High Integrity GPS/Inertial Navigation with Aerodynamic Model

Abstract

A GPS augmentation system, the Ground-based Regional Augmentation System (GRAS), may suffer from short-term outages. High integrity navigation is needed through any short-term outages, for low-flying aircraft and UAVs. This project explores methods of using aerodynamic motion modelling to provide enhanced sole-means GPS navigation with integrity, for small aircraft, including General Aviation (GA) aircraft and Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAVs). The navigation system consists of GPS, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), air data sensors and a mathematical model of the aircraft motion. This provides a greater level of safety and robustness for GPS/Inertial systems by providing an on-board GPS integrity monitoring capability. This provides protection against a complete loss of GPS navigation with integrity, in the event that a GPS augmentation (GRAS) signal-in-space is lost.