Our Vision and Objectives

CARNATIONS is a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC) that addresses the growing cyber-physical risks impacting Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) in transportation.

Securing the Future of Transportation: The Growing Risk Facing PNT

PNT is at a critical juncture. Transportation systems increasingly rely on GPS and related technologies, yet interference events like jamming and spoofing have already caused major disruptions at ports, airports, and across surface networks.
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These incidents result in:
- Delays and traffic jams
- Safety risks across roadways, railways, and waterways
- Vulnerabilities in automated transportation systems

Our Goals

CARNATIONS is transforming infrastructure and technology to defend against today’s cyber-physical threats — and those on the horizon.
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We aim to:

Transform infrastructure and technology to keep U.S. transportation resilient to interference and cyber threats, especially in automated systems
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Develop standards and best practices for the responsible use of PNT in transportation

By strengthening navigation reliability, our work is shaping the future of safe, intelligent mobility.

Our Focus Areas

CARNATIONS pursues a three-pillar research strategy aimed at toughening, augmenting, and protecting PNT systems for multi-modal surface transportation.

Research

CARNATIONS pursues a three-pillar research strategy to advance Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems for multi-modal surface transportation: Toughen, Augment and Protect.

Toughen: Develop advanced GNSS receiver and antenna technologies to increase resistance to interference.

Augment: Integrate non-GNSS sensors and alternative signals to enhance PNT accuracy and reliability.

Protect: Detect, track, and mitigate radio frequency interference using V2X connectivity and community-sourced data.

Education and Workforce Development

CARNATIONS is preparing the next generation of transportation professionals in R-PNT technologies.

Resilient PNT systems are emerging as crucial in transportation engineering and planning. CARNATIONS addresses this need through a dedicated program designed to prepare the next generation of transportation professionals in R-PNT technologies.
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REACH: The Research Engagement and Collaboration Hub facilitates student exchanges across institutions and offers hands-on research opportunities with experienced mentors, helping students gain critical skills in R-PNT.

Technology Transfer

CARNATIONS’ institutions have long-standing records of developing and transferring R-PNT solutions to public agencies and industry.

By leading and participating in international PNT standardization committees, CARNATIONS ensures its research aligns with industry needs and standards.

Funded by the U.S. DOT

Fueled by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), CARNATIONS is a Tier 1 University Transportation Center (UTC) dedicated to tackling one of today’s critical challenges: Growing cyber-physical risks impacting Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) in transportation.

Meet the Team

CARNATIONS brings together a consortium of partner institutions including Illinois Tech, Chicago State University, Stanford University, the University of California-Riverside, and Virginia Tech to form a research team working at the forefront of R-PNT in multimodal transportation.

Boris Pervan

Director & Principal Investigator at CARNATIONS

Mathieu Joerger

Associate Director & Principal Investigator at CARNATIONS