American tech startup SandboxAQ has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled navigation system it said can address persistent GPS jamming.
Called the AQNav, the technology leverages powerful quantum sensors to gather data from the Earth’s crustal magnetic field.
This allows the system to provide real-time navigation in areas where GPS signals are denied or unavailable.
The AQNav also uses AI algorithms to eliminate potential interferences and make the entire system impenetrable to jamming and spoofing.
“GPS is easy to jam and spoof,” SandboxAQ manager Luca Ferrara said. “When planes and ships lose GPS in motion and switch over to inertial navigation systems, the vehicle drifts and soon finds itself off course.”
“The Earth’s crustal magnetic field provides a persistent, passive external signal, making it a highly reliable data source for navigation.”
Potential Defense Application
Though originally designed for commercial use, the AQNav can be integrated into various sea, land, and air military platforms.
It could also be potentially used to improve autonomous vehicle control or aid in underground/underwater operations where GPS signals are not available.
SandboxAQ said it understands the importance of providing an alternative navigation system in modern warfare, as GPS is likely to be the first point of attack for any adversary in war.
John Richardson, a former US Navy admiral who now works with the California-based firm, said the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East have highlighted the growing threat of GPS disruption.
“Systems like AQNav are absolutely essential to address this critical vulnerability,” he stressed. “We must mature these systems that allow us to maintain precision in a GPS-denied environment. It’s fundamental to the way we conduct war.”
The AQNav has logged over 200 flight hours so far from flight tests conducted by the US Air Force, Boeing, and Airbus.
