Quantum sensing could become the backbone of navigation when GPS fails

[Oscar_57]

The Next Web has an article by Nir Sharon, chief quantum technology scientist at Quantum X Labs and an associate professor at Tel Aviv University, about using quantum sensors for navigation. His starting point is that GPS has a critical weakness. Despite being reliable most of the time, satellite signals can be jammed or spoofed with very little effort. That is a growing problem for anything that depends entirely on outside signals to know where it is

The alternative is dead reckoning, working out your position from a known starting point by measuring how far and in which direction you have moved. Ships and aircraft have done this for centuries. The problem is that small measurement errors build up over time, so your estimate drifts further and further from reality. Quantum gyroscopes and miniaturised atomic clocks could make those measurements far more accurate, keeping the error small for much longer. Even a tiny drift per hour adds up over a long journey

Sharon describes this as intrinsic navigation, where a device measures its own motion and orientation without relying on signals from outside. He makes the point that autonomous systems cannot just stop when GPS fails. A self driving car heading into an area with no signal still needs to get to its destination safely. The same applies to drones, ships and aircraft

Quantum X Labs has built scientific prototypes and proof of concept systems in the lab, and is now working on the engineering challenge of turning them into compact, robust sensors that manufacturers can fit into vehicles and aircraft. That step from lab to product is where most quantum sensing projects struggle. The idea is not to replace GPS but to provide a backup when it is not available

GPS jamming has become a real issue for aviation in recent years, with many airlines reporting interference. This links with the Melbourne diamond hub story, which also mentioned navigation as a key use. Do you think quantum navigation will reach cars and planes soon? And how worried should we be about how much now depends on GPS?

Quantum sensing could become the next foundation of navigationthenextweb.com

[TaxSeason95]

Getting from the lab to a box that fits in a car is the hard part. Atomic sensors in a lab need careful conditions

A car gets shaken, heated and frozen. Vibration alone ruins plenty of delicate experiments. Ruggedising atomic sensors is a whole engineering discipline

[Mason0]

How much depends on GPS is frightening when you think about it. Not just navigation, but timing for mobile networks, banks and power grids. A serious outage would cause chaos. Few people realise their phone signal relies on it

[Buffer]

Aviation jamming has been a growing problem. Pilots have reported fake positions and lost signals on plenty of routes. A backup that cannot be jammed would be welcome. Some flights have had to divert because of it

[Dom]

Self driving cars are a good example. Tunnels and city centres already confuse GPS. Something that works without satellites would make autonomy far safer. Underground car parks are another weak spot

[StringTheory95]

Quantum X Labs is the same company that filed a patent on quantum cybersecurity recently. They seem to be covering a lot of ground for a small firm. Ambition is not a bad thing for a startup, mind you

[Storm]

Dead reckoning with quantum accuracy is a great idea. Submarines have relied on inertial navigation for decades because GPS does not work underwater

Quantum sensors could bring that capability to much smaller and cheaper systems. That would be a big step