Abstract
Photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology can be utilized to create a reliable, low-cost, lightweight, and low-power gyroscope which has tremendous potential for accurate navigation in the absence of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. This is an enabling technology for autonomous navigation, with benefits for military applications where GNSS jamming, spoofing, or signal loss is a problem and resilience to electromagnetic interference (EMI) is of value. The potential for reduced size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) can extend the operational effectiveness of a drone or a soldier in GNSS-denied environments by replacing less efficient hardware while still enabling accurate geo-localization and navigation. The project is intended to integrate, build, package, and characterize a reduced-scale, high-performance PIC chip-based inertial measurement unit (IMU) prototype suitable for integration into a robot or a soldier’s radio and conduct field-test comparisons with existing technology. This project's consortium brings together OSCP, LIGENTEC, PHIX, and Thales SIX, combining expertise in PIC chip design and fabrication, packaging, system-level integration, navigation, and testing, with end-user involvement to validate the technology.
Switzerland 
Canada 
The Netherlands 
France