When GPS Fails: Europe’s New Project Teaching Drones to Navigate on Their Own

Most of us have experienced that moment when our phone suddenly loses GPS signal. For flying drones and those on the ground this isn’t just inconvenience, it can stop an entire mission. On today’s battlefields and even in everyday environments like cities, forests or disaster zones, GPS can be jammed, blocked or simply unavailable.

Our initiative called “Badb” is working on a solution by developing GNSS-free navigation for unmanned vehicles. Instead of relying on satellites, the system combines camera vision, sensors, AI and detailed satellite imagery to let machines recognise their surroundings and figure out their route on their own – much like a human navigating by landmarks.

Although the project is funded through the European Defence Fund, it’s clearly dual-use. The same technology that keeps drones operating in GNSS-denied areas can also make civilian applications more reliable, from rescue robots to autonomous vehicles and infrastructure inspections.

The project is carried out by a consortium of European tech companies specialising in robotics, satellite data and AI — including Estonian, Finnish and Irish partners — each bringing a different piece of the navigation puzzle to the table.

The two-year programme has already begun developing early prototypes and testing the core navigation components. Its goal is straightforward: create a dependable, affordable alternative when GNSS isn’t an option.

As the world becomes more reliant on autonomous systems, Badb technology is helping ensure that drones and robots can stay on course, even when the satellites go silent.