World's first GPS-free quantum navigation trial succeeds at sea

“Quantum sensors can sense the tiniest of changes in the gravity or magnetic field and use a previously prepared map of these properties to determine their location. Since a quantum sensor does not need to receive or send a signal to an external device, it cannot be hacked or be spoofed by a fake incoming signal either. “ Very cool!

Don’t these fields fluctuate in some currently not understood way?

Yes, constantly. The prepared map becomes less accurate over time.

So you constantly need updated maps. Reminds me of celestial navigation where you always need an up-to-date almanac.

But how do you get your position to update your map? Oh… GPS will work!

What? You just download a new map for the area you want to go to every year or so, no need for GPS

I’m not sure you got me. How do the map makers update the map? If the gravity variance changes so it can’t be used to determine your position then clearly you need some other way to determine your position to update the gravity map. And what might that be??

Using the same reference points on earth that GPS uses, that doesn’t mean using GPS.

That doesn’t work too well out in the ocean and lots of other places too. If you can’t use your gravity map, you’re gonna use GPS for precise position data.