Robot and Insect Navigation by Polarized Skylight

F. J. Smith, D. W. Stewart

2014

Abstract

A study of a large number of published experiments on the behaviour of insects navigating by skylight has led to the design of a system for navigation in lightly clouded skies, suitable for a robot or drone. The design is based on the measurement of the directions in the sky at which the polarization angle, i.e. the angle χ between the polarized E-vector and the meridian, equals ±π/4 or ±(π/4 + π/3) or ±(π/4 - π/3). For any one of these three options, at any given elevation, there are usually 4 such directions and these directions can give the azimuth of the sun accurately in a few short steps, as an insect can do. A simulation shows that this compass is accurate as well as simple and well suited for an insect or robot. A major advantage of this design is that it is close to being invariant to variable cloud cover. Also if at least two of these 12 directions are observed the solar azimuth can still be found by a robot, and possibly by an insect.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Smith F. and Stewart D. (2014). Robot and Insect Navigation by Polarized Skylight . In Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 1: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2014) ISBN 978-989-758-011-6, pages 183-188. DOI: 10.5220/0004792101830188

in Bibtex Style

@conference{biosignals14,
author={F. J. Smith and D. W. Stewart},
title={Robot and Insect Navigation by Polarized Skylight},
booktitle={Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 1: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2014)},
year={2014},
pages={183-188},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0004792101830188},
isbn={978-989-758-011-6},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the International Conference on Bio-inspired Systems and Signal Processing - Volume 1: BIOSIGNALS, (BIOSTEC 2014)
TI - Robot and Insect Navigation by Polarized Skylight
SN - 978-989-758-011-6
AU - Smith F.
AU - Stewart D.
PY - 2014
SP - 183
EP - 188
DO - 10.5220/0004792101830188