Built for Mars, now tested by Army: BITS students develop GPS-free drone system

Naman Kasliwal and Shiv Patil developed the Beijan Autonomous Navigation Module through their startup, Beijan. It gives drones a secondary navigation system when GPS signals are unavailable or disrupted. The idea first came from a Mars-focused question, not a battlefield need. Drones on Mars would need another way to navigate because GPS does not exist there.

An Indian Army officer later identified a military use for the technology. The module uses cameras mounted on a drone and processes visual information from the surrounding environment. That information helps estimate movement and support navigation decisions. Beijan also designed its software for smaller, lighter hardware and aimed to make the module cost-effective and easy to integrate.

The system has undergone trials in Secunderabad and Leh and was demonstrated before the Army's Southern Command. Three modules were taken for further testing in Pokhran, while eight other military units expressed interest.

Vision-based navigation is a method in which a drone uses visual information from onboard cameras to guide its movement. It matters because satellite navigation can be unavailable or deliberately disrupted. A drone equipped with this alternative does not have to depend entirely on GPS to understand how it is moving.

The Beijan module captures images of the surrounding environment through cameras mounted on the drone. Its proprietary software processes that visual data to estimate movement and support navigation decisions. The article describes it as a secondary navigation source. It does not explain the precise visual algorithm, but it makes clear that the system relies entirely on camera-based information.

Beijan also optimised the software for smaller, lighter hardware. The team focused on practical, cost-effective integration with existing drones. Trials in places including Leh tested whether the technology could remain reliable, accurate and stable in demanding conditions.

The module uses cameras mounted on the drone to observe the surrounding environment. Its software processes those visual inputs rather than relying entirely on satellite positioning. This matters because the drone needs another navigation source when GPS is unavailable, blocked or disrupted.

According to the article, Beijan’s proprietary visual navigation software estimates movement from camera data and supports navigation decisions. The system therefore uses what the drone sees as a guide to its motion. The article does not describe the exact computing steps or explain a specific image-matching algorithm. It does state that the software was optimised to run on smaller and lighter hardware.

This design aims to make the module practical for existing drone platforms. Beijan is developing it as a plug-and-play system, so manufacturers do not need to create an entirely new navigation system. Field trials focused on improving reliability, accuracy and stability.

Beijan’s navigation system has undergone military trials at locations including Secunderabad and Leh. It was also demonstrated before the Indian Army’s Southern Command. These trials show that the technology has been evaluated in military settings rather than only tested as a student project.

Kasliwal said three modules were subsequently taken for further field-testing in Pokhran. Leh presented difficult terrain and environmental conditions, pushing the team to improve reliability, accuracy and stability. The module also had to work with different drone platforms. These requirements helped move the system from a working prototype toward a field-ready product.

Interest has extended beyond the units involved in testing. Officials from eight other military units have expressed interest in the technology. The article does not confirm wider deployment or operational adoption. It presents the system as tested and attracting military attention, with further field-testing already completed or underway in the reported locations.

When GPS signals fail, a drone can lose its sense of direction. That failure matters because satellite positioning is normally a major source of navigation information. The article links this risk to interference, deliberate jamming and environments where satellite signals are unavailable.

Without relying entirely on GPS, the Beijan module uses cameras mounted on the drone. Its software processes visual information from the surrounding environment to estimate movement and support navigation decisions. This gives the drone a secondary navigation source. The article does not claim that the system replaces every function of GPS or explain how it behaves in every environment.

The students developed the original concept for drones operating on Mars, where GPS signals are unavailable. An Army officer then highlighted its military potential on Earth. After trials in Secunderabad and Leh, three modules went to Pokhran for further field-testing. The team also worked to make the system reliable and compatible with different drones.

A military drone may operate where satellite-based navigation is unavailable or deliberately disrupted. If it relies only on GPS, interference can remove an important source of positioning and direction. A secondary system reduces that dependence and helps the drone continue making navigation decisions.

Beijan’s module provides this backup through cameras mounted on the drone. It processes visual information from the surrounding environment and uses that information to estimate movement. The module acts as a secondary navigation source, rather than being described as a complete replacement for GPS. Its software was also optimised for smaller, lighter hardware.

This approach matters because military drones may use different platforms and face difficult field conditions. Beijan is working toward a plug-and-play module that can fit existing drones without requiring a completely new navigation system. Trials in Leh tested reliability, accuracy and stability, while further testing took place in Pokhran.

GPS is a satellite-based navigation system. Satellites transmit timed signals, and a receiver compares signals from multiple satellites to calculate its position and help determine movement. The article focuses on GPS as a satellite network available on Earth and says such a network is unavailable on Mars.

That absence creates a navigation problem for a Mars drone. Instead of using GPS satellites, the Beijan concept uses cameras mounted on the drone. Software processes visual information from the surrounding environment to estimate movement and support navigation decisions. The article does not detail the receiver’s GPS calculations or the exact visual algorithm, but it clearly contrasts satellite navigation with camera-based navigation.

The Mars problem led Naman Kasliwal and Shiv Patil to develop an alternative system. An Army officer later pointed out that the same idea could help drones on Earth when GPS is jammed or disrupted. The resulting module has undergone military trials and further field-testing.