Low-Cost Onboard Navigation for Pacific Ocean Aircraft in a GPS denied Conflict Scenario

Open ocean navigation that is accurate, unjammable, and low cost will be a critical component of to overcome the tyranny of distance and provide front line resupply in the face of sizeable risk and attrition in a conflict. The capability is among the highest priorities in the Pacific theater. KEF Robotics will leverage onboard sensing and compute to navigate, without external signals such as GNSS. The proposing team has long demonstrated best in class ædead reckoningÆ and æCross-modal Vision based navigation RegistrationÆ capabilities over land and for spacecraft, and has already begun to adapt these capabilities to an æopen oceanÆ navigation solution. The proposal and work plan addresses the SBIR solicitation request for Logistics/Supply Chain æto ensure rapid resupply and aidÆ and Sensing æto introduce autonomous capabilities to theater.Æ By the end of this D2Ph2, KEF will have demonstrate an open-architecture sensor payload product and capability to support missions in the INDOPACOM theater, built from consumer off the shelf (COTS) hardware, at a cost of <$1,000 per aircraft including software. Outside of this SBIR, the capability will be relevant to high-import DoD programs such as Low Cost Attritable Strike (AFRL) and Replicator (Pentagon), and craft as varied tube launched and VTOL aircraft to fixed wing resupply gliders. Past Ph. 2, KEFÆs solution will enable longer range solutions, on the order of 500-5000 nm. In this Ph. II, KEFÆs focus on leveraging low cost hardware to provide a navigation solution that works for high volume, low cost aircraft. KEFÆs expertise in fusing Machine Learning-based approaches and standard navigational techniques will be used to provide navigational improvements capabilities on lower-grade hardware than has traditionally been possible.