Inertial Labs, a Viavi Solutions subsidiary, has launched a visual-aided inertial navigation system (VINS) designed to maintain aircraft positioning accuracy when GPS signals are unavailable or compromised. The VINS technology addresses growing concerns over GPS jamming and spoofing incidents, which the Department of Transportation reports are increasing across North America and Western Europe.
The system enables uncrewed aerial vehicles to execute extended-range missions in GNSS-challenged environments by combining visual positioning software from Maxar Raptor with onboard camera feeds. VINS compares real-time imagery captured through day or infrared cameras against satellite-derived Precision3D maps, using perspective and point principles to determine absolute positioning.
Performance specifications demonstrate the system’s capability in GPS-denied conditions, maintaining horizontal positioning within 35 meters and vertical accuracy within 5 meters. Velocity tracking remains within 0.9 meters per second of actual values, while heading accuracy stays within 1 degree and pitch/roll measurements within 0.1 degrees.
When GPS signals are available, VINS achieves enhanced precision, with horizontal positioning accurate to 1 meter, vertical positioning under 2 meters, and velocity tracking within 0.03 meters per second. Heading accuracy improves to 0.1 degrees with pitch/roll measurements within 0.03 degrees.
The modular system incorporates processing units, sensor modules, GNSS or CRPA antennas, plus air-data computers and digital wind speed sensors, for compatibility with both fixed-wing and multi-rotor platforms.