Browse Topic: Navigation and guidance systems

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LILI (Long-term Ice-field Levitating Investigator): A Mars Aerial and Ground Explorer for Glaciers and Polar Ice FieldsSM-2026-VLADA-52171/27/2026
The recent discovery of glacier remains in Noctis Labyrinthus, the "Maze of the Night" near Mars' equator sheds new light on the history of water on Mars, the evolution of the planet’s climate and geology, and the possibility of life. It also opens the possibility for massive amounts of clean glacier ice to be accessed by astronauts at low latitudes on Mars, alleviating the need to operate in more frigid higher latitudes. Further reconnaissance of the site requires a robotic vehicle capable of traversing rough, salt-crusted glacier surfaces and leaping across crevasse fields. To address this need, we propose a conceptual hybrid aerial/ground vehicle, LILI (Long-term Ice-field Levitating Investigator). LILI combines episodic rotary-wing flight with ground mobility as a propeller-driven sled through an arrangement of skis/runners, wheels, and tilting proprotors. A high-level look at the Noctis Labyrinthus "relict glacier" site is presented, along with a notional LILI mission traverse concept designed to ensure critical scientific measurements are captured. The NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft (NDARC) software is utilized to ensure that mission requirements and sizing constraints are met. Furthermore, future work considers guidance, navigation, and control requirements to satisfy mission objectives, and an initial construction for a simplified LILI small-scale prototype.
Schatzman, Natasha, Young, Larry, Dominguez, Michelle, Lee, Pascal, Nagami, Keiko, Caudle, David, Pichay, Isabelle
Detect and Avoid function for UAVs using ACAS Xu for Non-Cooperative TargetsF-0081-2025-02745/20/2025
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an innovative concept that aims to revolutionize air transportation through electric and unmanned aircraft, enabling applications such as urban air taxis and medical transport. However, one of the key challenges to its widespread adoption is ensuring safety, particularly in collision avoidance. This study focuses on the development of a perception and guidance system for avoiding collisions with non-cooperative targets, which do not share their position or trajectory. To achieve this, a Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar and an InfraRed(IR) camera are used. Compared to traditional pulsed or panel radars, FMCW radars offer higher resolution, better detection of small and slow-moving objects, and improved performance in cluttered environments. The IR camera enhances situational awareness by providing visual confirmation and additional tracking capability, making this sensor fusion approach particularly suitable for AAM applications. Our collision avoidance system follows ACAS Xu standards, which provide autonomous conflict detection and resolution for unmanned aerial vehicles. The maneuver selection process is based on precomputed lookup tables generated through a Markov Decision Process (MDP), optimizing responses based on risk and energy consumption. The entire system is tested in a simulation environment using Ansys AVxcelerate, a physics-based simulator capable of generating realistic sensor data. This approach allows for comprehensive testing of detection, tracking, and maneuver execution in a highly realistic scenario, ensuring the effectiveness of the proposed solution before real-world deployment.
Brivio, Riccardo, Crippa, Anna, Baiguera, Matteo, Portanti, Samuele, Bertolo, Mattia
Design and Development of an Automated Flight Control System for Tilt-wing AircraftF-0081-2025-00595/20/2025
This paper presents the development and implementation of a complete flight control architecture for a 200kg-class tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft, designed and tested by Dufour Aerospace. The system enables fully automated flight across all regimes, including hover, transition, and cruise. A modular control architecture is described, incorporating a unified vehicle controller, envelope protection, and a guidance system. The control design leverages classical and modern techniques, including model-based synthesis, control allocation, and gain scheduling. A structured software development and validation pipeline is outlined, combining simulation, software- and hardware- in-the-loop testing, and flight testing on both subscale and full-scale platforms. Results from recent autonomous flight trials of the Aero2 aircraft demonstrate precise trajectory tracking and robust performance. The presented approach highlights the feasibility of rapid development cycles while maintaining high standards of safety and reliability for certifiable eVTOL platforms.
