The holding company “KRET” of the state corporation “Rostec” has created new navigation systems for domestic unmanned aerial vehicles. The advantage of the development is the high accuracy and the possibility of autonomous operation: the system can determine the coordinates and parameters of the movement of objects even in the absence of land, sea or space landmarks. АиФ.ги I found out what the new system is and why it is so good.
What is an INS?
The created navigation system belongs to the inertial navigation system (INS). An inertial method is a method of navigating objects and controlling their movement, based on the fact that a physical object remains at rest without external influence or does not change the trajectory and speed of its movement. The advantage of the method is that it does not require external landmarks or external signals for navigation. Thus, the new complex allows you to determine the coordinates and parameters of the movement of objects, even in the absence of land, sea or space landmarks.
The disadvantage of the INS can be called errors that accumulate over time in the information received from the devices. These can be either methodological errors or errors related to incorrect initial hardware configuration.
Inertial systems are composed of acceleration sensors (accelerometers) and angular velocity sensors (gyroscopes). The accuracy of the information obtained depends on the characteristics of these devices. The data is analyzed by a computer, which then corrects the movement of the object according to certain navigation algorithms.
With the help of the obtained data, it is possible to determine the deviation of the coordinate system associated with the instrument body from the coordinate system associated with the Earth. The basis of the operation of inertial systems is to measure the acceleration of the aircraft and its angular velocities relative to the three axes of the aircraft, in order to determine the location of the aircraft, its speed, course, and other parameters based on this data. According to the results of the analysis, the object is stabilized, and automatic control can be used.
How to apply the system?
In particular, the navigation system provided by Rostec provides general geographical orientation and determines the location of the drone relative to a given trajectory or target, including moving objects. Such systems will allow the drone not to depend on ground landmarks and weather conditions.
The first inertial navigation systems were created in the 1950s in the United States and the USSR, but they were quite bulky and could occupy all the free space of the aircraft.
In the new navigation systems, it is possible to work on GPS or GLONASS, in combined mode or independently (that is, according to the inertial principle). At the same time, the error of the systems is less than 1% in normal operation and less than 2% in autonomous operation, that is, in the absence of landmarks. Information “inertial” and “satellite”, that is, requiring external reference points, is transmitted through different channels.
The new system belongs to the so-called free-form (BINS). They provide complete information about the navigation parameters of the movement: the angles of course, roll, acceleration, speed of movement and the coordinates of the object. The new BINS have no moving parts, are absolutely silent, durable, do not require special maintenance, and last a long time.
Platform-free inertial systems favorably differ from platform-based systems by their lower weight and dimensions, and also by their ability to operate under significant overloads.
The new navigation systems have already been tested on prototypes of Russian drones and have proven their high efficiency. The technology will begin to be used in 2021. At the same time, it is not reported which drones will receive it as a basis.