© Stucan Solutions 2025
TRACER - DPNS is a footwear-mounted low SWAP-C GPS Denied Position & Navigation System. The System has several innovations to give outstanding (relative) real-time 3D positional accuracy, in the complete absence of a GPS/GNSS signal (inc. 3D positioning within buildings/underground).
These innovations include an ensemble of low-cost solid-state IMUs, algorithms that use characteristics of the human walk/gait to significantly reduce inaccuracies/drift with virtually no distance drift over time. Other features are wireless QI charging and an open interface for integration into any C2 application.
The TRACER - DPNS system is supplied with a dedicated Android App that can be used on any platform.
TRACER - DPNS is a dead-reckoning technology. The architecture incorporates a configuration of 3–axis Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), gyroscopes, and a barometer, delivering 3D (X, Y, and height) positioning, navigation, and team tracking capability. The architecture is housed within a small form factor Boot Mounted Unit (BMU) attached to the boot of dismounted personnel. The IMU and barometer data from the BMU are processed to track the motion of the boot. The motion data from the BMU is then forwarded to a display unit worn by the user (currently an Android smartphone) to provide an estimate of the current position.
The Android smartphone fuses the motion data from the BMU with GNSS (when GNSS is available) to provide a positional estimate more accurate than GNSS alone. When GNSS is lost, the displacement data from the BMU is integrated to provide a continuous dead-reckoning estimate of position. By comparing the shape of the recent dead reckoning track to the shape of the recent GNSS-derived track, it is possible to discern the likely accuracy of the GPS (as the shape of the dead reckoning track is highly accurate over the short term).
TRACER - DPNS has been designed to operate fully within GPS-denied/degraded environments (e.g. buildings, urban canyons, and underground) and complex RF environments where GPS is not present. The systems’ dead-reckoning capability enables the dismounted user to accurately map the urban environment, including sub-terranean zones, improving situational understanding.
