GPS is vulnerable to attack. Magnetic navigation can help

Much higher than yours Head, constellations Satellites We are constantly working to provide GPS, navigation and timing systems that… Run modern life quietly. Signals from these satellites, known as the Global Navigation Satellite System, or GNSS, provide the basis for mobile phone networks, power grids, the Internet, and the Global Positioning System (GPS). Increasingly, their reliability is at risk.

It could be GPS signals Crammed– They are deliberately flooded with other powerful radio signals – and are spoofed, where false signals are given out to fool GPS systems. GPS interference has been documented in Ukrainethe The Middle Eastand South China Sea.

But startup SandboxAQ believes that artificial intelligence, when combined with navigation systems that read the Earth’s magnetic field, known as MagNav, could mitigate these threats to GNSS. “Our technology does not replace GNSS, but can enrich existing navigation systems to improve safety and serve as an alternative primary navigation resource in the event of a GPS outage,” says Luca Ferrara, the company’s general manager. Navigation section in SandboxAQ.

AQNav devices.

Image: SandboxAQ

It uses SandboxAQ navigation technology, called AQNav Quantity Magnetometers – devices that can detect changes in magnetic fields very precisely by measuring subatomic particles – produce a reading of the Earth’s magnetic field. “We’re looking for the unique signature of magnetized rock formations in the Earth’s crust,” Ferrara says.

Artificial intelligence is then used to accurately determine the aircraft’s location, through comparison with known maps of the magnetic field. The AI ​​also eliminates any external interference generated by the aircraft, such as sudden movements or signals from its electrical systems; Individual planes have unique characteristics when it comes to introducing magnetic interference.

So far, the US Air Force, Boeing, and Airbus have done so All test flights Using the system. “Since May 2023, we have deployed and tested several iterations of our hardware and software,” Ferrara explains. “The AQNav has flown hundreds of kilometers in various types of aircraft, from single-engine aircraft to large military transports. It has been tested in real flight scenarios, including two major military exercises conducted by the US Air Force.

The SandboxAQ team, which inspired the idea, originated at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, between 2016 and 2022. The initial idea was to find applications for artificial intelligence and quantum technologies developed within the Google Moonshot Factory.