Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T00:44:01.450Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Astronomical Vessel Position Determination Utilizing the Optical Super Wide Angle Lens Camera

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2014

Chong-hui Li*
Affiliation:
(Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Zhengzhou, China)
Yong Zheng
Affiliation:
(Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Zhengzhou, China)
Chao Zhang
Affiliation:
(Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Zhengzhou, China)
Yu-Lei Yuan
Affiliation:
(School of Computer, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, China)
Yue-Yong Lian
Affiliation:
(Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Zhengzhou, China)
Pei-Yuan Zhou
Affiliation:
(Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Zhengzhou, China)

Abstract

Celestial navigation is an important type of autonomous navigation technology which could be used as an alternative to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) when a vessel is at sea. After several centuries of development, a variety of astronomical vessel position (AVP) determination methods have been invented, but the basic concepts of these methods are all based on angular observations with a device such as a sextant, which has disadvantages including low accuracy, manual operation, and a limited period of observation. This paper proposes a new method that utilises a fisheye camera to image the celestial bodies and horizon simultaneously. Then, we calculate the obliquity of the fisheye camera's principal optical axis according to the image coordinates of the horizon. Next, we calculate the altitude of the celestial bodies according to the image coordinates of the celestial bodies and the obliquity. Finally, the AVP is determined by the altitudes according to the robust estimation method. Experimental results indicate that this method not only could realize automation and miniaturization of the AVP determination system, but could also greatly improve the efficiency of celestial navigation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Chiesa, A. and Chiesa, R. (1990). A Mathematical Method of Obtaining an Astronomical Vessel Position. The Journal of Navigation, 31, 125129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greer, R.A. (1993). The navigation sensor system interface project. The Journal of Navigation, 46, 238244.Google Scholar
Hsu, T., Chen, C. and Chang, J. (2003). A novel approach to determine the astronomical vessel position. Journal of Marine Science and Technology, 11, 221235.Google Scholar
Hsu, T., Chen, C. and Chang, J. (2005). New Computational Methods for Solving Problems of the Astronomical Vessel Position. The Journal of Navigation, 58, 315335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, C., Glavin, M., Jones, E. and Denny, P. (2009). Wide-angle camera technology for automotive applications: a review. IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 3, 1931.Google Scholar
Kaplan, G.H. (1999). New Technology for Celestial Navigation, Nautical Almanac Office Sesquicentennial Symposium, Washington, D.C, CA.Google Scholar
Knight, N, Wang, J. and Rizos, C. (2010). Generalised Measures of Reliability for Multiple Outliers. Journal of Geodesy, 84(10), 625635.Google Scholar
Kumlera, J.J. and Bauerb, M.L. (2000). Fisheye lens designs and their relative performance. Proceedings of Current Developments in Lens Design and Optical Systems Engineering, San Diego, CA.Google Scholar
Li, C., Zheng, Y., Li, Z., Yu, L. and Wang, Y. (2013). A New Celestial Positioning Model based on Robust Estimation. Proceedings of the 4th China Satellite Navigation Conference, Wuhan, CA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matti, A.R. (1990). Position Fixing in a Fast Moving Ship by Culmination of a Celestial Body. The Journal of Navigation, 43, 276286.Google Scholar
Padilla, C.E., Karlov, V.I., Matson, L. and Chun, H.M. (1998). Advanced Fringe Tracking Algorithms for Low-Light Level Ground-based Stellar Interferometry. Proceedings of the American Control Conference, Philadelphia, CA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parish, J.J., Parish, A.S., Swanzy, M., Woodbury, D., Mortari, D. and Junkins, J.L. (2010). Stellar positioning system(part I): an autonomous position determination solution. Navigation, 57, 112.Google Scholar
Pepperday, M. (1992). The ‘Two-Body Fix’ At Sea. The Journal of Navigation, 45, 138142.Google Scholar
Vulfovich, B. and Fogilev, V. (2010). New Ideas for Celestial Navigation in the Third Millennium. The Journal of Navigation, 63, 373378.Google Scholar
Wang, A. (2007). Modern celestial navigation and its key technologies. Journal of Electronics, 12, 23472348.Google Scholar
Wang, Y. (2006). Fisheye Lens Optics. Beijing, Science Press.Google Scholar
Wang, Z., Quan, W. (2004). An All-Sky Autonomous Star Map Identification Algorithm. IEEE A&E Systems Magazine, 19, 1014.Google Scholar
Williams, R. (1990). Computation of an Astronomical Running Fix. The Journal of Navigation, 43, 444448.Google Scholar
Yuan, Y. (2012). Research on stellar fisheye camera calibration technology, Doctoral Thesis of Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping. 211212.Google Scholar
Yang, Y. (1999). Robust estimation of geodetic datum transformation, Journal of Geodesy, 73, 268274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar