Return-Path Guidance System

The military has incorporated an increasing amount of information technology into battlefield systems, and has grown to increasingly rely on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for key tasks including navigation, targeting, and situational awareness (SA).Many situations, however, require the use of this battlefield technology when GPS reception is poor-MOUT operations, in caves & tunnel networks, or due to combinations of tree cover, weather, and local geography. The resulting loss of navigation abilitycan have a serious impact on mission success for both manned and unmanned missions. An alternative system would allow the extension of navigation capabilities into these areas, relying on range estimation between stationary ground transponders, placed byhand by a user along a path, and used as a return-path guidance system. Implementation using emerging UWB communications technology, along with advanced miniature packaging techniques, could potentially make these transponders very small and inexpensive.A small handheld device would be used to communicate with the transponders, calculating the user's position based on signals received. Trident Systems will leverage its extensive background with tactical communications, map-based software tooldevelopment, signal processing, and embedded and RF system integration and design, to develop a practical system solution. The successful completion of this project will provide the Army with a powerful battlefield navigation tool for GPS-free navigationand mapping of enclosed areas. The system can also help mitigate the effects of poor communications connectivity, and enhance operational effectiveness. It would also provide a valuable tool for UGV navigation in enclosed areas, greatly increasing rangeon surveillance, ordinance disposal, mine detection, and rescue missions. The resulting system would be immediately applicable to other military services (USMC, SOCOM), and has direct application for a variety of commercial markets, including perimetersecurity, search and rescue, underground exploration, and autonomous mobile robotic navigation.