Swift Navigation, a pioneer in centimeter-level Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology, announced a major collaboration with NVIDIA to integrate precise GNSS positioning into the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX platform – a widely adopted compute and sensor framework for autonomous vehicles. The integration leverages a new software component called the Starling SAL Plugin for NVIDIA’s DriveWorks SDK, enabling cost-efficient, high-integrity, centimeter-accurate vehicle localization within next-generation autonomous systems.
Historically, absolute localization – determining a vehicle’s precise global position – has relied on expensive optical and sensor stacks such as LiDAR and vision systems, which significantly increase development cost, complexity, and failure points in adverse weather or low-feature environments. Swift’s approach offloads this positioning burden to GNSS augmented by its Skylark™ Precise Positioning Service and Starling® Positioning Engine, delivering accurate lane-level coordinates by fusing corrected GNSS data with inertial and odometry sensors.
The result is a drop-in solution for automakers and tier-one suppliers using NVIDIA DRIVE AGX: a robust, integrated localization stack that reduces reliance on costly proprietary hardware and simplifies the engineering associated with sensor fusion and validation. Swift and NVIDIA say this innovation targets scalable, mass-market autonomous deployment while significantly lowering total system cost.
What’s Changed: GNSS Meets DRIVE AGX
At the center of this development is the Starling SAL Plugin for NVIDIA DriveWorks – a software layer that sits between raw GNSS receivers and the higher-level DRIVE AGX sensor fusion ecosystem, providing corrected, high-integrity global position output to the vehicle’s autonomous software stack. DRIVE AGX – NVIDIA’s end-to-end platform for software-defined vehicles – integrates compute, sensors, operating software, and safety certification tools, enabling automakers to scale from assisted driving to full autonomy.
Swift’s GNSS positioning works well with DriveWorks’ Sensor Abstraction Layer (SAL). This combo helps developers get high-precision positioning easily. They won’t need to build or validate custom localization stacks from scratch. This speeds up development and lowers engineering costs. As a result, high-integrity positioning becomes more affordable for autonomous vehicle systems.
Why It Matters Beyond Automotive
While Swift Navigation’s announcement is rooted in automotive autonomy, the implications extend deeply into the Aerospace industry – especially for systems that require robust, high-precision positioning and global awareness.
1. Enhanced Global Navigation for Aerospace Platforms
Accurate GNSS positioning is key in aerospace. It offers centimeter-level precision and high integrity. This is key for many uses, such as UAV autonomy and advanced navigation in aircraft. It also applies to space-to-ground operations. Traditional aerospace navigation systems use costly inertial navigation systems (INS) along with GPS. They are often improved by local correction stations. Swift’s cloud-based precise positioning reduces dependence on local systems. It provides global correction data over long distances. This is crucial for flight paths, aerospace logistics, and high-altitude operations.
In unmanned aerial systems, high-precision GNSS improves safety in flights. It also enhances landing accuracy and supports effective geofencing. The commercial UAV sector is growing in logistics, inspection, and surveillance. Cost-effective precise positioning is now a key advantage for aerospace integrators and service providers.
Also Read: Aeva and NVIDIA Integrate 4D LiDAR into DRIVE Hyperion Platform Ecosystem
2. Improved Resilience in Challenging Environments
A key advantage of GNSS-based localization is its complementary nature to optical and inertial systems. In situations where optical sensors struggle – such as low visibility, rapid motion, high vibration and absent landmarks – GNSS offers consistent global coordinates that can anchor navigation algorithms. In aerospace contexts – especially for long-range drones or urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles – this can improve safety and reliability.
This is particularly important for aerospace programs operating beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) or in congested airspaces where sensor fusion must maintain robust situational awareness.
3. Scalability for Space-Ground Integration
As aerospace systems evolve toward space-to-ground integration, including satellite-assisted communications and precision timing, GNSS services with global correction – such as Swift’s cloud-native Skylark – provide a scalable solution that extends beyond terrestrial limitations. Accurate positioning is foundational to advanced aerospace navigation, particularly for multi-platform coordination, distributed sensor networks, and autonomous recovery of aerial assets.
Business Effects in the Aerospace Ecosystem
Aerospace Manufacturers and Integrators
Aerospace OEMs can use high-integrity GNSS technology. This includes those designing drones, rotorcraft, and fixed-wing platforms. This helps improve navigation precision without raising hardware costs much. This is especially important in fields like air logistics, remote sensing, and scientific missions. In these areas, navigation accuracy affects both mission success and operational efficiency.
Aerospace Software Developers and Systems Integrators
Developers building avionics, autonomy stacks, and navigation frameworks can leverage software-centric GNSS positioning without dedicating significant R&D to custom sensor fusion. This accelerates time-to-market for autonomous aircraft projects and represents an opportunity to shift focus toward higher-value capabilities — such as mission planning, AI flight control, and real-time decision support.
Air Traffic Management and UTM Providers
As unmanned and autonomous flights increase, systems like Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) will need accurate position data. This data is crucial for safely managing aircraft flows. Swift’s precise GNSS solutions – now proven in automotive scale – could be adapted to support UTM architectures requiring centimeter-level positioning for conflict detection and dynamic routing.
Drone Services and Advanced Air Mobility Operators
Commercial drone service providers in delivery, infrastructure inspection, and environmental monitoring benefit directly from improved navigation accuracy – especially where GPS drift can cause mission failures or regulatory non-compliance. For advanced air mobility (AAM) operators planning passenger or cargo eVTOL services, reliable GNSS positioning with integrity monitoring contributes to certification efforts and safety case development.
Industry Trends Driven by the Partnership
Swift Navigation’s integration with NVIDIA DRIVE AGX propels key trends in Aerospace and autonomous systems:
Sensor fusion is now the norm. It combines GNSS with IMU, odometry, and other sensors. This creates strong navigation layers. These layers are vital for autonomy in air, land, and sea.
Cloud-native precise positioning is changing the industry. Cloud-based systems offer global correction services. This replaces the need for heavy local infrastructure. It also matches aerospace trends for connected and distributed avionics systems.
Software-defined autonomy is taking charge. Software plugins like Starling are pushing for software-driven navigation stacks. These stacks are cheaper and easier to standardize across different industries.
Outlook: Precise GNSS Powers the Next Generation of Aerospace Navigation
The Swift Navigation and NVIDIA partnership changes how we use positioning tech. It makes accurate and affordable localization easier for scalable autonomous platforms. This partnership has big implications. It gives aerospace innovators a strong tool for navigation, autonomy, and safety in many aerial platforms and applications.
Aerospace systems are using autonomous capabilities. This includes unmanned drones and flight control. High-integrity GNSS positioning is a key part of this technology. This technology helps companies create safer, more reliable, and cost-effective solutions. It meets future operational needs. Swift Navigation and NVIDIA help aerospace innovators improve their solutions with precision and confidence.