Since 1993, the GPS has been tightly integrated into our daily lives. From recording bank transactions to guiding transatlantic flights, the technology generates about $1 billion a day in economic impact. 

But just like any other system, GPS has its fair share of limitations. Challenging terrain, signal jamming, and spoofing can render it useless. And that happens quite a lot. Drone use cases in mining are severely limited by naturally occurring magnetic interference. Thousands of commercial flights get affected every year by targeted or incidental GPS signal jamming. Not to mention countless security and military operations, where signal spoofing is the name of the game. 

Source: FT

Soundly, alternative technologies exist for GPS-denied navigation — and here are the top 3 solutions. 

Hybrid INS Powered by AI 

Internal navigation systems (INS) rely on data gyroscopes and accelerometers to estimate the vehicle’s current position, in relation to its last known point. The problem, however, is that many off-the-shelf systems lack accuracy, especially over a longer range. 

Bavovna is changing that with its AI-driven inertial navigation unit. Compact, low-power, and EMI-shielded, Bavovna brings AI sensor fusion technology to UAV navigation. The onboard unit can process data from any number of sensors—accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer,  vector airflow, ultrasonic, infrared, or optical flow sensors—to deliver high-precision navigation in GPS-denied environments. The endpoint positioning error is just under 0.5% even when flying complex routes. Our solution is fine-tuned on live flight data from your vehicle, ensuring unbeatable reliability and durability in a variety of conditions.

For instance, our latest deployment on Aurelia X6 Max Pro-D allows performing fully autonomous air tower missions—vertically take-off, hoover, and land, without any maps or additional correction from GPS or RTK.  With Bavovna’s AI kit, you can safely establish communication relays, perform terrain reconnaissance, perform security monitoring, and fly a range of other missions without worrying about GPS signal degradation, jamming, or loss.  

Quantum Positioning Systems 

The Royal Navy is looking to another emerging technology to improve INS—quantum computing.  Atoms exhibit quantum behavior changes in response to the smallest amount of motion when cooled near absolute zero. These changes can be measured and used to obtain positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data. The catch? Cooling down atoms requires huge, power-hungry equipment. 

Aquark Technologies may have found the answer to this quandary. The quantum startup develops miniature quantum systems. Its compact cold atom navigation system uses lasers to bring the temperature down to (-273.15C), which makes it possible to collect motion data on an atomic level and use it for navigation. Aquark Technologies has been successfully tested on a Royal Navy patrol vessel in October 2024. 

Silicon Photonic Optical Gyroscopes (SiPhOG)

Fiber-optic and ring laser gyros offer the best accuracy, but they are also too expensive for many commercial applications. MEMS gyroscopes are way cheaper but lack precision. ANELLO Photonics wants to close this gap with its SiPhOG technology. 

A silicon photonic integrated circuit is used to manufacture the waveguides on-chip, allowing the company to achieve Fiber Optic Gyro performance with a standard silicon manufacturing process. Its INS system has a drift rate of less than 0.5° per hour and demonstrated strong performance in GPS-denied environments. It maintains accuracy within 0.1 m over distances of 0.8 km without GPS, even in orchard environments with limited GPS signals.

Navigation technology moves quickly and better alternatives to GPS are emerging every day. Many also boast high customization like Bavovna’s AI navigation kit, allowing multiple deployment scenarios across different hardware — fixed wing, tilt wing, VTOLs, multi-copters, and FPV drones. Contact us for a free demo!

Internal navigation system (INS) uses motion and rotation sensors and an onboard computer to determine the vehicle’s position, orientation, and movement speed without using visual references.  

Originally developed in the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory for a B-29 bomber in the 1950s, INS has become a staple for self-contained navigation for aerospace, maritime, and automotive industries. 

How Does an Inertial Navigation System Work?

INS uses dead reckoning to determine the vehicle’s current position by using its last known coordinates as the starting point for comparison. It then provides real-time position and navigation data by correlating changes in starting point, speed, and direction with new sensor inputs.

Most modern internal navigation systems include an inertial measuring unit (IMU) — a sensor subsystem that provides raw data inputs like altitude, position, orientation, angular rate, and linear velocity.

