Scalable Aerial GNSS Localization for Marine Robots

--Accurate localization is crucial for water robotics, yet traditional onboard Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) approaches are difficult or ineffective due to signal reflection on the water's surface and its high cost of aquatic GNSS receivers. Therefore, a more efficient and scalable solution remains necessary. This paper proposes an alternative approach that leverages an aerial drone equipped with GNSS localization to track and localize a marine robot once it is near the surface of the water . Our results show that this novel adaptation enables accurate single and multi-robot marine robot localization. In this paper, we explore the use of an aerial drone equipped with GNSS localization to track and localize a marine robot when it is near the surface, presenting a novel adaptation of this technique for multi-robot localization in marine environments. Robot localization typically involves the use of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) that estimates the position of a robot through the use of various satellites. Extending this solution to marine robots is challenging due to the limitations of GNSS signal propagation.