Agriculture has entered the era of continuous PNT.

Precision agriculture is moving toward full automation. Guidance systems once treated GNSS as the entire solution; today, the industry recognizes that satellite signals are necessary but insufficient. Farms have become complex RF environments. Tree canopy, terrain, outbuildings, seasonal geometry shifts, multipath near grain elevators, interference from adjacent equipment, and the simple reality that tractors roam in and out of open-sky visibility all challenge the idea that GNSS alone can sustain continuity.

OEMs are building guidance systems that must keep machines on path even when GNSS falters. Autonomy depends on uninterrupted perception of position, velocity and attitude. That means pairing GNSS with inertial systems engineered for agricultural machines, not adapted from other domains.

In a recent conversation with Inside GNSS, Tzeno Galchev, Director, Product Marketing and Applications Engineering for Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), described how their inertial measurement units (IMUs) are being integrated into next-generation tractors, implements, drones and robotics platforms. ADI’s engineers are focused on what really matters in the field: disciplined inertial performance, controlled lifetime drift, rugged packaging and reliable sensor fusion with GNSS. The message was unambiguous: Autonomy in agriculture can scale rapidly when inertial becomes a baseline requirement. 

The Market Reality: Why Inertial Matters Now 

Precision agriculture has matured beyond the first decade of “straight-line” GNSS guidance. Machines now operate in a wider set of field geometries, crop types and environmental constraints. Several forces are converging:

Tractors are evolving from operator-assisted systems to autonomy-ready platforms. Implements are following, including precision planters, high-clearance sprayers, and robotic harvesters. Each requires continuous PNT. A single GNSS dropout during an autonomous end-of-row turn can result in overlap, missed coverage or unsafe behavior.

Agriculture spans open sky areas and GNSS-hostile corridors. Machines pass under tree rows, within orchard canopies, beside barns or silos, or along field edges lined with windbreaks. Modern high-value crops, such as vineyards, orchards and berries, introduce dense canopy that disrupts L-band signals. Even row crops can create directional multi-path in late summer.

OEM Pressure to Deliver “Always-on” Paths

Agricultural OEMs face customer expectations shaped by the automotive sector. The question is no longer whether GNSS can deliver accuracy; it is whether the total system delivers continuity. That continuity is now a competitive differentiator. Dead-reckoning performance, not positional Root Mean Square (RMS) in open sky, shapes the user experience.

Cost Realism and the Mid-Market Explosion

Farm sizes vary globally. Not every user can justify aerospace-tier inertial systems. ADI’s view is that precision agriculture needs inertial performance that respects cost boundaries while still meeting the dynamics of field machinery: vibration, temperature cycling and shock.

“The demand is there because there’s a shortage of workforce, especially in the developed countries, and these machines make a considerable difference in the cost and efficiency of farming operations,” Galchev said. “They are replacing and reducing the number of workers needed as well as putting workers out of harm’s way.” 

The Shift to Autonomy-Grade Attitude Estimation

GNSS provides position and velocity; but many operations require continuous knowledge of roll, pitch and yaw. Sprayers use boom leveling. Planters need implement attitude to maintain depth accuracy. Drones require stable orientation in low-signal environments. INS establishes those states even when GNSS is degraded.

THE RESULT: GNSS remains the reference, but inertial is now the mechanism that closes the reliability gap.

Inertial Basics for Agricultural Platforms 

Agricultural operators rarely see inertial systems directly. They see better lines, fewer skips, improved boom stability, and smoother turns. Under the hood:

• IMUs measure angular rate and acceleration along orthogonal axes.

• Sensor fusion in an inertial navigation system (INS) uses those measurements to propagate position, velocity and attitude during GNSS gaps.

• Drift is inherent, but it can be minimized, modeled and constrained with well-tuned sensor fusion.

• GNSS resets the INS, bounding cumulative error.

• Agricultural use-cases emphasize short-to-medium duration bridging, not long-haul independent navigation.

Modern MEMS technology has reduced noise, bias instability, and temperature sensitivity to levels appropriate for automotive-grade and robotic applications. ADI’s work has focused on improving consistency across production units, strengthening environmental robustness, and integrating compensation routines at the firmware level.

