GNSS Hardware-In-The-Loop Formation and Tracking Control

This work pertains to simulated one-way formation tracking and control using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) hardware and software. Virtual simulations are important for testing because they have the capability of modeling realistic vehicle behavior. These simulations ensure that vehicle prototypes or designs can meet the performance requirements for travel. The primary application entailed here is the investigation of formation keeping and tracking solutions for realistic, real-time, and multi-vehicle simulations. This research explores the creation of a predictive navigation and control algorithm for formation keeping and tracking, raw measurement data collection, and building a real-time GNSS closed hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testbed for simulations of different vehicles using GPS and navigation principles. The closed HWIL simulations are implemented using MATLAB, Spirent's Communication GNSS 6560 and 8000 hardware simulators along with Ashtech, G-12 and DG-14, and Novetel OEM 628 receivers. Along with space applications, this research has applications outside the space environment in automated automobile travel using GPS.