An Innovative Visible Light Positioning Algorithm for Precise Tracking of Unmanned Surface Vehicles in Enclosed Environments

This paper proposes an innovative algorithm that uses Visible Light Positioning (VLP) to accurately monitor the orientation and position of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs), enabling precise river flow discharge measurements in enclosed environments. This unique tracking methodology for USVs presents a highly flexible substitute for conventional systems dependent on bridges or anchored ships. The significant advantage of the proposed VLP for pose tracking is its ability to function independently of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), thus making it an excellent fit for enclosed areas such as underground rivers, canyons, glaciers, and sewer systems. The introduced algorithm effectively utilizes the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) to monitor the pose of USVs. Simulation verification underscores the algorithm’s robust performance and superior precision in tracking USV poses.