For a special project with our USV boats, we are looking for a professional no-GPS solution. This solution is needed for operations under a large floating solar panel park, where no GPS signal is available.
In our standard setup, we use an RTK GNSS system with NTRIP correction data to ensure high accuracy for both our USV boats and the multibeam sonar. However, under the floating solar panel park, our GPS system is ineffective.
We are therefore seeking an alternative that can effectively support the autopilot (Pixhawk) and maybe for the multibeam in this challenging environment.
Does anyone have experience with this or something similar? Or can advise me on a suitable no-GPS solution for our USV boat operating under a solar panel park, we would love to hear from you.
I don’t have an answer, but I am following with interest. I was wondering if any of the methods on the Non-GPS Navigation page, like some of the UWB beacons, would work. I assume @rmackay9 would have mentioned them if they were applicable, are they too short-range or unreliable for a boat?
I think other methods could work. Now that I re-read @Marcel007’s request I imagine that the boat is still on the surface but doesn’t have a clear view of the sky. So in that case I think the Modal AI VOXL camera could work. An upward facing optical flow sensor with a rangefinder could also work but that setup is still a WIP and would need to be revived.
I think a number of AP developers have been disappointed with the performance of UWB systems. I think the issue is that they’re designed for indoor use but they suffer from multipathing off of walls.