Agricultural machinery introduces several complicating factors that inertial systems must handle cleanly:

• High vibration environments from diesel engines, tillage tools, and PTO-driven implements.

• Complex motion during headland turns, uneven terrain and differential traction events.

• Thermal swings, from dawn cold starts to midday heat.

• Mechanical shock, especially on implements.

• Long duty cycles, including 14 to 18 hour days in planting or harvest season.

This environment is less deterministic than automotive and more dynamic than many robotics platforms. The IMU/INS must treat vibration as a feature of the mission, not a source of error.

ADI’s Technical Approach

ADI designs inertial solutions with a focus on predictable error behavior, rugged packaging and stable sensor fusion. The company emphasizes several technical principles:

VIBRATION TOLERANCE. Farm machinery produces persistent broadband vibration. ADI considers how vibration intrinsically disturbs the sensors and ADI engineers design mechanical structures that better suppress, cancel and otherwise reduce the effect of vibration directly into the MEMS structures themselves because once vibration is allowed to pollute the sensor signal, it is too late for the INS system to do anything about it. This ensures the INS maintains the correct angular-rate and acceleration signatures even when implements shake violently.

BIAS REPEATABILITY. This is the lifetime bias drift expectation that intends to capture all unmodeled error sources and is not commonly specified in MEMS IMU datasheets. It provides a single error window that will determine the convergence times for critical estimation/filter loops. For systems that need to turn and deploy quickly, failure to anticipate and quantify these errors can limit deployment time and degrade initial heading accuracy. In their latest products, ADI has expanded their Bias Repeatability definition to include turn-on drift/settling, drift from package stress relief, electronic drift and thermal hysteresis. In parallel with expanding the coverage of this specification, ADI has reduced this metric by an order of magnitude in recently-released devices, such as the ADIS16545 and ADIS16576. 

AXIS-TO-AXIS ALIGNMENT. With tight axis-to-axis alignment out of the box and calibrated through an extensive inertial routine over multiple temperature set-points, tight alignment can be achieved only using mechanical alignment features. For tighter alignment than 0.25° one could leverage the tight axis-to-axis alignment (along with excellent bias repeatability in the accelerometer) to greatly simplify the frame alignment process. 

LINEAR, TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED BEHAVIOR. Temperature gradients on tractors and implements are large. ADI incorporates temperature compensation models enforced at both the sensor and system level. The goal is not perfect thermal invariance, which is unrealistic in cost-sensitive segments, but predictable behavior that fusion algorithms can model accurately.

FUSION-FIRST PHILOSOPHY. ADI treats the IMU as one component of a larger PNT solution. Their systems are designed for tight integration with GNSS receivers, wheel speed sensors, magnetometers, and vehicle CAN data. Robust synchronization and time-based alignment of the inertial output simplifies system coupling. This architecture enables robust attitude estimation and velocity smoothing, especially during headlands or canopy exposure.

PREDICTABLE LIFECYCLE PERFORMANCE. Agricultural platforms must last. ADI designs for multi-season reliability and bounded long-term drift. The objective is to ensure a machine equipped with an ADI IMU behaves the same in year four as it did in year one.

“You can’t calibrate a sensor’s inherent noise performance, its stability, or its response to vibration,” Galchev said. “These unmodeled error sources directly produce error at the output, and that’s where ADI focuses on innovating at the chip level.”

This technical discipline supports the system-level view: Inertial is not a premium feature; it is a foundation for reliable GNSS-enabled autonomy.

Integration in the Field: What Engineers Face

Engineers integrating inertial systems into agricultural machines confront real-world constraints that differ from lab conditions. ADI’s field experience highlights specific patterns.

Booms flex. Toolbars vibrate. Tractor frames twist. Sensor placement often becomes a compromise. An INS may be exposed to off-axis motion uncorrelated with actual vehicle trajectory. ADI mitigates this through calibration routines, filtering strategies, and noise modeling that treat flex and vibration as signal partitions.

Implements as Independent Dynamic Systems

The implement behind a tractor behaves differently from the tractor itself. For operations like variable-rate spraying or multi-row harvesting, implement attitude, even when decoupled from tractor motion, must be sensed accurately. IMUs can be mounted on booms or frames to track these dynamics.

