Terrain referenced navigation is a technique for improving the accuracy of a navigation system by correlating a sensed elevation profile of terrain beneath a vehicle with stored terrain elevation data. Position estimates are referenced to the terrain data and are insensitive to position bias errors in the terrain data. Because of this characteristic, terrain referenced navigation systems are especially useful in applications that require accurate navigation relative to targets, obstacles, structures, and other features whose locations are derived from the same source as the stored elevation data. Example applications include low-emission terrain following/terrain avoidance, target queuing for standoff weapon terminal sensors, indirect ranging and ground proximity warning. System navigation accuracy depends primarily on the ratio of terrain roughness to terrain data vertical accuracy and secondarily on navigation system accuracy, vehicle ground clearance, ground cover, vehicle maneuvers, and update frequency. Terrain referenced navigation systems are often considered for use with terrain masking for covert, low-altitude ingress into hostile areas. Low probability of intercept radar altimeters may be used in these applications. A key issue is the availability and quality of terrain elevation data. This chapter provides avionics system developers an overview of terrain referenced navigation system capabilities and characteristics, and an outlook for future applications.
Terrain Referenced Navigation
1995
6 pages
Report
No indication
English
Tema Archive | 1990
|Terrain referenced navigation for cruise missiles
NTIS | 1991
|