GNSS array-aided positioning and attitude determination: Real data analyses

Abstract

Copyright © (2014) by the Institute of Navigation All rights reserved. GNSS positioning and navigation have become ubiquitous with a wide variety of challenging applications including attitude determination and relative navigation. In this contribution, we analyse the performance of a novel integrated navigation method for array-aided relative positioning and attitude determination using real data. We consider two platforms equipped with multiple GNSS receivers/antennas. Precise GNSS positioning and attitude determination rely on successful resolution of the carrier phase integer ambiguities. The Multivariate Constrained-Least squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment (MC-LAMBDA) method is used to reliably resolve platform ambiguities making use of the knowledge of antenna geometry in the local body frame. This reliable platform processing consequently enhances the between-platform ambiguity resolution and baseline estimation. Using real data, we demonstrate that this method not only enhances the attitude determination but also improves the between-platform ambiguity resolution and the between-platform baseline estimates. Our study includes performance analyses of the array-aided positioning method in terms of number of antennas per platform, number of frequencies, and multi-GNSS vs a single system.