Skip to main content
Leidos
Search
  • Suppliers
  • Employees
  • Newsroom
  • Investors
  • Global
  • Contact
  • Company
    • Our Business

      We embrace and solve some of the world's toughest challenges.

      • Civil
      • Defense
      • Health
      • Intelligence
      • Dynetics
      • Leidos Innovations Center (LInC)
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Mission, Vision, & Values

      Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

      • Mission
      • Vision
      • Values
      man sitting on bleachers holding soccer ball

      Let’s come together and talk about the changes that are needed.

      The Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action

    • Leadership

      Meet the executive team responsible for leading our forward-thinking employees toward a shared success.

      • Roger Krone
      • Chris Cage
      • Maureen Waterston
      • Vicki Schmanske
      • Jerry Howe
      • Jim Carlini
      • Debbie Opiekun
      • Thomas Sanglier
      • Jim Moos
      • Gerry Fasano
      • Roy Stevens
      • Liz Porter
      • Steve Cook
      • Paul Engola
      • Board of Directors
      Roger Krone

      Meeting the challenges of an uncertain world.

      An Interview with CEO Roger Krone

    • History

      Leidos has a long history of innovative problem-solving and customer service, dating all the way back to 1969 when Dr. J. Robert Beyster founded his "crazy little company".

      • Explore our History
      • Dr. J. Robert Beyster
      • A Kaleidoscope of Innovation: The Story of Leidos
      Dr. Beyster

      Almost 50 years ago, visionary scientist J. Robert Beyster, Ph.D. founded the company that evolved into Leidos.

      Read More

    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

      Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is reflected in the way we engage our people, our customers, and our external partnerships through our innovative programs, sponsorships, and engagement.

      • Our Vision, Philosophy, and Approach
      • Strategic Diversity Outreach
      • Employee Resource Groups
      • Inclusion & Diversity in the UK
      Top Supporters HBCU badge for 2022

      Leidos was recently named to the 2022 Top Supporters of HBCU Engineering list published by Career Communications Group, Inc.

      Partnering with HBCUs

    • Responsibility & Sustainability

      We're equally committed to using our time and resources to support people, enrich communities, and protect the environment.

      • ESG Goals
      • CEO Message
      • Executive Summary
      • ESG Governance & Strategy
      • Environment
      • Community
      • People
      • Suppliers & Small Business Relationships
      • Political Activities
      • About our Reporting
      • GRI™ Standards
      NASA ground station

      Discover how we helped NASA develop a climate action plan

      Read Article

    • Ethics & Compliance

      We have a strong history of performance that rests on our foundation of integrity.

      • File a Report
      • History of Ethics
      • Ethics Program Structure
      • Code of Conduct
      World's most ethical companies logo

      Leidos named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for sixth consecutive year.

      Read More

    • Rankings & Awards

      Our innovative approach and the services and solutions we deliver frequently earn Leidos recognition from our industry and the media.

      • Enterprise Awards
      • Defense Awards
      • Civil Awards
      • Health Awards
      A gold trophy on a light green background

      A frequent honoree on the corporate awards circuit, Leidos is proud of its many industry-specific and corporate-level achievements.

      Cue the Applause

    • Partners

      The Leidos Alliance Partner Network emphasizes connections through partnership and collaboration that drive innovation, advance technology, and build efficiency.

      • Corporate Strategic Partners
      • Technology Integration Partners
      • Emerging Technology Partners
      Bubba Wallace image

      We're teaming up with Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2023 advancing a culture of inclusion and diversity.

      Fueling a Better Tomorrow

    • Subsidiaries

      Our wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries attract and retain top talent motivated to deliver results for clients.

      • 1901 Group
      • Dynetics
      • Gibbs & Cox
      • Leidos Biomedical Research
      • Leidos Digital Solutions
      • BEONTRA
      • QTC
      • Leidos Engineering
      • Systems Made Simple
      • Varec
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Contract Vehicles

      Whether you’re a potential government customer or a prospective supplier, through this listing you can find our technical and professional services under pre-negotiated terms and conditions.

