Your Role
Background
Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) are an emerging technique employing various sensors to map up the surrounding environment that enable autonomous vehicles to navigate in unknown locations. The signal sources may be so called Signals of Opportunity (SOO), e.g., cellular network, ATC towers and GNSS jamming devices but other sources can also be considered, such as distinct landmarks identified using computer vision.
The main idea is to estimate vehicle position based on continuous tracking of distinct landmarks in the surroundings without the need for a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The technology has the potential that allows for a robust implementation into any airborne platform that has advanced capabilities of intercepting sensor signals.
Navigation systems not dependent on GNSS are becoming of increased importance in today’s world. GNSS can be jammed for a few seconds, hours, days or even months and a fighter jet has to still be fully operational if that happens. GNSS denied navigation is a hot topic amongst researchers. With your thesis, you will do your part in this crucial research. Something to be proud of.
Description of the master thesis
For this thesis, we propose a fully software/model based approach. You will get the opportunity to explore the potential of using SLAM algorithms to estimate position for a fighter jet using onboard sensors to track surrounding landmarks. Given that, it is interesting how the aircraft position is affected with respect to the number of sources, distance to the sources, aircraft (or source) velocity and the signals accuracy and quality. Other aspects of interest include computational requirements, system constraints and future possibilities based on your approach. Great emphasis must be placed on achieving a software solution that can be implemented in a real-time system. These are just some of the parameters that can be evaluated; if you have some of ideas of your own about this approach, we are glad to discuss them with you and are open to them!
The outcomes of your thesis will be an experimental model and software that can estimate aircraft position together with a scientific report produced for Saab.
Your Profile
This thesis aims at students in their final year of master studies who want to do a master thesis (30hp) during spring of 2024. We are looking for two students with a background or interest in software engineering, signals processing, aircraft systems, Matlab and sensor fusion.
This master thesis may contain information or produce results protected by Swedish defense secrecy act, for this reason we require the students to possess Swedish citizenship and pass a security screening. The work will be performed on site in Linköping.
What you will be a part of
You will be part of the Flight Data and Navigation team developing Gripen fighters. We deliver critical data such as airspeed, position and altitude from our multitude of sensors to the rest of the aircraft systems with high requirements on reliability, safety and availability. We also provide landing guidance that safely helps our pilots land their aircraft. Working here will provide you with a wide array of engineering work ranging from hardware to software development.
Flight data and Navigation team is based in Linköping and are a part of Business Area Aeronautics. Feel free to read more about us on our webpage (Business Areas).
Last application day
To be eligible for this thesis, please apply at the latest on October 18, 2023.
Contacts
Björn Bingerud, Manager
0734-189728
Niklas Weckéus, Technical Manager & Thesis supervisor
0734-184266
If you aspire to help create and innovate whilst developing yourself in a challenging team setting, Saab may well have the perfect conditions for you to grow. We pride ourselves on a nurturing environment, where everyone is different yet we share the same goal – to help protect people