{"id":577991,"date":"2024-02-26T10:21:58","date_gmt":"2024-02-26T15:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/?p=577991"},"modified":"2024-02-26T10:28:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T15:28:51","slug":"locus-lock-promises-protect-autonomous-systems-gps-spoofing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/locus-lock-promises-protect-autonomous-systems-gps-spoofing\/","title":{"rendered":"Locus Lock promises to protect autonomous systems from GPS spoofing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Locus

Locus Lock is designing RF systems to provide navigational security. Source: Locus Lock<\/p><\/div>\n

Flying back from Miami last week, I put my life in the hands of two strangers, just because they wore gold epaulets. These commercial pilots, in turn, trusted their onboard computers to safely navigate the passengers home. The computers accessed satellite data from the Global Positioning System to set the course.<\/p>\n

This chain of command is very fragile. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported<\/a> last month an increased level of GPS spoofing and signal jamming since the outbreak of the wars in Ukraine and Israel. This poses the threat of catastrophe to aviators everywhere.<\/p>\n

For example, last September, OPS Group<\/a> reported that a European flight en route to Dubai almost entered into Iranian airspace without clearance. In 2020, Iran shot down an uncleared passenger aircraft that entered its territory. This has made the major airlines, avionics manufacturers, and NATO militaries and governments scramble to find solutions.<\/p>\n

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\"Navigational<\/a>

Navigational errors can be very dangerous for commercial aircraft. Source: OPS Group<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n

Locus Lock founder came out of drone R&D<\/h2>\n

At ff Venture Capital<\/a>, we recognize that GPS spoofing and jamming are fundamental problems for aerial, terrestrial, and marine autonomous systems in moving the industry forward. This investment thesis is grounded on a simple belief that the deployment of cost-effective uncrewed systems requires the trust of human operators who can\u2019t afford to question the data.<\/p>\n

When machines go awry, so does the industry. Just ask Cruise<\/a>! This conviction led us to invest in Locus Lock. The company<\/a> said it is taking an innovative software approach to GNSS signal processing using radio frequency, at a fraction of the cost of comparable hardware sold by military contractors.<\/p>\n

Last week, I sat down with Locus Lock founder Hailey Nichols, a former University of Texas researcher in the school\u2019s Radionavigation Laboratory<\/a>. UT\u2019s Lab is best known for its work with SpaceX and Starlink.<\/p>\n