Eos Positioning Systems, the global manufacturer of Arrow Series GNSS receivers, has released Eos Bridge, which enables almost any instrument to become iOS Bluetooth compatible.
Photo: Eos Positioning
The Eos Bridge is a small, pocket-sized device that connects to instruments via Bluetooth Classic or serial port, and transmits data from them to any Apple iOS device, such as iPhone or iPad, Android device or Windows mobile device.
The Eos Bridge offers two connectivity methods to virtually hundreds of instruments:
First Method: Bluetooth Classic to Apple iOS Bluetooth
Instruments that are equipped with non-iOS Bluetooth are now able to connect to Apple iOS devices using the Eos Bridge, including laser rangefinders and utility-locating instruments.
Second Method: Serial port to iOS, Android and Windows devices
With the Eos Bridge, instruments whose only connectivity option is a serial port may now be connected to any iOS, Android or Windows device via Bluetooth. This includes any instrument or sensor with an RS-232 serial port, for example.
The Eos Bridge is lightweight, at approximately 150 grams (about 5.3 ounces). It can be worn clipped to a belt, stored in a pocket, or mounted to an instrument or sensor. The battery lasts 48 to 72 hours.
The Eos Bridge expands the potential pairings of legacy instruments and sensors by making them Bluetooth compatible with modern mobile devices and Arrow GNSS receivers. Two immediate applications for current Arrow GNSS users include Eos Laser Mapping for ArcGIS offset data-collection, and Eos Locate for ArcGIS for underground utility mapping. Both solutions are available on iOS.
Eos Tools Pro implements powerful new features that enables users to exploit all four global GNSS constellations and a state-of-the-art NTRIP client to access real-time kinematic (RTK) bases and RTK networks all over the world via NTRIP, Direct IP and wireless radios.
“This is a huge step forward in functionality and flexibility for our Windows users,” said Jean-Yves Lauture, CTO of Eos. “We implemented the latest support for Windows Geolocation and other features offered by Microsoft in order to allow our customers to use high-accuracy locations directly into their apps.”
Eos Tools Pro includes new features for both field professionals and application developers.
For field professionals
RTK network/RTK base connectivity. Eos Tools Pro implements state-of-the-art NTRIP connectivity to connect to any RTK network or RTK base in the world. For geographic areas without cellular coverage, Eos Tools Pro supports Bluetooth wireless radios (UHF/VHF, etc.) for base/rover connectivity.
The software supports all new BeiDou and Galileo satellites in addition to GPS and GLONASS as well as SafeRTK functionality for areas with marginal cellular coverage.
Eos Tools Pro for Windows shows all current satellites in use from GNSS constellations such as GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS and QZSS. (Screenshot: Eos Positioning)
Geoid models. Eos Tools Pro implements the latest geoid models for many regions in the world, providing survey-grade orthometric heights directly into any Windows applications.
Datum shift. Eos Tools Pro adds a new feature to apply a simple X, Y, Z shift to the current location to match any local datum.
Alarms. A vast number of audible alarms can be set to warn the user if parameters such as estimated accuracy, differential status, correction age, Bluetooth connectivity, are not met.
For Windows developers
Geolocation/Sensor API. Eos Tools Pro supports apps that rely on the Windows geolocation service to retrieve accurate latitude, longitude and altitude from their Arrow receiver. In addition, the Sensor API allows programmers to access the wide array of GNSS metadata while removing the laborious task of parsing NMEA data.
Virtual COM port and TCP/IP server. Eos Tools Pro features a built-in duo of virtual COM port and TCP/IP server to output streams of standard NMEA sentences. This enables multiple apps capable of parsing NMEA messages to have simultaneous access to the Arrow GNSS location and metadata.
“Eos Tools Pro for Windows enables users and developers to benefit from our leading-edge, high-accuracy GNSS receivers,” Lauture said. “When Windows tablets are the device of choice among our customers, the combination of Eos Tools Pro and Arrow GNSS receivers provide the absolute latest GNSS technology for GIS, engineering, construction, and surveying users. When Windows tablets are the device of choice among our customers, the combination of Eos Tools Pro and Arrow GNSS receivers provide the absolute latest GNSS technology for GIS, engineering, construction and surveying users.”
Eos Tools Pro for Windows is available for free to users of Arrow GPS and GNSS receivers. It is compatible with any Windows 10 desktop, laptop or tablet computer via Bluetooth or USB.
A new Esri mobile app, ArcGIS Field Maps, will be released in its first beta in July, with the final version expected to be released in September.
