BENGALURU: Amid rising concerns over smuggling, illegal fishing and “dark shipping” in the wake of the West Asia crisis, a Bengaluru-based start-up has developed a tool to track ships and aircraft even when GPS systems are switched off.
Xovian Aerospace uses radio frequency signals and satellites to detect and track vehicles that go off conventional radar.
Co-founder Ankit Bhateja said the artificial intelligence-powered radio frequency capture tool can be used for ships, defence sites, aircraft and the industrial sector. “Pilot projects are underway with commercial shipping companies, and discussions with the Indian defence sector are in progress,” he said.
The 14-member team, which includes former ISRO scientists, worked on the technology for two years before announcing its launch.
Bhateja explained that conventional tracking relies on satellite imagery and GPS. However, when GPS is switched off, the system analyses radio frequency signals emitted by onboard instruments and the electromagnetic trails they leave behind.
Ships, for instance, typically emit signals at 160 MHz on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) band. Even if AIS is switched off, other onboard devices continue emitting radio frequency signals that can be detected. If all communication systems are turned off, the tool analyses the vessel’s last known location and surrounding ship signals to estimate movement.
Currently, the company relies on data from multiple sources, resulting in a tracking delay of about 20 minutes. Once Xovian Aerospace launches its own spectrum-scanning RF payload satellite, tracking time is expected to reduce to a few minutes.
“We are in talks with ISRO and international launch providers to deploy our indigenously developed satellite this financial year,” Bhateja added.