Airlines and governments in the Middle East have been invited to take part in the ongoing testing of a new navigation technology that some experts say is significantly more reliable than Global Positioning Satellite systems.
SandboxAQ, a developer of products involving quantum technology and artificial intelligence, recently heralded the “commercially available prototype” of the technology they're calling AQNav.
This comes as GPS, the standard navigation system around the world, has become a victim of its own success, and is increasingly vulnerable to GPS jamming which can renders the navigation assistance unusable.
GPS jamming − also known as GPS spoofing − became a prominent problem in June during the air war between Israel and Iran.
Smartphone users across the Middle East reported anomalies with their GPS locations, which were wildly inaccurate.
GPS has gained immense popularity thanks to the ease it can be incorporated into technology. But this ubiquity is becoming a growing vulnerability.
SandboxAQ recently announced that Acubed, an Airbus company, completed what they're describing as “rigorous real-world testing” of the touted GPS alternative, AQNav, which uses the magnetic field of the Earth along with quantum sensors that pick up the magnetic signals with the help of special AI software.
Tests lasted five months and involved more than 100 flights that took place across “diverse geographies and conditions”.
According to SandboxAQ and Acubed, the test results show that AQNav “consistently beat” the US Federal Aviation Administration's en route navigation standards.
“Pilots need to be able to trust their navigation systems,” Luca Ferrara, general manager for SandboxAQ's navigation business unit, told The National.
“When they can trust it, they're less stressed, they have less of a cognitive workload and they don't have worry about dealing with GPS loss,” he explained.
SandboxAQ says that AQNav is rooted in and inspired by nature, and utilises the Earth's magnetic field, similar to how birds and other animals use it to navigate.
That approach, combined with Sandbox AQ's proprietary AI software and use of hardware, gives it significantly more resilience and reliability compared to GPS, Mr Ferrara said.
SandboxAQ also points out that unlike GPS, it doesn't connect to the internet, cloud or satellites.
In the recent tests from Acubed, AQNav logged more than 44,000km, “surpassing the Earth’s circumference, without relying on GPS”.
Mr Ferrara said more testing will now take place with hopes of eventually readying the system to be used on commercial airlines.
SandboxAQ hopes to gain more insight into how to best position the magnetic censors used by the system on various aircraft, along with other details.
Testing will help establish whether users would transfer navigation data to an existing computer on the plane, or a separate computer not connected to the internet or any network on board. This system is known as air-gapping, which is broadly viewed as more secure.
“Do we want it to pipe the data into the flight management computer or do we want it to go in an air-gapped way?” asked Mr Ferrara.
He said Sandbox AQ currently has contracts with the US Air Force, and he expects the new navigation technology to first be adopted by defence and national security agencies, and then commercial entities.
Through more testing, followed by a “constructive dialogue” with aviation regulators around the world, Mr Ferrara said there's hope that commercial airlines will also be able to implement the system.
Given the Middle East's increasingly strong presence in commercial aviation, with countries like the UAE playing a crucial role with international travel, it makes sense to push for testing among the region's airlines.
“We're looking for forward-leaning partners in the aerospace sector within the Gulf region to collaborate with,” Mr Ferrara said.
He said the company is in discussions with several companies, and hopes to continue with those efforts given the Middle East's tourism footprint and globally recognised airline brands.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0
Company%C2%A0profile
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Company%20profile
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Scoreline
Liverpool 4
Oxlade-Chamberlain 9', Firmino 59', Mane 61', Salah 68'
Manchester City 3
Sane 40', Bernardo Silva 84', Gundogan 90' 1
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
