Lightweight hybrid visual-inertial odometry with closed-form zero velocity update

Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) fuses measurements from camera and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to achieve accumulative performance that is better than using individual sensors. Hybrid VIO is an extended Kalman filter-based solution which augments features with long tracking length into the state vector of Multi-State Constraint Kalman Filter (MSCKF). In this paper, a novel hybrid VIO is proposed, which focuses on utilizing low-cost sensors while also considering both the computational efficiency and positioning precision. The proposed algorithm introduces several novel contributions. Firstly, by deducing an analytical error transition equation, one-dimensional inverse depth parametrization is utilized to parametrize the augmented feature state. This modification is shown to significantly improve the computational efficiency and numerical robustness, as a result achieving higher precision. Secondly, for better handling of the static scene, a novel closed-form Zero velocity UPdaTe (ZUPT) method is proposed. ZUPT is modeled as a measurement update for the filter rather than forbidding propagation roughly, which has the advantage of correcting the overall state through correlation in the filter covariance matrix. Furthermore, online spatial and temporal calibration is also incorporated. Experiments are conducted on both public dataset and real data. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution by showing that its performance is better than the baseline and the state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of both efficiency and precision. A related software is open-sourced to benefit the community.^①     

Probabilistic resident space object detection using archival THEMIS fluxgate magnetometer data

Recent progress in the detection of small space objects, at geosynchronous altitudes, through ground-based optical and radar measurements is demonstrated as a viable method. However, in general, these methods are limited to detection of objects greater than 10?cm. This paper examines the use of magnetometers to detect plausible flyby encounters with charged space objects using a matched filter signal existence binary hypothesis test approach. Relevant data-set processing and reduction of archival fluxgate magnetometer data from the NASA THEMIS mission is discussed in detail. Using the proposed methodology and a false alarm rate of 10%, 285 plausible detections with probability of detection greater than 80% are claimed and several are reviewed in detail.     

Real-time sensor fault detection and isolation for LEO satellite attitude estimation through magnetometer data

Attitude estimation is a critical component of the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) of any satellite. It is used to convert the sensor observation data to an estimated attitude using filtering algorithms. However, in the presence of sensor faults, the ADCS fails to achieve the desired attitude accuracy. In this paper, the Fault Tolerant Extended Kalman Filter (FTEKF) is proposed to handle this imperfection. In accordance, various filtering steps are included in the FTEKF design to enhance both attitude estimation and sensor fault detection. The developed algorithm can detect and isolate any unexpected sensor faults in real time, which provides a reliable attitude estimation. A comparative study with the classical and robust Kalman filters is performed through numerical simulations in order to validate the effectiveness of the adopted filter in case of magnetometer fault data.     

Fault detection and isolation in GPS receiver autonomous integrity monitoring based on chaos particle swarm optimization-particle filter algorithm

The receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) is one of the most important parts in an avionic navigation system. Two problems need to be addressed to improve this system, namely, the degeneracy phenomenon and lack of samples for the standard particle filter (PF). However, the number of samples cannot adequately express the real distribution of the probability density function (i.e., sample impoverishment). This study presents a GPS receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) method based on a chaos particle swarm optimization particle filter (CPSO-PF) algorithm with a log likelihood ratio. The chaos sequence generates a set of chaotic variables, which are mapped to the interval of optimization variables to improve particle quality. This chaos perturbation overcomes the potential for the search to become trapped in a local optimum in the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Test statistics are configured based on a likelihood ratio, and satellite fault detection is then conducted by checking the consistency between the state estimate of the main PF and those of the auxiliary PFs. Based on GPS data, the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively detect and isolate satellite faults under conditions of non-Gaussian measurement noise. Moreover, the performance of the proposed novel method is better than that of RAIM based on the PF or PSO-PF algorithm.     

Doppler utilised Kalman estimation (DUKE) of ionospheric delay for satellite navigation

The ionospheric delay experienced by the satellite navigation signals depends upon the Total Electron Content (TEC) and needs to be corrected. While the single frequency receivers always use parametric models to correct this delay, dual frequency receivers, when suffers a loss of lock of one of its signal, also has to resort to these models. Here, an alternative method, based on Doppler, surrogated by range rate variation, has been attempted to estimate the ionospheric delay using a Kalman filter. GPS data have been used for all visible satellites over four days selected around the equinox and solstice with nominal geomagnetic conditions and estimations done in continuous and calibrated modes. Results of continuous estimation, obtained for a mid latitude station, showed moderate accuracy while it was significantly better for the calibrated mode with no seasonal dependence. Estimations done for station within the extent of equatorial anomaly, has not only resulted in relative deterioration in performance, but also shown seasonal dependence. Compared with estimates of Klobuchar model, the Calibrated estimation showed superior performance, conspicuously in the mid latitude station. However, for the continuous mode, performance was at par with the model at higher latitudes but inferior to it in regions within the extent of the equatorial anomaly.     

