Inertial Labs, a VIAVI Solutions Company, Launches Visual-Aided Inertial Navigation System for GPS-Compromised Flight Paths
- Advanced navigation capabilities in GPS-denied environments with high accuracy metrics (35m horizontal, 5m vertical)
- Addresses critical market need with 700 daily GPS jamming/spoofing incidents globally
- Enhanced accuracy when GPS is available (1m horizontal, sub-2m vertical)
- Versatile system compatible with both fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAVs
- System is limited to low-altitude operations
- Requires additional hardware components including COTS radio or Iridium LEO GNSS for complete functionality
Insights
VIAVI's new VINS technology addresses critical GPS vulnerability challenges, strengthening its position in the growing assured navigation market.
VIAVI's launch of the visual-aided inertial navigation system (VINS) represents a strategically significant advancement in addressing the escalating challenges of GPS/GNSS vulnerability. With the U.S. Department of Transportation reporting up to 700 global GPS spoofing and jamming incidents daily, this technology directly targets a critical operational vulnerability affecting both military and commercial sectors.
The system's performance metrics are particularly impressive in GNSS-denied environments, maintaining horizontal position within 35 meters, vertical position within 5 meters, and velocity accuracy within 0.9 m/s. These specifications meet crucial operational thresholds for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) conducting long-range missions in contested environments.
What makes this technology distinct is its integration of Maxar's Precision3D maps with real-time visual inputs, enabling position determination through Perspective and Point principles rather than relying on vulnerable satellite signals. This approach represents a fundamental shift in navigation resilience methodology.
The timing of this release is particularly advantageous, coinciding with heightened awareness of GPS vulnerabilities in both commercial aviation and defense sectors. By offering the system with optional components like COTS radio, Iridium LEO GNSS, and M-code/SAASM GNSS receiver compatibility, VIAVI has positioned this product to serve multiple market segments with varying security requirements.
This launch, alongside the second-generation RSR Transcoder, demonstrates VIAVI's strategic focus on expanding its footprint in the assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) market through its acquisitions of specialized companies like Inertial Labs and Jackson Labs. This diversification strengthens VIAVI's portfolio beyond its traditional offerings and provides entry into the rapidly growing market for resilient navigation solutions.
- Enables UAVs to accomplish very long-range missions in GNSS-challenged environments
- To be demonstrated at Joint Navigation Conference from June 2-5, Stand 430
The launch comes as the
VINS enables Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to accomplish very long-range missions in the most GNSS-challenged environments. VINS uses a robust 3D vision-based positioning software from Maxar庐 Raptor鈩� to estimate a vehicle's absolute 3D position by applying Perspective and Point (PnP) principles to compare patterns captured from an onboard camera (day or infrared) with satellite imagery-derived Maxar Precision3D鈩� maps.
In GNSS-denied environments VINS has demonstrated the ability to maintain its flight path with horizontal position to within 35 m, vertical position to within 5 m and desired velocity to within 0.9 m/s of true location and velocity. It is also able to hold heading to within 1 degree and pitch/roll to within 0.1 degree. With GNSS enabled, it is able to maintain a horizontal position of 1 m, a sub-2 m vertical position and a velocity of 0.03 m/s, with a heading accuracy of 0.1 degrees and a pitch/roll of within 0.03 degrees.
The system is designed for operation at low altitudes. The comprehensive modular system incorporates processing and sensor modules, a GNSS or CRPA antenna plus an air-data computer and digital windspeed sensor for operation with both fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAVs.
VINS can optionally be equipped with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) radio to be used for data as well as to provide absolute position in GPS-denied environments. An Iridium LEO GNSS and M-code/SAASM GNSS receiver is also available.
On Display at the Joint Navigation Conference
Last week also saw VIAVI launch its with GPS full constellation simulator, which is designed to give assured PNT during military operations taking place in degraded or disrupted space operational environments (D3SOE).
Both VINS and the RSR Transcoder v2.0 will be demonstrated at the 2025 , which is held June 2-5 in the
VIAVI and its Inertial Labs division will also deliver three presentations:
- "3D Vision-Based Positioning for Autonomous Aerial Platform Navigation and Human-in-the-Loop Reconnaissance Mission" (presented with Maxar): Monday, June 2 at 1:50 PM ET
- "Anti-Jam/Spoof Phased Array Antenna": Wednesday, June 4 at 10:50 AM ET
- "Retrofitting At-Risk GPS Defense Equipment with a Multi-Orbit LEO and GEO Clock System for Resilient PNT Services": Wednesday, June 4 at 11:30 AM ET
"VINS and the RSR Transcoder are truly groundbreaking when it comes to assured PNT in GPS-denied environments," said Doug Russell, Senior Vice President, Aerospace & Defense, VIAVI. "Through strategic acquisitions, we're uniquely able to harness resilient timing from Jackson Labs and accurate navigation from Inertial Labs, and implement these with intelligent sensor fusion, holdover and dead reckoning to ensure reliability and security as well as ease of operation."
About VIAVI
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications. Learn more about VIAVI at . Follow us on , and .
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