The Ministry of defence of United Kingdom is working in a device similar to a «compass quantum», that replaced to the system GPS (created by the Department of Defense of United States) and that will allow determine the position of way exact without need of the employment of satellites.
The reason for this change is not but by security rather than mathematical precision. GPS tracking system is very accurate but not very safe. Various countries such as Korea of the South and Iran have spoken of «piracy» of the system, so the British Government intends to eliminate the weakest location slope satellite and combine in a single device, maximum precision and safety.
The compass or accelerometer quantum will work through a system of «traps» – created cages with laser-able to reduce the temperature of the atoms to almost absolute zero. Then, once at this low temperature, atoms become very sensitive to electromagnetic fluctuations of the Earth. By measuring these fluctuations, will be possible calculate with precision almost absolute, its movement in any direction.
This system, whose prototype expected to be ready within three to five years, will be very useful especially for submarines, as it is the means of military transport that is more complications to determine its position, either under water or ice.
Source: Very interesting.
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