13

Navigation—A General Overview

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Table. 13.1 Orientation and navigation of migrating fliers (Maintain direction towards goal)

Bio-navigation piloting using

Compass systems

Map systems

(1) Solar compass (time dependent) for

orientation

(a) Sun movement across the sky

(b) Planetarium (fixed sky)—photoperiod is

shifted, clock shifting experiments mimicking

(c) Sun compass is related to Circadian rhythm

(d) Rotation of polarized light

(e) Polarized light and its patterns

(2) Stellar compass (star pattern)

(a) Based on the pattern of constellations and

rotation. Bright pattern

(b) Northern star-polaris along with sun reveals

north direction

(3) Moon compass

(a) Moon shining is by reflection

(b) Emits partially polarized light

(c) Moon does not emit its own light

(d) The quantum of light received from Moon

by earth is variable. Birds have Celestial

compass

(4) Geo-Magnetic Compass concept is rather

(a) Radical-pair mechanism involved in the

process of magneto reception

(1) Geo-magnetic map-field

(a) Parameters are useful

(2) Olfactory map

(a) Chemo-smelling (concentration gradient)

pheromones

(3) Mosaic map—as in insect ommatidium

(4) Cognitive map geometric parameters of an

area

(5) Gradient map concept can be used for

navigation across hundreds and thousands of

km

(6) Infra sound for short distance Landscape

structures and sea coast 0.1 to 10 ν

(7) Role of Hypothalamus in navigation

but are also useful in terms of improving the performance and durability of these

payloads by reducing various forms of losses, which used to be a biggest challenge

for the field engineers.

In navigational applications, devices manufactured using MEMS technology are

ideal to replace several heavy components and subsystems, viz., gyroscopes, inertial

measurement units. Finally, such replacement of these components enables the micro

fabrication of MAVs with highly integrated technological adaptations. Navigation

alongwithcommunicationandfeedbacksensorycontrolsystemscanbeimplemented

for the design of MAVs using MEMS technology due to low power consumption,

high precision and low maintenance.

Extensive work is carried out in worldwide laboratories on the MEMS technology.

This lead successfully fabrication of various components in the area of navigational

applications as listed below:

a.

Inertial Sensors—accelerometers, gyroscopes

b.

High Frequency (HF) devices—communication applications

c.

Optical sensors—mirrors for photography and video capturing.

A relevant technology based on MEMS uses thermal technology in the heated gas

molecules detects acceleration. This principle is fundamentally behind the manu-

facturing of IC based accelerometer products. Wide range of MEMS based IC