Station-keeping using Perception and Relative Image-based Navigation and Tracking (SPRINT)

SSCI and MIT propose to perform initial design and testing of an innovative tightly-coupled vison and GNC system for follower vehicles to achieve safe approach and station-keeping with the lead vehicle within some range tolerance and inside a 60 degree cone, under leader maneuvers and vehicle capability constraints. The resulting system is referred to as the SPRINT (Station-keeping using Perception and Relative Image-based Navigation and Tracking), and is an autonomous system whose role is to safely and efficiently transition the follower vehicles from some known initial positions to station-keeping, and maintain the desired separation under lead vehicle maneuvers using vision only. The project will specifically focus on trade studies for performance analysis of the integrated system under different vision system properties and constraints, leader and follower vehicle capabilities, and characteristics of the proposed GNC algorithms under lead vehicle maneuvering. Under the project we will develop system architecture, requirements and metrics; vision-based algorithms for position and pose estimation; and guidance and control algorithms for safe approach and station keeping with the maneuvering leader. We will also perform simulation analysis and testing and initial hardware testing. Phase II will focus on the further maturation and testing of SPRINT in a relevant environment.