Our Story
In the two decades and more, since the Company’s inception, OxTS’ products have become the go-to inertial navigation solutions in the automotive and surveying and mapping industries.
The global leaders in inertial and GNSS since 1998
At OxTS we’re passionate about inertial navigation and how we can help our customers with our technology. With over two decades of experience in combining the best of high precision GNSS receivers and world-class inertial navigation expertise, OxTS’ products have become the industry standard for automotive testing and are widely used in other industries.
Our products provide position, roll, pitch, heading and other measurements of vehicles on land, sea and in the air. Our highly accurate RT3000 series is used by almost all car manufacturers in the world for vehicle dynamics testing, validating advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) sensors or developing self-driving cars.
Our range of combined, compact GNSS/INS systems are used for sensor position and orientation on mobile mapping vehicles or for direct georeferencing data from airborne surveying.
Our story began in 1998
With two Oxford University graduates who shared passion for technology. Dr. Alex Nairac and Brendan Watts spotted a gap in the market for a land-based inertial navigation system and started Oxford Technical Solutions.
OxTS’ first product
The CP2000 was a hard sell. It was a combined GPS/INS system, but data could only be used after post-processing. After the loss of a sale to a UK-based vehicle manufacturer, it was obvious that what customers really wanted was real-time measurements.
OxTS launched an improved , real-time INS/GPS
The RT3000. The first RT3000 was soon sold to a car manufacturer in Germany, and from that point on, OxTS products become the product of choice for vehicle testing around the globe.
The RT-Range system
Following an enquiry from a leading car manufacturer, OxTS develop an extension product for measuring range between vehicles. (To date, the RT-Range is one of the preferred solutions for validating advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) with more than 120 vehicle manufacturers, test houses and NCAP test facilities using it globally).
RT3000
The RT3000 successfully guides two teams to the finish line of the DARPA Challenge – an autonomous vehicle competition in the US.
RT2000
OxTS expands its product portfolio and launches a cost-effective GPS/INS – The RT2000.
DARPA Urban Challenge
Five teams choose the RT3000 to compete in the DARPA Urban Challenge – a competition where self-driving vehicles navigate through a mock-up city environment.
OxTS Expands
OxTS expands and takes on more staff and office space to cope with increasing demand.
RT Range Software
The RT-Range software is enhanced to work with 4 target vehicles and balloon targets, making it ever more popular with car manufacturers to perform increasingly complex advanced safety tests.
Inertial+
OxTS develops its first product to address markets away from its core automotive business. The launch of the Inertial+ marks another milestone in OxTS history.
Chris Hocking
Joins OxTS as General Manager and, following significant growth and further expansion plans, is appointed Director in 2014.
Another milestone development
The launch of a miniature INS/GNSS which addresses a whole new market: UAV systems with restricted payloads as well as companies integrating GNSS, INS and other sensors for mapping and survey applications.
Application Engineering Division
OxTS opens a new Application Engineering division for dealing directly with custom project requests.
RT Products Milestone
RT products are used by almost all vehicle manufacturers in the world for vehicle dynamics testing, whereas the RT-Range has become the product of choice for ADAS sensor validation.
New Premises
After further, significant growth, OxTS moves its Engineering and Commercial departments into new premises in order to cope with increasing demand and to accommodate the growing teams.
OxTS 20th Anniversary
OxTS celebrates its 20th anniversary and combines celebration with a sales conference which is attended by channel partners from more than 15 countries.
Next-generation RT3000
OxTS launches the next generation of inertial navigation systems for automotive testing and geoferencing, building on our reputation as world leaders in precise measurement solutions.
xNAV650
Combining over 20 years of navigation experience with cutting edge MEMS IMU sensors and survey-grade GNSS receivers, OxTS launches the xNAV650. OxTS’ smallest, lightest and most affordable INS yet provides surveyors with reliable and precise measurements.
Indoor testing
OxTS introduces ultra-wideband (UWB) to provide HORIBA MIRA with the indoor positioning solution for the UK’s first automated valet parking test facility.
Alison Smith
Alison Smith is promoted to OxTS’ CEO, having joined OxTS in 2017 as Commercial Director, overseeing rapid expansion in OxTS’ sales, products and team.
25th Anniversary
OxTS was founded in 1998, making this year our 25th anniversary of providing high-performance inertial navigation systems to our customers. Here’s to another 25!
Our People
Our team are our most valuable asset, helping us to continue to drive our industry forward, through their years of expertise and continuous innovation.
Learn moreTerms and Conditions
Our full terms and conditions for the purchase of goods can be downloaded via the link below.
Please click here to view a PDF of the OxTS terms and conditions of purchase.