Importance

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Abstract

A low SWAP-C apparatus and method enable determining precise location and orientation in a GPS-denied environment. A camera image of a scene is registered to a synthetic image predicted according to an initial estimate of location and orientation and a 3D model of the environment to obtain an accurate cross-plane location estimate perpendicular to the camera pointing direction, and an approximate downrange location in the pointing direction. A range sensor is then used to correct and refine the downrange estimate. The steps can be iterated until a required accuracy is attained. The camera can be an electro-optical or infrared imaging system. The range sensor can be a laser range finder or a LIDAR. The initial location estimate can be based on inertial measurements and/or earlier GPS readings. The registration can include applying a photogrammetric bundle-adjustment process. The disclosure is applicable to navigation, weapons pointing, and situational awareness.

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First Claim