Interview with Dr. Mario Paniccia, Head of ANELLO Photonics
In the rapidly evolving world of autonomous vehicles and robotics, a groundbreaking innovation is making waves: the SiPhOG technology by Anello Photonics. This cutting-edge silicon photonics gyroscope is poised to revolutionise inertial navigation, particularly in GPS-denied environments, an essential aspect for the growth of autonomy and robotics over the coming years.
Dr. Mario Paniccia, CEO, co-founder, and Chairman of Anello Photonics, leads the company that has developed this compact, high-precision silicon photonics optical gyroscope. The SiPhOG technology, currently advancing, is designed specifically for navigation in GPS-denied environments, with significant applications in autonomy, AI, and robotics.
The SiPhOG operates on the same Sagnac effect principle as traditional fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs) but replaces bulky and manually assembled components with photonic integrated circuits. This integration improves reliability and manufacturing scalability, allowing Anello to bring FOG-level gyroscope performance to mass markets. The technology is already being evaluated and deployed in various autonomous vehicle platforms, robotaxis, and robotics systems, serving safety and navigation needs where GPS signals are weak, jammed, or unavailable.
Anello has created novel sensitive and low-power electronics that complement the photonic chip, enabling precise rotation measurement critical for inertial navigation in autonomous systems. The technology's robustness to GPS jitters and denial scenarios supports the increasing need for assured autonomy in defence, transportation, and aerospace sectors relying on inertial guidance.
Looking ahead, the SiPhOG aims to fill the "gap" between low-performance MEMS sensors and large, expensive FOGs, offering a middle ground of high performance and compact size suitable for mass adoption in autonomous and robotic vehicles. Its integration promises further miniaturization, improved manufacturing cost-efficiencies, and widespread deployment across multiple commercial and defence applications, including AI-powered autonomous logistics, robotics, and drone navigation.
Overall, the SiPhOG technology is positioned to become a cornerstone sensor for next-generation autonomous and robotic systems requiring reliable navigation without GPS, enabling safer, more scalable autonomy solutions across industries. As integrated silicon photonics become foundational to the future of autonomy, especially in GPS-denied or contested environments, Anello Photonics is at the forefront of this revolution.
For more information, engineers and governments can engage with Anello by collaborating, testing evaluation kits, and testing products on their platforms. With its SiPhOG technology, Anello Photonics is redefining inertial navigation, providing robust and uninterrupted, GPS-Denied navigation when GPS signal is unavailable, and offering exceptional accuracy with reduced size, weight, power, and cost. The SiPhOG delivers the same low drift gyro performance as a FOG but in a smaller, compact, lower power, and scalable solution, ensuring autonomous systems operate with centimeter-level accuracy in environments where GPS is limited or intermittent.
- The SiPhOG technology developed by Anello Photonics, a groundbreaking silicon photonics gyroscope, is designed for navigation in GPS-denied environments, with applications extending to various industries, such as the automotive, defense, transportation, and aerospace sectors.
- The SiPhOG technology, currently being evaluated and deployed in autonomous vehicle platforms, robotaxis, and robotics systems, offers a middle ground of high performance and compact size suitable for mass adoption in these industries.
- The integration of the SiPhOG technology, which operates on the Sagnac effect principle and replaces bulky components with photonic integrated circuits, promises further miniaturization and improved manufacturing cost-efficiencies, making it viable for widespread deployment across multiple commercial and defense applications.
