Performance analysis of constrained loosely coupled GPS/INS integration solutions

Area of Science:

• Navigation Systems Engineering
• Geospatial Positioning
• Sensor Fusion

Background:

• Loosely coupled integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) is crucial for robust navigation.
• Existing methods face challenges with accuracy and performance during signal interruptions.
• Exploiting external information sources can potentially enhance navigation system performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and evaluate different approaches for loosely coupled GPS/INS integration.
• To assess the impact of incorporating map information on system accuracy.
• To analyze the performance benefits of a constrained solution and a Kalman filter during GPS outages.

Main Methods:

• Error performance calculation using a reference trajectory.
• Development and comparison of a constrained versus an unconstrained GPS/INS integration solution.
• Simulation studies and real-world data analysis to validate findings.

Main Results:

• Performance improvement demonstrated by leveraging additional map information, such as road boundaries.
• A developed constrained solution showed comparable or superior performance to unconstrained methods.
• A Kalman filter utilizing the last GPS measurements significantly benefited performance during GPS outages.

Conclusions:

• Loosely coupled GPS/INS integration can be enhanced using map data and constrained filtering techniques.
• Kalman filtering provides a robust approach to maintain navigation accuracy during GPS signal loss.
• The findings are validated through both simulated environments and practical data collection.