ABOUT THE DIN

Integration of a Fibre Optic Gyroscope Inertial Navigation System on an Uncrewed Surface Vessel for GPS-Denied Maritime Autonomy

Forge Photonics

About the Company

Forge Photonics is a deep-tech company spun out of the Australian National University, backed by institutional investor IP Group. It develops fibre optic gyroscope (FOG) inertial navigation systems built on standard telecom fibre and proprietary digital signal processing, delivering navigation-grade performance at a fraction of the cost of incumbent systems. Its technology enables accurate positioning for autonomous platforms — aerial, surface, underwater and ground vehicles — operating in GPS-denied and contested environments, aligned with AUKUS Pillar 2 priorities

Project Objective

GPS jamming and spoofing are routine in contested environments, and uncrewed maritime systems are central to Australia’s force structure. This project will integrate Forge’s FOG-based inertial measurement unit (IMU) into the Blue Robotics BlueBoat — an open-architecture uncrewed surface vessel (USV) running ArduRover autopilot firmware. The intern will complete mechanical and electrical integration into the vessel’s payload architecture, integrate the FOG IMU into the ArduPilot sensor-fusion stack as an external inertial reference, and conduct on-water trials benchmarking dead-reckoning navigation accuracy against GPS ground truth under simulated GPS denial. The outcome is a working USV demonstrator that completes waypoint missions accurately without satellite positioning, directly supporting Defence’s requirement for assured positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).

Project Tasks

• Weeks 1–2: Interface design and definition — mechanical mounting, power budget, and serial/Ethernet data interface between the FOG IMU and the Navigator flight controller; produce interface control document.
• Weeks 3–4: Bench integration and bring-up — electrical installation in the hull electronics bay, datalink verification, hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Weeks 5–8: Firmware and sensor fusion — configure ArduRover to consume the FOG IMU as an external inertial reference; tune fusion parameters; validate on the bench; produce validated firmware build and bench test report.
• Weeks 9–11: On-water trials — waypoint missions with GPS truth logging, then GNSS masked to evaluate FOG dead-reckoning performance; collect trial dataset.
• Week 12: Analysis and documentation — navigation performance report and USV integration reference design suitable for future customer integrations.

Intern Skills

• Embedded systems and hardware integration; proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB; practical hands-on aptitude for electronics, wiring and field testing.
• Familiarity with ArduPilot/PX4, ROS, Kalman filtering/sensor fusion or inertial navigation is highly desirable.
• Postgraduate study in engineering, physics or computer science; willing to participate in outdoor on-water field trials.
• Self-directed and rigorous; strong problem-solving and documentation skills; clear communicator able to present technical findings.
• Australian citizenship required (export-control considerations); confidentiality agreement and IP assignment to Forge Photonics required before starting. No security clearance required.

How to apply

Eligible students (Australian citizens) apply via the online application form and submit a CV and motivation letter by 6 September 2026.