SandboxAQ, an artificial intelligence and quantum technology company, has introduced a new multi-domain navigation product called AQNav. This product is designed to provide support in cases where a Global Positioning Satellite system is jammed or unavailable. It utilizes AI algorithms, strong quantum sensors, and the Earth’s crust magnetic field to ensure effective navigation.
Eric Schmidt, the chairman of SandboxAQ and former CEO of Google, emphasizes the importance of having a supplementary navigation system that works alongside inertial systems when GPS signals are spoofed. He believes that AQNav is a prime example of how AI is impacting society in innovative ways by analyzing magnetic signals from quantum sensors in real-time.
AQNav is specifically aimed at combating GPS interference that affects industries like agriculture, financial services, public infrastructure, and safety systems such as environmental monitoring and disaster response. SandboxAQ, in collaboration with public and private sector partners, developed this navigation alternative to supplement GPS and is making it widely available to companies and governments worldwide.
In January 2023, SandboxAQ received a Direct-to-Phase-II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the USAF to conduct tests and build geomagnetic navigation systems. By May 2023, the company had completed successful flight tests of AQNav. To date, AQNav has accumulated over 200 flight hours and completed more than 40 missions on various aircraft models, from single-engine planes to large military vessels.