Agricultural systems rely on multiple data streams: GNSS, wheel speed, steering angle, hydraulic cylinder positions, and sometimes LiDAR or camera inputs. INS integration requires precise timing alignment. ADI designs its systems for deterministic latency and reliable time stamping, which improves fusion accuracy.

The transition from row guidance to headland turns stresses both GNSS and INS. Machines accelerate, decelerate, rotate sharply, and pass through GNSS-obstructed corners. ADI’s inertial fusion helps maintain attitude and velocity states during these high-dynamic transitions.

Agricultural drones operate close to trees and terrain. Ground robots operate beneath canopy. INS solutions provide roll/pitch stability, altitude smoothing, and fallback motion propagation when GNSS is degraded.

Economics: Performance Within Reach

Precision agriculture is expanding beyond large, capital-intensive farms. The next wave of adoption will come from mid-market operations and mixed-crop geographies.

• Cost matters. Expensive IMUs are non-starters. ADI designs MEMS-based solutions that offer robust performance within an accessible cost envelope.

• Scalability drives OEM decisions. Manufacturers want sensors available in volume, with predictable lead times and long lifecycle commitments.

• Global adoption requires price/performance balancing. Emerging markets need PNT reliability but cannot bear aerospace-grade costs. Scalable, rugged MEMS solutions fill this gap.

• Autonomy ROI depends on continuity. If a machine can maintain guidance through GNSS disruptions, it can operate longer hours and at higher speeds, improving economics for both OEMs and end-users.

“Just because you go from a big tractor to a smaller tractor, the conditions don’t change that much,” Galchev said. “If you want to achieve the same mission profile, you still need the same performance level.”

As ADI brings cost-efficient inertial capability into mainstream ag equipment, the performance gap between high-end and mid-tier platforms narrows.

The Road Ahead: Multi-Sensor Fusion and Autonomy

Agriculture is evolving toward heterogeneous fleets: autonomous tractors, robotic harvesters, terrain-following sprayers, orchard drones, and edge-connected implements. All require resilient PNT.

End-of-row autonomy

Low-speed, high-precision maneuvers demand stable attitude estimation. INS ensures smooth transitions even in partial GNSS shadows.

Terrain-following and boom dynamics

Sprayers rely on roll/pitch estimates for boom control. IMU data supports rapid damping of boom oscillation, improving chemical placement, reducing drift, and lowering input costs.

Cooperative ground-air systems

Drones performing scouting missions must integrate with guidance systems on the ground. Consistent inertial performance across platforms enables better data fusion and farm-level coordination.

Resilience as a design requirement

Interference, accidental or intentional, is increasingly common. INS helps maintain continuity of operation when GNSS performance degrades. It stabilizes machine behavior during uncertainty and helps diagnostic systems detect anomalies.

Regulatory evolution

As autonomy expands, functional-safety requirements will increase. INS adds a measurable layer of redundancy and validation, supporting safety cases for next-generation machines.

“We have sensors that we released more than 20 years ago still being produced,” Galchev said, “because our customers’ systems have long lifespans and once something works, it can be very difficult and expensive to re-qualify and swap it out.”

As autonomy accelerates, the next decade of agriculture will be shaped by platforms that assume GNSS variability and engineer around it from day one. That shift elevates inertial from an add-on to a core requirement. ADI, with its long record of sensor innovation and system-level discipline, is positioned to anchor that transition. Their approach: predictable drift behavior, calibration at the silicon level, ruggedized packaging, and tight GNSS-INS fusion, gives OEMs a stable foundation to build autonomy across tractors, implements, drones, and emerging agricultural robots. The path forward is clear: Resilient PNT will define productivity, and ADI’s inertial technology will increasingly sit at the center of the autonomy stack, enabling machines that navigate, adapt and operate with confidence in the real conditions of the farm.

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Interference is one of the most pressing threats to satellite navigation today. It can disrupt critical systems around the world, leading to significant economic losses. The consequences of interference are far-reaching, from mobility and transport disruptions and impacts to air navigation safety, to serious implications in emergency response efforts.

Through its different Navigation programmes, ESA is actively exploring innovative technologies to increase resilience of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS systems.).

At the Paris Air Show, in Le Bourget, representatives of ESA, Leonardo (IT) have signed a contract to research and develop Machine Learning (ML) techniques to steer antenna arrays to block out unwanted signals.

