Automatic steering system for an unmanned vehicle

An autonomous navigation system for a surface vehicle, the vehicle having lateral sides and having respective drivable vehicle moving elements on each lateral side;

• drive means for operating the drivable moving elements;
• control elements for the drive means for varying the relative speeds of the drive elements at the lateral sides, thereby to control the travel direction of the vehicle;
• a navigation computer in the vehicle for operating the control elements;
• an external positioning system for supplying position information about the vehicle to the navigation computer;
• a ground station computer separated from the vehicle;
• the ground station computer having a stored map of a predetermined path or course for the vehicle, the ground station computer being adapted to be in communication with the navigation computer for supplying the navigation computer with information for navigating the vehicle to follow a sequence of points defining the path or course;
• the navigation computer including means for using the information supplied by the ground station computer for setting values for vehicle speed and course profile and the navigation computer being adapted for transmitting respective control parameters to the control elements for regulating the drive means for regulating the vehicle speed and heading;
• a kinematic differential GPS-positioning system measuring apparatus located on the vehicle for producing information as to the position of the vehicle, the GPS positioning system including a GPS time signal receiver on the vehicle;
• a vehicle speed measuring apparatus for measuring the vehicle speed and for combining the vehicle speed measurement with the position measurement synchronized with the GPS time signal produced in the GPS receiver;
• the navigation computer being adapted to compare the actual established path of the vehicle with the predetermined path in the ground station computer and the navigation computer being adapted to adjust the control parameters of the control elements for compensating for the deviations between the predetermined path and the established path.