Honeywell and InfiniDome to Offer GPS Signal Protection For Urban Air Mobility Use

Avionics manufacturer Honeywell and InfiniDome are collaborating on the development and delivery of GPS signal protection systems for commercial and military vehicles, including aircraft, urban air mobility (UAM) and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and surface vehicles. InfiniDome’s GPS resilience technology mitigates the effects of GPS jamming and will be combined with Honeywell’s navigation sensors to provide the GPS signal protection solution.

GPS receivers can be affected not only by jamming but also by tall buildings or bridges that block the receiver’s view of the sky, so-called “GPS-denied environments.” As UAM vehicles and UAS proliferate, they require reliable access to the GPS network, and they will need “technology to readily handle signal disruption and maintain access to critical navigation and timing information,” according to Honeywell. “As more small vehicles take to the skies and roads in heavily populated areas, GPS signal availability must be maintained to provide accurate navigation, ensure safety, and protect property.”

InfiniDome’s patented technology is the only non-military GPS anti-jamming solution, according to the company. Its GPSdome thwarts electromagnetic interference “using null steering, a method of spatial signal processing to nullify communication jamming. Not only does GPSdome shield the received GPS signals from being overpowered by the jammer, but it also alerts the operator when the attack is detected. Our unique interference filtering algorithm combines the patterns from two omnidirectional antennas. In real-time, GPSdome analyzes the interference signal and feeds its properties into InfiniDome’s proprietary algorithm, which allows it to filter and reject the attacking RF interference.”

The Honeywell-InifiniDome solution is a combination of compact and lightweight hardware installed on the vehicle, as well as software and services. The companies plan to offer the commercial version of the GPS signal protection solution in the first half of 2022.

“Intentional GPS jamming and spoofing incidents are on the rise, and this partnership will enable a rapid solution to this critical industry need,” said Matt Picchetti, vice president and general manager of navigation and sensors for Honeywell Aerospace. “This partnership will create world-class solutions that will help accelerate the future of flight, especially in urban areas.”