Study asks: Can cell phone signals help land a plane?
Researchers are developing a backup navigation system for aircraft using cell phone signals to enhance safety during GPS outages. Weather balloons collect data on radio frequencies at high altitudes.
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Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and Ohio State University are exploring the potential of using cell phone signals as a backup navigation system for aircraft in the event of GPS outages. The project involves launching weather balloons equipped with antennas to collect data on radio frequency signals from cell towers and satellites at altitudes of up to 80,000 feet. The goal is to develop a method for calculating an aircraft's position and velocity using these alternative signals, which could enhance safety during GPS disruptions caused by jamming or spoofing. The researchers emphasize that while GPS remains the primary navigation tool, reliance on it without a backup poses risks, especially in conflict zones where GPS signals may be unreliable. The team is currently processing initial data and aims to automate the signal matching process to improve real-time navigation capabilities. Preliminary findings suggest that cell tower signals were detected at high altitudes, indicating the feasibility of using these signals for navigation.
- Sandia Labs and Ohio State University are developing a backup navigation system using cell phone signals.
- The research aims to enhance aircraft safety during GPS outages caused by jamming or spoofing.
- Weather balloons are used to collect data on radio frequency signals at altitudes up to 80,000 feet.
- Preliminary findings indicate the potential for using cell tower signals for navigation.
- The project highlights the need for robust navigation systems beyond GPS reliance.
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7 comments> “There are actual apps you can download that allow you to spoof your location, and entire subreddits dedicated to showing you how to use it for various games,” Sanderson said.
Not judging the research itself, but this is kind of a dumb statement. The type of "spoofing" that you can do by just installing an app, which merely causes the OS to return fake coordinates, has virtually nothing in common with the type of "spoofing" that would threaten an aircraft by actually transmitting fake radio signals.
So like the already existing VOR/DME network?
> The idea is to use these alternative signals to calculate a vehicle’s position and velocity.
All commercial planes have an IMU/ADIRU in them. Most are doubly if not triply redundant.
> There is no question GPS is still the gold standard for navigation
Not for flight. There are plenty of areas in Europe where it is compromised to the point of being useless.
> Scientists refer to it as “signals of opportunity”
Way back in the day pilots would use FM radio stations in the same way. If you were really lost out somewhere over a dark patch.
> If these signals are clean enough for navigation,
The bigger problem you have is while these are "fixed location" services our database of the locations isn't exactly awesome or well maintained in the face of maintenance or physical changes.
"Signals of opportunity" for flight is a bizarre regime to even consider.
GPS spoofing confuses the Ground Collision Avoidance System, which uses GPS position and elevation maps to report nearness to the ground. The false alarm rate is now so high that such systems are useless in parts of the world.
There's a lot of this spoofing going on. Look at the maps in the report.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loran-C
Turns out having a more resilient backup is useful.
China has built out an eLoran system (as well as a fibre-based precise-timing infrastructure):
* https://www.gpsworld.com/china-completes-national-eloran-net...
* https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/13/23/12703
* https://www.gpsworld.com/china-finishing-high-precision-grou...
I don't think Loran-c gives enough accuracy to land a plane all by itself, but it should get you to the airport, after which local beacons (VOR) will align you with the runway, and ILS will get you safely on the ground in IFR conditions.
As others have said, this seems to be a contrived "problem" to be solving. VOR, ADF, DME/DME and ILS already exist and work without GNSS. There's also LORAN if we were to need a ground based equivalent to GNSS.
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