Head of Future Navigation Department at ESA Marco Falcone: “By combining our expertise with Leonardo advanced technologies, we are reinforcing our commitment to resilient, interference-resistant satellite navigation of the future.”

The project will be developed under the umbrella of ESA’s Navigation Innovation Support Programme (NAVISP).

Smarter antenna designs for increased resilience

Conventional antennas catch signals from all directions. A Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPAs) antenna can focus on signals coming from specific satellites and ignore signals or interference coming from other directions. These types of antennas are used in satellite navigation receivers to block jamming and counterfeit signals. They rely on electronics that control how they adjust their patterns (a concept known as “beamforming”).

Under contract with NAVISP, Leonardo together with ELT Group as subcontractor, will explore the reduction of the distance between the antenna elements to reduce the size and weight of the antenna array, and the use of Machine Learning to determine the best antenna setup and adjust the settings faster. This approach will lead to smaller, smarter and more effective antennas, especially useful in space-limited environments such as aircraft.

The project covers identification of the smarter algorithm for signal blocking, building and testing a real-time receiver demonstrator based on the selected algorithm, and comparing it to conventional larger antennas. The aim is to reach a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4, delivering a lab-tested technology by the end of the project, in two years.

About NAVISP

ESA navigation specialists are supporting cutting-edge European companies in the development of new PNT technologies and services – in support of Europe’s industrial competitiveness, autonomy and leadership. The result is ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme, NAVISP.

NAVISP is looking into all kinds of clever ideas about the future of satellite navigation and positioning, navigation and timing: ways to improve satellite navigation, alternative positioning systems and new navigation services and applications.

For more information, visit the NAVISP webpage.

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Given the continued rise in frequency of s of interference with GNSS signals, the workshop concluded that a broader and more coordinated approach is needed — focusing on four key areas: improved information gathering, stronger prevention and mitigation measures, more effective use of infrastructure and airspace management, and enhanced coordination and preparedness among relevant agencies.

Reported incidents of interference with GNSS signals, known as jamming and spoofing, have been increasing across Eastern Europe and the Middle East in recent years. Similar incidents have been reported in other locations globally. The initial response focused only on containing those GNSS interference incidents.

“GNSS disruptions are evolving in terms of both frequency and complexity. We are no longer just containing GNSS interference — we must build resilience. The evolving nature of the threat demands a dynamic and ambitious action plan,” said Jesper Rasmussen, EASA Flight Standards Director. “Through collaboration with partners in the European Union and IATA and by supporting the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), we are committed to keeping aviation safe, secure, and navigable.”

“The number of global positioning system (GPS) signal loss events increased by 220% between 2021 and 2024 according to IATA’s data from the Global Aviation Data Management Flight Data eXchange (GADM FDX). And with continued geopolitical tensions, it is difficult to see this trend reversing in the near term. IATA and EASA are working together to reinforce the redundancies that are built into the system, to keep flying safe. The next step is for ICAO to move these solutions forward with global alignment on standards, guidance, and reporting. This must command a high priority at the ICAO Assembly later this year. To stay ahead of the threat, aviation must act together and without delay,” said Nick Careen, IATA Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety, and Security.

Detailed Workshop Outcomes

The workshop concluded that four workstreams are critical:

1. Enhanced Reporting and Monitoring

• Agree on standard radio calls for reporting GNSS interference and standardized notice to airmen (NOTAM) coding, i.e. Q codes.
• Define and implement monitoring and warning procedures, including real-time airspace monitoring.
• Ensure dissemination of information without delays to relevant parties for formal reporting.

2. Prevention and Mitigation

• Tighten controls (including export and licensing restrictions) on jamming devices.
• Support the development of technical solutions to:
  • reduce false terrain warnings;
  • improve situational interference with portable spoofing detectors; and
  • ensure rapid and reliable GPS equipment recovery after signal loss or interference.

3. Infrastructure and Airspace Management

• Maintain a backup for GNSS with a minimum operational network of traditional navigation aids.
• Better utilize military air traffic management (ATM) capabilities, including tactical air navigation networks and real-time airspace GNSS incident monitoring.
• Enhance procedures for airspace contingency and reversion planning so aircraft can navigate safely even if interference occurs.