Cook, Jacob, Tataru, Daniel, Studiger, Matthias, Minkova-Walker, Mirela, Karadayi, Muscan, Schmid, Sebastian
OMNI-DIRECTIONAL AUTONOMOUS GUIDED VEHICLE (AGV) WITH WIRELESS NAVIGATION2024-01-343611/15/2024
ABSTRACT Automatic guided vehicles (AGV) have made big inroads in the automation of assembly plants and warehouse operations. There are thousands of AGV units in operation at OEM supplier and service facilities worldwide in virtually every major manufacturing and distribution sector. Although today’s AGV systems can be reconfigured and adapted to meet changes in operation and need, their adaptability is often limited because of inadequacies in current systems. This paper describes a wireless navigated (WN) omni-directional (OD) autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) that incorporates three technical innovations that address the shortfalls. The AGV features consist of: 1) A newly developed integrated wireless navigation technology to allow rapid rerouting of navigation pathways; 2) Omnidirectional wheels to move independently in different directions; 3) Modular space frame construction to conveniently resize and reshape the AGV platform. It includes an overview of the AGVs technical features and how the flexibility and agility can be adapted to fit military and commercial application. The AGV is being evaluated as a mobile work station platform and a precise material handling robot.
Cheok, Ka C, Radovnikovich, Micho, Fleck, Paul, Hallenbeck, Kevin, Grzebyk, Steve, Vanneste, Jerry, Ludwig, Wolfgang, Garner, Robert
GPS-BASED MOBILITY POWER ANALYSIS OF MILITARY VEHICLES2024-01-331111/15/2024
ABSTRACT Determining the required power for the tractive elements of off-road vehicles has always been a critical aspect of the design process for military vehicles. In recent years, military vehicles have been equipped with hybrid, diesel-electric drives to improve stealth capabilities. The electric motors that power the wheel or tracks require an accurate estimation of the power and duty cycle for a vehicle during certain operating conditions. To meet this demand, a GPS-based mobility power model was developed to predict the duty cycle and energy requirements of off-road vehicles. The dynamic vehicle parameters needed to estimate the forces developed during locomotion are determined from the GPS data, and these forces include the following: the gravitational, acceleration, motion resistance, aerodynamic drag, and drawbar forces. Initial application of the mobility power concept began when three U.S. military’s Stryker vehicles were equipped with GPS receivers while conducting a proofing mission at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) in Hawaii on a soil with a known rating cone index (RCI). An analysis was conducted on the GPS data which allowed for the variation in the Stryker’s mobility power to be estimated as the vehicle traversed the terrain. The subsequent power duty cycle and required energy for the vehicle was determined along with predicted specific energy consumption and production values. Initial validation of the mobility power model began by tracking a hybrid 2006 Toyota Highlander during acceleration tests and on-road maneuvers. The model had an R2 and average absolute percent error of 0.91 and 12.9% respectively during the acceleration tests. The predicted and measured mobility power duty cycles were similar during the on-road maneuvers while an R2 and average absolute error of 0.44 and 7.1 kW was attained.
Ayers, Paul, Bozdech, George
Complementary PNT with Fusion Artificial Intelligence Link Synchronization Array for eVTOL Systems (FAILSAFES™)F-0080-2024-10555/7/2024
Fusion Artificial Intelligence Link Synchronization Array for eVTOL Systems (FAILSAFES™) is a resilient and redundant timing and positioning architecture based on low Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) RF Ranging links for eVTOL systems navigating with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in degraded or denied environments. This paper describes the overall FAILSAFES™ concept and discusses the underlying Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (CPNT) capabilities based on ENSCO's PicoRangerTM Array technology (PRAT). PRAT provides an array of low-cost RF ranging links between FAILSAFES™ ground stations and aircrafts to support navigation and timing distribution in GNSS degraded or denied environments. This paper will explore components of FAILSAFES™ and discuss initial PRAT based fusion results with respect to frequency and time stability.
Myrick, Wil, Matarese, Tom, Tolfree, Mike
Test and Evaluation of Image-Based Navigation for Shipboard Landing on the MQ-8C Fire Scout Unmanned Aircraft SystemF-0079-2023-181885/16/2023
Duehring, Doug, Gandhe, Avinash, Egan, Brendan
GUIDANCE FOR DISTRIBUTED RADIO ARCHITECTURESARINC678 (Current)7/15/2021
The purpose of this document is to evaluate Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) Distributed Radio architectures and the feasibility of distributing the RF and systems processing sections to ensure the following: Reduce cost of equipment Reduce Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) Ease of aircraft integration Growth capability built into the design Maintain or improve system availability, reliability, and maintainability It provides a framework to determine whether it is feasible to develop ARINC Standards that support CNS distributed radio architectures.
Airlines Electronic Engineering Committee
Aircraft Fluorescent Lighting Ballast/Fixture Safety StandardAS4914E (Current)6/10/2021
The purpose of this standard is to recommend minimum performance requirements to assist the specification writer in establishing a failsafe airplane interior Fluorescent light assembly design. This standard relates to the design of lamp ballasts, lampholders, fixtures, and installation of the same.
