Sydney-based company, Advanced Navigation, along with partners The University of Technology Sydney and CMG Operations, has been awarded $1,064,739 under Round 15 of the Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants support short-term collaborative research program.
The funding will be used to develop LiDAV (light detection, altimetry and velocimetry) navigation sensor technology for Earth applications.
The overall aim is to measure velocity in 3D using a compact, lightweight and low-cost solution to deliver precision that is not otherwise possible within the same size and weight constraints.
The company says the funding will result in significant R&D of hardware, software and algorithms that “will transition the tech from laboratory to commercial product”.
Sensor designs will be tested and validated in a range of real-world environments using ground vehicles, drones and light aircraft, compliant with defence and commercial industry standards.
The company says that its terrestrial-focused LiDAV “will solve complex autonomy challenges across aerospace, automotive, weather, as well as railways and logistics,” including for:
- Aiding aircraft during take-off and landing, particularly in difficult conditions.
- Measuring weather patterns far more accurately to significantly improve weather detection and forecasting.
- Guiding passenger drones and autonomous vehicles reliably under all conditions.
- Building geophysical models from gravitational surveys.
- Guiding autonomous navigation in GNSS-denied environments, particularly for defence and security applications.
Advanced Navigation says the effort will add to the project partners’ global competitiveness and help build Australia’s sovereign capability in the high-end UAV market.
In June last year, the company was awarded a $5.2 million Moon to Mars Initiative: Demonstrator Mission Grant by the Australian Space Agency, to support NASA’s endeavour to explore the Moon and beyond to Mars.
The Moon to Mars grant will accelerate development and production of the company’s LiDAV , culminating in the delivery of a space-qualified LiDAV sensor called LUNA (Laser measurement Unit for Navigational Aid) to US-based space systems company, Intuitive Machines, as part of NASA’s ongoing Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
Project LUNA will be demonstrated aboard Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander during the final descent to the lunar surface. Following this demonstration, Advanced Navigation’s LUNA technology will be offered commercially for integration into landers from 2025–26.
Also announced in Round 15 of the grants is $2,005,463 for Q-CTRL, along with partners CMG Operations and the Australian National University, to develop airborne quantum sensors for resources and environmental monitoring.
According to Q-CTRL, the project will “address critical industry-identified challenges in geophysical surveying”.
“We focus on building novel technology for airborne gravity surveys that leverages recent advances in quantum sensors and signal processing. Our approach will be validated through the first Australian airborne trials of these next generation quantum devices.
“This will provide new sovereign capabilities in quantum sensing while delivering major value to Australia’s mineral exploration and water monitoring sectors, aligning with the National Reconstruction Fund ‘Value-Add in Resources’ priority and Science & Research priorities in ‘Resources’ and ‘Soil & Water’.”
