Precise, Robust Vehicle Localization
Without accurate, timely positioning information, a self-driving car doesn’t know where it is relative to its destination, so it can neither follow a course to it nor map its surroundings. Draper is developing hardware and software technologies to perform localization with or without GPS data—precisely, reliably and affordably.
Centimeter-level localization accuracy enabled by the Draper APEX Gyro makes precise yet cost-effective inertial navigation for cars accessible. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology sensor, the Draper APEX Gyro is designed for fabrication via standard semiconductor foundry processes. It can then be produced for a fraction of the production costs of other commercially available technologies, including fiber-optic gyroscopes.
In a software-based approach to determining position Draper uses one of its vision-aided navigation algorithms, SAMWISE (Smoothing And Mapping With Inertial State Estimation). The algorithm estimates a vehicle’s attitude, velocity and relative position and orientation by fusing data from an inertial sensor and one or more aiding navigation sensors to enable closed-loop autonomous vehicle motion and mapping in areas without consistent GPS signal access. Using data from the basic sensor implementation of a monocamera and an inertial measurement unit, SAMWISE localizes very effectively. Since SAMWISE integrates easily with a variety of sensors/data sources, including GPS, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), additional sensors can be added to the system configuration for even higher/more reliable performance. SAMWISE even can use new information to update previous movement measurements to correct stored position data.
Whether designing and developing hardware, software or both, Draper’s system-level approach delivers robust capabilities for precise vehicle localization. The result is reliable navigation in any environment without depending on GPS.
Related News
Related Press
Access Our Capabilities
We push boundaries and deliver the capabilities you need.