The Institute of Navigation recognizes Dr. Todd E. Humphreys with prestigious Johannes Kepler Award at the ION GNSS+ 2023 Conference

 Manassas Virginia, September 18, 2023 - The Institute of Navigation’s (ION) Satellite Division awarded Dr. Todd E. Humphreys its Johannes Kepler Award on September 15, 2023, at the ION GNSS+ 2023 Conference (Denver, Colorado) for sustained contributions to the art and science of navigation signal processing; and for increasing the public awareness of the vulnerability of GNSS.

Dr. Humphreys is credited with fundamental contributions to secure, precise, and robust PNT; and GNSS software-defined receivers (SDRs). Dr. Humphreys developed the first GNSS SDR on a small general-purpose processor capable of continually tracking dozens of signals in real time. This C++-based receiver is now a highly optimized science-grade multicore GNSS SDR, which was the first of its kind to demonstrate centimeter-accurate GNSS positioning with a smartphone antenna.

Dr. Humphreys initiated the study of GNSS security in open literature through his publications on assessing the threat of civilian spoofers. He designed and studied diverse methods to detect and counteract spoofing attacks and developed standardized test conditions for evaluating GNSS signal authentication concepts. As part of this work, he made the risks of GNSS jamming and spoofing known to a wider audience and increased public awareness of such vulnerabilities with live demonstrations and public addresses, including participating in international advisory boards and testifying before U.S. Congress.

Dr. Humphreys is credited for catalyzing the movement of precision carrier-phase-based GNSS into the mass market. His laboratory was the first to demonstrate cm-accurate real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning through a smartphone antenna. Dr. Humphreys laid the theoretical foundation for simultaneously mapping the signals-of-opportunity landscape and exploiting the signals and map for PNT. Additionally, he recently developed an interface specification for the Starlink signal structure that will enable the use of these signals for PNT.

Dr. Humphreys currently holds the Ashley H. Priddy Centennial Professorship in Engineering in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin where he directs the Radionavigation Laboratory and the Wireless Networking and Communications Group. He received his BS and MS from Utah State University, and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.

The Kepler Award recognizes and honors an individual for sustained and significant contributions to the development of satellite navigation. It is the highest honor bestowed by the ION’s Satellite Division.

About ION

The Institute of Navigation is a not-for-profit professional organization advancing Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). The Institute is a national organization whose membership spans worldwide. Additional information about the ION can be found at ion.org.