Robust Positioning of Unmanned Vehicles with the Application of Satellite Measurements and Digital Path Model Data

A new approach to the processing of satellite navigation measurements for the stable positioning of unmanned vehicles moving along program trajectories under conditions of interference is proposed. Modern methods of processing noisy satellite measurements mainly use various modifications of the least squares method, providing stability and the required positioning accuracy, as a rule, for stationary objects. At the same time, application of stochastic filtration theory methods that take into account both the dynamics of the object’s movement, and the presence of object disturbances and measurement noise are the most effective methods to assess the state of highly dynamic unmanned vehicles operating under conditions of uncertain disturbances. In this regard, the proposed approach to the positioning of unmanned vehicles is based on the application of nonlinear stochastic filtering methods, in particular, the robust nonlinear filtration method considered in the article that ensures the stability of the positioning process. At the same time, it is proposed to use digital path model to increase the accuracy of positioning an unmanned vehicle. This model is formed on the basis of high-precision geodetic measurements and providing the ability of approximation with the required accuracy of the program trajectory of the unmanned vehicle by a set of orthodromic trajectory intervals, which have an analytical relationship of the spatial coordinates of the object. This, in turn, ensures high positioning accuracy and a sharp reduction in computing costs. In general, the fusion of digital path model information and robust stochastic filtering algorithms for processing noisy satellite measurements has ensured both the stability of the process of estimating the current coordinates of an unmanned vehicle and a sharp reduction in computational costs compared with known methods of processing satellite measurement. The efficiency of the proposed method is shown by a numerical example.