A Map-Assisted Dead Reckoning System for Autonomous Drone Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments

Author(s)	Mr. Khaldoun L Hameed, Prof. Dr. Hala Bahjat Abdul Wahab
Country	Iraq
Abstract	The reliance on GPS for drone navigation presents significant limitations in GPS-denied environments such as indoor spaces, dense urban areas, or areas with intentional signal jamming. This paper proposes a GPS-independent navigation system for drones, leveraging preloaded maps and dead reckoning techniques. By embedding detailed pre-mapped data into the drone’s onboard system and utilizing real-time measurements of speed and direction, the drone can estimate its position relative to a defined starting point. This approach minimizes dependency on external signals, offering robust navigation capabilities in challenging environments. Key challenges, such as error accumulation in dead reckoning and map mismatches, are addressed through error correction strategies and periodic recalibration using predefined landmarks. The proposed solution is cost-effective and versatile, with potential applications in military, disaster response, and industrial operations. Experimental results show a 94% reduction in absolute trajectory error compared to pure inertial navigation in indoor environments.
Keywords	GPS-denied navigation, dead reckoning, landmark-based correction, autonomous drones, inertial navigation, preloaded maps
Field	Computer Applications
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-01-18
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.66241

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