Alumnus’ magnetic navigation wins prize

Engineer (ir.) Joep de Jong was surprised to receive a cash prize of EUR 2,000 at the Kooy Symposium (3 April 2024) of the KIVI department for defence and security. (KIVI is the Dutch Royal Institute of engineers). Little did he know that his supervisors from TU Delft and TNO had submitted his thesis to the jury and that it won him the Kooy Prize for defence-oriented research. “It feels like recognition for the work I did,” De Jong explained. His graduation work, most of which took place at TNO, was rated 9.

De Jong graduated last June from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) on creating magnetic maps for navigation and positioning. These maps recognise that the Earth’s magnetic field is not homogeneous and contains numerous local anomalies. The magnetic navigation system serves as an alternative to satellite navigation, such as GPS, when the satellite signal is unavailable or disrupted.

The jury appreciated the breadth of the thesis work that includes a literature review, a numerical model of local magnetic anomalies, and a measurement campaign to validate his ideas.

TNO is continuing the line of magnetic navigation research and De Jong would also like to continue his exploration in the form of a PhD. His graduating professor was Prof. Martin Verlaan (EEMCS).

Interest trick

You might know Joep de Jong from the ‘interest rate trick’. De Jong and other students figured out in late 2022 that they could ‘split’ their study debt. If they stopped their student loans on 1 January, the interest on their current student debt would remain at 0.46% for five years. They could then restart their tuition fees on 1 February. Some 26,000 students followed his advice. “I am happy that I was able to help so many students,” De Jong responded modestly in Delta at the time.