GPS is a key technology in driverless vehicles because it enables driverless cars to calculate their positioning, navigation, and synchronization. There are fears that bad actors are using computer equipment to block signals or usurp one of the satellites, which could cause vehicles to escape.
In the past it was difficult to search for GPS vulnerabilities in a mobile environment because US federal law prohibits broadcasting gps jammer signals without prior authorization. SWRI’s identity theft test system places a physical component on the axis or axis of the vehicle’s GPS antenna and remotely monitors GPS signals on a ground station.
The system receives the actual GPS signal from the vehicle antenna, processes it and inserts the analog signal, and then broadcasts the analog signal to the vehicle’s GPS receiver. This gives the spoofing system full control of the GPS receiver. SWRI has successfully developed a test that automakers can use to test the reliability of their driverless systems without angering federal regulators.
“This is a legitimate way to improve the network resilience of autonomous vehicles by proving the transmission of steerable or steerable GPS signals and analyzing the response of the system,” said Victor Murray, the network team leader. The physical system of the SWRI group.
During the test of the system on an automated vehicle on an automatic track, engineers were able to modify the vehicle’s route by 10 meters to take it off the road. Sooner or later the vehicle may turn.
“Most self-driving cars don’t rely entirely on GPS because they combine a combination of sensors such as lidar, camera vision, GPS, and other tools,” Murray said. “However, GPS provides the foundation for positioning in many systems. Therefore, it is critical that manufacturers can design technology to address vulnerabilities. ”
The new system is part of SWRI’s internal research program. Future research will focus on the role of GPS deception in drones and aircraft. Last month, researchers at the University of Illinois developed a method that can eliminate the interference of malicious signals by using a system of sensors, encoders, and decoders to determine the interference of malicious signals. When an error signal is broadcast.