Impact of camera tilt on polarization compass accuracy: a simulation study

Polarized light navigation is a critical auxiliary navigation technique that detects atmospheric polarization patterns for navigation, offering advantages of high autonomy, strong real-time capability, and no cumulative error. The polarization navigation method based on snapshot-type digital polarization imaging features compact size, wide field of view, and excellent real-time performance. However, when the carrier attitude changes, the polarization detector deviates from the celestial sphere center within the detection area—thereby introducing heading angle deviation and severely limiting the practical application of polarization light navigation. This paper establishes a simulation model for polarization light navigation under tilted conditions (roll + pitch), quantitatively analyzing the impact of tilting on heading angle deviation. Simulation results demonstrate that when roll and pitch angles vary within the range of 0° to -15°, heading angle deviation exhibits a regular trend, indicating high-precision compensation feasibility. This study provides an efficient tilt analysis model for polarization navigation.