      • Governmentwide MACs & IDIQs
      • GSA Schedules
      • Agency Specific IDIQs
    • Global

      With more than 400 locations in 30 countries, we continue to expand our presence and strengthen our international relationships.

      • United Kingdom & Europe
      • Australia
      • Israel
      • Middle East
      • Canada
      plane flying over water

      Leidos has announced the completed acquisition of Cobham Aviation Services Australia’s Special Mission business.

      Hop Onboard to Learn More

    • Trust

      Cybersecurity and data privacy is central to what we do; protecting data, systems, and infrastructure that are critical to our employees, customers, communities, and stakeholders.

      • Commitment to Privacy & Cybersecurity
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data Privacy
      • Privacy Statement
      Citizens walking with data flowing around them

      Today, tomorrow, and every day is Data Privacy Day.

      Read the Article

  • Markets
    • Aviation

      From sidewalk to sky, we've got you covered.

      • Air Traffic Management
      • ANSP Professional Services
      • Security Solutions
      • Intelligent Approach
      • Scenario Planning & Forecasting
      • Passenger Flow Measurement
      • FODD & Fuels Management
      • Flight Management & Briefing
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale with fully-integrated security detection solutions.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Defense

      From airborne work alerting warfighters to autonomous platforms protecting sea lanes and shores, we're enabling mission success across every domain.

      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Airborne
      • Autonomy & Autonomous Solutions
      • Command & Control
      • Cyber
      • Digital Modernization
      • Force Protection
      • Hypersonics & Strike Systems
      • JADC2
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Training
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Energy & Industry

      Leidos is uniquely equipped to support your important work in critical industries such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing.

      • Power Delivery
      • Integrated Energy Management
      • Electrification & Clean Energy Services
      • Project Finance & Development
      • Advanced Communications Solutions
      • Manufacturing Systems
      • Site Management & Operations
      • Transportation
      Electricity pylons in sunny field

      Leidos delivers a complex modeling project resulting in a clear view of bulk electric and sub-transmission systems for FirstEnergy.

      Read the Case Study

    • Government

      We support important programs that expedite identity theft recovery, protect electronic health records, streamline paper tax filings, enhance consumer fraud investigations, support census data collection, and enable scientific research.

      • Cybersecurity
      • Digital Modernization
      • Health IT
      • Forms Processing
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Mission Software Systems
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Healthcare

      We draw on decades of success to deliver a range of solutions and services to meet the healthcare challenges of today.

      • Hospital Systems
      • Federal Health
      • Military & Veterans Health
      Healthcare professional using tablet

      Taking a strategic approach to experience true digital transformation in healthcare.

      Read White Paper

    • Homeland

      Integrating, applying, and advancing IT to tackle the ever-advancing challenges of protecting our borders.

      • Biometrics
      • Mission Cyber & Network Defense
      • Integrated Systems
      • Digital Modernization
      • Data Analytics
      • Intelligence & Linguistic Services
      • CBRN Defense
      • Human Capital Services
      • Complex Logistics
      • Ports & Borders
      • Critical Infrastructure
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale with fully-integrated security detection solutions.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Intelligence

      With expertise in cloud-enabled automation and augmentation and a team adept at harnessing machine learning, we’re applying powerful analytic tools for superior performance and protection despite a staggering breadth of data.

      • Intelligence Community Engineering
      • Collection, Analysis, & Reporting
      • Operational Support & Training
      Woman looking at computer screen reflection in glasses

      Our DevOps Lab is an advanced, unclassified, state-of-the-art center dedicated to software and hardware development and engineering.

      Learn more about the Lab

    • Science

      Providing groundbreaking scientific research and environmental management best practices that make headways in the defense, civilian, and health markets.

      • Life Sciences
      • Autonomous Systems
      • Airborne & Ground ISR
      • Command & Control
      • Environmental Science
      • Modeling, Simulation, & Training
      • Sensors
      • Specialty Sciences
      Illustration representing health-focused scientific research

      NCI's Frederick National Laboratory has launched three initiatives focused on SARS-CoV-2.