A-20C Interior Lighting
Evaluation of a CNN-based Visual Place Recognition system for GPS-denied Navigation of VTOL VehiclesF-0077-2021-168665/10/2021
ABSTRACT
Tennakoon, Kusal, Silva,  Oscar, Gosine,  Raymond, Maan,  George, Jayasiri, Awantha
Studies on Simulation and Real Time Implementation of LQG Controller for Autonomous Navigation2021-01-01084/6/2021
The advancement in embedded systems and positional accuracy with base station GPS modules created opportunity to develop high performance autonomous ground vehicles. However, the development of vehicle model and making accurate state estimations play vital role in reducing the cross track error. The present research focus on developing Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) with Kalman estimator for autonomous ground vehicle to track various routes, that are made with the series of waypoints. The model developed in the LQG controller is a kinematic bicycle model, which mimics 1/5th scale truck. Further, the cubic spline fit has been used to connect the waypoints and generate the continuous desired/target path. The testing and implementation has been done at APS labs, MTU on the mentioned vehicle to study the performance of controller. Python has been used for simulations, controller coding and interfacing the sensors with controller. From the results, it has been confirmed that, the vehicle is able to track the given path within the cross track error of ±0.2m.
Dudekula, Ahammad Basha, Naber, Jeffrey
Vision-based Autonomous Guidance Approach for a Nano Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Rotorcraft Towards Indoor Flight EnvironmentF-0076-2020-1632410/5/2020
Autonomous flight remains a major challenge for Nano Unmanned Air Vehicles (NUAVs). This research presented a light-weight vision-based navigation system which is suitable for NUAV rotorcrafts with restrictively limited payload capacity and computing resources. A visual-inertia compensation approach was proposed to obtain accurate indoor navigation and guidance for the homemade NUAV which weighting less than 50 g. The proposed visual guidance algorithm have been successfully recognized targets such as windows, gates, and narrow-corridor with 25 Hz guidance command output. Flight experiments shown that the NUAV rotorcraft can follow the path planning to achieve autonomous flight, and guide through gates and windows within GPS-denied indoor environment.
Wang, Guanlin, Li, Dehui, Xu, Panpan, Luo, Biuzhou, Wang, Xiuli, Xu, Beiju
Approach to Landing Guidance System for Transport AircraftARP4102/12B (Current)6/11/2020
This document specifies requirements for an Approach to Landing Guidance System (ALGS) electronic device. This equipment shall display relative aircraft position and situation information for flight along precision three-dimensional paths within the appropriate coverage area. The precision three-dimensional path may be an ILS straight-in look-alike path or a complex, curved path. The requirements are applicable to electronic devices capable of receiving signals or other information from one or more sources, including but not limited to ILS, GNSS, or IRU inputs.
S-7 Flight Deck Handling Qualities Stds for Trans Aircraft
Effect of Space Weather on Autonomous Vehicle Navigation2020-01-01404/14/2020
Autonomous vehicle systems integrate multiple information systems. Navigation is reliant on Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as the global positioning systems (GPS) which are supported by a satellite network. However, satellites and radio signals are subject to interference from sunspots. Sunspots happen on regular cycles at varying strengths but their occurrence can’t be exactly predicted. The likelihood of a severe solar event is roughly twelve percent per decade; consequently, solar events are likely to impair navigation. Results will show the probability of each event and its impact on autonomous vehicle navigation. In the worst case scenario, satellites could even be permanently damaged by severe sunspots. As autonomous vehicles become a more significant portion of the economy, it is necessary that they have resilience to operate in extreme conditions. Alternative navigation procedures are proposed to enhance the resiliency of autonomous vehicles. Artificial intelligence related to place identification with relative geographic navigation and storage of most common routes is an option.
Hoback, Alan
IMU Contributions to Navigation and Safety for ADAS and Autonomous VehiclesTBMG-361513/1/2020
Two of the fastest growing areas in automotive engineering are Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles. To learn about the contribution of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) to automobile navigation systems for these two applications, we interviewed Mike Horton, CTO of ACEINNA, Inc. (Boston, MA).
