What is required to ensure quantum technologies (i.e., gravity sensors) can provide a reliable alternative to GNSS for maritime and other modes of transport?

Background

The grow and level up the economy strategic priority is at the heart of the government’s agenda to spread opportunity across the UK. Transport has a crucial role to play, whether it be through improving connectivity across the United Kingdom and growing the economy by enhancing the transport network, on time and on budget. DfT has a number of specific interests in this space, notably our infrastructure projects, Places for Growth and our apprenticeships and skills work.

Next steps

Get in touch with bridgetoresearch@dft.gov.uk

Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DFT-Areas of research interest 2023 GOV UK

Related UKRI funded projects

  • MIniature Sensing and Timing with QUantum Enhancement - MISTIQUE

    MISTIQUE will accelerate the practical benefits of quantum sensors for society. It will derive its research program from the innovation needs of future transport systems and lay the physics and engineering foundations fo...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Birmingham

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project MISTIQUE directly addresses the question by focusing on the development of quantum sensors for accurate navigation and timing without the use of satellite navigation services, specifically for transport systems.

  • CQINS: Continuous Quantum Inertial Navigation Systems

    Reliable and accurate positioning and navigation functionality is essential for much of or modern society. This need, however, is even stronger for critical national infrastructure (CNI), such as the emergency and defenc...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: COLDQUANTA UK LIMITED

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project specifically focuses on developing quantum-enhanced inertial navigation systems as an alternative to GNSS for secure positioning and navigation.

  • TOPological optimisation of technologies for high-bandwidth atomic Gravimetry Used in Navigation Systems

    Navigation solutions can be made independent of satellite communication if, for example, real-time measurements of the earth's gravitational profile can be matched to known values on a map. For this, an absolute gravimet...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Birmingham

    Why might this be relevant?

    The TOP-GUNS project is relevant as it aims to develop a robust and portable gravimeter for real-world positioning and navigation applications, providing an alternative to satellite navigation.

  • HARLEQUIN - High-Accuracy Robust deployabLE QUantum Inertial Navigation

    Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) provide an easily-accessed source of timing and location data. However, GNSS is vulnerable to jamming and spoofing and is not available in sub-terrain and sub-marine environment...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: CPI TMD TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

  • REVEAL

    REVEAL is a collaboration between e2v, RSK, Gooch Housego (G&H) and the University of Birmingham (UoB) to develop and trial the first commercial prototype QT gravity gradiometer sensor. It builds on the successful In...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Birmingham

  • GRADUATE

    Quantum enabled Gravity Gradiometry, the measurement of the rate of spatial change of the earth's gravity field, offers significant performance improvements over conventional gravimetry including much better signal to no...

    Funded by: ISCF

    Lead research organisation: CPI TMD TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

  • Quantum Sensing on the London Underground

    Many parts of our society are now heavily reliant on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Not only are they used to facilitate the supply chains that support our economy, they also enable the movement of goods and...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: Imperial College London

  • Feasibility study for quantum gravimeters

    ColdQuanta proposes a collaboration with Dr. Kai Bongs of the University of Birmingham and M-Squared Lasers to develop cold-atom-based gravimeters and gravity gradiometers as a replacement for current instruments that ar...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Birmingham

  • Quantum technologies for inertial sensing

    Our society relies heavily on the Global Positioning System (GPS) to facilitate the supply lines that support our economy, to enable the movement of goods and people in unfamiliar places, to help maintain power networks,...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: Imperial College London

  • Quantum geo-magnetometers – a UK sovereign commercial OPM for enhanced GNSS-denied navigation

    This project will mature sensors that can accurately detect changes in geophysical magnetic fields. These will then be flown on a small unmanned air vehicle. The sensors will detect local variations, or anomalies, in the...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE