2026-04-17T00:47:40Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:2117/4463402026-02-07T08:25:46Zcom_2072_1033col_2072_452950

UAV navigation using EKF-MonoSLAM aided by range-to-base measurements Munguía Alcalá, Rodrigo Francisco Trujillo Flores, Juan Carlos Grau Saldes, Antoni Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Aeronàutica i espai::Sistemes CNS/ATM (Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) UAVs SLAM EKF Monocular-based GPS-denied Range-to-base Observability This study introduces an innovative refinement to EKF-based monocular SLAM by incorporating attitude, altitude, and range-to-base data to enhance system observability and minimize drift. In particular, by utilizing a single range measurement relative to a fixed reference point, the method enables unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to mitigate error accumulation, preserve map consistency, and operate reliably in environments without GPS. This integration facilitates sustained autonomous navigation with estimation error remaining bounded over extended trajectories. Theoretical validation is provided through a nonlinear observability analysis, highlighting the general benefits of integrating range data into the SLAM framework. The system’s performance is evaluated through both virtual experiments and real-world flight data. The real-data experiments confirm the practical relevance of the approach and its ability to improve estimation accuracy in realistic scenarios. Postprint (published version) 2025-08-12 Article https://www.mdpi.com/2504-446X/9/8/570 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access Attribution 4.0 International Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)