Etak Navigator Modification
Abstract
Etak modified its land vehicle navigation device, the Navigator, for test and evaluation. The Navigator is a low-cost off-the-shelf commercial device that exhibits accurate navigation along with a highly useful electronic map display. The device uses a combination of dead reckoning and map matching. As part of this contract, Etak found that it could create the necessary maps from DMA 1:50,000 scale source material, to an accuracy of 50 meters, and that the Navigator could input and display vehicle positions and waypoints in UTM coordinates. In almost 1400 km of drive testing in Fort Hood, TX, the modified Navigator showed that as a dead-reckoning device it is accurate to 2% of distance traveled, while its map-matching algorithm gives the Navigator performance comparable to that of an absolute navigation device with an average error of 50 meters. This navigation device demonstrates useful performance for certain classes of Army vehicles. Other vehicles may require more robust and hence more costly devices. It is suggested that digital map displays like that of the Navigator could be useful standard presentation device for all Army vehicle navigation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA238937
Entities
People
- Gene E. Bloch
- Walter B. Zavoli