Development of a precise and robust INS/GPS navigation system using low cost MEMS sensors dedicated to autonomous multirotor applications

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) became increasingly more popular since the global industry realized the unlimited possible applications assignable to these vehicles for reasonable costs. In this way, the company ARA Robotique designs flight controllers for multi-rotors UAVs that need accurate positions, velocities and attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) knowledge. This project focuses on designing a low-cost inertial navigation system (INS) suitable for aerial navigation. However, low-cost sensors are subject to many errors including sensors temperature dependence, sensors time synchronization, magnetic perturbations and random errors induced by their low-cost nature. The computed positions and velocities may drift very quickly from numerical integration of accelerometers and gyroscopes. A common solution is to assist the INS with low-rate drift free but imprecise GPS positions and velocities. The intern will have to design a coupled INS/GPS solution suitable for outdoor autonomous navigation and indoor manual control regardless of its position on earth from low-costs Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based sensors. The INS/GPS solution will be implemented and experimentally tested in open areas.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ouassima Akhrif

Student:

Partner:

ARA Robotique

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Other; Aerospace; Technology

University:

École de technologie supérieure

Program: