Computer simulation model of a miniaturized ceramic antenna element.
Robust Satellite Navigation in Safety-relevant Applications
The joint project ROSANNA is based on the results of the research project KOSERNA and the concept study ROSANNA-Konzept and applies them to safety-relevant areas of satellite navigation. Two promising, safety-critical applications were identified that require high-precision and particularly robust navigation: The automotive sector, especially with regard to fully automated and driverless driving, manoeuvring and transport, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Both applications pose special challenges that require fundamental investigations. Promising preliminary studies were successfully carried out within the framework of ROSANNA-Konzept, which are now to be translated into practical designs and suitable demonstrators. The Institute KN is mainly engaged in the challenges resulting from the use of adaptive antennas on UAVs. These include light and compact antenna systems, tracking loops, inclusion of additional sensors as well as interference from the platform and spoofing signals. The project also serves to gain scientific competence in the field of installed antennas as well as the influence of vibration and rotors and their consideration in beamforming, direction-of-arrival estimation and interference suppression.
Accurate and reliable positioning with existing and future satellite systems such as GPS and Galileo is crucial in many areas of passenger and freight transport on road, rail, air and sea. However, the high requirements, especially with regard to interference immunity, can no longer be met with commercially available receivers. One way out is the use of receiving systems that have proven to be particularly suitable for effectively suppressing interference signals and multipath reception by using array antennas in conjunction with suitable algorithms for adaptive beamforming and control (e.g. digital beamforming, DBF).
The joint project ROSANNA is based on the results of the research project KOSERNA and the concept study ROSANNA-Konzept and applies them to safety-relevant areas of satellite navigation. In the course of the joint preparatory work, the project consortium succeeded in significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of position determination with the previously developed compact GNSS receiver by using a second frequency band (Galileo band E5a) and simultaneous evaluation of both polarizations, as well as implementing suitable methods for suppressing various spoofing signals. Individual components and algorithms were successfully tested in static and dynamic scenarios at the GATE in Berchtesgaden as well as the ATC in Aldenhoven and demonstrated at a GSA workshop. Finally, two promising safety-critical applications were identified that require highly accurate and robust navigation: The automotive sector, especially with regard to the importance of satellite navigation for fully automated and driverless driving, manoeuvring and transport, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Both applications pose special challenges that require fundamental research. For this purpose, promising preliminary studies were carried out within the framework of the ROSANNA-Konzept, which are now to be translated into practical designs and suitable demonstrators. In the automotive sector, these include the development of new installation spaces in automobiles with a distributed arrangement of compact integrated sub-arrays (antennas with integrated front-ends) as well as multi-standard receiver systems, which make it possible to combine satellite navigation in particular with mobile communication (C2X). In the case of UAVs, the challenges lie in the reception patterns of the installed antennas, which are modified by the environment, the necessary high degree of miniaturization and the high agility of the aircraft, as well as in the influence of rotors and vibrations on the reception of the navigation signals.
By using an array antenna that can be configured in the digital domain, interference signals emitted intentionally or accidentally can be suppressed. Thus, the availability of navigation signals achieves the robustness against jamming, spoofing and loss of localization, which is required for safety-critical applications as a prerequisite for increasing personal and traffic safety.
Duration:
May 2019 – Feb. 2023
Financier:
BMWi
Project partners:
TU Ilmenau Institut für Mikroelektronik- und Mechatronik-Systeme (IMMS), Erfurt RWTH Aachen Antennentechnik Bad Blankenburg GmbH