New drones, radar and mapping tools sharpen operations where GNSS falls short
A fresh wave of UAV, positioning and sensing products is targeting one problem above all: keeping missions running when GNSS is weak, denied or contested.
In commercial drone operations, Volatus Aerospace has integrated Trimble’s PX-1 RTX into its delivery service to improve positioning and heading for remote missions, including beyond visual line of sight flights and high-accuracy aerial data capture. The module combines CenterPoint RTX corrections with compact GNSS-inertial hardware to provide real-time centimeter-level positioning and precise true heading, adding redundancy when sensors underperform or magnetic interference disrupts navigation. CopterPIX is pushing the same resilience into field surveillance with the ERE95 Mini, a foldable platform built for border protection and long-range missions that can operate in GNSS-denied conditions, carry anti-jamming communications beyond 20 km, stay aloft for two hours, and switch payloads in seconds through a modular quick-connect design. AeroVironment is addressing the same gap on the Puma Long Endurance small unmanned aircraft system through a visual navigation system kit that uses downward-facing cameras, onboard processing and inertial inputs to estimate position, velocity and orientation in real time, then transitions automatically between GNSS-enabled and GNSS-denied modes without pilot action.
Close-airspace awareness and sensor fusion are moving in parallel. MatrixSpace has introduced Portable 360 Radar, a transportable system designed to give panoramic airspace coverage for rapid counter-drone missions around stadiums, mass gatherings, borders and combat zones. The company’s wider platform links multiple radars and other sensors, combining edge AI and enterprise software to provide a shared operating picture and deeper analytics on airspace activity. Innoviz is taking a similar integration approach at the sensor level with InnovizThree, a compact long-range lidar with an embedded RGB camera aimed at reducing OEM integration complexity in vehicles, drones, micro-robotics and humanoids. Factory alignment between lidar and camera, along with hardware-synchronized capture, is intended to reduce calibration work and support scalable production deployment. In autonomous driving, Swift Navigation is working with Nvidia to integrate centimeter-accurate GNSS localization on the Nvidia Drive AGX platform, shifting absolute localization onto a GNSS stack that combines correction services with raw satellite data, IMU inputs and wheel odometry so optical sensors can focus more narrowly on obstacle detection and safety.
Surveying and geospatial capture are also seeing a strong push toward compact tools that work in difficult sites. SatLab’s SL8 Laser RTK GNSS receiver combines dual cameras, GNSS, an IMU and a visible laser to support non-contact measurement, image-assisted targeting and CAD live-view stakeout, with 2 cm accuracy within 10 meters and operation in bridges, tunnels, riverbanks and other GNSS-limited environments. ProStar Holdings and Tersus GNSS are pairing survey-grade receivers with underground utility mapping software to build a field-ready precision mapping package for utility and critical infrastructure users through ProStar’s LinQD integration platform. The MVP S1 RTK-SLAM handheld 3D laser scanner combines GNSS, lidar and imagery from dual 48-megapixel panoramic cameras in an AI-driven workflow that supports survey-grade data capture outdoors and SLAM-based performance indoors or underground, while also enabling textured 3D model creation through 3D gaussian splatting. For subsurface work from the air, the MALÅ GeoDrone 600 and Zond Aero 600 NG add high-resolution ground-penetrating radar to UAV survey workflows, extending access to sites that are slow, unsafe or impractical for ground crews while balancing shallow detail and penetration depth with 600 MHz antennas and terrain-following control. At the lighter end of the market, the 60-gram Astra1 Mobile Visual RTK links with a smartphone to capture RTK-tagged photos for high-precision surveys, construction verification and digital twin generation.
Other launches reinforce the same industry direction. The AR588MA automotive cellular module combines 5G-Advanced connectivity with dual-band L1 and L5 GNSS, satellite communications support and dual-SIM dual-active capability for more reliable in-vehicle and roof-mounted communications. Xsens has added a Heave firmware feature to its Sirius and Avior IMUs, giving marine stabilization and control systems centimeter-level vertical displacement measurement alongside roll, pitch and yaw from a single compact unit. Together, the latest products point to a market moving beyond dependence on a single navigation source and toward tightly integrated, multi-sensor architectures built for real-world disruption. That shift matters because it can lower deployment risk, expand where autonomous systems can operate, and speed adoption across logistics, security, surveying, infrastructure and transport.