A mathematician from St. Petersburg, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Vladimir Krizsky, received a patent for a method of determining the plan-height position of an apparatus and its navigation along the axis of an extended communication. The technology is designed for navigation of mobile objects – drones, cars, marine and underwater vehicles – in conditions where GPS and GLONASS signals are unavailable or unreliable.
The method is based on measuring the magnetic field created by a current of a given frequency flowing through a communication – power lines, pipelines, or other extended objects. Sensors on board the apparatus record the field parameters at several points in space not lying on the same straight line. The system calculates the angle between the communication axis and the direction of movement, as well as the distance to it and the height of the apparatus above the ground or water. When moving in the air, a lidar is used to measure height; above water, an echo sounder is used.
As stated in the abstract to the patent, the invention allows navigation independently of satellite systems, inertial systems, and course beacons. This makes the development completely autonomous and resistant to interference. It can be used for navigation in the Arctic, urban areas, tunnels, and other places with unstable satellite signals.
Read more on the topic:
- Drones taught to see the road without GPS and GLONASS: "smart" navigation created at MIPT
- Russia Tests Ariadna Navigation System: Accuracy Up to 20 cm Without Satellites