NOVA: Navigation Optimization via UWB-Assisted Iterative Path Planning for UAV Delivery

Emerging drone delivery systems face challenges in last-meter package deployment due to positioning inaccuracies of GPS. Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology offers high-precision ranging, and when combined with IMU-based dead reckoning, it can enhance drone navigation to enable precise arrival at the destination. However, drone-to-tag UWB localization presents several challenges, including flip ambiguity, IMU drift, and horizontal insensitivity due to high-altitude flights. To address the challenges, we propose NOVA, a navigation optimization scheme via UWB-assisted iterative path planning. With NOVA, the drone follows a trajectory that mitigates flip ambiguity while an iterative joint optimization process simultaneously estimates the UWB tag’s position and refines the drone’s trajectory. At the vicinity of the tag, the drone performs subtle 2D corrective maneuvers during descent to ensure precise last-meter positioning. We evaluate NOVA via real experiments and simulations, demonstrating an average navigation error of 0.83 m with 25.45% trajectory overhead.