Cambridge-based research and product development company 42 Technology (42T) and Omnisense, a company specialising in terrestrial positioning technology, have developed a system for landing autonomous drones safely when satellite navigation signals are unreliable. The system uses a ground-based ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning technology and has been developed by Omnisense through its European Space Agency-supported DroneHome programme.
Autonomous landing is one of the most safety-critical phases of any drone mission and is particularly challenging when a device’s satellite navigation system is impaired due to signal obstruction, reflection or interference – for example, when operating near tall buildings, in busy ports or inside tunnels.
The DroneHome programme has shown how terrestrial radio positioning can function as a complementary navigation layer within the overall navigation system, so a drone’s position remains stable and predictable, even in GNSS-challenged environments where satellite signals are degraded or even absent. In practice, this means autonomous systems can maintain controlled behaviour instead of experiencing sudden navigation failures.
One of the key technical challenges was extending the operational range of UWB positioning to make it viable for autonomous landing. 42T worked closely with Omnisense to design and develop the extended-range RF hardware used in both the ground infrastructure and airborne elements of the system. The front-end design incorporates a UWB system-on-chip with low noise amplification, power amplification, switching and antenna integration to deliver the required range and performance.
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Field trials and simulation-based analysis confirmed that the system maintained stable positioning within a defined envelope during GNSS-degraded operation, enabling reliable autonomous approach and landing.
The results from Omnisense’s DroneHome programme are directly relevant across a wide range of applications, including airborne, terrestrial and maritime operations, infrastructure inspection and autonomous systems operating in GNSS-challenged environments.
Omnisense is now working with partners to explore deployment of this capability within operational systems, with the aim of integrating it into next-generation navigation architectures and autonomous platforms.
‘We were delighted to support Omnisense in delivering its ground-breaking DroneHome project,’ said Paul Bearpark, head of electronics and software at 42 Technology. ‘GNSS underpins many of today’s critical systems, so developing a terrestrial positioning technology for more reliable autonomous operations in challenging environments is a major advance for drone safety.’
‘DroneHome demonstrates that terrestrial radio positioning can provide a reliable and predictable navigation layer when GNSS signals cannot be relied upon,’ said Andy Thurman, CEO of Omnisense. ‘This is an important milestone in building more resilient autonomous systems that can maintain safe operation in real-world conditions.’