      Read the Article

    • Space

      Speed, security, and scale for your most critical space missions

      • Mission Operations
      • Human Exploration
      • ISR
      • Payloads
      • Domain Awareness
      • Propulsion
      Female behind a transparent screen with text and graphs visible

      IT systems disappear into the background by providing an enhanced user experience

      Learn how IT Enables the Mission

  • Capabilities
    • Cyber Operations

      We use intelligent automation and AI/ML-driven analytics, combined with detection and mitigation, to protect and defend networks.

      • Quantum
      • Zero Trust
      • Security Operations Center
      • Cyber Resiliency
      • Risk Management Framework
      • Cyber Analytics
      • Information Assurance
      • Insider Threat
      • Accredited Testing & Evaluation
      • EXCITE
      • Electronic Warfare
      binary code

      Outpacing adversaries through the application of IT, engineering, and science.

      From Castles to Cities with Zero Trust

    • Digital Modernization

      We deliver resilient IT solutions and managed services that leverage trusted AI and full-spectrum cyber to decrease vulnerabilities in complex IT operations.

      • Application Modernization
      • Cloud
      • Data Center Modernization
      • Digital Workplace
      • Mobility
      • SecDevOps
      • User Engagement
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Integrated Systems

      We deliver high-performing hardware and software systems to solve challenges in an array of specializations.

      • Assured-Position Navigation & Timing
      • Autonomous & Unmanned Systems
      • Biometrics
      • Security Detection & Automation
      • Sensors, Signal Processing, & Analysis
      • Space
      • Strike Systems & Hypersonics
      • TRAPS
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Mission Operations

      In-depth domain knowledge and mission understanding to provide cost-effective tools and enhanced processes that are secure, resilient, and support our customer's critical missions.

      • Antarctic Support Contract
      • EngineeringEdge® NextGen
      • ISS Cargo Mission Contract
      • Leidos Performance Management
      • UK Logistics & Operations
      • StarTT®
      • Strategic National Stockpile
      Ice sheet in Antarctica

      Each year, Leidos moves more than six million pounds of cargo and coordinates 100 flight missions to and from Antarctica.

      About Our Role

    • Mission Software Systems

      Through disciplined processes, common tools, reusable frameworks, automation, collaboration, and domain expertise, our mission software systems are designed to deliver secure, mission quality software.

      • Command & Control
      • LEAF
      • SE Core
      • Tactical Data Links
      • AI/ML
      Software on a mission text on blue background

      Mission quality software. Silicon Valley speed.

      More on Building Better Software

    • Enabling Technologies

      Our enabling technologies are the backbone of our core capabilities, supporting our customer's important work from the front lines.

      • Secure, Rapid Software
      • Trusted AI/ML
      • Full-Spectrum Cyber
      • Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing
      Military radar simulation with green display, showing a glowing grid with coordinates and positioning numbers

      How we are deploying AI to solve the world’s toughest problems.

      Artificial Intelligence in Action

    • Technology Certifications

      We partner with world-class technology providers to develop innovative solutions for our customer’s toughest challenges.

      • AWS
      • Cisco
      • Microsoft
      • Scaled Agile
      • ServiceNow
      group of coworkers looking at computer monitor

      We help our partners save money and improve performance.

      How the Cloud Saved Some Coin

  • Insights
    • Insights

      Expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more — directly from our employees and stakeholders.

      • Latest Insights
      • MindSET Podcast
      • Press Releases
      • Heroes of Leidos
      • Our Experts
      • Careers
      • Military & Veterans
      • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
      • Fact Sheets
      • Articles
      • Case Studies
      • Infographics
      • Q&As
      podcast microphone

      Listen to the stories behind the world's most important work in the MindSET podcast.

      Explore the MindSET Podcast

  • Careers
    • Latest Opportunities

      Keep up to date on the latest career opportunities at Leidos.