4. Coordination and Preparedness

• Improve civil-military coordination, including the sharing of GNSS radio frequency interference (RFI) event data.
• Prepare for evolving-threat capabilities, also for drones.

The workshop was held at EASA’s headquarters in Cologne, Germany on 22-23 May and was attended by over 120 experts from the aviation industry, research organizations, government bodies, and international organizations.

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Hexagon today announced the closing of the acquisition of Septentrio NV, a manufacturer of GPS/GNSS positioning technology for autonomy and mission-critical applications.

The acquisition of Septentrio will strengthen Hexagon’s position as the leader in the resilient, assured positioning solutions market and provide customers greater accessibility to high-accuracy and high- performance positioning technology with the SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised platform.

“Combining Hexagon’s extensive positioning portfolio with Septentrio’s innovative GNSS platforms will provide our customers with cutting-edge solutions, enabling autonomy and mission-critical applications for diverse markets,” stated Gordon Dale, President of Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions division. “This strategic step allows us to push boundaries to deliver technology and products with the lowest SWaP, putting Hexagon at the forefront of the industry.”

The combined portfolios will accelerate the adoption of autonomous systems in existing markets and address the needs of emerging high-growth segments like robotics, UAVs, autonomy and other mission- critical applications.

“We are excited to join Hexagon to leverage our combined strengths and deliver greater value to our customers, employees and stakeholders,” stated Antoon De Proft, CEO of Septentrio. “This will accelerate innovation, and we look forward to the many opportunities ahead.”

Septentrio, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium will continue its business model of supplying state-of-the- art GNSS technology to its large base of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers.

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Succeeding O’Connor as president and CEO is Ivan Di Federico, who currently serves as executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Topcon Positioning Systems. After two decades with the company, Di Federico will assume his new role on September 1, 2024.

“It has been a true privilege to lead Topcon Positioning Systems for the past three decades and witness the incredible growth and evolution of the company,” said Ray O’Connor. “I am immensely proud of what our team has accomplished, and confident that Ivan is the right leader to take the company into the future. His deep technical expertise, strategic vision, and proven track record of driving innovation make him the ideal choice to lead the company through its next chapter of growth and success.”

Under O’Connor’s leadership, Topcon Positioning Systems has experienced dramatic organic growth and expansion into new markets and product lines. During his tenure, he was responsible for numerous key acquisitions, as well as the expansion into GNSS, radios, machine automation, and global positioning software and workflow solutions for the construction and precision agriculture industries.

“Ray has made significant contributions to the global positioning industry through his many patents, inspired by his product vision and application experience — I am honored to succeed him as president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems,” said Ivan Di Federico. “Ray has built an exceptional company and a talented team, and I look forward to building upon this strong foundation to drive continued innovation and growth. As we navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving market landscape, I am confident that our strategic focus, operational excellence, and world-class solutions will position the company for continued success.”

In addition to the leadership transition, Topcon also announced that Philip Thach will be promoted to executive vice president (EVP) chief operating officer, and EVP chief financial officer, effective September 1, 2024. Thach joined Topcon in 2018 as CFO and has been instrumental in developing financial controls, strategic planning, and operational efficiencies.

The announcement of these executive leadership changes reflects Topcon’s commitment to a thoughtful and well-planned succession process that will ensure a smooth transition and continued momentum for the company, while maintaining its customer-centric culture and values. With a strong leadership team in place, Topcon is poised to build on its history of innovation and market leadership.

For more information on Topcon Positioning Systems, visit topconpositioning.com.

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The PULSAR™ X5 signal verification process is currently underway and expected to pass certification during the summer of 2024. Spirent is now accepting orders for SimXona with production signals capability.

Xona is developing PULSAR™, a high-performance positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service built on a backbone of low Earth orbit (LEO) small satellites. Xona’s patented high-powered smallsat signals improves PNT resilience and accuracy by augmenting global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), such as GPS, while operating with an independent navigation and timing system architecture. Xona recently completed its series A fundraise and is fully funded to launch its production class satellite, the In-Orbit Validation mission, in 2025.

