GNSS-INS-Dynamic Fusion with Robustness to Outliers Based on External Force State Estimation

Abstract Multi-source information fusion state estimation algorithms are an important means for drones to perceive ego-state, and accurate and robust estimation of external forces is crucial for precise control of quadrotors. This paper proposes a method that integrates a dynamic model into a multi-rate extended Kalman filter (EKF) framework on manifold. By estimating the magnitude of the external force acting on vehicle, meanwhile, a dynamic constraint on velocity loop is established to reduce the discrepancy between the model-predicted motion and the actual motion. Moreover, the estimated external force is integrated into the zero velocity update criterion for zero speed judgment, effectively reducing false detections while improving the accuracy of zero speed state recognition. However, multi-source measurements significantly increase the probability of data signal errors. To address this issue, we use a robust estimation algorithm to improve EKF’s sensitivity to abnormal measurements, flexibly adjusting measurement weights while rejecting unreasonable measurements. Validation with open-source indoor and outdoor datasets shows that our algorithm improves pose estimation performance while maintaining accurate positioning accuracy compared to non-dynamic fusion under the same filtering parameters, particularly in global navigation satellite system short time denied. It provides accurate external force estimation, offering multi-source data support in areas such as human–machine interaction and carrying variable mass payloads.