      • Military Veteran Program
      • External Referral Program
      • Intern & New Graduate Jobs
      • Careers with Leidos in the UK
      • Careers with Leidos in Australia
      • Opportunities for Leidos Employees
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Life at Leidos

      A career at Leidos offers meaningful and engaging work, a collaborative culture, support for your career goals, while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.

      • Our Values
      • Our Culture
      • An Inclusive Workforce
      • Build a Career
      • Leidos Alumni Network
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Pay & Benefits

      Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision, which is why our compensation packages reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

      • Compensation
      • Health & Wellness
      • Income Protection
      • Leave
      • Retirement
      • Family Benefits
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Frequently Asked Questions

      Find answers to the most commonly asked questions related to securing a role at Leidos.

      • Searching for a Role
      • Applying for a Job
      • Determining Application Status
      • System Access
      • Job Eligibility Requirements
      • Receiving Job Notifications
      • Our Talent Community
      • Career Insights
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

  • Search Search
  • Company
  • Markets
  • Capabilities
  • Insights
  • Careers
Back to top

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Insights

When GPS goes missing, infantry doesn’t miss a step

Artist rendering of soldier using tablet with plane flying

In the past year, visitors near certain military facilities might have noticed Soldiers and Marines with body-mounted cameras performing strange exercises, including spinning in place, rolling on the ground, crab walking, shuffling backward, and leaping back and forth.

These warfighters weren’t training for a performing arts program. Instead, they were helping to train an artificial intelligence program — one Leidos has developed as part of a system that ensures service members on foot always know exactly where they are, even when GPS can’t tell them.

Phone-based GPS has been an enormous boon to pedestrians of all sorts, whether it’s a tourist wandering through an unfamiliar city, or a backwoods hiker miles from an established trail. But the resulting dependency on GPS to stay on track can become a liability when the signal weakens or even drops out, as it often does near buildings or mountain ranges, inside tunnels and caverns, or under dense foliage.

Infantry fighters have become just as dependent on GPS as civilians, but the stakes are much higher. “They need to know exactly where they are and where friendly forces are located to complete missions on time, avoid accidentally getting into dangerous situations, and call in support,” says Jonathan Wetherbee, Leidos program manager for DARPA’s Squad X Core Technologies navigation program. Magnifying these risks, Wetherbee adds, is the fact that opposing forces may attempt to purposely disable or corrupt GPS signals.

An alternative to GPS

When the GPS goes out for warfighters on foot, Leidos Assured Data Engine for Positioning and Timing (ADEPT) kicks in, providing near-GPS quality location and navigation data. ADEPT was originally developed as part of the All Source Positioning and Navigation (ASPN) DARPA program. It can pull an accurate fix from several types of sensor data typically available to dismounted infantry, and it can run on a handheld device that clips to a belt. ADEPT can even be added to an existing tactical phone or radio.

A starting point for an ADEPT location fix is the chip-mounted gyroscopes and accelerometers found in military and even most civilian smartphones. These inertial measurement devices (IMUs) can sense motion, and keep track of how its location changes. But the tiny, inexpensive versions found in handheld gadgets aren’t very accurate without frequent GPS updates, and over even short periods of time can lead to significant errors in location estimates.

To significantly bound the errors caused by inertial drift, ADEPT can draw on other inputs, says Jordan Britt, a Leidos navigation subject matter expert on the ADEPT development team. “We have unique algorithms that can leverage measurements from a number of different sensors,” Britt explains. These can include camera images from body-mounted cameras, electronic compass readings, and altitudes from barometric altimeters — all commonly at hand for Soldiers and Marines on foot. ADEPT can even make use of radio signals picked up by handheld devices, notes Britt, including those from cellphone towers, Wi-Fi networks, and various types of satellites.

All the available sensor data is continuously monitored and processed by ADEPT’s “sensor fusion engine” software, which uses statistical metrics to figure out which signals are most trustworthy and how to best combine and weight them to get the most reliable position fix. For example, compass readings can be combined with inertial data to get a better estimate of motion, and altimeter data can be combined with camera images to try to match the terrain and landmarks to maps. The result is that without the benefit of any external signals, ADEPT can keep on-foot personnel updated on their location within tens of meters even after hiking for miles.

