Design of Message Formatting and Utilization Strategies for UAV-Based Pseudolite Systems Compatible with GNSS Receivers
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper proposes a GNSS-compatible method for characterizing the motion of UAV-based navigation enhancement platforms, designed to provide reliable navigation and positioning services in emergency scenarios where GNSS signals are unavailable or severely degraded. The method maps UAV trajectories into standard GNSS navigation messages by establishing a correspondence between ephemeris parameters and platform positions through coordinate transformation and Taylor series expansion. To address modeling inaccuracies, the approach incorporates truncation error analysis and motion-assumption compensation via parameter optimization. This design enables UAV-mounted pseudolite systems to broadcast GNSS-compatible signals without modifying existing receivers, significantly enhancing rapid deployment capabilities in complex or degraded environments. Simulation results confirm precise positional representation in static scenarios and robust error control under dynamic motion through higher-order modeling and optimized broadcast strategies. UAV flight tests demonstrated a theoretical maximum error of 0.4262 m and an actual maximum error of 3.1878 m under real-world disturbances, which is within operational limits. Additional experiments confirmed successful message parsing with standard GNSS receivers. The proposed method offers a lightweight, interoperable solution for integrating UAV platforms into GNSS-enhanced positioning systems, supporting timely and accurate navigation services in emergency and disaster relief operations.
Source: Drones
Authors: Guanbing Zhang, Yang Zhang, Hong Yuan, Yi Lu, Ruocheng Guo
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W4412914532