News

Satellites and satellites around the earth.

The Problem With GPS

Jan. 29, 2021
WNCG professor Todd Humphreys, an expert in GPS spoofing, is featured in a recent New York Times opinion piece on the nation's need for a GPS backup. Although the system is essential, it's also vulnerable. Read the full piece by Kate Murphy in The New York Times. 
Nasa's dragon spacecraft in space.

Todd Humphreys and Peter Iannucci Research to Improve Navigation using SpaceX Satellites

Sept. 29, 2020
WNCG professor Todd Humphreys and postdoctoral fellow Peter Iannucci of the Radionavigation Laboratory have developed a system using the constellation of SpaceX satellites to potentially deliver a low-cost, more accurate, and highly secure alternative to GPS. Their work was recently featured in the MIT Technology Review:
A man in a suit standing in an office building.

Todd Humphreys to Lead Texas Effort in New DOT Research Center

Sept. 17, 2020
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded nearly $2 million to a national research consortium that includes lead institution Ohio State University as well as the University of California-Irvine and the University of Texas at Austin. The grant will create a new Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC). According to the DOT, these centers aim to “advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing our nation.”
Satellites and satellites around the earth.

How Vulnerable is GPS?

Aug. 13, 2020
The New Yorker feature "How Vulnerable is GPS?" discusses WNCG professor Todd Humphreys' journey uncovering and demonstrating security weaknesses in the Global Positioning System. Humphreys is a pioneer in the the study of Global Navigation Satellite Systems. His research group was the first to demonstrate cm-accurate RTK positioning through a smartphone antenna, and in 2012 they demonstrated the first successful spoofing of UAVs. Since then, Humphreys has examined real-world instances of spoofing and jamming that raise serious concerns about the ubiquitous technology.