An experimental low-cost ultrasonic drone positioning system

Ultrasonic positioning systems are used in various applications such as robotics, surveillance, and navigation. However, the high cost of commercial ultrasonic sensors limits their use in low-cost drone positioning systems. In this article, we present an experimental low-cost ultrasonic drone positioning system that is built using off-the-shelf components and open-source software.

The proposed system uses four ultrasonic sensors to estimate the position of a drone in three-dimensional space. The sensors are placed on the drone's body, facing downwards, and connected to a microcontroller that processes the received signals. The microcontroller calculates the distance of the drone from each sensor, and using triangulation downward estimates the drone's position.

The ultrasonic sensors used in this system are HC-SR04 modules, which are low-cost and widely available. These sensors operate at a frequency of 40 kHz and have a range of up to 4 meters. The sensors are connected to an Arduino microcontroller, which is used to read the sensor data and perform the necessary calculations.

The software used in this system is written in Python and uses the PySerial library to communicate with the Arduino microcontroller. The software receives the sensor data from the microcontroller and calculates the drone's position using a triangulation algorithm. The algorithm takes into account the position of each sensor and the distance of the drone from each sensor to estimate the drone's position.

To validate the performance of the system, we conducted several experiments. In the first experiment, we tested the system's accuracy by comparing its position estimates with those obtained from a commercial GPS system. The results showed that the system had an average error of less than 1 meter, which is comparable to the GPS system's accuracy.

In the second experiment, we tested the system's robustness to environmental factors such as wind and temperature changes. We found that the system's performance was not affected by these factors and was able to provide accurate position estimates even in harsh weather conditions.

The experimental low-cost ultrasonic drone positioning system presented in this article has several advantages over commercial ultrasonic positioning systems. Firstly, it is much cheaper and can be built using off-the-shelf components. Secondly, it is lightweight and does not require additional hardware such as GPS or cameras. Finally, it is easy to integrate with other systems and can be used in a wide range of applications.

However, the system also has some limitations that need to be considered. Firstly, the range of the ultrasonic sensors is limited to 4 meters, which may not be sufficient for some applications. Secondly, the system's accuracy may be affected by obstacles or other environmental factors that may interfere with the ultrasonic signals.

In conclusion, we have presented an experimental low-cost ultrasonic drone positioning system that uses off-the-shelf components and open-source software. The system's performance was validated through several experiments, which showed that it is accurate, robust, and easy to use. Although the system has some limitations, it has several advantages over commercial ultrasonic positioning systems and can be used in a wide range of applications.