N121-101 TITLE: Absolute Localization in GPS-denied Environment for Autonomous Unmanned Ground and Micro-air Vehicle Systems

TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Robotic Systems Joint Project Office (RSJPO) which is an ACAT I program

OBJECTIVE: This topic seeks to develop methods for autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (AUGV) and micro-air vehicles (MAV) to determine their position in World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) coordinates when Global Positioning System (GPS) is unavailable.

DESCRIPTION: In combat situations the Marine Corps utilizes a family of assets to include manned and autonomous unmanned combat and tactical vehicles to reach objective areas with speed and precision. Current AUGVs are critically dependent on GPS for much of their operation. Expensive methods are available to deal with short-term loss of GPS and methods to use odometry information obtained from electro-optical video are under research. These methods are limited in the amount of time and distance over which the AUGV can operate without GPS because of drift.

A drift-less and reliable method for an AUGV to reset its location based on non-GPS information is needed to prevent vulnerabilities of future Marine forces. A multi-prong approach is desired including:
- Development of absolute localization techniques for an AUGV employing electro-optical (EO) and LIDAR sensing augmented with the other forms of low-cost sensing in a GPS-denied scenario.
- Methods that exploit available information including, but not limited to, the local magnetic field, astronomical observations, lighting cues, local geology, odometry, near-field optical flow, or local slope information.
- Methods that exploit modification of the behavior of the autonomous vehicle to aid this localization process.

The proposed method should include an integrated architecture to create a precise drift-less absolute localization for application in both feature-rich and feature-poor environments. Of interest are methods that provide a registration of UGV-viewpoint video images with registered landmarks obtained from overhead imagery. Another area of interest is an inexpensive method to determine the localization from solar and astronomical observations employing low-cost, highly accurate clocks and sensors and which expand the availability of such observations.

Smaller tactical AUGVs and MAVs which may enter buildings or operate under GPS denial are also target platforms for such sensing and navigation capabilities, and they impose additional requirements for smaller size, weight and power packages for sensors and processors. Compact vision systems that are capable of sensing the environment and exploit stereo-based navigation, optical flow for visual odometry and obstacle proximity detection, and visual parallax are of interest.

PHASE I: Design an integrated architecture using several methods to create a precise drift-less absolute localization for application in both feature-rich and feature-poor environments. The method should provide a registration of UGV-viewpoint video images with registered landmarks possibly obtained from overhead imagery by working in conjunction with a micro-air vehicle. The architecture should also include a component that provides localization reset for regions which are poor in landmarks. Consider extensions to address tactical UGVs or MAVs moving indoors or under dense canopy. The architecture should leverage any available data and weigh its perceived utility in terms of validity and staleness.

PHASE II: Develop a prototype that can demonstrate the method from Phase I for a static (i.e. benchmark) demonstration. The prototype should be able to work in conjunction with a micro-air vehicle.

PHASE III: Transition to a program of record AUGV by development and integration of a ruggedized system onto an unmanned ground system and/or micro-air vehicle.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Numerous commercial systems use augmented GPS localization methods. Precision agriculture is one example. New commercial developments of the electromagnetic spectrum in the United States threaten the availability of these precision GPS localization methods rendering an entire industry vulnerable. A back-up localization method would find widespread application in the precision agriculture and the automobile industry as it attempts to automate many of the driver functions.

REFERENCES:
[1] M. M. Miller, A. Soloviev, M. Uijt de Haag, M. Veth, J. Raquet, T. J. Klausutis, J. E. Touma, "Navigating in Difficult Environments: Feature-Aided Inertial Systems," Proceedings of the NATO RTO Lecture Series on "Low Cost Navigation Sensors and Integration Technology," SET-116, March 2010.

[2] A. Soloviev, D. Eaton, M. Uijt de Haag, Z. Zhu, "Integration of Ladar Vision and Inertial Data for GNSS Denied Navigation," Proceedings of the ION GNSS 2009, Savannah, GA, September 2009, pp. 818-825.

KEYWORDS: GPS-denied; navigation; ground vehicles; autonomy; localization; positioning

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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