Stanford Engineering
GPS Lab

Research Focus

GPS Lab Research Focus banner image

Stanford is widely considered by many as the world’s leading institution performing GPS and PNT research today. It all started in the early 1990’s. The early research included:

  • Use of GPS for Spacecraft Attitude and Translation Control

  • Autonomous Aircraft

  • Airplane Navigation, Takeoffs & Landings

  • Precision Farming / Agriculture

  • En-route Flight Safety

  • GPS Augmentation Systems (WAAS and LAAS)

In the last 10+ years the research includes:

  • WAAS and SBAS Augmentation Systems

  • Cyber Safety for Transportation including anti-spoofing & jamming

  • Alternative PNT

  • Time and Time Transfer

  • IMU Development & Testing

  • Multi-Constellation GNSS

  • GNSS Software Receiver

… and more recently:

  • Marine Animals Tracking

  • Positive Train Control

Today there are over 3 billion users of GPS.  GPS, GNSS and PNT have become a de facto utility. We expect the Lab's PNT research to continue to evolve as demand for accurate position location and time is desired and/or required in more-and-more applications worldwide.

The Current and Continuing GPS/PNT Research pages in this section describe the various new and ongoing research projects in the GPS Lab.

The Early GPS/PNT Research pages in this section describe research projects from the formative years of the GPS Lab in the decades of 1990 and 2000.