Visual Navigation System Delivers GNSS-Denied Capability to Puma sUAS Family

AV Inc. has integrated its Visual Navigation System (VNS) kit with the Puma Long Endurance (LE) small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS), delivering Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-denied navigation capability.

First introduced in 2022 for the Puma 2 AE and Puma 3 AE, the VNS kit uses advanced computer vision and onboard processing to enable precise, GNSS-independent navigation. Its integration into Puma LE now extends this capability across the full Puma family, providing greater flexibility and resilience in environments where GNSS may be degraded or denied. The system automatically transitions between GNSS-enabled and GNSS-denied modes without pilot input, ensuring mission continuity in contested environments.

Jason Hendrix, Vice President of Small Uncrewed Systems for AV, commented, “Assured navigation is critical to the mission, especially as GNSS becomes an increasingly vulnerable resource. By fusing visual and inertial data in real time, the system enables uninterrupted flight paths, accurate geolocation, and mission continuity in unreliable GNSS regions.”

The VNS kit uses a suite of downward-facing sensors, cameras, and onboard computing to perform Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO). This process captures and analyzes terrain imagery, estimating the aircraft’s true position in real time. The system fuses continuous visual data from the cameras with motion inputs from onboard inertial sensors to calculate precise position, velocity, and orientation, allowing the aircraft to maintain situational awareness when GNSS is unavailable.

This integration follows other recent upgrades to the Puma LE platform, which included the integration of a Laser Target Designator and the release of the Universal Gimbal Kit. These enhancements aim to evolve Puma LE beyond Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) into a precision-engagement system.

Trace Stevenson, President of Autonomous Systems at AV, added, “Every upgrade to Puma LE, including the addition of the VNS kit and our new laser designator and gimbal capabilities, is driven by one goal: giving the warfighter greater confidence, flexibility, and capability. These recent releases are a great example of AV constantly evolving our platforms to ensure they are at the forefront of technology and providing best in class capability to the warfighter.”

The VNS Kit is designed as an add-on option for new Puma 3 AE or Puma LE system orders. It is also available as a retrofit kit, allowing existing Puma 2 AE, Puma 3 AE, and Puma LE customers to upgrade fielded systems. The compact two-piece add-on is installed easily with minimal impact on performance and fits within the standard Puma cases. The standard Puma LE system weighs 23.8 pounds, offers 6.5 hours of endurance, and has a 60-kilometer range. It is inaudible at 500 feet and features tool-free payload swaps for seamless transitions between different mission sets.