A study on cooperative navigation algorithms for UAV formations based on array signal detection

Abstract With the increasingly widespread application of small UAVs, precise navigation of UAVs is crucial for the application of low-cost small UAV formations. This study addresses the challenges of the limited payload capacity of small UAVs, the accumulative positioning errors in inertial navigation systems over time, and the unavailability of global satellite navigation in obstructed environments. A collaborative navigation algorithm leveraging the communication module is proposed. This algorithm does not require additional navigation devices and utilizes the transmit-receive bidirectional beamforming of the communication array to eliminate non-parallel vector errors caused by the carrier’s attitude deviation, thereby achieving high-precision relative positioning for small UAV formations and effectively addressing the payload limitation problem. Additionally, a communication-navigation cooperative scheme based on array signal detection was developed, utilizing UAV array antennas and communication systems to measure relative state information and enhance navigation accuracy for small UAV formations. The results show that the algorithm significantly suppresses the cumulative errors in the UAVs’ inertial navigation system.