International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 12 Issue: 04 | Apr 2025
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
STATIONARY ANTENNA TRACKER FOR UNMANNED VEHICLES Dr. V. Rajya Lakshmi1, P. V. S.R Mudita Kovida2, P. Chakrapani3, Dhamaruknaath Dora4, B. Anil Kumar5 1 Professor , Department of ECE , Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology and Sciences , Visakhapatnam , India 2345 UG student , Department of ECE , Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology and Sciences , Visakhapatnam , India
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Abstract - As unmanned aerial and ground vehicles
With a good communication link, however, things get progressively harder as the vehicles travel across broad or blocked terrain. Static antennas, while inexpensive and simple, are range-constrained and cannot dynamically follow a moving target. Therefore, they suffer from signal dropouts, weak transmission power, and high delay, especially when UAVs or UGVs move beyond the antenna range or make sharp turns within a very short time frame. Even operator-controlled directional antennas, while offering improved range and gain, need constant operator monitoring and are inefficient for highspeed or multi-vehicle operations.
(UAVs and UGVs) are increasingly used in areas such as defense, research, and disaster response, having a robust and reliable communication link to ground control is more crucial than ever. Static antennas just won't fulfill the duty as they can't keep up with moving vehicles, resulting in lost signals, delays, and poor control. To address this, we built a smart, stationary antenna tracker (SAT) that tracks the vehicle's motion in real-time automatically. Our system takes GPS information and UAV or UGV telemetry to compute its precise position, then pivots a high-gain directional antenna directly towards the vehicle. The core of the system is a Pixhawk flight controller in conjunction with an Arduino UNO. They both drive servo motors that rotate the antenna smoothly in both the horizontal and vertical directions. We've also included a custom filter that disregards minor signal fluctuations generated by electrical noise which prevents the antenna from making unnecessary turns and keeps it locked on target.
To combat this, we used a Stationary Antenna Tracker (SAT), an intelligent, autonomous system actively following the trajectory of unmanned vehicles. SAT uses current GPS and telemetry coordinates to calculate vehicle position and drive a high-gain directional antenna using servo motors powered by a Pixhawk flight controller and Arduino UNO [2][3][4]. This allows unbroken line-of-sight (LOS) links even though the vehicle crosses complex terrain. Our SAT system can operate automatically and require no human adjustment, significantly improving tracking speed, signal stability, and communication reliability [5][7]. Its broad applications from defense operations to agricultural monitoring make it a key milestone in autonomous system communication development [6].
This integration creates a much stronger, more consistent and focused signal, especially when the vehicle is travelling in undesired or challenging situations. This is a real-world solution which helps in real world applications like military operations, environmental monitoring, logistics, and beyond wherever dependable UAV/UGV communications are needed.
2. RELATED WORK & LITERATURE REVIEW
Key Words: UAV, UGV, Antenna Tracker, Pixhawk, Servo Motor, GPS, Telemetry, Autonomous Tracking.
Having and keeping a strong link between ground stations and unmanned vehicles has been a challenge for years, particularly in dynamic operational environments. Various techniques have been debated over the years, from simple static antennas to more sophisticated autonomous tracking systems.
1. INTRODUCTION Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are rapidly transforming how we defend, research, respond to disasters, and manage industry. Since they can access distant, hazardous, or inaccessible areas, they are ideally designed for use in surveillance, mapping, monitoring, and package delivery. Since autonomous vehicles now increasingly fill key mission functions, it has become crucial to their operation to be able to maintain secure, real-time communications with Ground Control Stations (GCS).
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Static antennas are the simplest to use and are widely used in initial UAV communication systems because they are inexpensive and easy to use. Their fixed position, however, restricts their use significantly as UAVs or UGVs travel out of the line of sight of the antenna. Balanis [1] states that omnidirectional antennas radiate in all directions but possess a weak range and are also
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