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AerospaceMarch 5, 2025·8 min read
Guidance, Navigation & Control for Modern UAV Systems
M
Mamoon Ammar Alvi
Senior Controls Engineer
#GNC#UAV#ArduPilot#Autonomous Flight
What is GNC?
Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) is the discipline that enables an aircraft to know where it is, determine where it needs to go, and execute the maneuvers to get there — all autonomously.
Navigation: Knowing Your Position
Modern UAVs fuse data from multiple sensors to estimate their state:
- GPS/GNSS — global position with meter-level accuracy
- IMU — inertial measurement unit for acceleration and angular rate
- Barometer — altitude estimation
- Optical flow / LiDAR — terrain-relative navigation in GPS-denied environments
Guidance: Planning the Path
Guidance algorithms translate mission objectives into reference trajectories. Techniques range from simple waypoint following to sophisticated trajectory optimization using model predictive control (MPC).
Control: Executing the Maneuver
Control loops close the gap between the desired and actual state. PID controllers remain the workhorse of UAV autopilots, while adaptive and robust control methods handle model uncertainty and disturbances.
ArduPilot and Open-Source GNC
Inphoenix has deep expertise in ArduPilot, the world's most widely deployed open-source autopilot. We develop custom firmware, tune flight controllers, and integrate novel sensors for demanding applications.