GPS World

Tag: visual navigation system

  • Baykar demos swarm UAVs without GNSS

    Baykar demos swarm UAVs without GNSS

    Turkish UAV maker Baykar demonstrated its next-generation Kamikaze UAV K2 and Sivrisinek (Mosquito) loitering munition, showcasing AI-supported swarm autonomy, GNSS-independent navigation, automatic target detection, and strike capabilities during a demonstration held at the Keşan Flight Training and Test Center.

    The K2 Kamikaze UAV and the Sivrisinek loitering munition will make their public debut at SAHA 2026, which takes place in Istanbul May 5-9.

    The April 17 demonstration opened with the sequential takeoffs of five K2 Kamikaze UAVs within five minutes. Once airborne, the platforms conducted patrol flights in “right echelon,” “line,” “V,” and “Turan” formations.

    Ten Sivrisinek loitering munitions — a new platform developed by Baykar — then joined the operation, forming a swarm beneath the K2 Kamikaze UAVs. The Bayraktar TB2, TB3, and AKINCI UCAVs accompanied the swarm flight, recording the operation from the air.


    Credit: Baykar


    AI-supported visual navigation
    Among the key technical highlights of the demonstration were the solutions developed to counter electronic warfare environments. Using AI-supported visual navigation software, the platforms demonstrated the capability to perform positioning and navigation independently of GNSS.

    Having successfully showcased autonomous navigation in a GNSS-denied environment, the K2 and Sivrisinek Kamikaze UAVs also demonstrated AI-supported automatic target detection and automatic strike capabilities.

    As part of the demonstration, a fleet of Sivrisinek loitering munitions executed a dive on the designated coordinates. A K2 Kamikaze UAV then broke off from the swarm and performed a high-speed dive on the designated coordinates, conducting a pass. In the final phase of the demonstration, a swarm group composed of 18 unmanned aerial vehicles across different classes — 5 K2s, 10 Sivrisinek, 1 Bayraktar TB2, 1 TB3, and 1 AKINCI — came together in a “V” formation to salute the delegation observing the flight.

    Developed by Baykar, the next-generation Sivrisinek loitering munition raises operational depth to a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers. Capable of uninterrupted communication within the swarm through AI support, Sivrisinek platforms can instantly share detected targets with one another.

    Performing its missions through AI-based visual positioning even in the most challenging environments — including areas where GNSS signals are unavailable or subject to intensive jamming — Sivrisinek stands out in strategic missions to be conducted on the battlefield thanks to its high autonomy capability.

  • AeroVironment expands Puma visual navigation system kit to Puma LE

    AeroVironment expands Puma visual navigation system kit to Puma LE

    AeroVironment has integrated its visual navigation system (VNS) kit with the Puma Long Endurance (LE) small unmanned aircraft system, delivering GNSS-denied navigation capability to ensure mission success.

    First introduced in 2022 for the Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE, the VNS kit uses advanced computer vision and onboard processing to deliver precise, GNSS-independent navigation. Its integration into Puma LE now extends this capability across the full Puma family for greater flexibility and resilience in degraded or denied environments.

    “Assured navigation is critical to the mission, especially as GNSS becomes an increasingly vulnerable resource,” said Jason Hendrix, Vice President of Small Uncrewed Systems for AV. “By fusing visual and inertial data in real time, the system enables uninterrupted flight paths, accurate geolocation, and mission continuity in unreliable GNSS regions.”

    Using a suite of downward-facing sensors, cameras and onboard computing, the VNS kit performs visual inertial odometry (VIO) to capture and analyze terrain imagery, estimating true aircraft position in real time. The system fuses continuous visual data from the cameras with motion inputs from onboard inertial sensors to calculate precise position, velocity, and orientation — allowing the aircraft to know where it is and where it is going when GNSS is not available. It automatically transitions between GNSS-enabled and GNSS-denied modes with zero pilot input, ensuring uninterrupted mission continuity in contested environments.

    In September, AV announced several upgrades to the Puma LE platform that include the integration of a Laser Target Designator and the release of the Universal Gimbal Kit, enhancements that evolve Puma LE beyond ISR into a cutting-edge precision-engagement system.

    “Every upgrade to Puma LE, including the addition of the VNS kit and our new laser designator and gimbal capabilities, is driven by one goal: giving the warfighter greater confidence, flexibility, and capability,” said Trace Stevenson, president of Autonomous Systems at AV. “These recent releases are a great example of AV constantly evolving our platforms to ensure they are at the forefront of technology and providing best in class capability to the warfighter.”