According to Esri, Field Maps will combine the following capabilities into a single app:
Simple map viewing and markup
High-accuracy field data collection and inspection
Battery-optimized location tracking
Work planning and task management
Turn-by-turn navigation
Field Maps also will include a new web app, integrated with ArcGIS, that can be used to configure and deploy maps optimized for your mobile workforce needs, create and assign tasks to mobile workers, and create and share views of worker locations.
Arrow support included
The inaugural beta includes support for Arrow GNSS receivers’ high-accuracy locations, elevations and metadata, according to Eos Positioning.
ArcGIS Field Maps will provide the combined functionality of five Esri mobile apps: ArcGIS Collector, ArcGIS Explorer, ArcGIS Tracker, ArcGIS Workforce and ArcGIS Navigator.
In the first beta version, users will be able to perform markups, work with read-only maps, and work with MMPKs, including high-accuracy GPS locations and metadata from Arrow GNSS receivers.
Photo: Eos Positioning
Customers who have been wanting to take advantage of high-accuracy GNSS data in apps such as Explorer and Tracker will now be able to with the beta release. Customers who would like to have field crews able to access read-only maps with high-accuracy, for instance (such as during utility locates), this is now a possibility. In addition, crews can take advantage of high-accuracy GPS tracks while tracking.
ArcGIS Field Maps will also support the two formerly Collector-exclusive Eos solutions Eos Locate and Eos Laser Mapping.
Eos Locate. This high-accuracy underground mapping solution will be available in ArcGIS Field Maps right away in the first beta release. A single fieldworker will be able to perform real-time, high-accuracy mapping of underground assets using the same workflow he or she had previously used with Collector and Arrow GNSS.
Eos Laser Mapping. Similarly, laser offsets with Arrow GNSS receivers and LTI laser rangefinders will be available in the first beta of ArcGIS Field Maps. Learn more about laser offsets, including the three workflows for using them, here:
“We are incredibly excited for the new opportunities ArcGIS Field Maps brings to expand our partnership with Esri,” Eos CTO Jean-Yves Lauture said. “Now our joint customers will be able to use the Arrow GNSS receivers with Field Maps to access high-accuracy location when simply viewing and marking up maps and when logging location tracks.”
Eos Positioning told its customers, “We encourage all Eos customers currently using Collector, Tracker and/or Explorer to join the beta. Meanwhile, Collector, Tracker and Explorer are planned to continue working as usual, according to the roadmap Esri has outlined.”
From left: Left to Right: Esri Director of Global Business Development Jeff Peters, Eos Sr. Marketing & Content Strategist Sarah Alban, Eos CTO Jean-Yves Lauture, Esri President Jack Dangermond. (Photo: Eos Positioning)
The award for “Energizing the Market with a Bundle” recognizes Eos’ seamless integration of its Arrow Series GNSS receivers with Esri mobile apps.
Eos Positioning Systems Inc., provider of submeter Bluetooth GPS and GNSS solutions, has received a 2019 Esri Partner Conference award in recognition of Eos’ contributions to Esri mobile applications.
Esri ArcGIS users benefit from bundling the Eos Arrow GNSS receivers and Esri mobile apps to create real-time, high-accuracy field GIS solutions on consumer devices such as iPads, tablets, and smartphones.
Photo: Eos Positioning
“As a long time Esri partner, this ‘Energizing the Market Award’ highlights the ongoing value Eos brings to our shared customers,” said Francis Kelly, Esri manager of Global Partner Programs. “Their thoughtful approach to connecting the field worker to the enterprise GIS creates customer satisfaction and significant ROI across our business sectors.”
“Eos has done tremendous work bringing affordable high-accuracy receivers to the Esri user community, whilst taking advantage of the latest Esri technology including Collector for ArcGIS and Survey123 for ArcGIS,” Esri Canada Director of Strategic Alliances Paul Salah said. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have them recognized for their innovation that brings such great value to field workers everywhere.”
Eos’ mission is to turn the complex world of high-accuracy submeter and RTK location into simple and affordable integrations to the Esri ArcGIS platform. This is achieved with behind-the-scenes transfers of high-level GNSS information with Esri mobile apps.
The exchange is nearly transparent to the end-user, and therefore minimizes the knowledge required for anyone to capture survey-grade 3D locations.
“It used to be really hard to collect high-accuracy data,” said Christa Campbell, Esri Global Water Practice Industry Specialist. “But now it’s very easy and affordable, so there are no limits any more. Anyone can do it.”
