The demand for commercial drones and autonomous vehicles (AVs) is skyrocketing. Projections suggest that by 2030, the drone’s market will hit USD 57 billion, while the AV market is anticipated to surpass USD 13 trillion.
Both these sectors rely heavily on sensor systems for navigation. However, a major hurdle in their growth trajectory is the development of highly precise and affordable navigational sensors. Additionally, these technologies frequently operate in GPS-denied and challenging environments, where accuracy is critical.
Traditionally, AV navigation has relied on a combination of sensors like cameras, radar, and lidar, each facing limitations in computer perception and environmental conditions, thus, necessitating substantial redundancy.
In an effort to address this, a breakthrough has emerged, driven by a Quebec-based company which has created an inertial optical system offering aerospace-grade navigational accuracy at a fraction of the cost. This system is ten times more precise than commercial-grade Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems Inertial Measurement Units (MEMS IMUs) and ensures highly accurate navigation, even without GPS.
A French multinational specializing in autonomous rail systems has field-tested this prototype, which has shown promise in enhancing vehicle autonomy, boosting rail capacity by up to 50%, and reducing energy consumption by 15%.
Beyond rail and military uses, drones and AVs are increasingly being deployed in agriculture, mining, mapping, surveying, trucking, delivery, and various other transport sectors.
Read More: How Drones are Revolutionizing the Telecom Industry
