Integrated Multi-Aperture Sensor and Navigation Fusion

Abstract : The integration of vision sensors and inertial navigation system (INS) can enable precision navigation capabilities in the absence of GPS. Inspired from biological systems, a multi-aperture vision processing system allows for accurate self-motion (egomotion) estimation by observing optical flow across all apertures. The multi-aperture approach is particularly well suited for resolving motion-ambiguity by providing a wide field of regard for detecting and tracking visual features (optical flow). This paper presents a data fusion approach for multi-aperture sensors that integrates the vision processing into a single unified frame of reference by projecting imagery from each aperture onto the unit sphere centered on the navigation frame. The unit sphere projection allows for the seamless integration of multiple apertures into the more natural angle-angle space of the navigation frame of reference. As a first step in evaluating the multi-aperture processing strategy, algorithms are evaluated based on simulated data. The results presented clearly show the advantage of coupling the inertial system with a multi-aperture optical system.