Terrestrial Radio Navigation Demonstrated for Safer Autonomous Drone Landings

42 Technology and Omnisense have successfully demonstrated a terrestrial radio positioning system designed to enable safer autonomous drone landings when satellite navigation signals become unreliable.

Developed through the European Space Agency-supported DroneHome programme, the system targets autonomous landing, which remains one of the most safety-critical phases of any drone mission. Standard satellite navigation systems frequently become impaired due to signal obstruction, reflection, or interference when drones operate near tall buildings, inside tunnels, or within busy ports. By functioning as a complementary navigation layer within the overall navigation architecture, this terrestrial technology ensures a drone’s position remains stable and predictable even in environments where global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals are degraded or entirely absent.

A primary technical challenge of the project involved extending the operational range of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) positioning to make it viable for autonomous landing sequences. 42 Technology worked closely with Omnisense to design and develop the extended-range RF hardware utilized in both the ground infrastructure and the airborne elements of the system. The resulting front-end design incorporates a UWB system-on-chip with low noise amplification, power amplification, switching, and antenna integration to deliver the necessary range and operational performance.

Field trials and simulation-based analysis have confirmed that the system successfully maintains stable positioning within a defined envelope during GNSS-degraded operations, allowing for reliable autonomous approach and landing sequences.

“We were delighted to support Omnisense in delivering its ground-breaking DroneHome project. GNSS underpins many of today’s critical systems, so developing a terrestrial positioning technology for more reliable autonomous operations in challenging environments is a major advance for drone safety,” commented Paul Bearpark, Head of Electronics and Software, 42T.

“DroneHome demonstrates that terrestrial radio positioning can provide a reliable and predictable navigation layer when GNSS signals cannot be relied upon,” said Andy Thurman, CEO of Omnisense. “This is an important milestone in building more resilient autonomous systems that can maintain safe operation in real-world conditions.”

The technical baseline established by the DroneHome programme is directly relevant across a wide variety of applications, including airborne, terrestrial and maritime operations, infrastructure inspection, and autonomous systems operating in GNSS-challenged environments. Omnisense is currently working with partners to explore the deployment of this capability within operational systems, with the ultimate aim of integrating the technology into next-generation navigation architectures and autonomous platforms.