SBIR-STTR Award

Location Information System (LIS): An Unspoofable Alternative to GPS
Award last edited on: 6/4/2023

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : AF
Total Award Amount
$899,902
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
AF211-CSO1
Principal Investigator
Charles Barry

Company Information

Luminous Cyber Corp

3459 Mauricia Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95051
   (408) 205-0175
   info@luminouscyber.com
   www.luminouscyber.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 17
County: Santa Clara

Phase I

Contract Number: FA8649-21-P-1129
Start Date: 4/19/2021    Completed: 7/19/2021
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$50,000
The USAF, US Government, Civilian and Gov't Transportation are fundamentally dependent upon GPS/GNSS for Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT). There is a clear and present danger of the outage, blocking, jamming or spoofing of GPS/GNSS due to unintentiona

Phase II

Contract Number: FA8649-22-9-9022
Start Date: 6/16/2022    Completed: 9/16/2023
Phase II year
2022
Phase II Amount
$849,902
The USAF, the US Government and civilian systems are fundamentally dependent upon GPS/GNSS satellites for Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT). There is a clear and present danger of the outage, jamming or spoofing of GPS/GNSS due to unintentional and intentional actors, space weather and geographical obstruction. These nav systems are vulnerable to space debris, now numbering over 40,000 objects, and are easy targets for malicious actors as evidenced recently by Russian’s intentional destruction of a satellite in November 2021. It is imperative that the USA develop robust alternatives to GPS/GNSS. Luminous Cyber Corp proposes to adapt its commercial LIS product which uses innovative Real-Time Network Multilateration technology as a resilient Alternative Position, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) solution for GPS/GNSS-challenged environments. LIS combines state of the art Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) location determination algorithms with ensemble-based Machine Learning (ML) to provide highly accurate position and time that is resilient to jamming, spoofing, multi-path, temporal traffic variations, and man-in-the middle attacks, and is robust to the addition/deletion of assets. Commercial LIS software runs on low-cost COTS servers, CPUs and network interfaces and works hand in glove with Mobile Ad-Hoc Mesh Networks, LIS is readily adapted to Ground, Sea and Airborne USAF/DAF platforms. LIS is not vulnerable to jamming, spoofing and space weather, as are of GPS/GNSS. LIS also has special security support. Luminous Cyber is partnering in the proposed effort with world-renowned RF systems experts at Florida International University to integrate LIS with a low SWAP-C software defined radio (SDR). LIS A-PNT can be readily deployed in existing mobile solutions or UAV assets. The proposed LIS A-PNT solution enables fixed, mobile and airborne assets to determine their position with uncertainties as low as 10 cm. Position and trajectory are computed at the unprecedented speed of 1000 times per second providing the utmost accuracy. LIS is proven in the field and does not rely on unproven, speculative quantum technology. LIS ensemble-based Machine Learning algorithms may be augmented using sensor fusion of Angle of Attack (AOA), Frequency Difference Of Arrival (FDOA), Signals Of OPportunity (SOOP), Localites, High-Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) and other PNT technology. This proposal specifically addresses the needs of, and is endorsed by, AFLCMC/WIIZ, Medium Altitude UAS Special Projects Branch, AFMC AFRL/RYZC and AFMC AFRL/RYZN. Luminous Cyber’s founders are recognized experts in PNT, GeoTemporal Analytics, Computer Networking, Security, and Machine Learning with +50 years business experience, including 6 startups with successful outcomes including IPO and acquisitions. Luminous has numerous patents directly relevant to PNT.