UK researchers seek resilience for UAVs in GNSS-denied environments
The research team will test concepts with an aircraft from Windracers. (Photo: Windracers)
UK project seeks to improve control of drone swarms in contested environments.
A project involving industry and academia in the UK aims to prove how a single remote operator and local safety pilot can handle multiple UAVs and maintain continuous communication in GNSS-denied environments.
The Innovate UK-funded Phase 3 of the Future Flights Challenge includes Helix Geospace, Windracers, Distributed Avionics plus Bristol and Sheffield universities.
Researchers will focus on demonstrating how large UAVs with a maximum take-off weight of 450kg can be used to solve environmental protection concerns in GNSS-denied environments, functioning in swarms and utilising a combination of digital twinning, computer vision, and real-world flight testing in the Antarctic.
Helix Geospace stated on 25 August that it is providing its Dielectrix antenna system ‘to detect jamming and spoofing events, pinpoint their precise source and then eliminate their impact, maintaining the accuracy and resilience of GNSS PNT [positioning, navigation and timing] in GNSS-denied environments’.
Oliver Leister, chief technology officer at Helix Geospace, said: ‘Due to the weak and vulnerable nature of the GNSS signal, the signal is extremely susceptible to jamming and spoofing; our solution does not rely on additional sensors to aid position data, which could be compromised in various environments.’
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Orbiting the Future: How New Satellite Technologies are Revolutionising Global Communications]()
Orbiting the Future: How New Satellite Technologies are Revolutionising Global Communications
With the satellite industry at a pivotal juncture, Intelsat is investing in advanced technologies like 5G and optical communications, striving to enhance worldwide connectivity and address emerging governmental needs.
-
![Leidos to support DoD Joint Staff C2 system under $74 million contract]()
Leidos to support DoD Joint Staff C2 system under $74 million contract
Leidos has been awarded a five-year, $74 million contract to provide analytical and engineering support for Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) to the US DoD Joint Staff (JS) J6 Joint Assessment Division (JAD).
-
DSEI 2023: Controp unveils Smart Vision AI software for EO/IR payloads
Controp Precision Technologies unveiled its Smart Vision AI software for enhancing the level of autonomy and automation for a variety of surveillance and reconnaissance missions at DSEI 2023.
-
![Space Systems Technology Report 2023 now available to read]()
Space Systems Technology Report 2023 now available to read
Unlocking the potential of satellite technology for communications and intelligence-gathering.
-
![DSEI 2023: APS claims 90% success rate in tracking drones in Ukraine]()
DSEI 2023: APS claims 90% success rate in tracking drones in Ukraine
Advanced Protection System (APS) has reported a 90% success in tracking Russian UAVs operating in the Ukraine war using its SKYctrl anti-drone system.
-
![DSEI 2023: First Azalea satellite cluster set for launch in early 2025]()
DSEI 2023: First Azalea satellite cluster set for launch in early 2025
The first four multi-sensor Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites forming the first cluster of Azalea will be launched in early 2025 as part of a BAE Systems effort to demonstrate capability to the UK government and other potential customers.