Vehicle Safe-Mode, Concept to Practice Limp-Mode in the Service of Cybersecurity11-02-02-00062/27/2020
This article describes both a concept and an implementation of vehicle safe-mode (VSM) - a mechanism that may help reduce the damage of an identified cyberattack to the vehicle, its driver, the passengers, and its surroundings. Unlike other defense mechanisms that try to block the attack or simply notify of its existence, the VSM mechanism responds to a detected intrusion by limiting the vehicle’s functionality to safe operations and optionally activating additional security countermeasures. This is done by adopting ideas from the existing mechanism of Limp-mode that was originally designed to limit the damage of a mechanical, or an electrical, malfunction and let the vehicle “limp back home” in safety. Like Limp-mode, the purpose of safe-mode is to limit the vehicle from performing certain functions when conditions arise that could render full operation dangerous: Detecting a malfunction in the Limp-mode case is analogous to detecting an active cybersecurity breach in the safe-mode case, and the reactions should be analogous as well. We demonstrate that the VSM can be implemented, possibly even as an aftermarket add-on: to do so we developed a proof-of-concept (PoC) system and actively tested it in real time on an operating vehicle. Once activated, our VSM system restricts the vehicle to Limp-mode behavior by guiding it to remain in low gear, taking into account the vehicle’s speed and the driver’s actions. Our system does not require any changes to the electronic control units (ECUs), or to any other part of the vehicle, beyond connecting the safe-mode manager (SMManager) to the correct bus. We note that our system can rely upon any deployed anomaly-detection system to identify the potential attack. We point out that restricting the vehicle to Limp-mode-like behavior by an aftermarket system is just an example. If a car manufacturer would integrate such a system into a vehicle, they would have many more options, and the resulting system would probably be safer and with a better human-machine interface.
Dagan, Tsvika, Montvelisky, Yuval, Marchetti, Mirco, Stabili, Dario, Colajanni, Michele, Wool, Avishai
An Integrated Navigation System Using GPS and Low-Cost Vehicle Dynamic Sensors2020-01-50282/24/2020
The aim of this paper is to present a novel integrated navigation system, based on the fusion between the Global Positioning System (GPS) and low-cost vehicle onboard dynamic sensors for autonomous vehicle positioning problems. In this system, the information of vehicle’s angular rotation is applied to dead reckoning (DR) module based on the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) to provide the vehicle position information during GPS outage. In the DR module based on UKF, vehicle onboard dynamic sensors, include wheels speed sensors, accelerometer, and steering angle sensor, are utilized to estimate the vehicle yaw rate, while the traditional method using IMU sensor is relatively expensive. Also, the vehicle dynamic model is employed in the estimation of yaw rate, which can provide better accuracy than the traditional kinematic model. To validate the effectiveness of the integrated navigation system, tests are carried out on a small-scale vehicle platform. The test results show that the yaw rate could be well estimated and the integrated navigation system using low-cost sensors could also keep the error distance in a small range.
Hao, Li, Bo, Yang, Xiaofei, Pei
Adding Context to Full-Motion Video for Improved Surveillance and Situational AwarenessTBMG-360552/1/2020
Today’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms integrate state-of-the-art technologies and subsystems into airborne platforms intended to observe, detect, identify, and neutralize threats. Full motion video (FMV) sensors are essential assets and are routinely used on fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and manned and unmanned platforms to provide real-time situational awareness with minimal latency.
Insect-Inspired Motion SensingTBMG-359932/1/2020
Researchers have taken inspiration from flying insects to demonstrate a miniaturized gyroscope, a special sensor used in navigation technologies. Gyroscopes sense rotational motions to provide directional guidance without relying on satellites, so they are immune to signal jamming and other cyber threats, making them ideal for aircraft and submarines.
Adding Context to Full-Motion Video for Improved Surveillance and Situational Awareness20AERP02_032/1/2020
Today's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms integrate state-of-the-art technologies and subsystems into airborne platforms intended to observe, detect, identify, and neutralize threats. Full motion video (FMV) sensors are essential assets and are routinely used on fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and manned and unmanned platforms to provide real-time situational awareness with minimal latency. Ultimately, FMV is invaluable for helping operators answer the what, where, when, and why of a scenario. These sensors, which are easy and relatively inexpensive to integrate and deploy, support mission-critical tasks such as target detection and analysis. This may include tracking and pattern recognition-for example, FMV is particularly well suited for long stand-off ranges such that a target is not aware that they are being observed.
3D Printing of Plastics with Electrical CircuitsTBMG-359732/1/2020
Engineers have embedded high-performance electrical circuits inside 3D-printed plastics, which could lead to smaller and versatile drones and better-performing small satellites, biomedical implants, and smart structures.
