UAV Attitude Estimation Using Low-Frequency Radio Polarization Measurements

A method of attitude determination, which makes use of measurements of the polarization of the magnetic field of low-frequency (LF) radio signals, is presented and evaluated. This approach offers advantages relative to existing accelerometer-based systems in high-acceleration, cost-constrained environments such as small fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. Flight test results are presented which demonstrate that LF polarization measurements can be used to obtain a significantly more accurate result than traditional approaches.