Imagery Synthesis for Drone Celestial Navigation Simulation

Abstract

Simulation plays a critical role in the development of UAV navigation systems. In the context of celestial navigation, the ability to simulate celestial imagery is particularly important, due to the logistical and legal constraints of conducting UAV flight trials after dusk. We present a method for simulating night-sky star field imagery captured from a rigidly mounted ‘strapdown’ UAV camera system, with reference to a single static reference image captured on the ground. Using fast attitude updates and spherical linear interpolation, images are superimposed to produce a finite-exposure image that accurately captures motion blur due to aircraft actuation and aerodynamic turbulence. The simulation images are validated against a real data set, showing similarity in both star trail path and magnitude. The outcomes of this work provide a simulation test environment for the development of celestial navigation algorithms.