Topics to be Covered in the Course

1. Coordinate systems on a deformable, non-spherical Earth. Address concepts of latitude and longitude as determined by the direction of gravity (astronomical latitude and longitude) and determined by the normal to an ellipsoidal shape (geodetic latitude and longitude). Relationships between coordinates; concepts of polar motion and changes in the rotation rate of the Earth; rotations and translations between coordinate systems. Effects that need to be considered for different accuracy results and the accuracies that are achievable with GPS.

2. Principles of Navigation. Dead-reckoning, true and magnetic bearings; use of celestial bodies, use of secants for position fixes. Introduction common map projections; uses of different map projections. Vector approach to spherical trigonometry. 
 
3. Principles of GPS. Pseudorange and phase measurements. Spread spectrum signal structure; basic concepts of signal analysis. Contributions of pseudorange and phase (geometric positions, clock errors, propagation medium, cycles ambiguity for phase). Simple atmospheric and ionospheric delay models; use of dispersive properties of plasmas (ionosphere). Use of differencing techniques in the analysis of GPS data. Security systems on GPS satellites (selective availability and anti-spoofing) and their effects on navigation and precise positioning. 
 
4. Estimation procedures; Stochastic and mathematical models; statistical descriptions of dynamic systems; propagation of covariance matrices least-squares estimation. 
 
5. Examples of aircraft navigation using GPS (comparison with laser profiling); examination of real data to assess the limits of accuracy obtainable with GPS; applications in a variety of areas including precision farming; and intelligent vehicle navigation systems.

We will have some lab sessions during the course and there will be homework once every few weeks. There will be an open book final exam. Grading will be from the homework (60%), final exam (30%) and class participation (10%).

It will be acceptable in this course to work together on homework with the aim of better understanding the material and to refer to other books and published material provided that these additional materials are cited appropriately in the homework. Each student should complete the homework separately. It is not acceptable to simply copy the homework of another student.

Texts

Hofmann-Wellenhof, B., H. Lichtenegger, and J. Collins. GPS Theory and Practice. New York: Springer-Verlag, Wein, 1992, pp. 326.

Strang, G., and K. Borre. Linear Algebra, Geodesy, and GPS. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley-Cambridge Press, 1997, pp. 526. (Home Page of Prof. Gilbert Strang)