GPS-Free Wireless Precise Positioning System for Automatic Flying and Landing Application of Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 24; no. 2; p. 550
• Main Authors: Lo, Tsu-Yu, Chang, Je-Yao, Wei, Tan-Zhi, Chen, Pin-Yen, Huang, Shih-Ping, Tsai, Wei-Ting, Liou, Chong-Yi, Lin, Chun-Cheng, Mao, Shau-Gang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.01.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Aircraft; Algorithms; Antennas; Antennas (Electronics); autonomous flying and landing system; Bandwidths; Cameras; Communication; Drone aircraft; Lasers; Radiation; Simulation; ultra-wideband; Ultrasonic imaging; Unmanned aerial vehicles; wireless positioning; autonomous flying and landing system; ultra-wideband; unmanned aerial vehicles; wireless positioning
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s24020550

This research is dedicated to developing an automatic landing system for shipborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) based on wireless precise positioning technology. The application scenario is practical for specific challenging and complex environmental conditions, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) being disabled during wartime. The primary objective is to establish a precise and real-time dynamic wireless positioning system, ensuring that the UAV can autonomously land on the shipborne platform without relying on GPS. This work addresses several key aspects, including the implementation of an ultra-wideband (UWB) circuit module with a specific antenna design and RF front-end chip to enhance wireless signal reception. These modules play a crucial role in achieving accurate positioning, mitigating the limitations caused by GPS inaccuracy, thereby enhancing the overall performance and reception range of the system. Additionally, the study develops a wireless positioning algorithm to validate the effectiveness of automatic landing on the shipborne platform. The platform’s wave vibration is considered to provide a realistic landing system for shipborne UAVs. The UWB modules are practically installed on the shipborne platform, and the UAV and the autonomous three-body vessel are tested simultaneously in the outdoor open water space to verify the functionality, precision, and adaptability of the proposed UAV landing system. Results demonstrate that the UAV can autonomously fly from 200 m, approach, and automatically land on the moving shipborne platform without relying on GPS.