Navigation Technology of Unmanned Vehicles Based on Electromagnetic Induction

The article deals with the issues of determining the position of unmanned vehicles (UV) in tunnels in the absence of signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and unfavorable operating conditions, such as low light, high humidity, radioactivity and others. The authors proposes a method for navigating unmanned vehicles based on the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. On board the unmanned vehicle there is a high-frequency generator, a radio transmitting unit, a radio receiving unit, an information management system, and under the bearing or supporting surface of the unmanned vehicle propulsion unit there is a single-wire radio transmission line coordinated with the environment by means of an active load. The high-frequency generator transmits high-frequency current to the radio transmitting unit, which excites a single-wire radio transmission line, the single-wire radio transmission line emits a high-frequency radio signal supplied to the radio receiving unit for further conversion by the information management system into electrical control signals of an unmanned vehicle. Magnetic loops or electrical vibrators can be used as radiating antenna from the radio transmitting unit, and magnetic loops or ferrite probe excited by the high-frequency magnetic field of the radio transmission line can be used as receiving antenna. The article deals with the influence of the environment on the processes of radiation and reception of radio signals. Computer testing of the developed method was carried out with using three-dimensional electromagnetic modeling. Electrically small loop antennas located orthogonally were used to transmit and receive the radio signal. It was shown that the phase analysis of the transmission gain in both cases can provide ample information about the direction and deviation rate from the path which is set using the radio transmission line. The results of the study can be useful for the development of navigation systems for unmanned vehicles in conditions of limited availability of signals from GNSS.