Algorithm Based Error Estimation&Navigation Correction

ABSTRACT: Systems & Technology Research (STR) proposes a nonlinear filtering approach to the problem of estimating and correcting navigation errors of the Inertial Navigation System (INS) that uses only on-board Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to navigate and guide the strategic strike vehicles. The proposed method is to provide significant improvement in the IMU-only navigation and guidance accuracy of the strategic systems, including the ICBM and the CM systems, through innovative algorithmic solutions. Specifically we propose to apply homotopy-flow-based particle filtering and analytic nonlinear filtering techniques known as Daum"s filter to the IMU-only navigation problems, formulated as a continuous-time, sampled-measurement nonlinear filtering problems. The concept of formulating an IMU-only navigation problem as a nonlinear filtering problem itself is new and constitutes a technical challenge. The proposed Phase I effort is to establish this concept, and conduct preliminary trade studies comparing at the nonlinear filtering techniques. Phase II will involve proof-of-concept technical demonstrations. BENEFIT: The proposed effort will provide strategic strike vehicles with effective means for accurate navigation and guidance, using only the on-board IMU, thereby reducing the susceptibility to various kinds of interference and countermeasures, and enabling operational capability under GPS denied environments. The techniques developed by this proposed effort will also provide commercial non-GPS navigation applications.