Ukraine’s Farsight Vision Builds Ground Robot Navigation to Work Without GPS

Ukrainian defense technology company Farsight Vision presented a navigation module on October 5 that allows ground robotic systems to orient themselves without GPS by combining laser sensing with 3D terrain data.

Oboronka reported the development on October 5, citing information provided by Farsight Vision. The system generates a real-time point cloud around the vehicle, identifying obstacles, holes, slopes, and other terrain features while refining its planned route.

"The solution is based on the concept of a digital twin of the terrain," Farsight Vision stated. The company explained that operators receive a continuously updated model of the surrounding area rather than relying solely on satellite imagery.

Before a mission, the FSV Platform creates a 3D model of the terrain. During movement, the onboard module adds sensor-generated point cloud data to the model, allowing the operator to compare the vehicle's actual surroundings with the planned route.

If GPS becomes unavailable and the ground system loses its position, the combination of the prebuilt 3D model and live sensor data helps restore orientation. The three-dimensional view can also show terrain geometry that may be difficult to assess through a conventional video feed.

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Farsight Vision CEO Viktoriia Yaremchuk noted that the company wants to eliminate the need to launch a separate reconnaissance drone simply to guide a ground robotic system. Such support creates additional risk and consumes resources, she added.

"By the end of the year, Farsight Vision aims to enable the drone to autonomously return to the point where communication was lost or to a designated base," Yaremchuk stated. The initial target is several kilometers, with later scaling to 30–40 kilometers at the platform's maximum speed.

Earlier, on September 24, Ukraine codified the domestically produced Varkhan ground robotic complex, a 4×4 platform that can carry up to 300 kilograms over 37 kilometers to positions where sending personnel would be too risky.

Unmanned ground vehicles completed more than 25,000 logistics and evacuation missions in August alone, up from 7,511 in January. Kyiv aims to build at least 50,000 combat and logistics ground robots this year.

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