Advanced Celestial Azimuth Sensing Technology

A celestial compass based on solar & stellar imaging has several principal advantages as compared to a digital magnetic compass. A celestial compass is insensitive to magnetic interference and can operate in urban environments, near vehicles and power lines, while wearing body armor and a helmet. It is compact, lightweight and low power. A celestial compass provides nearly instantaneous highly accurate azimuth measurements in clear and partly cloudy skies. However, current systems cannot operate under overcast conditions and during any precipitation. An advanced celestial compass that can operate under less than ideal weather conditions, including clouds and precipitation is required. We propose to perform a detailed performance analysis of candidate sensors systems and determine appropriate spectral wavebands that will maximize the percentage of time the sensor will provide an azimuth solution. In addition, we propose to experimentally validate our theoretical predictions under various atmospheric conditions. In the Phase I program, we will carry out a performance analysis, conduct an experimental study and trade-off analysis that will select the best approach. In the Phase II program, we will design, build, and field demonstrate a prototype of the advanced celestial compass.