DARPA Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)
Technology and their Impacts on GPS users
John Burke
Program Manager
DARPA/MTO
GPS Advisory Board
6 June 2019
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
1
DARPA PNT programs overview
Past
Multiple, redundant and complementary RF sources for navigation
NDB/ADF
TACAN (VOR/DME)
Present
LORAN-C
GPS has supplanted all RF
navigation aids as the
primary means of navigation
TRANSIT
OMEGA
Space-based
Terrestrial
1930
ADF
DME
GPS
LORAN
NDB
RF
TACAN
VLF
VOR
1940
GPS
1950
1960
Automatic Direction Finder
Distance Measuring Equipment
Global Positioning System
Long Range Navigation
Non-Directional Beacon
Radio Frequency
Tactical Air Navigation
Very Low Frequency
VHF Omnidirectional Range
1970
1980
1990
2000
Future
2010
2020
2030
Precision Inertial
System
Continuous
Global
Coverage?
Accuracy
(m)
NDB/ADF
No
1000
LORAN-C
No
250
Jam-resistant VLF
TACAN
No
50
Signals of Opportunity
OMEGA
Yes
2000
TRANSIT
Almost
25
GPS
Yes
5
All-source robust
navigation and timing
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Ultra-stable Clocks
Imagery
Celestial
Others
2
DARPA PNT programs overview
Achieve GPS-level PNT without GPS / Outperform GPS for disruptive capabilities
TIME
optical clocks
INERTIAL
atom interferometry
low SWaP
EXTERNAL
MEASUREMENTS
jam-resistant ranging
precision time transfer
C-SCAN, PRIGM, A-PhI
frequency combs
undersea ranging
FUSION
ASPN
all-source adaptable navigation systems
ACES, A-PhI
STOIC, AMBIIENT
https://www.navy.mil/navydata/shi
ps/destroyers/okane/okane-arr.jpg
http://www.f35com/
http://www.amgeneral.com/ourproducts-and-services/m1167-hmmwv/
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
3
ASPN: All Source Positioning and Navigation (Dr. Dave Tremper/STO)
ASPN has developed a standardized sensor integration system which incorporates non-traditional sensor
sources to augment PNT in GPS-denied environments
ASPN Software
Sensor
Driver
Others
https://www.navy.mil/navydata/shi
ps/destroyers/okane/okane-arr.jpg
Sensor Abstraction
and Data Distribution
http://www.f35com/
Comm/
SatComm
Imagers
(EO, lidar)
ASPN has been demonstrated
on air, land, and sea platforms
Navigation Computer
Speed
sensors
IMU(s),
Clocks
Adapt to any sensor
with spatial or temporal
information
Single-board navigation
computer with I/O card
Magnetometer
Compass
SIGINT
Non-Traditional
Standardized interfaces:
Input/Output
Traditional
Operational sensors and
systems on platform
Multi-Sensor Fusion
Two current algorithmic solutions:
1.Adaptive Rao-Blackwell particle filter
2.Factor Graphs with heuristic smoothing
IMU
EO
I/O
Inertial Measurement Unit
Electro-optical
Input/output
http://www.amgeneral.com/ourproducts-and-services/m1167-hmmwv/
PNT
Computed from fusion of
traditional and nontraditional sensors of
opportunity
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
4
ASPN: FY15 Airborne Demonstration
Real-time Position Error vs. Time
Position Error (m)
4
10
10,000
3
10
1000
GPS available
102
100
101
10
10
0
ASPN Solution
IMU only
1
10
Columbus, OH
-1
0
0
100
200
300
200
400
400
500
600
600
700
800
800
900
Elapsed Time (sec)
Rapid configuration/onsite integration of navigation
sensors
•
•
•
•
•
-- ASPN Solution
-- Ground Truth
IMU
EO Imagery
Airspeed
Magnetometer
Radar altimeter
Ohio University DC-3
Maintained ~20 m positioning without GPS
Distance travelled: 107 km
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
5
STOIC: Spatial, Temporal and Orientation Information in Contested
Environments (Dr. Dave Tremper/STO)
Integrated system comprises three independent capabilities that together form an independent backup to GPS
1. VLF positioning system: Omnipresent, robust reference signals provide GPS-level accuracy
2. Ultra-stable optical clocks: Ruggedized, next-generation high accuracy clocks maintain GPS timing for critical application
for over one year without the need to sync with an external source
3. Precision time transfer over tactical data links: 10 nsec (threshold) time transfer using existing communications links
to maintain relative timing; 10 psec (objective) time transfer to enable coherent effects.
