing vehicle (IFP), University of Stuttgart, control experimental results are provided.
Germany
http://www.ifp.uni-stuttgart.de/forschung/sensor/georefDateien/georef.en.html This is part of the website of IFP, which outlines a research project ‘‘GPS/inertial data in aerial photogrammetry.’’ The research focuses on direct georeferencing based on GPS/INS integration technology. The principles, sensor configuration and benefits of the direct georeferencing technique are introduced. Several flight test results are presented to show the accuracy potential of commercially available high-end integrated GPS/inertial systems in combination with several airborne digital or analogue sensor systems.
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Satellite Navigation and Positioning (SNAP) Group, University of New South Wales, Australia http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/snap/work/theme3.htm Here, the SNAP group’s past and ongoing research activities related to multi-sensor integration are provided, with a great number of pdf-formatted publications by staff and students. They have recently developed
GPS on the Web
and tested an integrated GPS/INS system further augmented with pseudolite technology (i.e., GPS/Pseudolite/ INS integration), which has the potential to provide precise navigation solutions even under harsh GPS operational environments where satellite availability is otherwise insufficient. Several other new research projects related to GPS/INS integration are also underway. These projects include the ‘‘Integration of GPS/Pseudolite/INS to Geo-reference Airborne Surveying and Mapping Sensors,’’ ‘‘Robust Positioning Based on Ultra-Tight Integration of GPS, Pseudolites and Inertial Sensors,’’ and an ‘‘Integrated Positioning and Geo-Referencing Platform.’’ These projects are funded by either the Australian Research Council or Cooperative Centre for Spatial Information (http:// www.spatialinfocrc.org/).
material of GPS/Inertial technologies to publications the company has presented at conferences and published in journals.
Crossbow Technology http://www.xbow.com/Industry_solutions/industry.htm This webpage shows a variety of industry solutions provided by Crossbow Technology, a supplier of inertial sensor systems. These solutions cover fields from aerospace and avionics to civil and structure monitoring.
iMAR GmbH
http://www.imar-navigation.de/englishside/imThis webpage presents the broader areas of Sub-commission 4.1: multi-sensor ar.htm systems and applications provided by iMAR GmbH, Germany. A variety of papers on inertial navigation and GPS systems, International are offered including an informative document that helps Association of Geodesy to select the right inertial measurement system independent from any manufacturer of such systems. The docuhttp://www.ceegs.ohio-state.edu/IAG-SC41/ The subment describes factors that should be considered for commission 4.4: multi-sensor systems, aims to coordinate selecting an inertial system. research and other activities that address the broader areas of multi-sensor system theory and applications, with a special emphasis on integrated guidance, navigation, positioning and orientation of airborne and land-based NAVSYS Corporation platforms. The primary sensors of interest are global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and INSs. The subhttp://www.navsys.com/Papers/index.htm A great commission has three working groups: WG4.1.1 advances number of GPS and GPS/INS integration related papers in inertial navigation and error modelling algorithms, that NAVSYS Corporation has presented and published WG4.1.2 indoor and pedestrian navigation and WG4.1.2 over last 10 years are available here. advances in MEMS technology and applications. This web page provides past and present research activities of the sub-commission and its working groups and links to many Waypoint Consulting Inc. other related sites.
Applanix Corporation http://www.applanix.com/html/ gps_inert_resource.html Electronic (pdf-formatted) GPS and inertial resources are provided by the Applanix Corporation. The documents range from introduction
http://www.waypnt.com/ins.html This section of the website for Waypoint Consulting Inc. provides excellent and detailed information on inertial systems. It begins by defining coordinate frames used in the inertial systems followed by the principles of inertial processing. Finally, the concept of GPS/INS integration including Kalman filtering is explained. Surveying applications and techniques of GPS/INS integration are well documented.
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