Japanese researchers pilot muon-based navigation system for underground and underwater use

A team of Japanese scientists has created a muon-based positioning system called MuWNS, which can operate in environments that block conventional GPS signals, such as underground tunnels, indoor spaces, and underwater settings. The approach exploits the steady flux of muons generated by cosmic rays, which can penetrate dense materials without losing speed. Surface-based reference stations and a mobile receiver equipped with quartz clocks detect these particles and compute the receiver’s location through synchronized timing.

In a recent trial, reference units placed on a building’s sixth floor guided a person carrying the receiver through basement corridors, reconstructing the route with an accuracy between 2 and 25 metres across a 100-metre range. The performance rivals single-point GPS in urban areas, but the developers acknowledge that achieving the sub-metre precision required for most practical uses will depend on improving clock synchronization. Potential applications include guiding rescue robots, supporting autonomous vehicles in subterranean environments, and enhancing navigation where satellite signals are unavailable.