On 3 April, the Kooy Prize of €2,000 was awarded to ir Joep de Jong during the Kooy Symposium 2024. As part of his graduation project for his studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science at TU Delft, he conducted research at TNO on magnetic mapping for magnetic navigation and localisation. 'With his research, he has laid an impressive foundation for the development of a full-fledged magnetic navigation solution,' said the jury report.
On 3 April, during the Kooy Symposium 2024, the Kooy Prize of 2,000 euros was awarded to ir Joep de Jong. As part of his graduation project for his studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science at TU Delft, he conducted research at TNO on the creation of magnetic maps for magnetic navigation and localisation. 'With his research, he has laid an impressive foundation for the development of a full-fledged magnetic navigation solution,' said the jury report.
By chance, Joep de Jong came into contact with the topic of magnetic navigation. "I had been looking for a graduation project for some time" he says. "In doing so, I had a clear focus on mathematics and computer science so I initially hesitated with a topic that seemed more physics-based to me. Nothing turned out to be further from the truth. I had a great time at TNO and was able to focus on interesting mathematical aspects related to developing magnetic maps. The guidance from TNO was also excellent which allowed me to go in-depth from the beginning."
Research
The title of his graduation paper - which was awarded a 9 - is "A Comprehensive Study of Magnetic Map-making Techniques for Navigation and Localization". The comprehensive study focused on magnetic map-making techniques for magnetic navigation and localisation. Magnetic navigation is navigating the Earth using an accurate map of small anomalies in the Earth's magnetic field. Measuring such small details requires sophisticated (quantum) sensors. This type of navigation is of great interest to Defence as an alternative when GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System, such as GPS and Galileo) are absent.
The jury commented: 'First of all, Joep demonstrated on the basis of literature research that magnetic navigation can only be achieved by using the so-called geomagnetic anomaly field. In addition, Joep created an advanced numerical model that can be used to describe the local geomagnetic anomaly field. Moreover, he independently conducted a measurement campaign to validate his ideas and implementations.'
Kooy Prize
Joep de Jong was supervised throughout his graduation research by Dr A.R.P.J. Vijn (TU Delft/TNO), R.G. Tan, MSc (TNO) and Dr E.S.A.M. Lepelaars (TU Delft/TNO). "I didn't know that my supervisors had submitted my report for the Kooy Prize," he says. When I got the call a few weeks ago that I had won, I was quite surprised. And happy, of course. It feels like a piece of recognition for the work you've done. Furthermore, TNO is continuing to work on this topic and I am working elsewhere on a similar topic; I also hope to eventually find a position for a PhD on this theme."
Jury
The jury consisted of Dr L. Koene (jury chairman and board member KIVI DV, NLDA/FMW), Ing L.F. Galle (Ministry of Defence, Materiel Directorate), Prof.dr.ir. P.H.A.J.M. van Gelder (TU Delft), Prof.dr.ir. J.M.C. Mol (TU Delft), Prof.dr.F. Phillipson (TNO, Maastricht University), Prof.dr.ir. F.E. van Vliet (TNO, University of Twente) and Prof.dr.ir. P.J. Oonincx (NLDA/FMW).
Since the year 2000, the Royal Institute of Engineers (KIVI), Defence and Security Department has awarded an annual prize for 'outstanding graduation work' at a university or college. The award is given for the best graduation thesis in a technology relevant to Defence and Security. The award ceremony takes place during the annual Kooy symposium.
The freely disposable cash prize of €2,000 is made available by the Kooy Fund. This fund is named after the former professor of missile technology at the Royal Military Academy in Breda. Prof Johan Kooy was a nationally and internationally renowned aerospace scholar in the mid-twentieth century. In this quality, he also provided teaching and research at TU-Delft for a series of years.
After Prof Kooy's death, the fund named after him was established in 1984. The main objective of this fund is "Promotion of science and technology in the Netherlands, following or resulting from defence-oriented functions and tasks, such as ballistics."
