THE ANELLO GROUND INS
PERFORMANCE IN GPS-DENIED ORCHARD

THE ANELLO GNSS INS PERFORMANCE IN GPS-DENIED ORCHARD

Reliable navigation is essential as crewed and uncrewed aerial platforms operate over longer distances and in GPS-challenged environments. When satellite signals are unavailable, low-drift inertial sensing helps sustain the position, velocity, and attitude information needed for flight operations.
ANELLO evaluated its Aerial INS, powered by Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope (SiPhOG™) technology, using recorded data from four fixed-wing flights spanning 297 to 575 km. Under GPS-denied conditions introduced during post-processing, the system achieved as little as 0.65% final position error relative to distance traveled over a 460 km route.

BACKGROUND

Extended flight creates challenges for inertial navigation. Small heading and velocity errors accumulate over time, while climbs, turns, and changing aircraft dynamics place additional demands on the navigation solution. These evaluations examined Aerial INS performance across long-distance routes and coordinated maneuvers, including pitch doublets, lazy eights, high-bank turns, and racetrack patterns.

THE ANELLO GROUND INS SOLUTION

The ANELLO GROUND INS combines advanced optical gyroscope technology with an AI-based sensor fusion
engine to deliver high-accuracy positioning and orientation, even in GPS-denied conditions.

Key features that make the ANELLO GROUND INS ideal for orchard applications include:

  • ANELLO Optical Gyroscope Technology
  • Unaided heading drift of < 0.5°/hr
  • Dual multi-band RTK-capable GNSS engines
  • Fault-tolerant with Triple Redundant Sensors
  • Ethernet and RS-232 Interfaces
  • Accurate positioning for up to 30 minutes in GPS-denied conditions
  • IP68 rating for resistance to dust, water, and chemicals

Fig. 1: ANELLO GROUND INS - The ideal companion for navigation in Orchards

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE & INTEGRATION

Four evaluations used three types of fixed-wing aircraft. The Aerial INS was installed aboard the aircraft to collect navigation data for subsequent GPS-denied analysis.

TEST METHODOLOGY

Recorded flight data were reprocessed with GPS aiding removed to evaluate the system's dead-reckoning performance. Three evaluations used simulated airspeed derived from GPS groundspeed with added uniform noise; one used airspeed readings obtained from cockpit video.

Because GPS denial was introduced after flight, the results represent post-processed evaluations, not live GPS-denied flight operations. Final position error was reported both in kilometers and as a percentage of distance traveled.

TEST METHODOLOGY

Recorded flight data were reprocessed with GPS aiding removed to evaluate the system's dead-reckoning performance. Three evaluations used simulated airspeed derived from GPS groundspeed with added uniform noise; one used airspeed readings obtained from cockpit video.

Because GPS denial was introduced after flight, the results represent post-processed evaluations, not live GPS-denied flight operations. Final position error was reported both in kilometers and as a percentage of distance traveled.

Integrating ANELLO X3 IMU with commercially available Pixhawk ecosystem

ANELLO X3 IMU GPS-Denied Results

Figure 4: ANELLO X3 IMU integrated with Pixhawk, with flight demo at ANELLO proving grounds

RESULTS

Across the four evaluations, final position error ranged from 0.65% to 1.87% of distance traveled. The lowest reported ratio was 2.98 km error over 460 km (0.65%). A separate 304 km evaluation ended with 2.8 km error (0.92%).

Flight Evaluation Distance Final Position Error Error / Distance
Evaluation 1 297 km 4.4 km 1.48%
Evaluation 2 575 km 10.7 km 1.87%
Evaluation 3 304 km 2.8 km 0.92%
Evaluation 4 460 km 2.98 km 0.65%

GPS-denied performance evaluated through post-processing with airspeed aiding. Results vary by flight configuration.

TEST DRIVE RESULTS IN ORCHARD

ANELLO GNSS INS Orchard GPS-Denied

Drive data without ANELLO Tech in Walnut Orchard, Fresno CA
>> 5 metres

Fig. 2: Test Drive Results - ANELLO GROUND INS in Walnut Orchard in Fresno, CA.

ANELLO GNSS INS GPS-Denied High Accuracy

Drive data with ANELLO Tech in Walnut Orchard, Fresno CA
< 0.5 metres

CONCLUSION

The flight-test data demonstrate the ANELLO Aerial INS's potential to support resilient navigation across extended fixed-wing routes and demanding flight dynamics. Under the evaluated post-processing and airspeed-aiding conditions, final position error ranged from 0.65% to 1.87% of distance traveled. Further testing can build on these results to evaluate additional aiding configurations and performance during live GPS-denied operation. For integration details or evaluation opportunities, contact info@anellophotonics.com.
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