Advanced Navigation to manufacture photonic chip

AI robotics and navigation technology manufacturer Advanced Navigation has been awarded a grant by the Australian Department of Defence to develop manufacturing capability for photonic chips.

Australia does not have commercial manufacturing capability for photonic chips which contain circuits using light transmission and receival – a laser is a photonics device.

Advanced Navigation is the first to produce this technology in the country and plans to manufacture 45,000 photonic chips per year.

Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder Xavier Orr said: “The technological breakthroughs enabled by photonic chips offer new opportunities for defence and commercial applications requiring always available, ultra-high accuracy, orientation and navigation, including subsea, marine, robotics, aerospace and space.

“Advanced Navigation is honoured to be a major driver of this capability, and empower technologies to safeguard national security in a time defined by technological warfare and geopolitical uncertainty.”

As part of the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority grant, Defence has awarded Advanced Navigation $306,631, adding to other grants received by the company.

Advanced Navigation uses photonic chips in its fibre-optic gyroscopes (FOG) inertial navigation systems (INS) used for Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT), especially in autonomous systems.

The company’s Boreas X90 (pictured) will be utilised by Australian satellite manufacturer Space Machines onboard its Orbital Servicing Vehicle, scheduled to be launched from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2024.

The technology will be critical for the vehicle’s navigation and docking in orbit.

Further reading:
Advanced Navigation, Quantx Labs among seven defence grant recipients
Advanced Navigation aims to be first Australian to the Moon

Picture: Advanced Navigation/space-qualified Boreas X90 inertial navigation system