Local radio navigation and positioning system for mobile unmanned objects

M.A. Vaganov; S.I. Shershnev; G.A. Frolov; O.V. Shakin

doi:10.18127/j20700814-202605-04

Local radio navigation and positioning system for mobile unmanned objects

M.A. Vaganov¹, S.I. Shershnev², G.A. Frolov³, O.V. Shakin⁴

research article UDC 621.396 Pages: 20-27 doi.org/10.18127/j20700814-202605-04

^1,2,3,4 Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation (St.-Petersburg, Russia)

Keywords: Local radio navigation positioning mobile unmanned objects ultra-wide band technology UWB standard

Abstract

Modern mobile unmanned objects are highly dependent on signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). However, under conditions of electronic interference, lack of satellite coverage, or operation in confined environments, the use of GNSS becomes difficult or impossible. Existing alternative local navigation methods based on inertial measurements or computer vision systems have limitations associated with error accumulation, high computational complexity, and dependence on environmental conditions. Therefore, the development of a robust and high-precision local radio navigation system for mobile unmanned objects is of significant relevance.

Objective – development and experimental investigation of a local radio navigation and positioning system for mobile unmanned objects based on ultra-wideband communication technology, providing high-accuracy real-time coordinate determination under conditions of absence or suppression of GNSS signals.

The paper presents the results of the development and testing of an experimental prototype of a local radio navigation and positioning system for mobile unmanned objects designed to determine object coordinates with high accuracy in real time under conditions of absence or suppression of global navigation satellite system signals. An analysis of existing navigation methods for mobile objects was carried out, including inertial systems, computer vision systems, and radio navigation methods based on radio signal processing. Based on the comparative analysis, a radio navigation method using ultra-wideband (UWB) communication technology of the IEEE 802.15.4z-2020 standard and the Double Sided Two Way Ranging (DS-TWR) algorithm was selected for implementation. The features of applying UWB technology for local positioning tasks are considered, and a mathematical description of the DS-TWR algorithm and the multilateration method used for coordinate estimation is presented. An experimental prototype of the local radio navigation and positioning system was developed and experimentally investigated.

The obtained results confirm the possibility of using the experimental prototype of the local radio navigation and positioning system to provide local navigation for mobile unmanned objects in the absence of global navigation satellite system signals, including operation within limited and predefined areas, as well as for solving monitoring and coordination tasks of unmanned platforms.

Received: 08.07.2026
Approved after review: 20.07.2026
Accepted: 01.09.2026

How to cite

Ваганов М.А., Шершнев С.И., Фролов Г.А., Шакин О.В. Комплекс локальной радионавигации и позиционирования мобильных беспилотных объектов // Информационно-измерительные и управляющие системы. 2026. Т. 24. № 5. С. 20−27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18127/j20700814-202605-04

References

IEEE Std 802.15.4z-2020. IEEE Standard for Low-Rate Wireless Networks Amendment 1: Enhanced Ultra Wideband Physical Layers and Associated Ranging Techniques. IEEE. 2020.
Amelin K.S. Metod orientirovaniya sverhlegkogo MBS pri redkom obnovlenii dannyh o ego mestopolozhenii. Stohasticheskaya optimizaciya v informatike. 2014. T. 10. № 2. S. 3–14 (In Russian).
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Zhu Y., Huang L., Liu J., Cao Z., Chen J., Mu Z. A Real-Time UWB Location and Tracking System Based on TWR-TDOA Estimation and a Simplified MPGA Layout Optimization. Mobile Information Systems. 2022. P. 1–10.
Chen S., Yin D., Niu Y. Research and Implementation of Improved SS-TWR TOA Positioning Method Based on UWB. 2022.
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YCHIOT. UWB Mini4sp-C5-SMA User Manual. Version 1.3. Wenzhou: Wenzhou Yanchuang Internet of Things Technology Co., Ltd.,2023.
Gezici S., Tian Z., Giannakis G.B., Kobayashi H., Molisch A.F., Poor H.V., Sahinoglu Z. Localization via Ultra-Wideband Radios: A Look at Positioning Aspects for Future Sensor Networks. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. 2005. V. 22, № 4. P. 70–84.
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Qorvo. DW1000 Datasheet: IEEE 802.15.4-2011 UWB Transceiver. Version 2.22. Qorvo, 2017.

[1] IEEE Std 802.15.4z-2020. IEEE Standard for Low-Rate Wireless Networks Amendment 1: Enhanced Ultra Wideband Physical Layers and Associated Ranging Techniques. IEEE. 2020.

[2] Amelin K.S. Metod orientirovaniya sverhlegkogo MBS pri redkom obnovlenii dannyh o ego mestopolozhenii. Stohasticheskaya optimizaciya v informatike. 2014. T. 10. № 2. S. 3–14 (In Russian).

[3] Ali B., Sadekov R.N., Codokova V.V. Algoritmy navigacii bespilotnyh letatel'nyh apparatov s ispol'zovaniem sistem tekhnicheskogo zreniya. Giroskopiya i navigaciya. 2022. T. 30. № 4. S. 87–105 (In Russian).

[4] Zhu Y., Huang L., Liu J., Cao Z., Chen J., Mu Z. A Real-Time UWB Location and Tracking System Based on TWR-TDOA Estimation and a Simplified MPGA Layout Optimization. Mobile Information Systems. 2022. P. 1–10.

[5] Chen S., Yin D., Niu Y. Research and Implementation of Improved SS-TWR TOA Positioning Method Based on UWB. 2022.

[6] Decawave. APS013 Application Note: The Implementation of Two-Way Ranging with the DW1000. Version 2.2.

[7] O vydelenii polos radiochastot ustrojstvam malogo radiusa dejstviya: reshenie Gosudarstvennoj komissii po radiochastotam pri Ministerstve Rossijskoj Federacii po svyazi i informacii ot 07.05.2007 № 07-20-03-001: red. ot 10.03.2017 (In Russian).

[8] YCHIOT. UWB Mini4sp-C5-SMA User Manual. Version 1.3. Wenzhou: Wenzhou Yanchuang Internet of Things Technology Co., Ltd.,2023.

[9] Gezici S., Tian Z., Giannakis G.B., Kobayashi H., Molisch A.F., Poor H.V., Sahinoglu Z. Localization via Ultra-Wideband Radios: A Look at Positioning Aspects for Future Sensor Networks. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine. 2005. V. 22, № 4. P. 70–84.

[10] Alarifi A., Al-Salman A., Alsaleh M. et al. Ultra Wideband Indoor Positioning Technologies: Analysis and Recent Advances. IEEE Access. 2016. V. 4. P. 1730–1744.

[11] Qorvo. DW1000 Datasheet: IEEE 802.15.4-2011 UWB Transceiver. Version 2.22. Qorvo, 2017.

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