Shoulder-Launched Weapon SystemTBMG-360612/1/2020
Saab Stockholm, Sweden +46 13 18 00 00
WiFi-Based Technique Measures Speed and Distance of Indoor MovementTBMG-3561012/1/2019
A technique was developed that uses a combination of WiFi signals and accelerometer technology to track devices in near-real-time. The WiFi-assisted Inertial Odometry (WIO) technique uses WiFi as a velocity sensor to accurately track how far something has moved — similar to sonar but using radio waves instead of sound waves.
Robotic HelicopterTBMG-3567712/1/2019
Steadicopter Ltd. Migdal HaEmek, Israel +972-4-9592959
Connected Vehicles - An Ecosystem for Services2019-28-244711/21/2019
This paper outlines the different aspects of the Connected Vehicle concept. The blocks required to implement a Connected Vehicle infrastructure is also discussed in detail. Two main types of short-range wireless communication are discussed in Connected Vehicles context namely Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication. An overview of the evolution of the Connected Vehicle and its operational aspects are presented together with its application. The impacts and potential operational benefits of the Connected Vehicle are discussed. The various challenges to architect non-functional requirements in the case of Connected Vehicle technology are identified and discussed.
Venkataram, Prabha Baragur
A Vision-Based Lunar Navigator for Next-Generation LandersTBMG-3547111/1/2019
In July of 2015, NASA published NASA Technology Roadmaps — TA9: Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems (EDL). In it, they laid out their EDL goals for the coming years: To develop new and innovative technology, not just for the moon, but also for future exploration throughout our solar system. Toward achieving these goals, NASA awarded a contract to the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, or Draper for short, to develop and test their multi-environment navigator (DMEN), which uses vision-based navigation techniques, as a means to guide small craft to land on the moon.
Electronic Travelling Kit for Navigation of Visually Challenged Individuals2019-28-016210/11/2019
Navigation of visually challenged persons is found tough, as they frequently do not get the essential details for escaping the perils and risk they come across when they want to reach a destination. Modernization of the world leads to the usage of technologically equipped devices to make compact and cost-effective setup. In order to help the visually impaired person to navigate securely swiftly an impediment identification system employing techno equipment such as Ultrasonic Sensors (US) and Universal Serial camera-based visual navigation system is proposed. The proposed framework identifies obstruction via the US and transmits audio signals as feedback to guide the individual about the location to be reached. Moreover, for capturing the location where the person has to move a universal serial bus (USB) webcam is employed. USB webcam is also deployed to distinguish between a human and an obstacle. In order to identify the persons well known to the visually challenged and also the presence of other human movements a face recognition system using image processing is adopted in the proposed system. The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) aids in giving the directions and the current location of the person with the Google map voice command. Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology are being used for indoor navigation. Bluetooth beacons are used to trace the user exact location and the user is also guided to reach the destination by placing RFID tags at different sites. A cost-effective electronic traveling aid using voice and GPRS support is proposed.
Rathinam, Rajarajeswari, Dayalan, Suchitra, Mathews, Harris
ISP-Vehicle Location Referencing StandardJ1746_201910 (Current)10/3/2019
This SAE Standard is intended to be used for the communication of spatial data references between central sites and mobile vehicles on roads. References can be communicated from central site to vehicles, or from vehicles to central sites. The document may also be used where appropriate by other ITS applications requiring location references between data sets.
Motor Vehicle Council
Truth-in-Labeling Standard for Navigation Map DatabasesJ1663_201910 (Current)10/2/2019
This SAE Standard is a truth-in-labeling standard for map databases.
Motor Vehicle Council
Defeating Commercial Drone Threats with Open-Source SDR19AERP10_0610/1/2019
With the emergence of highly capable, low-cost, wirelessly controlled drones, bad actors can easily execute disruptive operations. Such incidents have created a need for drone defense systems that rapidly evolve with ever-increasing threat frequency and sophistication. It's nearly impossible to look at technology news without seeing an article about drones. Whether detailing how Amazon wants to use drones to deliver packages or revealing amazing aerial video of drones following Olympic snowboarders, commercial drones are ubiquitous. Drone emergence has benefited many applications including sports broadcasting and wildlife preservation wilderness surveys. Offering powerful, intelligent software, drones are becoming less expensive and easier to use, with substantial operating range. As with any disruptive technology, drone operation often attracts bad actors looking to exploit the capability for less-than-noble objectives. Some reports have shown unmanned commercial drones being used for unwanted surveillance and even disrupting commercial airspace, as recently seen in the United Kingdom.
