NSS (Navigation satellite system) provides the information for determining the position, velocity and time of users in real time using satellite-networking, and is classified into GNSS (Global NSS) and RNSS (Regional NSS). Although GNSS services for global users, the exactitude of provided information is dissatisfied with the degree required in modern systems such as unmanned system, autonomous navigation system for aircraft, ship and others, air-traffic control system. Especially, due to concern about the monopoly status of the countries operating it, some other countries have already considered establishing RNSS. The RNSS services for users within a specific area, however, it not only gives more precise information than those from GNSS, but also can be operated independently from the NSS of other countries. Thus, for Korean RNSS, this paper suggests the methodology to design the satellite constellation considering the regional features of Korean Peninsula. It intends to determine the orbits and the arrangement of navigation satellites for minimizing PDOP (Position dilution of precision). PGA (Parallel Genetic Algorithm) geared to solve this nonlinear optimization problem is proposed and STK (System tool kit) software is used for simulating their space flight. The PGA is composed of several GAs and iterates the process that they search the solution for a problem during the pre-specified generations, and then mutually exchange the superior solutions investigated by each GA. Numerical experiments were performed with increasing from four to seven satellites for Korean RNSS. When the RNSS was established by seven satellites, the time ratio that PDOP was measured to less than 5 (i.e. better than ‘Good’ level on the meaning of the PDOP value) was found to 94.3% and PDOP was always kept at 10 or less (i.e. better than ‘Moderate’ level).

Zermelo's navigation problem is that the ship reaches a particular target point in the minimum-time when it travels with a constant speed in a region of strong currents and its heading angle is the control variable. Its approximate solution for the minimum-time control may be found using the calculus of variation. However, the accuracy of its approximate solution is low since the solution is based on graph or table form from a complicated nonlinear equations. To improve the accuracy, we use a neural network. Through the computer simulation study we have found that the proposed method is superior to the conventional ones.

Various robot platforms have been designed and developed to perform given tasks in a hazardous environment for the purpose of surveillance, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and etc. We have considered a terrain adaptive hybrid robot platform which is equipped with rapid navigation on flat floors and good performance on overcoming stairs or obstacles. Since our special consideration is posed to its flexibility for real application, we devised a design of a transformable robot structure which consists of an ordinary wheeled structure to navigate fast on flat floor and a variable tracked structure to climb stairs effectively. Especially, track arms installed in front side, rear side, and mid side are used for navigation mode transition between flatland navigation and stairs climbing. The mode transition is determined and implemented by adaptive driving mode control of mobile robot. The wheel and track hybrid mobile platform apparatus applied off-road driving mechanism for various professional service robots is verified through experiments for navigation performance in real and test-bed environment.