Interferometric Enabled Particle Filter for Underwater Navigation

Underwater terrain-aided navigation (UTAN) provides a method for drift mitigation in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied environments. The use of a particle filter enables continuous positional error correction to a vehicle’s inertial navigation system (INS) through reference to a stored map. In this paper we explore the application of an interferometric forward look sonar (FLS) to create a geophysical position reference for the measurement process in the particle filer. We document and provide results related to in water interferometric analysis, particle filter development within a loosely coupled simulator environment, and platform integration accompanied by objective real-time operational capability. Hardware and software components were developed with a focus on system modularity.