Technique Locates Robots and Humans in GPS-Challenged EnvironmentsTBMG-3527810/1/2019
An algorithm enables localization of humans and robots in areas where GPS is unavailable. The Army needs to be able to localize agents operating in physically complex, unknown, and infrastructure-poor environments. This capability is critical to help find dismounted soldiers and for humans and robotic agents to team together effectively.
Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Vehicles19AERP10_0110/1/2019
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) based machine learning technologies in autonomous vehicles is on the rise. Helping to drive this trend is the availability of a new class of embedded AI processors. A good example is NVIDIA's Jetson family, which includes small form factor system on modules (SoMs) that provide GPU-accelerated parallel processing. These high-performance, low-power devices are designed to support the deep learning and computer vision capabilities needed to build software-defined autonomous machines. They derive massive computing capabilities from the use of a parallel processing GPU device with many cores, enabling next-gen computing devices to take on many of the tasks that were historically handled by humans or multiple, traditional computers. How AI provides navigation and obstacle avoidance for autonomous vehicles on land, air, and sea gets a lot of attention, but machine learning is also being used in other ways on unmanned vehicles. These machine learning applications are usually related to the types of sensors that are on board a particular platform. For example, a number of our customers are using AI engines in unmanned situational awareness airborne applications, taking and processing data from different types of sensors, such as cameras, radars, and lidars, which are used for surveillance and detection, and then report that data back to operators.
Smartphone App Programs RobotsTBMG-3529210/1/2019
A smartphone app was developed that allows a user to easily program any robot to perform a mundane activity such as picking up parts from one area and delivering them to another. The app, called VRa, uses augmented reality and allows the user to either walk out where the robot should go to perform its tasks or draw out a workflow directly into real space. The app offers options for how those tasks can be performed such as under a certain time limit, on repeat, or after a machine has done its job.
Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous VehiclesTBMG-3536010/1/2019
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) based machine learning technologies in autonomous vehicles is on the rise. Helping to drive this trend is the availability of a new class of embedded AI processors. A good example is NVIDIA’s Jetson family, which includes small form factor system on modules (SoMs) that provide GPU-accelerated parallel processing. These high-performance, low-power devices are designed to support the deep learning and computer vision capabilities needed to build software-defined autonomous machines. They derive massive computing capabilities from the use of a parallel processing GPU device with many cores, enabling next-gen computing devices to take on many of the tasks that were historically handled by humans or multiple, traditional computers.
Defeating Commercial Drone Threats with Open-Source SDRTBMG-3535310/1/2019
It’s nearly impossible to look at technology news without seeing an article about drones. Whether detailing how Amazon wants to use drones to deliver packages or revealing amazing aerial video of drones following Olympic snow-boarders, commercial drones are ubiquitous. Drone emergence has benefited many applications including sports broadcasting and wildlife preservation wilderness surveys. Offering powerful, intelligent software, drones are becoming less expensive and easier to use, with substantial operating range.
Inside VW's expanding SILICON VALLEY LAB19AUTP09_049/1/2019
The pioneering California innovation hub enters its third decade on a new wave of innovation. On July 1, Volkswagen renamed its Silicon Valley outpost. The former Electronics Research Lab (ERL) based in Belmont, Calif., is now the Innovation and Engineering Center California (IECC). In its 20-year history, the list of the center's achievements includes winning the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, the first use of Google Earth and predictive models in vehicle navigation and approximately 175 patents related mostly to autonomous driving and connected mobility. The engineers and social scientists in Belmont are in the business of cracking tough nuts - but none as hard as the entrenched mindset of auto-industry veterans resistant to change. A day after the official renaming, VW gave a tour to a small group of media including Automotive Engineering. There we met Brian Lathrop, senior principal scientist, who joined then-ERL in 2004 as a freshly minted Ph.D in cognitive psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz.
Berman, Bradley
Compact Antenna Enables Communication Where Radios FailTBMG-351579/1/2019
A pocket-sized antenna was developed that could enable mobile communication in situations where conventional radios don’t work such as underwater, through the ground, and over very long distances through air. The device emits very low frequency (VLF) radiation with wavelengths of tens to hundreds of miles. These waves travel long distances beyond the horizon and can penetrate environments that would block radio waves with shorter wavelengths. While today’s most powerful VLF technology requires gigantic emitters, this antenna is only four inches tall, so it could potentially be used for tasks that demand high mobility including rescue and defense missions.