Spirent is a provider of PNT test solutions and recently launched a sixth-generation simulation system, PNT X. Designed for navigation warfare (NAVWAR) testing, PNT X is an all-in-one solution with native implementation of SimXona. View a replay of a recent Inside GNSS webinar featuring Spirent and Xona.

“We’re excited to certify Spirent’s SimXona offering and enable the PNT community with highly trusted test solutions. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Spirent to advance LEO PNT solutions for end users,” said Bryan Chan, VP of Strategy at Xona Space Systems.

“At Spirent, we are committed to fostering innovation in the PNT sector by providing cutting-edge and high-performance test solutions to the market,” stated Jan Ackermann, Director of Product Management at Spirent Communications. “SimXona, and the diligence applied by both teams during the certification process, embodies this commitment.”

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The technology event for autonomy – At XPONENTIAL 2024 you’ll discover the next-gen technologies to make your operations safer, cheaper, and more efficient — from drones to ground robotics to submersibles and more. Get hands-on with 700+ exhibits and learn how to put these tools to work with use cases from 20+ markets, including oil & gas, electric utilities, construction, mining, and more. Whether your robotics program is getting started or ready to get to the next level, you’ll find what you need at XPONENTIAL 2024.

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The merger aims to blend the complementary product portfolios and services of VIAVI and Spirent, promising to offer a broad spectrum of solutions across various markets and applications. This collaboration is anticipated to cater to the needs of high-growth sectors such as cloud service providers, enterprise/IT networks, and emerging 5G and 6G technologies, alongside positioning, navigation, and timing verticals.

One of the key drivers behind the acquisition is the potential for accelerated technology development and product innovation, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, security, cloud-native architecture, and automation. VIAVI believes that leveraging the joint engineering, research, and development expertise of both companies will not only foster innovation but also enhance operational efficiency and generate substantial cost synergies.

The partnership is expected to yield annual run-rate cost synergies of up to $75 million within two years post-acquisition. Moreover, the combined entity will benefit from additional financial and operational resources, reinforcing its leadership in research and development while introducing innovative products to new verticals to address customers’ complex challenges.

This acquisition represents a strategic alignment of VIAVI and Spirent’s visions, setting the stage for the creation of a leading global provider of test, assurance, and security solutions. As the companies merge their strengths, the focus will be on delivering high-performance, integrated solutions that ensure reliability, efficiency, and security across critical network infrastructures and digital ecosystems.

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The funding round was led by North Island Ventures, with participation from Modular Capital, Road Capital, Tangent, Reverie, and select angels, according to a news release. They join existing GEODNET backers Borderless, IoTeX and JDI Ventures.

What makes GEODNET different? It’s a community-based Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN). Anybody can contribute to the network by installing and operating a reference station known as a satellite miner. Satellite miners deliver precise RTK correction data to devices equipped with GNSS receivers within a range of about 20 to 40 kilometers. By building and participating in the network, satellite mining operators earn GEOD tokens.

GEODNET now has more than 4,000 registered reference stations in more than 2,500 cities across 120+ countries. The focus is on “improving GPS at scale,” GEODNET Project Creator Mike Horton said.

“GEODNET has already bootstrapped a huge network of satellite miners and is well on its way to becoming the world’s largest and most reliable RTK network,” North Island Ventures Managing Partner Travis Scher said, according to the release. “We believe that this DePIN project and others like it have the potential to demonstrate the true value proposition of blockchain, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the journey.”

Devices connected to GEODNET’s global RTK network can achieve instant accuracy within 1 to 2 centimeters. The goal is to provide the world’s most robust precision navigation system to a variety of industries, including self-driving cars, agriculture and consumer robots. Already, many IoT and autonomous applications have shifted to RTK in lieu of standard GPS positioning.

“GEODNET is disrupting the global RTK network and is one of the few DePIN projects to successfully ramp both supply (4k+ base stations) and demand side ($500k+ ARR),” said Vincent Jow, managing partner of Modular Capital, according to the release. “GEODNET tackles a $200B end market, which includes both existing industrial applications with clear revenue pools, and unlocks emerging use cases across autonomous vehicles, consumer and augmented/virtual reality.”

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Manufacturers of tactical-grade Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) require highly stable and robust inertial sensors to meet the accuracy requirements of dynamic applications operating in constrained environments with high vibration and temperature variations.

