SBIR-STTR Award

There is hardly a system today that does not rely on GPS in some way. However, when GPS was first designed decades ago, it was not architected to meet the current requirements. Signals compromised by scattering, jamming, and spoofing. Current applications require much greater accuracy/reliability/security in commercial applications. In military application it is mission critical to have a trusted, reliable and secure PNT solution. Our escPNT™ provides resilience PNT in GNSS degraded environment by utilizing a patented, multi-sensor, tightly-coupled sensor fusion algorithm. Unlike some PNT with less capability, our solution is low size, weight and power (SWaP), and VERY affordable compared to other products. This makes escPNT™ the perfect solution across all applications from small UAS, autonomous ground vehicles, precision weapons, personnel/dismounted, to maritime and aviation. Our Direct to Phase II proposal will provide additional enhancements to our already proven product for additional resiliency in total GPS denied environments. These enhancements include: 1) Leverage of non-positioning (communication) low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellites (i.e. OneWeb, Iridium, GlobalStar, Starlink, etc.) as alternate sources of positioning data; 2) utilization of these additional signals to develop a more robust capability to detect and mitigate GNSS spoofing.

Accurate and reliable PNT is critical to mission success and protecting the warfighter. At the core of escPNT is our tightly-coupled sensor fusion algorithm that takes advantage of a wide variety of information to produce an accurate and reliable position. This includes GNSS receivers, Inertial Measurement Unit, crystal clock, barometer, and temperature sensor. Our project will implement Low Earth Orbiting satellites signals as an additional source of position. Being at a much lower orbit than GPS satellites, LEO satellite signals are much stronger and reliable. There are currently hundreds of LEO satellites broadcasting over a much wider spectrum of frequencies which makes them far more difficult to spoof or jam. In the next few years mega-constellations such as Space-X, and OneWeb will be launched, making thousands of new satellites available for positioning information. Our enhanced escPNT has far reaching application for meeting war fighter needs. From search and rescue, and small unmanned aircraft to and precision air drop, escPNT’s affordable, low SWaP positioning capability for GPS denied environments will lead to increased mission success and saved lives.