WELL, GOOD: The Army is developing navigation tech to help the GPS-denied soldier.

GPS can fail due to turbulent weather, bad communications links or enemy attack. The Army is concerned about how troops on patrol can continue to function without GPS, and it is pursuing a range of initiatives to bolster wayfinding for those cut off from the usual means of guidance.

One effort involves the development of vision-aided navigation technologies. “We are using camera technology and electro-optic imaging sensors and applying them from a navigational perspective,” said Gary Katulka, a lead engineer for vision-aided tech in the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center‘s Command, Power and Integration Directorate’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing Division, or CP&ID PNTD.

The PNT team is working on systems that combine cameras with inertial measurement units, or IMU, which are made of sensors such as gyroscopes and accelerometers. By joining this sensor data to a camera’s visual feedback, a soldier would be able to navigate effectively, even without GPS.

Exit question: Does the Army still teach map and compass skills?