Precision Inertial Navigation & Positioning On an Integrated Tesseract (PINPOINT)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking groundbreaking research to revolutionize inertial measurement units for tactical and unmanned applications through its PINPOINT program, which targets a fundamental breakthrough beyond the current performance limits of MEMS-based sensors. Proposals must explore entirely new physical architectures such as electromagnetically levitated proof masses, nonlinear resonators, and high-velocity tethered microsystems that operate in highly nonlinear regimes, demanding the co-design of novel sensor hardware with advanced real-time adaptive control systems capable of stabilizing and exploiting these complex dynamics. The program explicitly rejects incremental improvements and instead demands transformative advances in science, device physics, or system integration that redefine the state of the art in inertial navigation. Proposals must be submitted by September 25, 2026, under solicitation number HR001126S0016, which was posted on August 6, 2026, and is managed by DARPA’s office in Arlington, Virginia. The NAICS code 541715 categorizes this effort under research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences. All submissions should be directed to the primary point of contact at PINPOINT@darpa.mil, and performers are expected to demonstrate how their approaches will enable unprecedented levels of precision, stability, and robustness in inertial sensing under challenging operational conditions without relying on conventional design paradigms.