Drones given new nighttime navigation tool

The research undertaken by remote sensing engineers at the University of South Australia is described in a new paper published in Drones.

The lightweight, affordable celestial navigation system is made with commercially available components and can be integrated into standard drones. 

“Unlike traditional star-based navigation systems, which are often complex, heavy and costly, our system is simpler, lighter and does not need stabilisation hardware, making it suitable for smaller drones,” UniSA researcher Dr Samuel Teague said in a statement.

“This type of navigation is ideal for operations over oceans, or in warfare zones where GPS jamming is a risk. Apart from the defence sector, it could also be highly useful for environmental monitoring.”

According to UniSA, the system relies on an algorithm that uses visual data from stars and processes it through standard autopilot systems. Testing on a fixed-wing drone demonstrated accurate positioning to within four kilometres.

Dr Teague said that by relying on passive, non-emissive celestial navigation rather than radio frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals, drones are resistant to jamming.

Senior researcher Professor Javaan Chahl, DST Joint Chair of Sensor Systems in UniSA’s STEM unit, said the technology could enhance the operational capabilities of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) across many industries.

“For instance, in environmental monitoring over remote locations or long-endurance surveillance missions where GPS might be unavailable or compromised, this technology offers a valuable new capability,” said Prof Chahl. “GNSS denial is an increasing challenge, and our research addresses this gap. We have developed a navigation method that’s resilient, independent of external signals, and achievable with low-cost, easily accessible components. This makes it applicable to a variety of UAVs, from commercial drones to more advanced defence applications.”