Source: ResearchGate 

Inertial measuring units (IMUs) typically feature the following sensors:

• Accelerometers to calculate changes in velocity and position

• Gyroscopes for angular velocity estimation to detect rotational motion

• Magnetometers to determine movement direction relative to the Earth’s magnetic field

• Barometers/Altimeters to measure atmospheric pressure for altitude calculations.

Common Types of Internal Navigation Systems 

INSs differ significantly in hardware configuration—each having different tradeoffs in accuracy, cost, and application feasibility. The common INS types are:

• Strapdown Inertial Navigation Systems (SINS) have sensors strapped directly to the vehicle. They’re lightweight and easy to implement, ideal for drones and light robotics. But SINSs require high computation power to handle sensor noise due to vehicle motion.

• Gimbaled Inertial Navigation Systems (GINS) use gimbals to ensure greater reference stability. But they’re heavier, more complex, and susceptible to mechanical wear.

• Fiber Optic Gyro-based Inertial Navigation Systems (FOG INS) leverage fiber optic gyroscopes for precise rotation measurement. FOG is more immune to vibration and environmental interference but costlier. 

• MEMS-based Inertial Navigation Systems feature accelerometers and gyroscopes, based on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. They are cost-effective and compact but have lower accuracy than FOG or RLG systems.

• Ring Laser Gyro-based Inertial Navigation Systems (RLG INS) use ring laser gyroscopes for precise motion measurement. They boast high durability and are vibration-immune, but come at a premium price.

• GNSS-Aided Inertial Navigation System typically features a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer, and a GNSS receiver (and sometimes a 3-axis magnetometer) for navigation. Each contributes different coordinates for high accuracy. The problem? If the GPS is down or lagging, navigation becomes unreliable—and that’s a major limit industries aim to solve.

Inertial Navigation System vs GPS: What’s the Difference? 

INS is a self-contained system that doesn’t require external connectivity (e.g., satellite or wireless networks) to guide the vehicle. As such, it’s less prone to magnetic interferences or targeted attacks, especially with EMI shielding.

GPS, in turn, is a satellite-based system that provides positioning data only when and where there’s an unobstructed line of sight to satellites. This makes it unsuitable for underwater navigation, UAV or aircraft flights in contested environments, or autonomous driving through tunnels or underground shafts.

Due to GPS’s vulnerability to signal loss, interference, and jamming in contested environments, many organizations use INS over GPS. Recent advances in sensor fusion and AI improved internal navigation system accuracy and connectivity range.

Getting more from your INS with AI

Bavovna developed an Al-enhanced INS for uncrewed vehicles that delivers 98% accuracy over a long range and supports fully autonomous flights in GPS-denied environments.

We’ve developed a compact strap-down model with an IMU and AI-powered flight control, weighing only 800g. For navigation, we apply sensor fusion to accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometric pressure, and airflow data, with the option to connect more sensors. Each AI model is custom-trained for your uncrewed vehicle on at least 100 hours of live flight data to ensure top accuracy during autonomous flights.

In the field, our hybrid INS system can maintain under 0.85-meter deviation of single-point positioning without GPS, RTK, and optical navigation at 500 meters altitude with 18 m/sec wind. Learn more about Bavovna AI Navigation Kit.  

GNSS signals are inherently weak and susceptible to interference. Highrise buildings, industrial machinery, and high-voltage powerlines, not to mention intentional signal jamming, frequently meddle with UAV navigation. 

At Bavovna, we’re building customizable AI navigation kits, combining rugged, low-energy onboard hardware and custom navigation models for fully autonomous flight in GPS-denied and EW-threatened areas.

Our latest release is AirTower mode, ensuring fully autonomous vertical climb, stable hover, and controlled landing in signal-restricted areas.

Introducing AirTower Mode 

AI AirTower flight mode enables a UAV to autonomously ascend to the set height, hover, and return to a designated landing point without GNSS or maps. The endpoint positioning error during field tests was about 0.5%. The system also supports autonomous take-off, landing, and return to home with a single point positioning ±1m latitude.