    The VNS Kit is designed as an add-on option for new Puma 3 AE or Puma LE system orders and as a retrofit kit allowing existing Puma 2 AE, Puma 3 AE, and Puma LE customers to upgrade fielded systems. The compact two-piece add-on installs into existing Pumas with minimal impact on performance and fits within the standard Puma cases for efficient mission packout. The standard Puma LE system weighs 23.8 pounds and offers 6.5 hours of endurance, a 60-kilometer range, is inaudible at 500 feet and features tool-free payload swaps for seamless transitions between intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, and other mission sets.

  • Red Cat proves drone software for GPS-denied navigation

    Red Cat proves drone software for GPS-denied navigation

    Red Cat Holdings, a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, has successfully flight tested its Black Widow drone equipped with Palantir Technologies Visual Navigation (VNav) Software.

    The test demonstrated that the Black Widow drone — part of the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program of record — can navigate in GPS-denied conditions using Palantir’s visual-based navigation software. This marks the first known commercial demonstration of visual navigation software on a drone already accepted into a U.S. Army program.

    “This is a breakthrough moment not just for Red Cat, but for the tactical needs of the Department of War,” said Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat. “Every battlefield is a GPS-denied environment, and this successful test shows that Red Cat and Palantir are delivering a software-driven solution the Army can rely on. It requires no new hardware, is ready to deploy today, and gives warfighters the edge in contested environments. It also signals our evolution into a full-stack defense technology platform, with expected margin expansion and strong revenue potential in 2026.”

    VNav uses edge-based sensor fusion to generate real-time position estimates from visual cues and inertial data, enabling navigation in denied or degraded environments. Over a multi-day series of tests, Red Cat and Palantir engineers evaluated VNav across nominal and GPS-denied conditions, including high-speed and low-altitude flights.

    Read more about how VNav works in this Palantir blog.

    The testing sequence validated:

    • Full integration of VNav with the Black Widow flight controller, including compatibility with GPS-assisted operation
    • Accurate navigation in simulated GPS-denied environments
    • Reliable operation at altitudes as low as 150 feet AGL and speeds up to 16 mph
    • Robust performance in twilight and extremely low-light conditions
    • A simulated reconnaissance mission with dynamic flight parameters, completed successfully without GPS or human input

    The results helped define a preliminary performance envelope for VNav on the Black Widow system. The final mission demonstrated VNav’s ability to navigate a complete ISR mission profile, including cruising to a target, descending for surveillance, flying local waypoints, and returning, all without GPS and with continuous positional awareness.

    Palantir engineers reported that VNav achieved a mean positional error of approximately 7 meters over a 2.7-kilometer route. No additional hardware was required for any of the flights, as VNav runs entirely on the Black Widow’s existing onboard sensors.

    “Palantir Visual Navigation performed well in real-world conditions,” said Akash Jain, president and CTO, Palantir USG. “This demonstrates our approach to visual navigation in disrupted environments –– delivering intelligent software that adapts, scales across platforms like Black Widow, and supports the Army’s integrated operating systems.”

    Red Cat and Palantir are working toward a formal Army demonstration and full productized VNav capability for all fielded Black Widow systems.

  • Aerovironment’s visual-based navigation system takes over for GPS

    Aerovironment’s visual-based navigation system takes over for GPS

    AeroVironment's Puma is hand-launched. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Frank Cordoba/U.S. Marine Corps)
    AeroVironment’s Puma is hand-launched. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Frank Cordoba/U.S. Marine Corps)

    AeroVironment Inc. has introduced Puma VNS, a visual-based navigation system for its Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS). The system enables navigation across GPS-denied environments.

    Puma VNS will receive frequent software and hardware updates, providing operators with advanced navigation capabilities, features and functionality. The system will also enable integration of future autonomy capabilities.

    “Puma VNS gives operators an unprecedented advantage in the battlefield,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for SUAS. “Operators now can execute missions with more confidence in GPS-contested environments with the system’s new navigational capabilities.”

    VNS uses a suite of downward-looking sensors to gather imagery data and track features on the ground, as well as an embedded computing module to process and determine the precise location of an aircraft while in flight. The system automatically transitions to and from GPS-denied navigation mode without operator input.

    Puma VNS is available as an add-on option for new Puma 3 AE system orders and as a retrofit kit for fielded Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE systems.

  • 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.