TLDR:
- Scientific Systems has developed ImageNav™, an image-based navigation software for military use in GPS-denied areas.
- ImageNav™ offers precise navigation for weapons, aircraft, and uncrewed aircraft systems without relying on GPS signals.
In response to increasing electronic warfare capabilities that threaten GPS reliability, Scientific Systems has developed ImageNav™, an image-based navigation software that provides a robust alternative to traditional GPS navigation for military operations. With funding exceeding $45 million and over a decade of development, ImageNav™ utilizes onboard electro-optical or infrared digital cameras to analyze images and correlate them with stored terrain and image references. This process allows for precise navigation updates in GPS-denied scenarios, offering a solution to maintain navigation accuracy in challenging operational environments.
The technology’s ability to run entirely “at-the-edge” enables integration into air platforms as a software upgrade or self-contained hardware payload, minimizing size, weight, and power requirements. Recent testing has demonstrated ImageNav™’s capability to navigate without GPS, hitting targets within required performance parameters. Scientific Systems is actively pursuing the integration of ImageNav™ onto GPS-guided munitions and UAS to enable their effective operation in GPS-denied environments. This advancement comes at a crucial time as reports underscore the urgency of establishing reliable non-GPS guidance systems in the face of successful GPS jamming efforts.
Overall, ImageNav™ offers a critical solution for military operations in contested environments where GPS signals may be compromised, providing reliable and precise navigation for weapons, aircraft, and uncrewed aircraft systems without reliance on traditional GPS signals.
