Time‐Averaged Wind Speed Calibration Using GNSS and IMU on a Multirotor UAV under Natural Wind Conditions

We developed and validated a wind speed calibration method using IMU (Inertial measurement units) and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) velocity data on commercial multirotor UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Assuming a simple static model, time‐averaged wind speed was calibrated using only the UAV's velocity obtained from GNSS and tilt angle measured by the onboard IMU. This method was applied in the open air under windy conditions, where the ambient wind speed was estimated in situ to be approximately 2–5 m/s. Unnecessary wind speed information is removed by performing a back‐and‐forth movement. Separately, comparisons with wind tunnel experiments demonstrated that the calibration results exhibited estimation errors within 0.7 m/s for wind speeds of 1–8 m/s and up to 1.9 m/s for 9–10 m/s. The proposed method offers a simple and practical alternative to conventional wind tunnel‐based approaches for wind speed calibration.