Satellite Positioning Systems in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles have important role in military and civilian programs in several countries. One of the important aspects of these vehicles is the ability of tracking and positioning them in the various operational conditions in order to automated navigation. For this, many types of Satellite Positioning System receivers are used for tracking vehicles or in combination with an automatic guidance system for guiding them. This study is a brief explanation on how to measure the position of the unmanned aerial vehicles using Satellite Positioning System receivers. The physical properties of these receivers and their technologies in terms of traceability of satellite systems, the ability to track a variety of radio frequencies and positioning accuracy are also studied. The results show that in many real time UAV applications, the high accuracy of position is not necessary, and the accuracy up to several meters is acceptable. Using of the multi frequency receivers is more appropriate for positioning of these vehicles. These receivers are compact and low power, and are perfectly suited for applications where size constraints, weight and minimal power consumption are critical, such as in helicopter cockpits or for UAV applications.