GPS World

Tag: GNSS-denied environment

  • US Army seeks sources for GNSS-denied optical tracking

    US Army seeks sources for GNSS-denied optical tracking

    The U.S. Army is starting market research for possible sources of an optical tracking solution for its test ranges to use in GNSS-denied environments.

    The Army Contracting Command – Orlando issued a Sources Sought Notice Dec. 11 on behalf of the Test Resource Management Center Test and Evaluation/Science and Technology (T&E/S&T) Program.

    The Army wants to identify potential sources in the market having the interest, skills and ability to complete a thorough technology study and trade space analysis related to the viability of Time-Space-Position Optical Tracking (T-SPOT) for use on test ranges. The technology would be used as a time-space-position information (TSPI) truth sensor in GNSS-denied environments.

    Required capabilities

    The primary objective of a T-SPOT prototype effort would be to develop the system architecture, concept of operations, and comprehensive trade space analysis based on the results of modeling and simulation of the future-state system. The intent of the effort would not be to deliver the fieldable system itself but rather to answer whether/how such a system would achieve its performance goals.

    A future T-SPOT system should

    • achieve 3D TSPI accuracy comparable to the accuracy of real-time kinematic positioning (RTK) GNSS navigation systems.
    • be generated in a near-continuous manner, notionally at an update rate comparable to GNSS navigation systems.
    • achieve full performance during daylight and in good visibility conditions, with the goal of operating at day and at night and in all-weather conditions.
    • support temporary and modular integration with airborne systems being tested, operating at altitudes typical for the operation of U.S. Air Force cargo and single-engine training aircraft, with the goal of supporting aircraft closer to or on the ground. 
    • minimize its size, weight and power (SWaP) budget for integration with crewed aircraft, with the goal of supporting integration with small uncrewed aerial systems.

    In addition to the sensor hardware hosted on the SUT, a future T-SPOT system should rely on terrestrial features solely comprised of passive landmarks (no active emissions; no required power). The system may employ synthetic landmarks (e.g., purposely installed fiducials) and/or pre-existing landmarks (of either natural or human origin).  While the system must operate independently of GNSS, GNSS may be used pre- and post-test (i.e., for landmark surveying).

    More details are on the announcement page. The deadline for responses is Jan. 30.

  • UAV Navigation releases Visual Navigation System for GNSS-denied environments

    UAV Navigation releases Visual Navigation System for GNSS-denied environments

    The Visual Navigation System improves navigation in GNSS-denied environments by means of visual odometry techniques

    Photo: UAV Navigation
    Photo: UAV Navigation

    UAV Navigation has released its new Visual Navigation System (VNS), a new capability for manufacturers and end users of NATO Category I and II unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

    The compact and lightweight device — provided as an optional peripheral to the main flight control system — enables the safe and efficient navigation of UAVs in GNSS-denied environments. The VNS combines visual odometry techniques and pattern identification with the rest of the sensors onboard the aircraft to ensure that the absolute position, orientation and relative movement of the aircraft over the ground is calculated with extremely high accuracy.

    The planning and execution of UAV missions in environments in which the GNSS signal is either unavailable or unreliable is becoming more critical. For some missions, the datalink to the ground control station may be subject to interference, or the operation dictates that the flight must be performed without a datalink from the outset.

    Under these circumstances, UAS traditionally rely on an inertial navigation system (INS) to complete the mission. However, all such inertial systems accumulate navigational drift due to sensor noise, propagation models and the difficulty in characterizing external forces. This positional error limits any such UAS operation because an accurate position cannot be guaranteed.

    The new VNS, combined with the company’s Vector range of flight control systems, effectively addresses this problem by using data independent from GNSS and more accurate than INS. The system identifies patterns in the terrain below to assist in canceling out any accumulated error, allowing the UAS to operate for long periods without losing positional precision.

    Because of its reduced size and weight, the VNS can be installed in Category I and II UAS, enabling them to take advantage of this navigation technique without penalizing autonomy or payload capacity.

    The new VNS — developed entirely by the Spanish company UAV Navigation, part of the Oesía Group — has produced outstanding results during flight testing, both on fixed-wing platforms (typically with higher airspeeds and greater service ceilings) and rotary-wing platforms (where high vibrations and hover maneuvers are typically a problem). The new VNS has proved its ability to provide accurate navigation information for flights where there may be an intermittent loss of GNSS signal, and also when a flight must be executed from the outset without GNSS data.