2018 saw small-system water utilities, municipalities, consultancies, co-ops and others adopt high-accuracy GIS at increasing rates. Eos believes this is due to a changing understanding of how easy and affordable high-accuracy data collection can be with the Eos/Esri bundle.
“We are showing that anyone can map an entire system, regardless of the size or the person’s familiarity with GNSS and GIS,” Eos CTO Jean-Yves Lauture said. “We are showing that it is simple, affordable, and profitable.”
The adoption of high-accuracy solutions among GIS users coincides with a general shift toward digitized asset management, away from paper maps and CAD drawings.
The shift is the natural result of more affordable and easier to use technologies, the proliferation of smart devices, and industry trends including increased regulations.
“Now more than ever, customers want to start taking advantage of the tremendous flexibility GIS has to offer,” Lauture said. “And the first step in creating an accurate system of record is field mapping with GPS.”
In 2018, Eos released two new innovative solutions for ArcGIS users.
The first was the result of a three-way partnership between Eos, Esri and Laser Technology, Inc.
Known as the “World’s First Laser Offset for Collector for ArcGIS,” this laser mapping solution allows field workers to collect highly accurate (submeter or centimeter) locations on their iPads and iPhones in otherwise challenging environments.
This includes GNSS-impaired environments, where view of the sky is obscured or limited, and places where occupying an asset would be unsafe or expensive (such as a manhole located in a road intersection).
“With the new collector-based laser mapping solution, organizations can save money, minimize risk and boost the efficiency of their field operations,” Esri Field Apps Product Lead Jeff Shaner said. “Without having to occupy assets in challenging environments, field workers can capture asset locations within inches of accuracy using the Eos Arrow and LTI rangefinder. This unique partnership provides advanced field data collection capabilities and drives new opportunities to extend the reach of ArcGIS.”
The second solution feeds real-time orthometric heights (Z values) directly into Collector and Survey123 for ArcGIS. By supporting real-time GEOID models, Eos eliminates the need to transform ellipsoidal heights into local vertical datum manually back at the office. This reduces time-consuming post-processing as well as makes accurate elevations instantly available for use in the field.
Eos is dedicated toward providing its customers with innovative solutions like this, which allow Esri users to stay within their existing ArcGIS mobile environments.
“This award acknowledges the work Eos has accomplished so far in bringing innovative solutions to our mutual customers with Esri,” Lauture said. “It is quite an honor for everyone at Eos, and we are especially thankful to all the Esri employees who have made the journey in getting here so enjoyable. It’s what makes us look forward to doing more in the future.”
Orthometric height support (survey-grade elevations) enables Arrow GNSS receivers to collect high-accuracy, survey-grade vertical data with any data-collection software.
Eos Positioning Systems Inc. has added support for GEOID height models within its Arrow Series GNSS receivers. Eos manufactures high-accuracy GNSS receivers for any app running on iOS/Android/Windows devices and using the Eos Arrow Series.
“You can use Arrow Series receivers with any data-collection software in the world, and benefit from accurate orthometric heights,” Eos CTO Jean-Yves Lauture said. “Our Arrow receivers will output accurate GNSS elevations no matter which data-collection software you use to capture it.”
Image: Eos Positioning
With support for GEOID models, Arrow receivers automatically output survey-grade elevations to all iOS and Android data collection software. Support will also soon be available for Windows devices.
The Arrow receivers now support the entire United States to provide survey-grade elevation in NAVD88 orthometric heights through the GEOID12B (US) model. The Arrow receivers also support the Canadian CGG2013a and HTv2.0 GEOID models for the CGVD2013 and CGVD28 vertical datums, respectively. Additional GEOID models for other countries are planned.
“Eos is intensely focused on supporting high-accuracy GIS, engineering, surveying and construction users by supporting the latest GEOID elevation models within our GNSS monitoring software,” Lauture said. “Our roadmap remains focused on high-accuracy BYOD users by supporting all iOS, Android and Windows users with this capability.”
The problem is that typical Bluetooth GNSS receivers usually provide inaccurate, built-in elevation models. This inaccuracy is reflected in the Mean Sea Level elevation output by those receivers. By outputting orthometric height, the Arrow now solves this problem and turns any smartphone or tablet into a 3D, survey-grade accurate data collection device, the company said.
Eos has designed this new feature so that users will easily be able to update to new GEOID models as they become available.
Field technicians in pipeline, construction, engineering, architecture, water and any other industry are finally able to enjoy GNSS location with survey-grade vertical accuracy on their iOS and Android devices, with the data-collection app of their choice and their Eos Arrow receivers.