There were plenty of challenges to getting ADEPT to work with dismounted personnel. For one thing, the need to keep size, weight, and power (SWaP) of the gear to a minimum eliminates the sort of sophisticated sensor devices that can be placed in Humvees, tanks, aircraft, and boats. Even worse, most vehicles tend to move in relatively smooth and predictable ways — generally forward, with occasional turns. Infantry members, in contrast, routinely shuffle sideways to avoid obstacles, walk backward to keep threats in view, crawl on the ground to stay behind cover, and may even jump, spin and roll when the action gets intense. Hence the need to get Soldiers and Marines performing those strange maneuvers in order to train the system. “The algorithms had to learn to recognize these behaviors and the confusing sensor data they generate, to build up a better model of how people are moving,” explains Wetherbee.

To even more precisely nail down positions, ADEPT can weave together the sensor data from multiple personnel in the area — an entire squad on a mission, for example — even if individuals are as far apart as 300 meters. If just one person in the squad gets a good fix, the system can give others in the squad collaborative fixes that are nearly as good by accessing the ranging data between squad members that are often provided by tactical radios. And if any vehicles can be ranged, their navigation capabilities can be distributed throughout a dismounted squad as well. “Any good location information can be leveraged throughout a group,” says Britt.

That ability to get good fixes when GPS is denied means Soldiers and Marines can make the most of the standard tactics that have been built around having that data. And since opposing forces aren’t likely to have that same GPS-denied navigation capability, there’s even an opportunity for new tactics that take advantage of that edge. “Our personnel will be freer to operate out of line-of-sight on missions,” offers Wetherbee as an example.

In other words, the loss of a GPS signal could be something that infantry members stop worrying about, and maybe even start hoping for.

 

Related Insights
View more Insights
  • A collage of images depicting emerging naval technology including unmanned vessels and hypersonic weapons
    What's next in naval technology?
  • Frank Pandolfe pictured on a blue background
    From Fleet Commander to Leidos-Navy liaison: Q&A with Frank C. Pandolfe
  • A lock pictured on a virtual shield
    Advancing Zero Trust Readiness: What Federal Agencies Can Do to Move the Needle on Internal Practices
Author
Leidos logo
Leidos Editorial Team

The Leidos Editorial Team consists of communications and marketing employees, contributing partner organizations, and dedicated freelance designers, editors, and writers. 

Share
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Mail
  • Print Insight

Posted

August 4, 2020

Estimated Read Time

Author
Leidos Editorial Team

Tags

Article
Defense
Dynetics-LInC
Integrated Systems

Sign up for our newsletters

Stay up to date on our expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more by subscribing to our newsletters.

  • Company
    • Our Business
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
    • Leadership
    • History
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Responsibility & Sustainability
    • Ethics & Compliance
    • Rankings & Awards
    • Partners
    • Subsidiaries
    • Contract Vehicles
    • Global
    • Trust
  • Markets
    • Aviation
    • Defense
    • Energy & Industry
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Homeland
    • Intelligence
    • Science
    • Space
  • Capabilities
    • Cyber Operations
    • Digital Modernization
    • Integrated Systems
    • Mission Operations
    • Mission Software Systems
    • Enabling Technologies
    • Technology Certifications
  • Insights
    • Newsroom
  • Careers
    • Life at Leidos
    • Pay & Benefits
    • Alumni
    • FAQs

Want to know more?

Contact us about product information and pricing, customer feedback, stockholder services, or just to voice a concern.

Get started

  • © 2023 Leidos

  • Trust
  • Ad Choices

  • Privacy Statement
  • Email Preferences
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • © 2021 Leidos
  • Australian Privacy Statement
  • Australian Whistleblower Policy
  • Ad Choices
  • Email Preferences
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Utility Footer Navigation

  • Products
  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Investors
  • Employees
  • Accessibility
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube