Maxar, a company renowned for its satellite imagery, is developing 3D maps of the entire Earth for precise navigation. Data from drone sensors will be compared against this map.
The new tool, Pinpoint, utilizes a three-dimensional representation of the Earth to assist aerial vehicles in navigation. This technology could serve as a GPS alternative, impervious to radio interference. Maxar intends to complete several pilot programs and make the tool widely available by 2025.
“I believe that in the coming years we will witness a shift from an absolute GPS navigation system to a more relative navigation system, akin to what one experienced when at sea navigated by stars,” said project leader Peter Wilczynski to Defense One.
Maxar points out that GPS may be unavailable during the next military conflict, leading to a transition towards a landmark-based navigation system. This new technology is built on the company's Precision3D Registration (P3DR) system.
“P3DR is a standalone software solution for automatic geographic registration of images on the globe in 3D at a global scale, 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,” explains the Maxar website.
The system automatically compares images with a highly accurate 3D map of the planet in real-time and without human intervention. It can process real-time video or individual images. In cases where image quality is low (for example, due to heavy cloud cover), the 3D model matching may be “suboptimal,” and the system will indicate the accuracy of the data.
Sources: Maxar, Defense One, Cybernews
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