Quantum Navigation: Disruption in Aerospace and Autonomous Systems
The news about quantum sensing replacing GPS in flight navigation due to its immunity to jamming and spoofing represents a monumental shift in core navigation technology. This is a critical emerging technology with vast implications for aerospace, defense, logistics, and potentially autonomous vehicles (drones, self-driving cars). Companies investing in quantum sensor research, development, and integration will be at the forefront of a new era of secure and reliable positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems. This is a major opportunity for high-tech manufacturing, defense contractors, and specialized software development.
Origin Reddit Post
r/technology
Engineers turn to quantum tech to replace GPS in flight navigation | Quantum sensing uses Earth's natural magnetic fields, making it immune to jamming and spoofing
Posted by u/chrisdh79•07/21/2025
Top Comments
u/Omgninjas
So an Inertial Reference Unit basically. The big question is if it's any more accurate than your standard IRU that using heading, attitude, and accelerations to computate position. I suppose
u/Redararis
neither gps is accurate enough for surveying. Deferential measures on known points are used to achieve sub cm accuracy using gps.
u/Omgninjas
So an Inertial Reference Unit basically. The big question is if it's any more accurate than your standard IRU that using heading, attitude, and accelerations to computate position. I suppose
u/Worth-Guest-5370
Just note, this is quantum sensing and NOT quantum computers being used to track positions. Very different animals.
u/Worth-Guest-5370
Just note, this is quantum sensing and NOT quantum computers being used to track positions. Very different animals.
u/Little_Blue_Marble
Obviously, it's all about the sensor and how effective it could be under real world conditions.
I don't know how you deal with the slight, but constant changes in the earth's magnetic fiel
u/Little_Blue_Marble
Not yet, anyways.
u/Little_Blue_Marble
Obviously, it's all about the sensor and how effective it could be under real world conditions.
I don't know how you deal with the slight, but constant changes in the earth's magnetic fiel
u/Little_Blue_Marble
Not yet, anyways.
u/Bokbreath
the accuracy is limited to several meters on each axis. Nobody will be using it for surveying.
u/Teledildonic
I bet Emelia Earheart would have loved to have GPS.
u/wizzo
What a great point! Why improve anything???
u/DDOSBreakfast
Funny, airplanes used to get shot down for being in the wrong place.
In modern times we just shoot down things for being in the right place at the wrong time.
u/Bokbreath
the accuracy is limited to several meters on each axis. Nobody will be using it for surveying.
u/orbitaldan
It might be something that could be combined with traditional IRUs to improve their accuracy.
u/stimutacsjunkie53
That would still be vulnerable to spoofing and hacking. In gps the satellites and communication are the vulnerable parts. This technology is doing whats called "dead reckoning" (but at the qu
u/obeytheturtles
Presumably the longer term goal for something like this would be to have the "field state" of the planet monitored by satellites (or monitoring stations) and broadcast as geomagnetic ephemeri
u/Ok-Tourist-511
Funny, airplanes could fly around the world prior to GPS.
u/DENelson83
Like in tunnels.
u/orbitaldan
It might be something that could be combined with traditional IRUs to improve their accuracy.
u/Teledildonic
I bet Emelia Earheart would have loved to have GPS.
u/Ok-Tourist-511
Funny, airplanes could fly around the world prior to GPS.
u/obeytheturtles
Presumably the longer term goal for something like this would be to have the "field state" of the planet monitored by satellites (or monitoring stations) and broadcast as geomagnetic ephemeri
u/wizzo
What a great point! Why improve anything???
u/stimutacsjunkie53
That would still be vulnerable to spoofing and hacking. In gps the satellites and communication are the vulnerable parts. This technology is doing whats called "dead reckoning" (but at the qu
u/Little_Blue_Marble
Obviously, it's all about the sensor and how effective it could be under real world conditions.
I don't know how you deal with the slight, but constant changes in the earth's magnetic fiel
u/Ok-Tourist-511
Funny, airplanes could fly around the world prior to GPS.
u/Worth-Guest-5370
Just note, this is quantum sensing and NOT quantum computers being used to track positions. Very different animals.
u/Redararis
neither gps is accurate enough for surveying. Deferential measures on known points are used to achieve sub cm accuracy using gps.
u/Omgninjas
So an Inertial Reference Unit basically. The big question is if it's any more accurate than your standard IRU that using heading, attitude, and accelerations to computate position. I suppose
u/obeytheturtles
Presumably the longer term goal for something like this would be to have the "field state" of the planet monitored by satellites (or monitoring stations) and broadcast as geomagnetic ephemeri
u/Little_Blue_Marble
Not yet, anyways.
u/wizzo
What a great point! Why improve anything???
u/Bokbreath
the accuracy is limited to several meters on each axis. Nobody will be using it for surveying.
u/DDOSBreakfast
Funny, airplanes used to get shot down for being in the wrong place.
In modern times we just shoot down things for being in the right place at the wrong time.