GPS World

Tag: Kevin Gaffney

  • Topcon invests in DDK Positioning

    Topcon invests in DDK Positioning

     

    Credit: DDK Positioning
    Credit: DDK Positioning

    Topcon Positioning Systems has made an investment in DDK Positioning, a UK-based GNSS receiver and precise point positioning correction services company. DDK Positioning delivers services over the Iridium network to provide global precision positioning services that can augment GNSS constellations enhancing accuracy for critical industrial applications.

    “With the expansion and growing success of this business, specifically in the marine sector, a closer cooperation will ensure optimal integration for the highest possible accuracies and performance in the most demanding applications,” Ian Stilgoe, vice president of Emerging Business at Topcon, said.

    “This partnership provides an extraordinary opportunity for our two companies to work together in pursuit of our shared ambition — providing a robust, resilient and truly unique GNSS positioning service,” Kevin Gaffney, CEO of DDK Positioning, stated.

    Terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

  • Iridium invests in DDK Positioning, a GNSS solution provider

    Iridium invests in DDK Positioning, a GNSS solution provider

    DDK Positioning solutions use the Iridium satellite constellation to deliver 5-cm GNSS accuracy to industrial users of the internet of things (IoT).

    Iridium logoIridium Communications Inc. has made a strategic investment in DDK Positioning, an Aberdeen, Scotland-based provider of enhanced GNSS accuracy solutions.

    DDK uses the Iridium network to provide global precision-positioning services that can augment GNSS constellations, including GPS and Galileo, to significantly enhance their accuracy for critical industrial applications.

    DDK is developing similar services for other GNSS constellations, such as GLONASS and Beidou. Terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

    DDK Positioning logoStandard positioning accuracy through a system like GPS is typically within 10 meters; however, by using the Iridium network, DDK’s enhanced GPS accuracy service brings incredibly precise positioning of 5 cm or less. This advanced level of accuracy is suitable for autonomous vehicles such as UAVs, precision agriculture applications, offshore infrastructure projects such as wind-farm construction, automotive applications like driverless cars, as well as a host of construction, mining, surveying and IoT use cases.

    Historically, there have been limited geostationary satellite provider options for this type of service, but they suffer from line-of-sight blockage issues and coverage limitations in and around Arctic and Antarctic regions.

    “We are delighted to have embarked on this journey with such a strong and well-respected company as Iridium,” said Kevin Gaffney, CEO of DDK Positioning. “This partnership is a perfect fit for DDK Positioning. With Iridium’s satellite communications network and our GNSS solution, we are in a position to deliver a truly unique service which is robust, resilient and secure. The investment made by Iridium will also allow us to grow the company even further whilst expanding our service offering globally.”

    According to a report published by the European GNSS Agency, augmentation services like those offered by DDK will account for $76.5 billion (€65 billion) in global GNSS market revenue by 2029, while the global GNSS downstream market, including services delivered and hardware devices, is estimated to reach $382 billion (€325 billion).

    “We are impressed with the team that DDK has put together and see great potential for this technology and how it takes advantage of the Iridium network,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch. “DDK’s enhanced positioning is a unique capability that adds a high-value solution on top of our existing portfolio of custom network services. Solutions from Iridium and DDK partners that are focused on precision agriculture, autonomous systems, maritime and infrastructure projects can now experience incredibly precise GNSS accuracy from anywhere on the planet.”