In the default implementation, the model uses data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass sensors, barometric pressure, and multi-vector airflow. We can also integrate data from ultrasonic, infrared, optical flow sensors, or computer vision systems.

The latter is optional. Compared to computer vision, H-INS is less dependent on environmental features, not susceptible to motion blur, and consumes less power. Field tests showed that sensor data fusion suffices for most navigation scenarios.

AirTower mode was originally developed and tested on Aurelia X6 Max Pro-D, one of the best enterprise drones in its category. It can also be adapted to a wide range of other UAV and ROV models. 

Each AI algorithm is fine-tuned using live data from the drone, making the system universally applicable for VTOL, multi-rotor, or fixed-wing drones. At 800 grams (1.7 pounds) and low SWAP (peak consumption of <12A), our system is compatible with lightweight quadcopters with limited payload capacity. AI AirTower mode is useful for tethered drone operators seeking fully autonomous operations in any condition.

AI AirTower Mode Use Cases 

It’s easier to visualize the benefits of any technology in a real-world context. Here are four operating scenarios in which Bavonva’s AirTower mode adds the most value.

ISR missions

Maintaining a controlled vertical climb and stable hover is essential for various intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Our first use case was border security. EMI-protected UAVs can provide a vantage point for detecting illegal crossings or suspicious activity, replacing laborious foot or vehicle patrols. Port authorities and coastal guards can also benefit from our navigation system, which maintains high accuracy even in areas without distinctive landmarks like water reservoirs or sand dunes.  

EMI-shielding allows Bavovna-enabled UAVs to safely operate in hospital environments for terrain resonances or FOB defense scenarios. For example, a UAV can periodically ascend to monitor threats and auto-land in a hidden, designated spot to minimize detection. Our system is fully payload agnostic. It can be easily integrated with a radio repeater and various transmitters. For example, SIGINT RF module for proactive reconnaissance of EM threats and autonomous bypass of EW/EM obstacles for extra safety. Or even a portable, counter-UAS EW system. 

Radio Relaying

Drones offer benefits like rapid network deployment, extensive coverage, and real-time data collection. Combined with a tethered or large-battery drone, Bavovna’s systems can aid in establishing communication relays in remote, rugged, hospital, or disaster-affected locations.

Full autonomy in GPS-denied environments means you can deploy drones in mountainous, forested, or dense urban areas without signal interference. The autonomous drone can help (re-)establish communication links between dispersed personnel and the command center for better coordination for rescue, supply, and tactical operations. After the mission, it can land at a designated spot for easy retrieval.

Emergency Response 

The main challenge of disaster management operations is achieving the fastest response, especially for rescue efforts where every second counts. Bavovna’s AirTower autonomy mode allows deploying drones almost immediately in affected areas to get a good aerial view and provide ongoing situational awareness to first responders.

One scenario we had in mind is wildfire detection. Dense forestry is challenging to operate in and remoteness means poor signaling. Bavovna-equipped rescue drones can transmit exact site coordinates to ground teams for investigation. In Turkey alone, drones have helped successfully detect over 2,000 wildfires last year. 

Site and Asset Inspection 

Specialized inspection drones are also becoming a staple in asset management programs. Aramco uses VTOL drones to survey miles of pipelines, spread over large desert areas. South Korean SK Telecom deploys quadcopters to detect loose bolts and nuts on antennas. Mining companies use drones to automate terrain data collection for better stockpile management.

In all of these cases, reliable connectivity is crucial, but not always readily available. High-voltage powerlines generate strong electromagnetic fields, that can interfere with the GPS receiver. High EMI, generated by telecom towers, also leads to signal delays or loss of, especially if the drone is flying close to the asset. Bavovna’s solution helps effectively overcome all of these challenges. 

Fly Autonomous Missions Without Signal Loss 

When GPS is reliable, all goes well. When it’s not — the flight outcome is uncertain. With Bavovna’s H-INS system, you can take mission security out of luck’s hands and into your control. 
Easily activated from the Bavovna Mission Planner, AI AirTower mode navigates you through GPS-denied and EW-threatened areas reliably. Compared to alternatives, our system provides up to 98% higher positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) accuracy at a range of up to 30 km / 18.6 miles. Get in touch to learn more about all features.