Press releases

Filter by year

Maxar Launches Raptor, a First-of-its-Kind Software that Unlocks Next-Gen GPS Resilience for Autonomous Systems

03/25/2025

Raptor vision-based software products use Maxar’s unique global 3D data to deliver a breakthrough terrain-based positioning system for drone navigation and sensemaking in GPS-denied environments

 

WESTMINSTER, Colo. - Maxar Intelligence, the leading provider of secure, precise geospatial insights, today launched Raptor, a powerful software suite that enables autonomous drones to navigate and extract accurate ground coordinates in the absence of GPS. This technology transforms the resilience and reliability of unmanned systems, enabling autonomy at scale across warfighting, humanitarian and commercial operations for customers across the world.

Designed for lightweight integration with any autonomous platform, Raptor products use only a drone’s native camera and Maxar’s 90 million-plus sq km of global 3D terrain data to help the platform navigate with extreme precision and extract accurate ground coordinates in real-time without GPS. Raptor can also operate at night and in low-terrain environments. No additional hardware required.

“By eliminating reliance on GPS, Raptor software unlocks the full potential of autonomous systems—from powering truly joint multi-domain operations as part of a digital battlefield to large-scale delivery systems in urban areas where knowing the precise coordinates of your drop-off location is critical to getting the job done,” said Peter Wilczynski, Chief Product Officer at Maxar Intelligence. “Raptor will change the game for customers across the defense and commercial sectors. This software uses Maxar’s unique 3D global terrain data to ensure that autonomous systems get the job done no matter how much GPS interference they face.”

This image shows how Raptor Guide enables an autonomous system to navigate with precision even without GPS. The green line represents the drone’s true location in the real world on a specific flight path. The red line shows the location information sent by the drone without GPS and without using Guide. The yellow line shows the location information sent by the drone when using Raptor Guide without GPS. You can see it delivers a far more accurate reading with Raptor Guide, which would ensure that the platform is navigating with more precision.

This image shows how Raptor Guide enables an autonomous system to navigate with precision even without GPS. The green line represents the drone’s true location in the real world on a specific flight path. The red line shows the location information sent by the drone without GPS and without using Guide. The yellow line shows the location information sent by the drone when using Raptor Guide without GPS. You can see it delivers a far more accurate reading with Raptor Guide, which would ensure that the platform is navigating with more precision.

This image shows how Raptor Guide enables an autonomous system to navigate with precision even without GPS. The green line represents the drone’s true location in the real world on a specific flight path. The red line shows the location information sent by the drone without GPS and without using Guide. The yellow line shows the location information sent by the drone when using Raptor Guide without GPS. You can see it delivers a far more accurate reading with Raptor Guide, which would ensure that the platform is navigating with more precision. This image shows a drone’s full motion video feed overlaid against Maxar’s highly accurate 3D terrain data, representing the real-time data fusion that’s happening with Raptor Sync. Every coordinate in the drone’s field of view is correlated with its exact position in the real-world with a demonstrated accuracy of within 3 meters of its real-world position. This image shows the Raptor Ace software in action. On the left, the operator sees the live feed from the drone’s native camera. On the right, they see Maxar’s 3D global terrain data. The operator is able to use these two views to select and extract highly accurate coordinates for objects on the ground with a demonstrated accuracy of within 3 meters of its real-world position.

The Raptor suite of software solutions includes:

  • Raptor Guide: Vision-based positioning software loaded directly onto an autonomous platform to determine its aerial position at a demonstrated absolute accuracy of <10 m RMSE.
  • Raptor Sync: Software that georegisters the full motion video feed from the drone’s on-board camera with Maxar's 3D terrain data in real-time, enabling intelligence fusion, multi-domain interoperability across different sensors and accurate ground coordinate extraction at a demonstrated absolute accuracy of <3 m.
  • Raptor Ace: Software solution installed on commodity laptop equipment that works alongside drone controllers, enabling operators to extract real-time target ground coordinates from full-motion aerial video feeds with a demonstrated absolute accuracy of <3 m.

Raptor represents a fundamentally new solution on the market, providing significant advantages over most visual-based navigation alternatives:

  • Cost- and power-efficient: Raptor software products are deployable on off-the-shelf hardware and require minimal initial integration. Alternative navigation solutions typically require additional hardware.
  • Delivers against complex mission profiles: Built on a true 3D representation of the operational terrain, Raptor products operate at night, in any season, and at altitudes as low as 120 m. Maxar’s 3D global terrain data is regularly updated.
  • Enables autonomy at scale: Because Raptor software anchors sensor data against a common geospatial foundation and works with existing drone cameras, the technology makes it possible for different unmanned systems to work together for joint operations regardless of the software or hardware platform.
  • Works on existing cameras: A dedicated downward-facing camera consumes precious payload space and adds to the platform’s weight and power consumption. Raptor software works with the UAS’s existing optics, including both forward and side-looking cameras.

 

To learn more, visit the Raptor product webpage.

About Maxar Intelligence

Maxar Intelligence is a leading provider of secure, precise geospatial insights. Operating the most advanced commercial Earth observation constellation on orbit, we use the power of very high-resolution satellite imagery and software technology to deliver mission success on Earth and in space. Our secure, AI-powered products and services deliver ground truth in near real-time to keep nations safe, improve navigation, protect our planet, speed up disaster response and more. For more information, visit www.maxar.com.

Media Contact:
Tomi Maxted
Maxar Intelligence
Tomi.maxted@maxar.com