How Robots Know Where They Are, Even Without GPS

Imagine you're playing a video game where your character always knows where they are on the map, even when the lights go out or the game lags.

That’s kind of what this new technology, being tested and developed here in Canberra does in real life.

Advanced Navigation has introduced a new navigation system called AdNav OS Fusion, designed to provide accurate positioning even when GPS signals are unavailable. This system combines two technologies: a fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) that tracks orientation and a laser velocity sensor (LVS) that measures movement relative to the ground using infrared lasers. Together, they enable reliable navigation in challenging environments, such as tunnels or areas with signal interference.

This new system helps things like cars, robots, or even spaceships know where they are and where they’re going, even if they can’t use GPS (like when you don’t have Wi-Fi or mobile signal).

It’s like giving them super-smart eyes and a brain:

• The laser part works like a flashlight that looks at the ground to figure out if you're moving and how fast.

• The gyroscope part is like a spinning top inside that helps it know if it's turning or tilting.

• And the smart software puts it all together to say: “You’re here, and you’re going that way.”

Why it’s cool:

• It still works in tunnels, caves, or space, places where GPS doesn’t help.

• It’s super hard to trick, even if someone tries to give it the wrong directions.

But...

• It doesn’t work well if the “flashlight” can’t see the ground.

• It can be expensive or tricky to set up.

In summary, it helps machines know where they are without getting lost, even in the dark. Pretty clever, right?

What’s even cooler? This futuristic navigation tech isn’t just being talked about in labs, it’s being road-tested on the streets of Canberra.

Engineers used the system on a 23-kilometre drive around Canberra, and again on a 19.2-kilometre loop through the Parliamentary Triangle, without relying on GPS at all. Instead, the system used its built-in sensors, like laser velocity scanners and gyroscopes, to track location, speed, and direction.

Even when the test vehicle went through a tunnel where GPS signals completely dropped out, the system kept working without skipping a beat. The traditional GPS line (shown in red) lost track, but the new hybrid system (shown in blue) stayed perfectly on course.

These results didn’t just happen once, they were repeated multiple times, each time showing the same reliable outcome. It’s a powerful example of innovation happening right here in our backyard, helping shape how future transport, defence, and robotics systems will move safely and smartly through the world.