SignalVoid’s GPS-Denied Drone Solution: Advancing Europe’s Strategic Autonomy Through the Cassini Hackathon

The 8th Cassini Hackathon, held in Zoetermeer at the Dutch Innovation Factory from 22-24 November 2024, was a vibrant gathering of young professionals, innovators and experts. This event, initiated by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) and the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), brought together talented minds across 10 countries to create solutions for the future of defence and security using space data. The Dutch team, SignalVoid, achieved second place at the European final, earning cash prizes and 100 hours of mentorship. Their project leverages AI and satellite imagery to enable drone geolocation in GPS-denied environments, highlighting its potential across various applications.

Meet the Team: The SignalVoid Story

SignalVoid is a team of five students (Delft) and graduates (Deltt, Rotterdam): Benji Metz, Martijn Crijnen, Dylan Durand, Luca Hagemans and Timber Lock. The team’s journey began long before the hackathon. As the team explains, “We had the idea, but we didn’t work on it further yet.” Their project, SignalVoid, centres around GPS-denied navigation, aiming to solve a critical problem for unmanned drones, which face difficulties in GPS-jamming environments, especially in conflict zones.

The team shares that their idea took shape after noticing the growing problem of GPS jamming. “Since the [full-scale] war in Ukraine, we’ve had a vision of a strategically autonomous Europe. We believe Europe shouldn’t rely on the US or China to defend its continent,”. This vision was the foundation for their journey into the Cassini Hackathon.

Cassini Hackathon: A Platform for Opportunities 

The Cassini Hackathon, which took place across multiple European cities, is part of a broader initiative by EUSPA and DG DEFIS. This event is designed to bring together students, graduates, researchers, and early-stage startups to explore the potential of space data for various applications. This year’s theme, “EU Space for Defence and Security,” focused on leveraging space technology to address pressing challenges such as enhancing geospatial intelligence, unmanned drone applications, and orbital security.

Teams were provided access to satellite data, tools, and expert mentorship to help develop their solutions. Local sources provided by Dutch organisers were quite valuable for the work of the team: “The Satellite Data Portal was incredibly useful for our project as we needed high-resolution satellite data. It’s a fantastic initiative by the Netherlands Space Office to democratise access to such data, making it easier for projects like ours to innovate and grow”. 

This focused environment allowed SignalVoid to develop a working prototype of their GPS-denied navigation system, which would ultimately help unmanned drones navigate more effectively in environments where GPS signals are unavailable or disrupted. The team worked tirelessly, spending up to 14 hours in a single day. 

“We were so happy because we had put in so much effort over the weekend,” team shares, reflecting on their local victory. The hackathon not only helped them refine their project but also offered valuable networking opportunities. They connected with mentors who helped them improve their pitch and presentation. The event also allowed the team to expand their professional network, with plans to meet with mentors from organisations like Smooth Stone Dynamics and discuss future collaboration. 

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Reflecting on the hackathon experience, the SignalVoid team is proud of what they’ve accomplished but also acknowledges the challenges they faced along the way. “I was sick during the weekend—I could barely eat, and the moment I got home, I crashed for 12 hours,” Benji shares, highlighting the physical and mental toll of the intense work. Despite the exhaustion during the hackathon weekend [22-24 November], the validation of winning second place in the European finals [on 27 November]  was incredibly satisfying. “We believed we had a strong idea that could win, but getting that validation was a huge relief,” the team shares.

The Team’s Project: A GPS-Denied Solution for Drones

SignalVoid’s project focused on developing a cost-efficient solution for drones operating in GPS-denied environments. “Our solution builds on a well-known image processing algorithm. What makes it unique is how we extended it with an unsupervised machine learning algorithm to adapt it for our specific use case,” the team explains. This simple yet powerful solution increases the success rate of drones in GPS-denied areas, a crucial development for areas like Ukraine where GPS jamming affects drone operations.

The team’s work was initially focused on using visual odometry for position estimation through dead reckoning. However, they soon realised this method wouldn’t provide the necessary accuracy for long-distance travel. This realisation led them to pivot towards an absolute positioning method, combining artificial intelligence and satellite data to achieve better precision.

DOWNLOAD PROJECT PRESENTATION

If you’re interested in the Vydar – SignalVoid business plan, you can easily get in touch with them through their website: https://www.vydar.eu/contact

Future Plans: Building Partnerships and Expanding Horizons

Looking ahead, SignalVoid has clear ambitions for its project. “We’re focused on building partnerships, especially with two key groups,” the team explains. SignalVoid (Vydar) is looking to collaborate with drone manufacturers and the Dutch Ministry of Defense to integrate their GPS-denied technology into existing drone systems. “Our module can be adapted based on their drones’ specifications, which would enhance both our capabilities and theirs”. This partnership-driven approach is central to their strategy for moving forward.

In addition to further developing their technology, the team is focused on scaling their operations. “Our broader vision is to develop both hardware and software for drones in innovative ways,” the team shares, emphasising the need for Europe to produce more of its own defence technology and reduce reliance on external sources.

If you’re interested in the Vydar – SignalVoid business plan, you can easily get in touch with them through their website: https://www.vydar.eu/contact

Supporting Local Innovation for Global Impact

SignalVoid is looking for support to help realise its vision of a strategically autonomous Europe. “We need support in the form of partnerships, funding, and mentoring,” says Martijn. They invite readers and potential partners to connect with them and explore how they can collaborate to bring this innovative solution to the forefront.

The Cassini Hackathon is a testament to the power of local innovation and the potential of European initiatives to drive technological advancements in critical areas like defence and security.  SignalVoid team shares: The Cassini initiative is a fantastic example of Europe taking its challenges seriously. It’s a way to encourage young professionals—or anyone—to create solutions that benefit the entire continent.’’The 

The 8th edition of the CASSINI Hackathon in the Netherlands was organised by the dotSPACE foundation in collaboration with Royal Haskoning. Key partners: NL Space Campus, Security Delta (HSD), The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Dutch Innovation Factory, Netherlands Space Office, Gemeente Zoetermeer, OPT/Net BV, etc.

Featured image: Author