GPS Vulnerable To Attack. Magnetic Navigation Can Help

Far above your head, a constellation of satellites is constantly working to provide the positioning, navigation, and timing systems that make modern life so peaceful. Known as the global navigation satellite system, or GNSS, signals from these satellites provide the foundation for cellular networks, energy networks, the internet, and GPS. And increasingly, that dependence is under threat. GPS signals can be jammed—deliberately drowned out by other strong radio signals—and false, where the wrong signal is released to fool the positioning system. GPS interference has been documented in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the South China Sea. But startup SandboxAQ believes that artificial intelligence, when combined with a navigation system that reads the Earth’s magnetic field, known as MagNav, can reduce the threat to GNSS. “Our technology has not changed [GNSS]but it can improve existing navigation systems to increase security and be an alternative main source of navigation in case of GPS interference,” said Luca Ferrara, general manager of SandboxAQ’s navigation department. AQNav hardware. Photo: SandboxAQSandboxAQ’s navigation technology, called AQNav, uses a magnetometer “We are looking for the unique fingerprint of magnetized rock formations in the earth’s crust,” he says Ferrara.Artificial intelligence is then used to accurately pinpoint the position of the aircraft, through a comparison with the known map of the magnetic field. AI also eliminates external disturbances generated by the aircraft, such as from sudden movements or signals from the electrical system; individual aircraft have unique characteristics when it comes to introducing interference So far, the US Air Force, Boeing, and Airbus have all made test flights using the system. “Since May 2023, we have deployed and tested many iterations of hardware and software,” Ferrara said. “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 by the US Air Force. for artificial intelligence and quantum technology developed in Google moonshot factory.

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