NASA Eyes GPS at the Moon for Artemis MissionsTBMG-351119/1/2019
The Global Positioning System (GPS), a satellite-based navigation system used by an estimated four billion people worldwide to figure out where they are on Earth at any moment, could be used to pilot in and around lunar orbit during future Artemis missions to the Moon.
Optical Distance Measurement at Record-High SpeedTBMG-351629/1/2019
Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and École Poly-technique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have reported that they achieved the fastest distance measurement attained so far. The researchers demonstrated on-the-fly sampling of a gun bullet profile with micrometer accuracy. The experiment relied on a soliton frequency comb generated in a chip-based optical microresonator made from silicon nitride. Potential applications include real-time 3D cameras based on highly precise and compact LIDAR systems.
Energy Harvesting for Smart Home SensingTBMG-351999/1/2019
Many industries — whether electronics, consumer, or semiconductor — have a clear vision of the future of the connected smart home. While there are many use cases and some elements such as smart speakers and smart lighting that are already starting to take off, the full significance of a “smart home” may not be clear to the average consumer. The key to acceptance and adoption will be enhancing total ease of ownership — IoT elements need to be easy to install, use, understand, and maintain, all in an environmentally-sound way. One critical element in making these devices easy for homeowners to use is advanced sensor technology that draws little power or even harvests its own energy to run.
NASA Eyes GPS at the Moon for Artemis Missions19AERP09_069/1/2019
The Global Positioning System (GPS), a satellite-based navigation system used by an estimated four billion people worldwide to figure out where they are on Earth at any moment, could be used to pilot in and around lunar orbit during future Artemis missions to the Moon. NASA is developing a special receiver that would be able to pick up location signals provided by the 24 to 32 operational GPS satellites. GPS is operated by the U.S. military about 12,550 miles above Earth's surface and is open to anyone with a GPS receiver. These same GPS signals provide location data used in vehicle navigation systems, interactive maps, and tracking devices of all types, among many other applications.
Land Combat MissileTBMG-348608/1/2019
MBDA Incorporated Arlington, VA 703-387-7139
The Rodney Dangerfield of Automated-Driving Sensors19AVEP07_067/1/2019
Radar and lidar get all the attention, but Inertial Measurement Units are the backbone of sensor fusion. Suppliers are scrambling to make IMUs more accurate-and much less expensive. The emerging era of highly-automated driving comes courtesy of much-vaunted sensor technology-spinning lasers, penetrating radar, sonar blips. But the sensor that gets the least respect in the technology stack could be the lynchpin for the mass roll-out of self-driving vehicles: the inertial measurement unit (IMU). “IMUs are the glue that binds everything together,” said Mike Horton, chief technology officer at Aceinna, a Boston-based company that develops sensing solutions for automotive applications. “An IMU can help bring different types of data together from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), lidar and cameras to make everything consistent and smooth.”
Berman, Bradley
Data Dictionary for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS)J2353_201906 (Current)6/11/2019
This SAE Recommended Practice provides a set of core data elements needed by information service providers for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). The data dictionary herein provides the foundation for ATIS message sets for all stages of travel (pre-trip and en route), all types of travelers (drivers, passengers), all categories of information, and all platforms for delivery of information (in-vehicle, portable devices, kiosks, etc.). The elements of this document are the basis for the SAE ATIS Message Set Standard J2354 and are entered into the SAE Data Registry for ITS wide coordination.
V2X Core Technical Committee
Message Sets for Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS)J2354_201906 (Current)6/11/2019
This SAE Standard describes standardized medium-independent messages needed by information service providers for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). The messages contained herein address all stages of travel (informational, pre-trip and en route), all types of travelers (drivers, passengers, personal devices, computers, other servers), all categories of information, and all platforms for delivery of information (in-vehicle, portable devices, kiosks, etc.).
V2X Core Technical Committee
Location Referencing Message Specification (LRMS)J2266_201906 (Current)6/11/2019
The Location Referencing Message Specification (LRMS) standardizes location referencing for ITS applications that require the communication of spatial data references between databases. ITS databases may reside in central sites, vehicles, or devices on or off roads or other transportation links. The LRMS is applicable to both homogeneous (same database) and mixed database environments that may be implemented on wireless or landline networks. While developed for ITS applications, the LRMS may be used for non-ITS applications as well within the field of geographic information processing.
