WP3-15 2
Geo-referenced Position and Attitude Estimation
| ID | WP3-15_2 |
| Contributor | ACORDE |
| Levels | Platform, Function |
| Require | Energy, Raw sensed data navigation messages of GNSS receivers, raw data from low-cost IMU and barometer |
| Provide | Navigation Sensor |
| Input | Raw sensed data from UWB transceiver and low-cost INS |
| Output | Position and Attitude |
| C4D building block | Geo-referenced Position and Attitude Estimation System |
| TRL | 5 |
Detailed Description
In COMP4DRONES, ACORDE is developing GLAD+, and outdoor geo-referencing system which abides to the “Geo-referenced Positioning and Attitude estimation system” block introduced in the COMP4DRONES architecture introduced (section 8.11 of D3.2 [24]), and whose representation is reproduced in Figure 65 for convenience. GLAD+ is an improved version of its predecessor GLAD (GNSS-based Low-Cost position and Attitude Determination system). Section 1.2 sums up the contributions and improvements brought by COMP4DRONES with respect to GLAD. GLAD+ is specifically oriented to provide drones quality navigation information (position, velocity and attitude) at a reduced cost in challenged outdoor scenarios. Drone scenarios expose position/attitude estimation systems to challenging conditions (e.g., shadows, more challenging dynamics than land-vehicles, calibration constraints), and stringent cost, size and weight requirements, as the ones reported in [26] and [27]. As GLAD, GLAD+ is a “complete” solution from ACORDE, in the sense that ACORDE performs both application and platform design and development (including a COTS based HW design). In addition to a significant upgrade of its positioning products, in COMP4DRONES ACORDE is also aiming the improvement of its productivity on the modelling, design, implementation and validation procedures of these type of systems.
ACORDE is tackling the design and development of GLAD+, and the improvement of the related design flow in different parallel activities:
- The design of and improved HW/SW platform for the navigation solutions (WP3-15_1). It includes a new HW platform with improved capabilities on GNSS receivers, and also the assessment of license-free real-time RTOS on top.
- Enhancement of the navigation software, for adapting it to the new platform and to apply algorithmic improvements, including the assessment of possible AI based improvements (WP4-16).
- Providing support of anti-jamming and anti-spoofing features (WP5-11-ACO).
- Providing an improved/extended interface for a smoother integration on drone systems (activity globally associated to WP3, with implications in WP4 and WP5).
Current Status
So far, ACORDE has advanced in parallel in all the afore mentioned tasks. The current advance can be summarized as follows:
- The new HW platform for GLAD+ has been designed and implemented (shown in Figure 66a). The new HW platform includes new low-cost GNSS receivers, with multi-constellation and anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities.
- A custom Linux Real-Time port for the GLAD+ HW platform has been developed. This port relies on an updated u-boot, on buildroot-2020.02-LTS (generating a filesystem to be loaded as ramdisk), and on kernel-rt-4.19.59 (includes RT-PREEMT patch).
- In past GLAD development, a platform abstraction layer was developed in order to separate platform dependent code (e.g., threads creation, interruption management, POSIX calls, call to drivers). This layer has been already updated to cover RT-Linux target.
- A preliminary version of the driver for making available jamming and spoofing events has been already developed and tested.
- A logger system has been updated and sent together the GLAD+ HW/SW platform ACORDE to the drone integrator in construction use case (UC2-demo1). ACORDE generated documentation for integration and supported the integrator in what resulted a smooth and quick integration.
- The integrator performed flight tests. ACORDE supported the integrator with additional documentation (i.e., for operation and tests of the integration, and for indicating specific maneuvers to let validation tests cover as many working conditions as possible).
- With that information, ACORDE has done some preliminary evaluation of the current algorithms, and tested the potential of some improvements, i.e.., multi-constellation support. Algorithmic improvement is in progress.
Contribution and Improvements
GLAD+ is expected to bring important improvements or contributions that can be summarized as follows:
TBC