Construction of a Sun Sensor for Geolocation and Orientation

Cheng Liu and Kartik B. Ariyur

Abstract:	We design and construct a novel hemispherical structure for an arrangement of light intensity sensors to measure the sun vector in a dominant light source environment. The sun sensor collects sun light intensities in different directions and combines the optical inputs into a geometric output of sun vector through a mathematical algorithm based on the Three Pixel Theorem that we proved in prior work. The sun vector can be used in classical navigation methods to help yield absolute orientation and geolocation. We present experimental data from field experiments that test the accuracy and precision of our sensor. The results presented in this paper show our sun sensor obtains the azimuth to the sun to about 5 degrees and the zenith to about 1 degree of error.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 25th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2012) September 17 - 21, 2012 Nashville Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, TN
Pages:	3627 - 3635
Cite this article:	Liu, Cheng, Ariyur, Kartik B., "Construction of a Sun Sensor for Geolocation and Orientation," Proceedings of the 25th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2012), Nashville, TN, September 2012, pp. 3627-3635.
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