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UWB and IMU-Based UAV's Assistance System for Autonomous Landing on a Platform
Aitor Ochoa-de-Eribe-Landaberea1,2, Leticia Zamora-Cadenas1,2, Oier Peñagaricano-Muñoa3
1CEIT-Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Manuel Lardizabal 15, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain.
This study introduces a new drone landing assistance system (LAS) using ultra-wideband (UWB) and sensor fusion. The novel positioning algorithm significantly improves drone location accuracy for safe landings.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Navigation Systems
- Sensor Fusion
Background:
- Safe drone landing is critical for inspection missions.
- Existing landing assistance systems face limitations in accuracy and deployment flexibility.
- Ultra-wideband (UWB) systems offer precise short-range localization but require optimal sensor placement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel landing assistance system (LAS) for accurate drone localization.
- To address the suboptimal UWB sensor placement for drone landing.
- To improve the robustness and accuracy of drone positioning using sensor fusion.
Main Methods:
- Fusion of ultra-wideband (UWB), inertial measurement unit (IMU), and magnetometer data.
- Development of a new positioning algorithm tailored for a 2x2m landing platform with UWB sensors.
- Application of an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for individual tag positioning and subsequent data fusion.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 50% reduction in positioning errors compared to typical UWB landing assistance systems.
- Demonstrated accurate and robust drone localization using the proposed sensor fusion and algorithm.
- Validated the system's performance despite a suboptimal UWB sensor configuration.
Conclusions:
- The novel LAS provides a significant improvement in drone landing accuracy and reliability.
- The system's compact design and easy deployment allow for versatile application.
- This research offers a practical solution for enhancing drone operational safety in various environments.
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