V2X Core Technical Committee
The North Dakota Citation Research Aircraft Measurement Platform2019-01-19906/10/2019
The North Dakota Citation Research Aircraft is a Cessna Citation II twin-engine fan-jet aircraft modified to be an atmospheric research platform that has been used on many field projects since the 1970s. The typical sampling speed of the modified Citation II is 160 knots indicated air speed (IAS), with sampling at altitudes up to 12.1 km (40,000 ft). The Citation Research Aircraft was operated by the University of North Dakota (UND) for many years but is now operated by Weather Modification International (WMI) of Fargo, North Dakota. WMI and UND together provide a unique test facility that is capable of deploying a wide range of instrumentation. WMI has the experience to install the custom instrumentation required for a specific field project and the expertise to conduct the most demanding aircraft sampling, including thunderstorm in-situ measurements. UND provides scientific know-how on obtaining measurements at the required accuracy and experience to ensure instruments are performing well. Robust, open-source software tested for over 15 years provides the ability to quickly process data to enable analysis to begin shortly after completion of an aircraft flight. Visualization software allows observations to be efficiently quality-assured, which enables timely creation of a final data set that can be analyzed to meet each project’s scientific objectives. Past and ongoing projects include working with large and small companies to test airborne instruments and conduct natural icing studies. Specialized data processing methods have been implemented to obtain the liquid and total water content measurements at high accuracy. With continuing reduction in the size and power requirements of instrumentation, the future will allow the North Dakota Citation Research Aircraft to make an increasing number of observations which utilize more sophisticated processing software.
Delene, David, Hibert, Kurt, Poellot, Michael, Brackin, Neil
High Altitude Ice Crystal Detection with Aircraft X-band Weather Radar2019-01-20266/10/2019
During participation on EU FP7 HAIC project, Honeywell has developed methodology to detect High Altitude Ice Crystals with the Honeywell IntuVue® RDR-4000 X-band Weather Radar. The algorithm utilizes 3D weather buffer of RDR-4000 weather radar and is based on machine learning. The modified RDR-4000 Weather Radar was successfully flight tested during 2016 HAIC Validation Campaign; the technology was granted Technology Readiness Level 6 by HAIC consortium. After the end of HAIC project, the method was also evaluated with respect to newly set preliminary industry standard performance requirements1. This paper discuses technology design rationale, high level technology architecture, technology performance, and challenges associated with performance evaluation.
Lukas, Jan, Badin, Pavel
Smart Agriculture Sensors: Helping Small Farmers and Positively Impacting Global Issues, TooTBMG-345856/1/2019
Smart agriculture, also known as precision agriculture, allows farmers to maximize yields using minimal resources such as water, fertilizer, and seeds. By deploying sensors and mapping fields, farmers can begin to understand their crops at a micro scale, conserve resources, and reduce impacts on the environment. Smart agriculture has roots going back to the 1980s when Global Positioning System (GPS) capability became accessible for civilian use. Once farmers were able to accurately map their crop fields, they could monitor and apply fertilizer and weed treatments only to areas that required it. During the 1990s, early precision agriculture users adopted crop yield monitoring to generate fertilizer and pH correction recommendations. As more variables could be measured and entered into a crop model, more accurate recommendations for fertilizer application, watering, and even peak yield harvesting, could be made.
Advanced Technology, Lightweight, Multifunctional Micro-avionics for Manned and Unmanned Rotorcraft Enhance Operational Capability of Future Vertical Lift PlatformsF-0075-2019-145495/13/2019
Emerging microelectronic technologies are expanding functionalities for future decades of vertical lift platforms, enabling both manned and unmanned rotorcraft to fully and safely participate in the NextGen National Airspace System. Specifically, for rotorcraft, benefits from expanded multi-functionality and reduced weight and space requirements, for both mandatory and desired optional avionics, are entering advanced development and flight-testing stages prior to being available to all users. One has only to think about the incredible, multifunctional capabilities of a smartphone to imagine what is possible in avionics with today's advanced technology. This presentation discusses achievements that only a few years ago were beyond imagination – miniaturized avionics that fully employ tiny but powerful digital processors and software defined multi-functional systems on a single chip are rapidly obsoleting the "black boxes" of the past. For both manned and unmanned rotorcraft systems, the benefits must be validated; and when proven valid, are immense in terms of lighter weight, tiny form factors, and lower costs. This presentation also addresses validation of ADS-B2, which depends on verification of GPS signals with technological approaches that counter potential malicious spoofing, jamming and interference.
Contarino, RaNae, Healing, Richard, Contarino, V.
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