Analyzing the Impact of GNSS Spoofing on the Formation of Unmanned Vehicles Swarms

Aanjhan Ranganathan, Adam Belfki, Pau Closas

Abstract: In this paper, we explore the vulnerabilities and resilience of drone swarms to potential attacks, particularly focusing on the significance of accurate position information in the successful completion of swarm missions. We delve into the role of location spoofing attacks and assess the robustness of centralized versus distributed swarm communication architectures against such threats. Emphasizing the increasing adoption of distributed and decentralized algorithms, due to their adaptability and elimination of central control, our research centers on a scenario wherein a swarm aims for uniform distribution across a region, ensuring each drone covers equivalent areas. Such coverage tasks are vital for various applications, including surveillance and navigation. Using Voronoi tessellations and Lloyd relaxation, we identify possible attack vectors these missions might encounter. To assess the swarm behavior under location manipulations, we employ both a comprehensive framework integrating Gazebo, Ardupilot, and QGroundControl and a Python-based simulator. Our findings illuminate the challenges inherent to ensuring robust swarm operations and underscore avenues for future research aimed at bolstering swarm technology’s defenses.
Published in: Proceedings of the 36th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2023)
September 11 - 15, 2023
Hyatt Regency Denver
Denver, Colorado
Pages: 3138 - 3147
Cite this article: Ranganathan, Aanjhan, Belfki, Adam, Closas, Pau, "Analyzing the Impact of GNSS Spoofing on the Formation of Unmanned Vehicles Swarms," Proceedings of the 36th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2023), Denver, Colorado, September 2023, pp. 3138-3147. https://doi.org/10.33012/2023.19438
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