Maxar develops GPS-free navigation for drones and airplanes — sensor data is compared to a 3D map

Maxar, a company known for satellite imagery, is developing 3D maps of the entire Earth for precise navigation. Data from the drone’s sensors will be compared to this map.

The new Pinpoint tool uses a three-dimensional image of the Earth to help aircraft navigate. The technology can become an alternative to GPS, invulnerable to radio interference. Maxar plans to complete several pilot programs and make the tool widely available in 2025.

«I think that in the next few years we will see a kind of transition from an absolute GPS navigation system to a much more reference-based navigation system, more like what happened when you were on a ship and looking at the stars,» project manager Peter Wilczynski told Defense One.

«We work with different companies along the entire value chain. Some companies produce the suspensions, some produce the entire [UAV]. There are a bunch of different types: affordable, more expensive, more durable UAVs. So we are trying to experiment with this market».

Maxar notes that GPS may not be available during the next military conflict and is now transitioning to a reference navigation system that uses landmarks on the ground. The new technology is based on the company’s Precision3D Registration (P3DR) system.

«P3DR — is a standalone software solution for automatic georeferencing of images on a 3D, worldwide basis with a resolution of 50 cm or better and an accuracy of up to 3 m in all dimensions. Our accuracy is as good in Pyongyang as it is in London or New York,» Maxar’s website explains.

The system automatically compares images with a high-precision 3D map of the planet in real time and without human intervention. It can work with real-time video or individual images. In cases where the image quality is poor (for example, with a large number of clouds), the 3D model match may be «suboptimal», in which case the system indicates the accuracy of the data.

Sources: Maxar, Defense One, Cybernews