“Digital Tactical Grade MEMS Inertial Sensors for Precision Motion Control, Positioning, and Navigation,” a recent webinar hosted by Inside GNSS, Inside Unmanned Systems and Tronics Microsystems, a TDK Group Company, addressed technical solutions for these types of use cases.

A Key Player in Inertial Sensor Technology

Vincent Gaff, Director of Sales & Marketing for Tronics Microsystems, kicked off the webinar. The industry veteran presented an overview of the company’s corporate history and introduced its extensive range of inertial sensors. Operating under the umbrella of TDK Corporation, a global electronics giant, Gaff highlighted the company’s significant contributions to the TDK portfolio. He showcased components like tactical-grade closed-loop accelerometers and gyros known for precision performance.

From Design to Performance Metrics

Pierre Gazull, Product Marketing Manager for Tronics Microsystems, shifted the focus to applications requiring tactical-grade inertial sensors. These applications span diverse industries, including electric vehicles (EVs), railway systems, aircraft, marine and subsea applications, and the oil and gas sector. Gazull emphasized the critical challenges of precision and stability in harsh conditions, high dynamics, and extended operational lifetime.

Key considerations for IMU and INS selection were outlined, including low drifting time, stability during outages, and thermal cycling strategies. Gazull also stressed the importance of sensors qualified with vibration and shock profiles representative of the end application.

Gazull discussed the role of sensors in addressing challenges related to high dynamics, low latency and system reliability. Additionally, he underscored the trend in the industry to reduce size, weight and power consumption (SWaP), especially for battery-operated systems like drones and drilling systems in the oil and gas industry.

Tronics Microsystems CTO Dr. Antoine Filipe provided a technical focus on the platform used for inertial sensors and delved into the design details of accelerometers and gyroscopes. He highlighted the closed-loop architecture’s benefits, which achieves significantly better non-linearity compared to open-loop accelerometers.

Performance metrics, including bias instability and angular random walk, were presented for both accelerometers and gyroscopes, showcasing impressive results. Filipe detailed the Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) used for MEMS readout and conversion, highlighting its fully hard-coded components and certification processes. The ASIC includes temperature compensation and produces a 24-bit digital output with SPI communication. Filipe concluded with details about temperature compensation, qualification, and the robustness of the sensor architecture, resulting in a high Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) exceeding 1 million hours.

Decade-Long Collaboration

Raphaël Lattion, Engineering Director for Parker Aerospace, provided an overview of the strong collaboration between the company and Tronics. Parker is an integrator of sensing solutions for aerospace, railway and military applications, with a specialization in harsh environment applications and expertise in safety applications.

The strong alliance is driven by the alignment of Tronics’ MEMS technology with Parker’s technology roadmap. This collaboration has led to two custom MEMS, as well as a MEMS error meter. The collaboration also extends to gyrometers, with Parker Aerospace presenting two performance levels.

Product Portfolio Deep-Dive

In the product portfolio and roadmap segment, Gazull showcased Tronics’ extensive accelerometer lineup. The AXO315 features extended temperature range for precision navigation, tailored for aerospace and oil and gas applications. The AXO305’s navigation, positioning and motion control enables land and marine navigation, and the precision focused AXO301’s acceleration and inclination measurement support railway and industrial applications.

The GYPRO 4300, launched in October 2023, took the spotlight for precise navigation, motion control, and attitude determination. Forthcoming will be the GYPRO 4050, optimized for attitude determination and north-seeking in drilling and survey instruments. Also discussed in the presentation, the Tronics AXO & GYPRO plug and play kit with Arduino platform features a user-friendly GUI based on Tronics’ proprietary software. This enables USB and RS422 outputs and can be directly implemented on testing equipment like rate tables and climatic chambers.

Commitment to Innovation

Looking ahead, Tronics plans to expand its product offerings with application-specific derivatives, addressing varied input ranges, bandwidths and environmental conditions. Gazull emphasized the availability of evaluation boards, providing an efficient means for experts to swiftly assess sensor performance.

To view the presenters’ full remarks, slides and Q&A with attendees, the recording of “Digital Tactical Grade MEMS Inertial Sensors for Precision Motion Control, Positioning, and Navigation” is available for replay online at: attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3982691035129805152.

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