Research Summaries

Back High Latitude Positioning, Navigation and Timing

Fiscal Year 2015
Division Research & Sponsored Programs
Department Naval Research Program
Investigator(s) Luqi
Sponsor NPS Naval Research Program (Navy)
Summary The study seeks to improve capabilities of US Navy ships for accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) in order to support operations in the high arctic region with latitude> 65 degrees. The rate of change for "North" approaches infinity at the pole. Therefore compass directions become undefined there. Shipboard gyros switch to a transverse coordinate system in which the pole becomes (lat 0, long 0), and directions near the pole become stable and well defined. GPS works correctly at the poles. Potential system difficulties are associated with transitions between the two coordinate systems. Problems manifest specifically in cases where computations combine positions obtained before the coordinate system change with others obtained after. The project will investigate impacts on shipboard PNT and combat systems when these transitions occur. We will seek affordable mitigations for the effects discovered. We will determine whether solutions that do not modify current system/software architectures and interfaces are possible. If not, we will identify minimum necessary changes. Study results will determine affordability of approaches to ship positioning at high latitudes and assess likely impacts on ships' systems.
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Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal