Absolute Localization in GPS-denied Environment for Autonomous Unmanned Ground and Micro-air Vehicle Systems Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Topic No.: N121-101 Topic Title: Absolute Localization in GPS-denied Environment for Autonomous Unmanned Ground and Micro-air Vehicle Systems Proposal No.: N121-101-0791 Firm: Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. 200 Westside Square Suite 320 Huntsville, Alabama 35801 Contact: Todd Aycock Phone: (256) 562-0087 Web Site: www.PolarisSensor.com Abstract: Polaris proposes to make use of currently available sensor suites on AUGV/MAV platforms to implement a Kalman filter-based integrated solution to the autonomous localization problem in GPS-denied environments, titled Stereo Camera Absolute Localization and Map correlation System (SCALMS). This effort will focus on the development of two distinct subsystems, dead reckoning and absolute positioning. The innovation lies in the implementation of the dead reckoning localization subsystem and also in the novel methods for correlating maps in the absolute positioning subsystem. The proposed Phase I will result in the implementation and field test of the first subsystem and the analysis and design of the second. A design which integrates the two into the SCALMS architecture is provided. Finally, novel methods for handling feature-poor and feature-rich environments, as well as localization reset, are suggested. We estimate that the SCALMS architecture could be implemented on many AUGV platforms in production today without adding additional sensing hardware and without exceeding SWAP, processing, and memory requirements. The final system will be ideal because of its integration of some proven technologies, but innovative due to its application of others. Benefits: The proposed effort enables any existing AUGV/MAV platform, with access to or ability to integrate stereo vision hardware, to implement our SCALMS architecture to effectively and reliably navigate and localize in GPS-denied environments at GPS-level accuracy. SCALMS will present an ideal solution to many different markets, including military, firefighters, bomb squads, autonomous robots (indoor: vacuum, mop; outdoor: lawnmower, agriculture), autonomous transportation (trains, boats, planes, cars), and underwater/underground robots. Additionally, based on the low-cost and innovation of the implementation, we unlock a vast array of customers who may be hardware, size, weight, power, and cost constrained. Return