Scalable Positioning Method for MAV Localisation using Two onboard UWB Tags

Scalable Positioning Method for MAV Localisation using Two onboard UWB Tags

van Beurden, Bas (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Pfeiffer, S.U. (mentor)
de Croon, G.C.H.E. (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2021-12-02

Abstract—Ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging is a very suitable method for indoor localisation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Current solutions of UWB ranging however either focus on achieving a high accuracy or focus on scalability. In this research a positioning algorithm for UAVs is presented that combines high accuracy performance with a high level of system scalability. The localisation method uses commercially available off the shelf components and is implemented by connecting two UWB sensors to a micro aerial vehicle. From
both sensors, time-difference of arrival (TDOA) measurements were collected during flights and additionally, a tag-TDOA between the two UWB sensors was measured which estimates the angle-of-arrival of the incoming signals. It was found that state estimation using TDOA measurements from both UWB sensors has a reduced positioning error compared to the algorithm using TDOA measurements from one UWB sensor, without significantly affecting yaw estimation accuracy. Furthermore, the tag-TDOA measurement did not improve the estimation accuracy at the implemented baseline of 0.22 metres as the
measurement error was too large compared to the baseline.

UAV
Localisation
UWB
TDOA
Angle of arrival
MAV
MAVLAB
EKF
State Estimation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:bb6ace70-512e-4e0e-a834-6b065ece52c5

Student theses

master thesis

© 2021 Bas van Beurden