VLF: Very Low Frequency (3 – 30 kHz)
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
6
STOIC: Key Accomplishments
1. VLF positioning system
At-sea testing results:
3. Time transfer over TDLs
Airborne testing results:
Both performers: results show
~450 meter positioning error
without EIW compensation
EIW prediction provides ranging
errors of ~40 meters
Combination of results support the program achieving for ~40
meters at-sea applications
Average error (< 5 nsec) meets threshold metric
with existing hardware
2. Optical clocks
Comb, cavity and laser components
produced and a laboratory benchtop
configuration assembled
TDL: Tactical Data Link
EIW: Earth Ionospheric Waveguide
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
7
AMBIIENT: Atomic Magnetic Biological Imaging in Earth’s Native Terrain
(Dr. John Burke/MTO)
Scalar magnetometers have shown tremendous potential for map-based navigation
•
•
•
•
•
•
https://ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/emag2.html
Error (m)
Aaron Canciani (AFIT)
Error (m)
NOAA EMAG2
Long-term stability
Immune to jamming
Conceptually the same as terrain following
Works over shallow water, desert, and other featureless
areas
Early work suggests platform effects can be removed
with appropriate filtering.
Scalar magnetometers are mature and fielded
North Position Error
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
40
30
20
10
0
-10
-20
-30
-40 0
East Position Error
10
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
20
30
Time (minutes)
40
50
60
8
ACES: Atomic Clock with Enhanced Stability (Dr. John Burke/MTO) and
A-PhI: Atomic-Photonic Integration (Dr. John Burke/MTO)
Mobile
Not Mobile
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
9
ACES, A-PhI, and PULSE:
Program in Ultrafast Laser Science and Engineering (Dr. Ale Lukaszew/DSO)
PULSE Time Transfer results
Real World
Conditions
Nature Comm Vol 10, Article number: 1819 (2019)
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
10
Advanced Inertial Measurement Technology
PRIGM: Precise Robust Inertial
Guidance for Munitions
(Dr. Ronald Polcawich/MTO)
A-PhI: Atomic-Photonic Integration TA2
(Dr. John Burke/MTO)
Size (L)
Accuracy
CSAC
PRIGM
ACES
IFOG
A-PhI
ms
Months
Years
Years
µs
Hour
Months
Years
ns & m
N/A
Hours
Month
ps & mm
N/A
N/A
Hour
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
11
PRIGM: Navigation-Grade Inertial Measurement Unit
PRIGM:NGIMU (6.3): Navigation-grade IMU performance with MEMS CSWaP
PRIGM:NGIMU
vs.
© Honeywell
© Honeywell
SOA Nav-Grade IMU
SOA Tactical-Grade IMU
Ring laser gyros, quartz accels
MEMS gyros & accels
Honeywell
SOA MEMS gyros & accels
Northrop Grumman / Teledyne
© Honeywell
Navigation Grade Gyro and
VBA accelerometer
Nav-Grade IMU in Tactical-Grade CSWaP
© Northrop Grumman
© Northrop Grumman
Quad Mass Gyroscope
(QMG)
SiAcTM accelerometer
© Honeywell
Status:
Status:
Progressing in Phase 2
Progressing in Phase 2
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
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PRIGM: AIMS and A-PhI TA2: Advanced IMU technology
Novel Materials/Structures
UC Irvine
Photonic MEMS
Photonics
Quantum
Honeywell/CalTech
CMU
Honeywell/UCSB
Virginia
Stanford
GE
GaTech
W
CMU
Cornell
ALD
Stanford
Sandia
U. Michigan
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
13
Blackjack (Mr. Paul “Rusty” Thomas/TTO)
BAA
https://www.darpa.mil/program/blackjack
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
14
DARPA PNT Programs
•
•
•
DARPA Strategic Technologies Office (STO) Overview
•
All Source Positioning and Navigation (ASPN) – Dr. Dave Tremper
•
Spatial, Temporal and Orientation Information in Contested Environments (STOIC) – Dr. Dave Tremper
• GPS alternative from three joined systems
DARPA Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Overview
•
Atomic Magnetic Biological Imaging in Earth’s Native Terrain (AMBIIENT) – Dr. John Burke
•
Atomic Clock with Enhanced Stability (ACES) – Dr. John Burke
•
Atomic-Photonic Integration (A-PhI) – Dr. John Burke
•
Precise Robust Inertial Guidance for Munitions (PRIGM) – Dr. Ronald Polcawich
• Alternative use case: navigation by Earth’s magnetic field using atomic magnetometers
• Producing portable atomic clocks with fractional instabilities 1000x better than the CSAC
• Capitalizing on recent advances in photonic manufacture to create accurate and robust atomic clocks and gyroscopes
• Highly-accurate accelerometers capable of withstanding tremendous vibration
DARPA Tactical Technology Office (TTO)
•
•
• Augmenting PNT through a synthesis of other information in GPS-denied environments
Blackjack – Mr. Paul “Rusty” Thomas
• LEO PNT payloads for GPS augmentation
DARPA Defense Science Technology Office (DSO)
•
All Together Now (ATM) – Dr. Tatjana Curcic
•
Program in Ultrafast Laser Science and Engineering (PULSE) – Dr. Rosa Alejandra Lukaszew
• Better atomic clocks using collective quantum effects
• Optical time transfer at the femtosecond level
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
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www.darpa.mil
DoD Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
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