The modern world's most critical systems, from aviation and road networks to emergency and disaster response, from precision agriculture and power grids to weather forecasting and military defense, depend on GPS. And this reliance is becoming problematic.
“The growing threat from foreign adversaries demonstrating the ability to jam, disrupt or spoof GPS signals is frightening,” Sean Moore, CEO and co-founder of Tern AI, a startup that aims to provide an alternative to GPS, told TechCrunch. “If that were to happen, the economic impact to the United States would be devastating.”
Moore, who sold his previous company, Trueface, to Pangiam in 2021, said Tern AI's goal is to “take the bull's-eye off the target that's currently behind GPS.”
Tern AI emerged from stealth in February and just raised a $4.4 million seed round from Scout Ventures, Shadow Capital, Bravo Victor VC and Veteran Fund. The startup has developed what's called an Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS) that can determine the location of vehicles and people without relying on satellite signals, meaning there's no threat of jamming, construction or dead zones that could get in the way of accurate location.
“It does the job of GPS without you having to call out to the universe and ask, 'Where am I?'” Moore said.
Current systems work by having a GPS receiver in your car or phone receive signals from satellites orbiting the Earth. The signals contain satellite information and the exact time the signal was sent. The GPS receiver uses the time it takes for each signal to travel to calculate the distance to each satellite. By triangulating the distance, the receiver can pinpoint your exact location, which is then displayed in apps like Google Maps and Waze.
This approach (which is also shared with newer satellite constellations like Europe's Galileo) creates a globally standardized positioning technology, but it also makes it susceptible to local disruptions. For example, GPS spoofing has been used to guide commercial ships into U.S. Navy routes, and some shipping companies have experienced jamming signals that disrupted their operations entirely. While it's unlikely that your car's GPS system will be targeted by agents of an enemy nation, there are many military and civilian assets at risk that would welcome a more secure solution.
Tern AI's IDPS is powered by an AI model that ingests vehicle and phone sensor data in real time, as well as third-party map data, to provide a consistent and accurate location. The model can be downloaded as a software package to a compatible vehicle's infotainment system. If the vehicle is not compatible, the system can be downloaded to a smartphone. Tern's model can use the phone's sensor data to determine location, but in some cases the smartphone must obtain car sensor data from the vehicle's on-board diagnostic port.
Moore said the goal is for major mapping products like Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze to get location information from Tern's AI models instead of GPS, and the startup plans to negotiate direct collaborations with those vendors in the future.
Tern AI's biggest selling point is that it uses AI to analyze sensor data, such as speed and motion sensors, that are already installed in smartphones and vehicles, and Moore noted that Tern does not rely on computer vision or cameras to determine location.
By using existing sensors, Diana Furchtgott-Roth, former DOT deputy assistant secretary for research and technology, called Tern AI's technology “a low-cost solution to a problem that was previously unthinkable.” [DOT] It's something we've been working on for decades.”
Alternatives to GPS satellites, such as low-earth orbit satellites and ground beacons, are excellent but very expensive to install and maintain.
“GPS technology has not changed significantly in 50 years, and the solutions being proposed to solve or mitigate risk are merely marginal improvements – not true innovation,” Moore said.
He noted that while GPS has improved, the fundamental nature of the technology has not changed and there have not been sufficient advances to prevent GPS from being targeted.
“One of our founding principles is 'no signal,' meaning we don't rely on external sources to determine where we are. Adding intelligence to everything that's available today makes that possible.”
Tern has primarily validated its technology through internal testing based on the US Department of Transportation's framework, and Moore says Tern's IDPS can pinpoint a vehicle's location to within four meters, which is in line with the Department of Transportation's current guidelines for emergency services.
The startup is preparing to begin testing in July with go-to-market partners, including major logistics, shipping and delivery companies that Moore declined to name. Tern is expected to be commercially available in September.
The startup is also in talks with emergency services and autonomous last-mile delivery companies, industries that “rely on precise location information to execute missions and get jobs done,” and Moore foresees the Department of Defense and Department of Transportation potentially partnering in the future.
“When we first met with Tern AI, what impressed us most was how differentiated and scalable their approach was to solving a critical national security problem,” said Steven DiBartolomeo, Principal at Scout Ventures. “Once we understood the practical commercial applications and compatibility with roadway autonomous driving, their vision to redefine positioning resonated with us.”
Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that Tern AI has not yet reached out to mapping companies to integrate its technology.