Raytheon UK reveals Strider's real-time 3D positional accuracy
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Called Strider, it is easy to integrate into any existing or future military and security force tactical Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C41), Situational Awareness (SA) or mapping application via its open interface. It also has emergency service (e.g. police, fire service and first responder), medical and commercial applications.
Strider is a two-part solution comprising a Strider Location Service App (running on any iOS, Android or Windows Mobile device such as a mobile phone or tablet) and an extremely compact, lightweight and low-power Boot Mounted Unit (BMU). The BMU is currently a self-contained and sealed sole-inserted ‘puck’ but will ultimately take a form configured to match customer requirements for fitting to (or into) any boot, shoe or trainer. The Strider Location Service App communicates with the BMU via a wireless connection and provides full, high accuracy and high resolution 3D position and navigation data to any application that requires it.
“Devices and systems that use GNSS protocols, such as GPS, are not very accurate, particularly in urban environments, and they are typically augmented by signals from phone masts and wi-fi hotspot positioning,” explains Roy Donelson, Raytheon UK’s Managing Director, Defence. “With Strider we have introduced a form of ‘position fusion’ which, even with GNSS at full strength and data from comms networks contributing, helps pinpoint the user with amazing accuracy and resolution. In addition, GPS ‘denied’ environments are becoming increasingly common and Strider enables positional tracking to a high level of accuracy when no GPS signal or other GNSS systems are available.”
Strider’s ability to calculate height means it is able to accurately report 3D positional information in buildings or terrains where the GPS signal and other GNSS reception may be poor or non-existent.
The user may have just one BMU or, for improved accuracy, one per foot. The App is constructed so that it minimises the power required by the BMU dependent on the GNSS/GPS and other positional signals, which are available. The BMU, which is charged wirelessly via QI standard charging, has been designed to operate for a full 36-hour mission without charging. Motion (kinetic energy) harvesting will be added in the future to extend this mission time to weeks or even months.
Donelson concludes: “In environments where GPS cannot be guaranteed, Strider offers a significant boon to precise navigation and situational awareness. Military users can operate heads up without the need to focus on a display to know where they and their team mates are.”
The Strider concept and development work to date were born out of the 2014 SME partnership advancing Raytheon Knowledge (SpaRK) research and development competition.
