Belgium-based Agilica BV is making significant strides in autonomous drone technology with its AGL (Agilica Localisation system) system, particularly in enabling precision drone navigation and landing in environments where GPS signals are unreliable or unavailable. This innovation addresses a critical challenge in the drone industry, opening up new possibilities for autonomous operations in complex and demanding scenarios.
The Challenge of GPS-Denied Environments
Most drones rely on the Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation and stabilization. However, GPS signals can be weak, unreliable, or completely absent in many environments, including:
- Indoor spaces: Buildings, warehouses, and other enclosed structures block GPS signals.
- Urban canyons: Tall buildings in cities can interfere with GPS reception.
- Underground locations: Mines, tunnels, and other subterranean environments lack GPS coverage.
- Offshore environments: Landing on moving vessels requires high precision that GPS alone cannot always provide.
- GPS-jammed environments: Areas where GPS signals are intentionally blocked for security or military purposes.
- Natural disasters: The aftermath of disasters can create environments where debris interferes with GPS signals.
In these GPS-denied environments, traditional drones struggle to maintain stable flight and accurate navigation. This limitation restricts their use in many potentially valuable applications.
Agilica’s Innovative Solution: The AGL System
Agilica’s AGL system offers a robust solution to the challenges of GPS-denied navigation. It is based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, functioning as a dedicated terrestrial GNSS network that delivers centimeter-level accuracy and resilience. The AGL system augments rather than replaces GNSS, ensuring seamless transition to and from GNSS in high-impact applications.
How the AGL System Works
The AGL system consists of fixed anchors with known positions that transmit UWB navigation messages to receiving tags on the drone. The tags then calculate their precise location based on the time-of-flight measurements from these anchors. This approach provides a local coordinate system that is independent of GPS, enabling accurate navigation and landing even in the most challenging environments.
Key Features of the AGL System
- High Accuracy: Achieves positioning accuracy down to the 10-cm range.
- Resilience: Operates reliably in metallic, weather-challenged, and GNSS-compromised environments.
- Seamless Transition: Integrates with GNSS receivers for seamless transition between GNSS and AGL systems.
- Scalability: Supports unlimited tags in navigation mode, allowing numerous drones or other robotics to navigate within the same AGL-covered space.
- Ease of Use: Offers user-friendly tools for planning, installation, and maintenance, with built-in self-calibration.
- Unified System: Supports both asset tracking and navigation applications simultaneously using the same network infrastructure.
UWB Technology: The Core of AGL
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology is the backbone of the AGL system. UWB offers several advantages over other positioning technologies like RFID, WiFi, BLE, or GPS:
- Precision: UWB enables highly accurate positioning due to its wide bandwidth and ability to measure time-of-flight with great precision.
- Robustness: UWB signals are resistant to noise, multipath propagation, and interference, making them suitable for harsh industrial environments.
- Low Power: UWB technology can operate with low power consumption, extending the battery life of drones and other mobile devices.
Applications of Agilica’s AGL System
The AGL system has a wide range of potential applications across various industries:
Maritime and Offshore
- Autonomous Drone Landing on Moving Vessels: Enables safe and accurate drone landings on ships, even in dynamic conditions.
- Offshore Inspections: Facilitates inspections of offshore infrastructure, such as oil rigs and wind turbines.
- Ship-to-Ship and Ship-to-Shore Delivery: Supports autonomous delivery of goods and documents between ships and shore.
- Search and Rescue: Enhances search and rescue operations by enabling drones to navigate challenging maritime environments.
- Marine Monitoring: Supports monitoring of marine life, border control, and fishing rights.
Logistics and Urban Air Mobility
- Autonomous Deliveries in Complex Urban Environments: Enables drone deliveries in cities where GPS signals may be blocked or degraded.
- Indoor Navigation: Supports navigation and tracking of drones and robots in warehouses, factories, and other indoor spaces.
- High-Throughput Droneports: Facilitates precise positioning for swarms of drones at droneports and vertiports.
Military and Security
- Vehicle “Follow Me”: Allows drones to autonomously follow military or security vehicles, providing an “eye in the sky.”
- GPS-Denied Navigation: Enables drones to operate in areas where GPS signals are jammed or unavailable.
Agilica’s Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA)
Agilica’s commitment to innovation is further demonstrated by its collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). The ESA-funded study validates the technical and commercial viability of the AGL system, integrating GNSS receivers into the infrastructure for seamless transition to and from GNSS.
Objectives of the ESA Study
- Increase the precision of the AGL system.
- Enable seamless transition between GNSS and the AGL system.
- Extend PNT services to GNSS-denied areas.
How the ESA Study Enhances the AGL System
The integration of GNSS receivers into the AGL anchors allows the system to:
- Enhance clock synchronization: The 1pps signal from the GNSS receivers improves the clock synchronization mechanism in the AGL anchor network.
- Provide global coordinates: The global coordinates provided by the GNSS receivers enable the AGL system to automatically extend global position and navigation services in the local coordinate system.
The Commercialization Roadmap
Agilica is actively working to commercialize the AGL system. The ESA-funded study represents a critical step in this process, adding built-in compatibility with GNSS and Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) to their UWB positioning solution.
Key Steps in the Commercialization Roadmap
- Expanding the team: Agilica is using recent investments to expand its team of experts.
- Launching projects: Launching key projects with organizations like the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Intensifying marketing activities: Increasing awareness and promoting the benefits of the AGL system.
- Production: Realizing the production of the first systems.
- Developer Kit: Agilica offers a developer kit for those interested in exploring the capabilities of the AGL system.
Advantages over Competing Technologies
While other technologies exist for GPS-denied navigation, Agilica’s AGL system offers distinct advantages:
- UWB Precision: Unlike vision-based systems or QR codes, UWB technology provides centimeter-level accuracy and is not affected by lighting conditions or visual obstructions.
- Robustness: The AGL system is designed to operate reliably in harsh environments, where other systems may fail.
- Seamless Integration: The AGL system seamlessly integrates with existing drone flight controllers and other localization services, making it easy to adopt and deploy.
The Future of Drone Technology
Agilica’s AGL system is paving the way for a future where drones can operate safely and reliably in any environment. By overcoming the limitations of GPS, Agilica is unlocking new possibilities for autonomous drone applications across a wide range of industries.
The Impact of GPS-Denied Navigation
- Expanded Drone Applications: GPS-denied navigation enables drones to be used in previously inaccessible environments.
- Increased Efficiency: Autonomous drone operations can automate tasks, reduce human error, and improve efficiency.
- Enhanced Safety: Precise navigation and landing capabilities enhance the safety of drone operations, particularly in challenging environments.
Agilica’s technology is not just about improving drone navigation; it’s about enabling a new era of autonomous systems that can transform industries and improve lives. As drones become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the ability to navigate without GPS will become essential, and Agilica is at the forefront of this revolution.
