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A. Kealy, V. Gikas, G. Retscher:
"Recent Developments on Multi-Sensor Systems within the IAG as a Driver for Robust Positioning and Navigation";
Talk: IAG Commission 4 Symposium, Wroclaw, Polen (invited); 2016-09-04 - 2016-09-07.

In GNSS challenged environments an augmentation with other emerging positioning technologies is an unremitting requirement. This requirement led to the development of multi-sensor systems and their integration using sensor fusion. Thus, for ubiquitous positioning solutions several technologies are researched and further developed. One strategy is to use so-called wireless signals-of-opportunity which were originally not intended for positioning, such as Wi-Fi, mobile telephony, digital television, FM radio and others. Moreover, designated technologies based on pre-deployed signal transmission infrastructure as well as technologies not based on signals are developed and enhanced in the research conducted by the Sub-Commission 4.1. In the first category fall systems using infrared or ultrasonic signals, UWB, ZigBee, RFID, Bluetooth, LED, DSRC or other RF-based systems. Vision/camera systems as well as inertial sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, employed for dead reckoning belong to the second category. Also, a typical application field is smartphone positioning which plays an important role in the interdisciplinary research conducted under the umbrella of SC 4.1.

Furthermore, the commission lays an emphasis on multi-sensor cooperative systems which employ all aforementioned variety of sensors on different platforms for sharing their absolute and relative locations. Platforms include mobile vehicles, robots as well as pedestrians and most recently UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems). Their land and airborne navigation applications range from transportation, personal mobility, industrial and indoor positioning applications and to a lesser extent environmental monitoring. Thus, the major key objective of the SC is to examine the potential and capabilities of low-cost sensors including GNSS systems and smartphone navigation sensors. Primary sensors of interest include inertial and wireless technologies as well as vision-based systems and laser scanning for improving the navigation performance. Furthermore, other objectives include to contribute in research that depends on big data handling, sensor synchronization, data fusion, real-time processing as well as to support standardization activities and to study and monitor the progress of new multi-sensor applications, as well as, to support and promote knowledge exchange and reporting on the development trends, possibilities and limitations of emerging positioning technologies. Thereby the development of new measurement integration algorithms based around innovative modeling techniques in other research domains, such as machine learning and genetic algorithms, spatial cognition etc., plays also an important role.

Past activities of the working group `Multi-sensor Systems´ included several international field campaigns on a range of multi sensor systems and technologies in these application fields. Especially, in the field of cooperative positioning and navigation an important field trial was conducted at the University of Nottingham, UK. It could be demonstrated that CP is a viable solution if a `network´ or `neighbourhood´ of users is to be positioned/navigated together, as it increases the accuracy, integrity, availability, and continuity of the position, navigation and timing information for all users - particularly during gaps in the GNSS coverage. Other investigations include designated indoor positioning trials focusing on personal mobility and indoor parking facility management. Further field campaigns are planned in this context in the current running term of the SC 4.1. Special emphases are thereby led on the experimental evaluation of UAS capabilities and the increasing role of multi-sensor systems in navigation as well as ubiquitous positioning solutions for combined out- and indoor navigation.

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/publik_253320.pdf