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

Although global pose is essential for success in certain vehicle missions and tasks, when GPS is denied there is no single technology (source) that can robustly estimate global pose without suffering from one or more failure modes. We propose to design an architecture that provides robustness by integrating automated celestial navigation, registering on-board sensor data to a map (map registration) or to sensor data from a previous traverse (route registration or place recognition), wheel odometry, measuring vehicle motion from camera data (visual odometry) or range data (range odometry), and inertial measurements of acceleration and angular rates (IMU) to compensate for all possible failure modes. The architecture will provide a direct alternative to GPS over the widest range of conditions possible. The architecture will be built around Carnegie Robotics LLCs (CRLs) SmoothPose product. The proposed system supports autonomous on- and off-road driving, under tree canopy, amongst tall buildings, in deep ravines, on slippery surfaces, in cluttered and open terrainall with GPS signals denied.