    Download the Visual Navigation System brochure here.

  • Companies demo robust nav solution for UAVs under GNSS jamming

    Companies demo robust nav solution for UAVs under GNSS jamming

    InfiniDome, Honeywell and Easy Aerial have successfully demonstrated their new Robust Navigation System for UAVs. The system integrates GPS anti-jamming technology, a radar velocity system and an inertial navigation system into a resilient system that enables UAVs  to safely operate in GNSS-challenged or denied environments.

    UAV developers or end users currently try to solve the problem of GNSS jamming either by creating “safe landing protocols” in GNSS-challenged environments or by adding various types of sensors such as lidar or optical. These sensors may not work in certain scenarios, such as when flying too high, too low or too fast; in fog or darkness; or above the ocean.

    The Robust Navigation System, jointly developed by Honeywell and infiniDome, tightly pairs the GNSS-based UAV-tailored Honeywell Compact Inertial Navigation System (HCINS) with infiniDome’s GNSS anti-jamming technology (GPSdome), integrated with Honeywell’s Radar-based Velocity System (HRVS). It can be installed on almost any UAV, providing continuous, accurate navigation data in GNSS-challenged or fully GNSS-denied environments.

    The companies demonstrated the new navigation system for Israeli defense prime contractors and drone companies and government end-users at a testing range in the center of Israel. The system was tested against two military-grade directional jammers of different types and bandwidths on customized Osprey Hexa-copter with a PixHawk 2.1 Cube Black flight controller. The GPS 1 input was a Here2 standard GNSS receiver and antenna module; the GPS 2 input was the Robust Navigation System (GPSdome 1.03 + HCINS + HRVS).

    A customized Osprey Hexa-copter demonstrated the Robust Navigation System. (Photo: InfiniDome)
    A customized Osprey Hexa-copter demonstrated the Robust Navigation System. (Photo: InfiniDome)

    The goal of the demo was to show that a UAV in a GNSS-challenged environment (single direction of jamming) and fully denied environment (multiple directions of powerful jamming) can perform autonomous tasks accurately and safely without the pilot needing to assume manual control. This included beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights.

    Each test was designed to be more difficult than the preceding one and would be executed only if the latter was successful. The intention was to find the barrier at which the system fails.

    The first test was maintaining the UAV height (AltHold), position (PosHold) and Loiter autonomously under jamming conditions, followed by a simple point-to-point autonomous task under the same jamming conditions.

    The UAV then performed a fully autonomous task including executing a 10-point polygon and returning to the same position accurately under the same jamming conditions. Finally, the UAV was tested for lift-off performance, executing the full polygon and landing under the jamming conditions.

    Protected by the Robust Navigation System, the UAV passed all planned tests.

  • Safran and Orolia launch global resilient PNT partnership

    Safran and Orolia launch global resilient PNT partnership

    Logo: Orolia

    Safran and Orolia are partnering to offer the latest resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions for military forces, especially in GNSS-denied environments.

    This partnership will provide mission-critical equipment for air, land, sea and space programs in environments where GNSS signals are not available or degraded. Whether the outage is unintentional or intentional (jamming, meaconing or spoofing), the Safran-Orolia partnership will provide an alternative to GNSS-dependent military systems.

    The Safran-Orolia team will offer military forces an unparalleled convergence of PNT capabilities, including Orolia’s portfolio of precise timing references and PNT sensor-fusion technology, as well as Safran’s proven defense inertial navigation solutions. Initial program priorities include navigation warfare (NAVWAR), along with mobile and fixed PNT solutions.

    “Today’s military operations are increasingly mobile and global, with mission priorities that often bring them into territories where GNSS jamming and spoofing are becoming common threats,” said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois. “We’re proud to introduce this unique resilient PNT military partnership to better protect and enable mobile operations for NATO and allied countries worldwide.”

    “In a world full of uncertainty, our partnership will provide autonomous and sovereign PNT solutions to Armed Forces facing harsh GNSS denied environments,” said Safran Electronics & Defense Chief Executive Officer Martin Sion.

    Orolia’s PNT solutions improve the reliability, performance and safety of critical, remote or high-risk operations. With locations in more than 100 countries, Orolia provides virtually failsafe GNSS and PNT solutions to support military and commercial applications worldwide.

    Safran is an international high-technology group, operating in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defense markets. Safran has a global presence, with more than 92,000 employees and sales of 21 billion euros in 2018.