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Is It Really GPS If It Doesn't Use Satellites?

cartechboy writes: "GPS was originally developed by the military, but today it's in your smartphones, and soon, possibly your watches. Now the British military is developing something called quantum compass. The concept is a GPS-style navigation for submarines that doesn't use satellites. The quantum compass uses the movements of super-cooled subatomic particles to pinpoint a vessel's location. These particles, stored in a vacuum, react to the Earth's magnetic field. The movements caused by this interaction can be used for location positioning. At the moment, the Ministry of Defense's prototype resembles a '1-meter long shoe box,' so the next step is to miniaturize it. It could then be used by individual soldiers, as well as huge ships and submarines. Not only is it useful, but it's secure too—the technology is apparently interference-proof. Is this the future of navigation systems, or the reinvention of the compass? Possibly both."

7 of 298 comments (clear)

  1. Re:For smartphone? Don't think so... by WoodstockJeff · · Score: 1, Funny

    By having a stellar array of really cool apps! Not lame ones, like Facebook or Twitter.

  2. Re:Man-portable supercooling? by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Doesn't anyone listen to the Doctor. Whenever the Brits make advanced technology meant to be shared with the world for the common, it is part of some evil plot to take over the human race! Why don't they just call it Asmos.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  3. Re:Well ... by NatasRevol · · Score: 4, Funny

    you might as well call navigating by the stars GPS

    That'd be galactic positioning system.

    --
    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  4. Re:Durability? by SuricouRaven · · Score: 3, Funny

    Could build the input stage with valves. It'll make your location sound better.

  5. Re:Well ... by DougOtto · · Score: 5, Funny

    No. In Russia, GLONASS uses you!

    --
    Solving Unix problems since 1989...
  6. Next Up! by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 3, Funny

    Next up in our quest to solve the world's semantic quibbles: is it a metric system if it isn't SI?

    Discuss among yourselves.

    --
    I am not a crackpot.
  7. Re:Man-portable supercooling? by Wootery · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is a shark-portable version a possibility?