Artificial intelligence and quantum company SandboxAQ has launched a new multi-domain navigation product.
If global positioning satellite systems are disrupted or unavailable, AQNav will provide support with an alternative system that uses AI algorithms, powerful quantum sensors and the Earth’s crustal magnetic field for efficient navigation, the Palo Alto, California-based company said on Tuesday.
Eric Schmidt, chairman of SandboxAQ and former Google CEO, believes that when spoofing GPS, “it’s crucial to have a global auxiliary navigation system that works in conjunction with the inertial system.”
“AQNav is a great example of how AI is impacting society in new ways,” Schmidt said. “Navigation by Earth’s magnetic field is made possible by AI’s ability to analyze magnetic signals from quantum sensors in real time.”
The new product is aimed at combating GPS interference that is said to affect industries such as agriculture, financial services, public infrastructure, environmental monitoring, road management and disaster response and other safety systems.
“Sandbox AQ has worked closely with public and private sector partners to use AI and quantum technologies to develop a safe and secure navigation alternative to complement GPS. We are proud to make our groundbreaking AQNav system available to businesses and governments around the world,” said Jack Hidary, CEO of Sandbox AQ.
In January 2023, SandboxAQ was awarded a Direct-to-Phase-II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the U.S. Air Force to test and build a geomagnetic navigation system. By May 2023, the company completed the first flight tests of AQNav.
To date, AQNav has logged more than 200 flight hours and 40 missions across multiple regions on four different aircraft models ranging in size from single-engine aircraft to large warships.
