Aerial Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Using Earth's Magnetic Anomaly Field

Taylor N. Lee, Aaron J. Canciani

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	Instances of global navigation satelite system (GNSS) spoofing and jamming have emphasized the need for alternative navigation methods. A fusion of methods is required to fill the resulting gaps from Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied circumstances. Aerial navigation by magnetic map-matching has been demonstrated as a viable GPS-alternative inertial navigation system (INS)-aiding technique, but requires an accurate magnetic map which is not always available. Magnetic map availability and resolution varies widely around the globe. Removing the dependency on prior survey maps extends the benefits of aerial magnetic navigation methods to small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) at lower altitudes where magnetic maps are especially undersampled or unavailable. In this paper, a common simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm known as FastSLAM was modified to scalar magnetic measurements to constrain a drifting navigation-grade INS to tens of meters in a one-hundred minute flight without the use of a prior magnetic map. Aerial SLAM using Earth’s magnetic anomaly field provides a GPS-alternative navigation method that is globally persistent, impervious to jamming or spoofing, stealthy, and locally accurate to tens of meters without the need for a magnetic map.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2019 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 28 - 31, 2019 Hyatt Regency Reston Reston, Virginia
Pages:	471 - 485
Cite this article:	Lee, Taylor N., Canciani, Aaron J., "Aerial Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Using Earth's Magnetic Anomaly Field," Proceedings of the 2019 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Reston, Virginia, January 2019, pp. 471-485. https://doi.org/10.33012/2019.16705
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