US Navy tests GPS-free drone landings on moving ships using onboard cameras

NAWCAD demonstrated an autonomous drone recovering aboard a moving vessel without satellite navigation, using onboard cameras, motion sensors and algorithms that estimate deck motion and adjust the approach. The software could replace costly shipboard tracking hardware; the Navy now plans operational testing, including for STUAS, CCA and DARPA's EVADE program.

• Landing relied on onboard cameras and sensors, with no GPS signals
• Algorithms estimate deck motion and time touchdown
• The software could replace dedicated shipboard tracking equipment
• Development was funded by NISE and the Office of Naval Research