The global navigation satellite system, of which GPS is the most famous example, is a crucial aspect of modern life. From planes to cargo ships, to simply finding your way around a new city or just getting home, satellites help us navigate the world. The system is not foolproof, though, and it doesn’t work in every condition. A better approach could harness the power of quantum sensors and our planet’s magnetic field.
Q-CTRL, an Australian quantum technology company, has demonstrated just that. They have a GPS-free navigation system that allows safe navigation to specific locations both on the ground and in the air.
The approach is seen in comparison with inertial navigation systems (INS), which are the usual backup in case GPS is no longer working, such as in a GPS denial attack, but also when passing through areas without coverage. The quantum system developed by Q-CTRL has 46 times smaller positioning error than INS on a flight (0.006 percent of the flight distance) and a seven times smaller error than INS on a ground vehicle.
“We achieved an accuracy in some trials comparable to a sharpshooter hitting a bullseye from 1,000 yards [914 meters] away,” Q-CTRL CEO and Founder Michael J. Biercuk, said in a statement. “But because our quantum-assured navigation system allows a vehicle to position itself accurately irrespective of how far it’s travelled, by analogy that sharpshooter can hit the same bullseye no matter how far away they move from the target.”
The idea is that there are magnetic landmarks present around our planet, and it doesn’t require an active system like a satellite. So if you’ve got a detailed map of the magnetic field in specific locations and a good enough sensor, then you can use that to navigate. The system needs to continuously sense these signals with high stability and high sensitivity to guarantee that it is capable of navigating even where GPS fails, such as the interior of buildings, underground, underwater, and outside among skyscrapers, etc.
The company argues that their system has achieved quantum advantage, the moment when a quantum solution outperforms a classical one in real conditions. The system is small and can be fitted on aircraft, even uncrewed drones, and vehicles. To minimize hardware, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps against interference.
The system might not be ready to take over GPS quite yet, but it seems to be a serious contender as a backup.
A paper describing the tests and the results, which has not been peer reviewed, is available on arXiv.
Source Link: First Real-World Test Of "Unjammable" Quantum Sensor Shows This Could Be New GPS