Remaining useful life prediction of aircraft lithium-ion batteries based on F-distribution particle filter and kernel smoothing algorithm

As an emergency and auxiliary power source for aircraft, lithium (Li)-ion batteries are important components of aerospace power systems. The Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction of Li-ion batteries is a key technology to ensure the reliable operation of aviation power systems. Particle Filter (PF) is an effective method to predict the RUL of Li-ion batteries because of its uncertainty representation and management ability. However, there are problems that particle weights cannot be updated in the prediction stage and particles degradation. To settle these issues, an innovative technique of F-distribution PF and Kernel Smoothing (FPFKS) algorithm is proposed. In the prediction stage, the weights of the particles are dynamically updated by the F kernel instead of being fixed all the time. Meanwhile, a first-order independent Markov capacity degradation model is established. Moreover, the kernel smoothing algorithm is integrated into PF, so that the variance of the parameters of capacity degradation model keeps invariant. Experiments based on NASA battery data sets show that FPFKS can be excellently applied to RUL prediction of Li-ion batteries.     

A new SINS/GPS sensor fusion scheme for UAV localization problem using nonlinear SVSF with covariance derivation and an adaptive boundary layer

The state estimation strategy using the smooth variable structure filter(SVSF) is based on the variable structure and sliding mode concepts. As presented in its standard form with a fixed boundary layer limit, the value of the boundary layer width is not precisely known at each step and may be selected based on a priori knowledge. The boundary layer width reflects the level of uncertainty in the model parameters and disturbance characteristics, where large values of the boundary layer width lead to robustness without optimality and small values of the boundary layer width provide optimality with poor robustness. As a solution and to overcome these limitations, an adaptive smoothing boundary layer is required to achieve greater robustness and suitable accuracy.This adapted value of the boundary layer width is obtained by minimizing the trace of the a posteriori covariance matrix. In this paper, the proposed new approach will be considered as another alternative to the extended Kalman filters(EKF), nonlinear H1 and standard SVSF-based data fusion techniques for the autonomous airborne navigation and self-localization problem. This alternative is based on strapdown inertial navigation system(SINS) and GPS data using the nonlinear SVSF with a covariance derivation and adaptive boundary layer width.Furthermore, the full mathematical model of the SINS/GPS navigation system considering the unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) position, velocity and Euler angle as well as gyro and accelerometer biases will be used in this paper to estimate the airborne position and velocity with better accuracy.     

深空探测航天器巡航段自主导航方法研究

对深空探测航天器自主导航方法进行了研究。为了应对深空探测中航天器轨道动力学模型的误差，在分光计测量航天器相对于太阳径向速度基础上，引入了小行星的视线矢量测量。通过最小二乘法计算出由小行星视线矢量所得到的位置信息，采用改进的信息融合方法修正扩展卡尔曼滤波中不精确的动力学模型造成的状态估计误差。同时计算了模型的能观度，对模型的可观性进行了分析。最后对算法进行了仿真分析，仿真结果表明，该算法对动力学模型的依赖性明显低于其他算法，在相同模型精度下，可获得更好的滤波精度。     

某型无人机数据通信系统设计与实现CSCD

为了实现无人机系统的飞行操纵和机载任务设备控制,设计了数据通信系统。介绍了系统基本工作原理和主要功能组成,并对数据通信系统的功能要求和技术指标进行了分析,按照基本功能单元,对系统软硬件进行了模块化、组合化设计。飞行试验表明该设计达到了系统技术指标要求,满足系统对数据通信系统的功能性要求。     

一种基于ADS-B的降低飞机座舱交通信息显示混乱新方法

提出了一种基于ADS-B的降低飞机座舱交通信息显示混乱新方法。基于ADS-B提供的信息,当飞机座舱显示器接收处理的飞机数据个数多于能够有效显示的飞机个数时,通过计算其它飞机与本机之间航向、距离、高度等参数,过滤与本机关联度较低的部分飞机数据,而不影响系统功能正常实现,从而简化显示界面。该方法被应用于中国民航飞行学院的飞...