Elsight introduces cellular-based GPS backup for drones
A new technology uses cellular networks to provide drone positioning when GPS fails, while a Florida manufacturer details its niche in building heavy-lift drones domestically.
The drone industry is addressing core operational challenges from two distinct angles. One development focuses on ensuring navigation resilience when satellite signals are compromised, while another story highlights a domestic manufacturer's journey in the heavy-lift drone sector.
GPS Resilience via Cellular Networks
Elsight, a Texas-based company, has introduced a new positioning capability that uses cellular network signals to determine a drone's location when GPS is unavailable, jammed, or spoofed. The system is designed for autonomous platforms operating in air, land, and maritime environments where satellite navigation cannot be trusted.
The technology employs a multi-source fusion engine that combines various inputs. These include cellular Timing Advance measurements, signals from nearby cellular base stations, verified GPS data, and motion and velocity information. The system continuously adjusts to whichever signals are available instead of relying on a single source. A notable built-in feature is GPS spoofing detection; the technology compares GPS-derived coordinates with its independently calculated cellular position in real time and raises an alert if they disagree beyond a set threshold.
Elsight states its system delivers absolute geographic positioning, which is critical for autonomous missions, and can operate without GPS, internet access, visual references, or an active communications link. The positioning capability is integrated into the company's existing Halo connectivity platform, allowing current customers to access the new feature through a software update or feature unlock without additional hardware. However, the company clarifies that cellular positioning depends on the availability and quality of usable network signals, and its accuracy can vary with the environment.
A Domestic Heavy-Lift Drone Manufacturer
Harris Aerial, founded by CEO Ben Harris in 2014, has established itself as a manufacturer of American-made heavy-lift drones. The Casselberry, Florida-based company focused on the heavy-lift sector early on when the market was dominated by smaller drones for photography and videography.
The company's flagship model, the H6, has a maximum payload of 8 kilograms, or about 18 pounds. Harris, who is self-taught in drone design, started the company in his graduate school apartment using open-source Arduino circuit boards and autopilot software. After initially prototyping with Chinese-made airframes, the team began designing their own using CAD software and eventually manufacturing airframes locally in Orlando. The company was bootstrapped into existence with financial help from family and friends, without venture capital.
Harris Aerial describes itself as a full-service drone OEM, handling design, manufacturing, training, and consulting. Its in-house production process utilizes 3D printing for prototyping and CNC milling to create parts from aluminum, brass, and stainless-copper. The company also cuts the molds and plates used to press and cure carbon fiber into specific parts. This capability allows for rapid prototyping and testing without relying on third-party fabricators. The company's business plan remains focused on the heavy-lift market and drones with large frames.
