A Terrain-Aided Tracking Algorithm for Marine Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a novel method for incorporating unstructured, natural terrain information into the process of tracking of underwater vehicles. Terrain-aided navigation promises to revolutionise the ability of marine systems to track underwater bodies in deepwater applications. This work represents a crucial step in the development of underwater technologies capable of long-term, reliable deployment. A particle based estimator is used to incorporate observations of altitude into the estimation process using a priori map information. Results of the application of this technique to the tracking of a towed body and a ship operating in Sydney Harbour are shown.