LEO and UWB hold the key to interference-free navigation

Increasingly occurring GPS jamming in Finland disrupts daily civilian activities, posing major navigational challenges. A new patented method using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas addresses these location vulnerability issues, presenting means for precise navigation even where traditional global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) fail.

This breakthrough has now been verified in a doctoral dissertation by the University of Vaasa’s Mahmoud Elsanhoury, which explores advanced positioning technologies to enhance navigation accuracy and reliability. The research covers multiple areas, including the development of a precise ultra-wideband (UWB) system for dense indoor environments (known as ‘the indoor GPS’); improvements in outdoor vehicular positioning using GNSS; and a novel LEO satellite-based positioning method that addresses many of the limitations of current GNSS systems.

Elsanhoury’s doctoral research involved extensive testing and simulations, demonstrating significant advancements in both indoor and outdoor positioning accuracy. His work focuses on two distinct technologies: UWB systems for precise indoor positioning and LEO satellites for enhanced outdoor navigation. The UWB technology significantly enhances positioning accuracy within dense indoor settings, while the LEO satellite-based system addresses the limitations of traditional GNSS.

“While advanced positioning technologies are crucial for overcoming challenges in navigation, including overcoming GPS jamming and interference, many current systems still fail in providing reliable solutions,” Elsanhoury said.

LEO satellites: a novel solution for outdoor navigation

For outdoor environments, Elsanhoury’s research introduces a novel LEO satellite-based positioning method. This approach addresses the impact of GPS jamming and interference, which is a persistent challenge in Finland and other regions. The LEO satellite system employs multiple signal beams to enhance navigation reliability, enabling accurate positioning even when traditional GNSS systems are compromised.

The simulation results conducted were very promising as the new LEO-based method outperformed GNSS amid challenging road conditions, with improved LEO accuracy of 9.15 metres compared to GNSS accuracy of 26.6 metres.

“In outdoor environments, our methods showed more than 60–190% improvements in positioning accuracy,” Elsanhoury said.

The new, patented method has received international endorsement and recognition, having been presented at international venues including in Japan, Germany, Belgium and Spain.

“Every discussion with industry professionals has reaffirmed the substantial potential of our invention, particularly in delivering reliable location information with optimised resource usage and reduced risks,” Elsanhoury said. “Recently, this patented idea won the EUNICE Entrepreneurial Award 2024 in Spain.”

Elsanhoury also believes the positioning technologies discussed in his dissertation could be applied to extra-terrestrial environments such as the Moon and Mars, especially as space agencies such as NASA and ESA are actively pursuing sustainable human presence in space.

Ultra-wideband: a key technology for indoor navigation

The development of advanced UWB systems is meanwhile crucial for navigating complex indoor spaces. The technology has shown resilience in dense industrial environments, overcoming common wireless communication impairments. Integrating UWB with other assisting technologies, such as inertial motion sensors, can lead to more precise location information, solving challenges posed by traditional systems in confined areas.

Elsanhoury’s experiments carried out in the Technobothnia laboratory on Vaasa Campus have shown substantial improvements in indoor positioning compared to typical standard methods, with mean absolute accuracy of 4.7 cm. The results are promising for various applications, such as smart logistics and automated systems.

Image credit: iStock.com/ismael juan