GPS, good-bye. The new, more precise navigation system from Boeing
In 2024, Boeing declared that it had successfully executed its first flight without a GPS. The American manufacturer accomplished a four-hour flight using a quantum sensor system. This test was the first known use of sensors on an aircraft during flight, despite the fact that quantum sensor navigation has long been the focus of laboratory research. According to a statement from the company, this flight and others produced real-time navigation data that was crucial for the use of this technology.
Boeing claims that the service interruptions that GPS and other current navigation systems frequently experience are not experienced by quantum navigation systems. As a result, they think their precision may enable future aircraft to fly without utilizing GPS the whole time.
A six-axis quantum inertial measurement unit (IMU) was used by the team to perform the test. As part of a series of flight tests, the IMU was deployed on a Beechcraft 1900D aircraft and incorporated into a full inertial navigation system. Compared to traditional IMUs, the quantum IMU is intended to be more accurate. According to the researchers, this improved accuracy could cut navigation errors from tens of kilometers to just tens of meters at the conclusion of a lengthy flight.
The test demonstrated that the quantum sensors "were able to operate successfully" during "multiple maneuvers" and takeoff and landing. The development of quantum technology, the aircraft manufacturer added, "will help improve aviation safety." The IMU was designed by Boeing in collaboration with AOSense, a California-based company. "The quantum IMU was created to function in challenging conditions. We are happy to verify that the sensor operated as anticipated throughout the test.