Scientists conduct first test of a wireless cosmic ray navigation system

GPS is now a mainstay of daily life, helping us with determining locations, navigation, tracking, mapping, and timing across a broad spectrum of applications. But it does have a few shortcomings, most notably not being able to pass through buildings, rocks, or water. That's why Japanese researchers have developed an alternative wireless navigation system that relies on cosmic rays, or muons, instead of radio waves, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience. The team has conducted their first successful test, and the system could one day be used by search and rescue teams, for example, to guide robots underwater, or help autonomous vehicles navigate underground.