Flare Bright

Flare Bright, established in 2015, is a UK-based company at the forefront of developing autonomous navigation solutions for environments where GPS is unavailable or unreliable. The company was founded by Dr. Kelvin Hamilton, who now serves as CEO, and was co-founded by Dr. Conrad Rider, the current CTO. Dr. Hamilton brings a wealth of experience from his previous venture in sub-sea autonomous platforms, which he sold in 2013, and holds a Ph.D. in Underwater Robotics. Dr. Rider specializes in Applied Artificial Intelligence, holding a Ph.D. in the field. The leadership team was later strengthened by Chris Daniels, the Chief Commercial Officer, who has a background in the British Army's Parachute Regiment, investment banking, and commercializing technology startups.

The company's core technology is a software-based, patent-pending system that dramatically enhances the capabilities of low-cost inertial measurement units (IMUs) through machine learning and digital twin modeling. This Software Enhanced Navigation System (SENS) creates a highly accurate physics-based model, or 'digital twin', of an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS). By comparing real-time sensor data to this model, the software can provide precise position and navigation information without external signals, making it immune to jamming and spoofing. This allows even a basic, inexpensive IMU, like those found in smartphones, to achieve navigation accuracy comparable to or even exceeding that of far more expensive tactical-grade systems over extended periods. The system is hardware-agnostic and can be integrated into existing drone platforms via a small, credit-card-sized board or by utilizing the drone's own sensor suite.

Flare Bright primarily serves the aerospace and defense sectors, with significant contracts and funding from the UK Ministry of Defence's Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and the United States Department of Defense. Its business model revolves around developing and licensing its advanced software, as well as providing research and development services to accelerate the evaluation and optimization of flight systems for prime aerospace contractors and government bodies. While initially developing its own drones like the SnapShot nanodrone, the company has pivoted to focus on its core software competence, which has applications for a wide range of aerial, maritime, and subsea vehicles. This technology enables critical capabilities such as flight safety in GNSS-denied areas, logistics, surveying, and certifiable autonomous operations.

Keywords: GPS-denied navigation, inertial navigation system, INS, IMU, digital twin, machine learning navigation, autonomous systems, uncrewed aerial systems, UAS, drone software, aerospace technology, defense technology, anti-jamming, anti-spoofing, flight control systems, autonomous robotics, position and navigation, software enhanced navigation, UK aerospace, DASA