Israeli device to prevent GPS disruptions hits the market

The cyber security company GPSdome Ltd. is marketing a miniature "GPS anti-jammer," a pocket-sized gadget that protects GPS-based systems from disturbances at a more affordable cost.

JANUARY 15, 2017 15:58

Updated: JANUARY 15, 2017 23:15

GPSdome (photo credit: COURTESY GPSDOME) — GPSdome

(photo credit: COURTESY GPSDOME)

Aiming to curb situations in which civilian vehicles are stuck “off the grid,” a Caesarea- based firm has begun shipments of a system that prevents disruptions to GPS.

The cybersecurity company GPSdome Ltd. is marketing a miniature “GPS anti-jammer,” a pocket-sized gadget that protects GPSbased systems from disturbances at a more affordable cost than comparable military appliances, according to the firm. The product works to counteract the effects of jamming devices – radio frequency transmitters that deliberately block communications like GPS.

“Our affordable GPS anti-jammer has been developed for civilian applications, which cannot afford paying over $30,000 for the existing military-oriented anti-jammers,” said GPSdome CEO Ehud Sharar.

Jamming has become particularly problematic due to the increasing prevalence of low-cost GPS jammers that can be purchased online for just $30, the company explained. While the drivers using these jammers may do so in order to prevent cars from recording their travels, the impact radius of these devices can reach hundreds of meters and potentially hamper critical communications and infrastructural systems, the firm said.

Also using jammers are freight truck robbers, who employ the devices to make their target trucks disappear “off the grid” from computerized fleet management systems, the company added.

GPSdome’s device combats electromagnetic warfare by using null steering, a method of spatial signal processing through which a transmitter can nullify communication jamming.

The product was developed in particular to address the requirements of autonomous cars, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, all of which depend heavily on GPS in order to function, the company explained.

“We have been approached by many leading car companies, which are interested in integrating our product in their autonomous cars, such as Daimler-Mercedes, Ford, Toyota, Honda, BMW and others,” Sharar said. “We are currently ready to provide them units for evaluation, and our development team will fulfill any additional requirements to adapt our product to their needs.”