Author: Allison Kral

NGS to perform another Multi-Year CORS Solution

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is performing another Multi-Year CORS Solution (MYCS) of the National CORS. This will mean the CORS coordinates will be updated to be consistent with the latest International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2014 (ITRF2014). NGS has provided preliminary information from the new MYCS at this website. It should be noted that these values are considered beta so they are not final. They may change before they are adopted by NGS for publication. This column will provide potential changes in ellipsoid heights based on the updated beta CORS coordinates (downloaded on January 11, 2019).

NGS has a website that describes the CORS coordinates and how they are established. (See box titled “Excerpt from web page https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS/coords.shtml.)

Excerpt from NGS website

Screenshot: NGS website

What is a Multi-Year CORS Solution? NGS provides a short explanation on their web page (see box titled “Description of MYCS1.”)

Description of MYCS1

(https://geodesy.noaa.gov/CORS/coords.shtml#MYCS1)

Multi-Year CORS (MYCS1) Solution

To obtain the new coordinates that were just described the CORS team completed a full reanalysis of all data from CORS and from a set of global sites with the goal of simultaneously computing a fully consistent set of coordinates, GPS satellite orbits and Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP). This initial Multi-Year CORS (MYCS1) effort is the first of a series of reprocessing projects that will occur periodically in the coming years. The last time a reanalysis of CORS data occurred was in 2002 and numerous inconsistencies and changes have occurred in our processing techniques since that date. The concern over the overall quality of the solutions was not limited to NGS, but also to other geodetic groups, in particular IGS. Thus, IGS requested participation in a reanalysis of all data collected since 1994 to establish a new consistent set of GPS orbits, clocks and EOPs. This project was called IG1/repro1. NGS elected to contribute to this effort as an IGS Analysis Center and used this opportunity to simultaneously reprocess all its CORS data to provide a single consistent set of coordinates for all sites computed using the best available methods.

For regional and site specific plots and many details about the MYCS1 please consult the FAQ. The FAQ also includes comparison between the current and previous frame coordinates.

As noted in the explanation, MYCS1 was the first of a series of reprocessing projects that will occur periodically in the coming years. The current CORS coordinates are referenced to IGS08 epoch 2005.00 (see box titled “Description of IGS08 epoch 2005.00 Coordinates”). The updated coordinates will be consistent with the International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2014. ITRF2014 is the latest frame realization of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (see box titled “Description of ITRF2014”). What will be important to users is how much have the coordinates changed due to the reprocessing.

Description of IGS08 epoch 2005.00 Coordinates

(https://geodesy.noaa.gov/CORS/coords.shtml#IGS08)

IGS08 epoch 2005.00 Coordinates

Since April 17, 2011, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and the other Analysis Centers of the International GNSS Service (IGS) have been providing GPS satellite orbits (ephemerides) that are referred to a new terrestrial reference frame, called IGS08 and defined by the IGS. This new frame is based on GPS observations and was designed to be consistent with the International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2008 (ITRF). ITRF2008 is the latest frame realization of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) and is a multi space-based geodetic technique solution, combining Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) and GPS data. Although, the best fitting Helmert transformation between IGS08 and ITRF2008 for a set of well-established, international GNSS satellite tracking sites is the identity function, the transformed ITRF2008 positions have a site specific “correction” applied to them to create IGS08 positions (for additional details on IGS08 consult the following IGSMAILs 6354, 6355, 6356, 6374). Thus the IGS08 position for a particular site may differ from its corresponding ITRF2008 position; however, the velocities remain identical. By using IGS08 coordinates and the associated absolute antenna calibrations in combination with IGS orbits a consistent frame is realized. In addition, NGS has updated the IGS orbits from January 1, 1994 to April 16, 2011 in its online storage with the recently released IGS reprocessed (repro1) orbits that are all aligned consistently with IGS05. For most non-research applications, users can freely mix IGS05 and IGS08 orbits to compute coordinates for control points. Additional information is available in the following IGSMAIL 6475.

On October 7, 2012, the IGS introduced an update to IGS08, called IGb08 (see IGSmail 6663).
This change is transparent/invisible to most users as it focused on introducing positions for: 3 new stations at multi-technique colocations, and 33 IGS reference frame stations with IGS08 coordinates invalidated by positional discontinuities. Coordinates for stations with velocity discontinuities were not updated.

Description of ITRF2014

(http://itrf.ign.fr/ITRF_solutions/2014/)

How does this fit into what surveyors use, that is NAD 83 (2011, MA11, PA11)? NGS provides a description of CORS coordinates and NAD83 (2011, MA11, PA11) on their web page (see box titled “Description of NAD83 (2011, MA11, PA11)”). NGS provides CORS coordinates in both IGS08 epoch 2005.00 and NAD83 (2011, MA11, PA11) epoch 2010.00. See box titled “Current CORS Coordinate Listing for a CORS in Monroe, NC (NCMR)” for an example of a CORS in North Carolina. The beta website contains links to the updated CORS coordinates based on ITRF 2014 (see box titled “Updated CORS Coordinate Listing for a CORS in Monroe, NC (NCMR)” – ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/ncmr_14.betacoord.txt).

Description of NAD83 (2011, MA11, PA11)

(https://geodesy.noaa.gov/CORS/coords.shtml#NAD83)

NAD83(2011,MA11,PA11) epoch 2010.00 Coordinates

On September 6, 2011, NGS updated the National Spatial Reference System NAD 83 (CORS96, MARP00, PACP00) positions and velocities for all CORS sites, to NAD 83 (2011, MA11, PA11). The NAD 83 (2011) frame, which is relative to the fixed North American plate, is used to define the coordinates for sites located in the CONterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska and US territories in the Caribbean. The NAD 83 (MA11) frame is realized with respect to the fixed Marianas plate and is used to define coordinates in the Marianas. The NAD 83 (PA11) is a Pacific plate fixed frame and is used to define coordinates in Hawaii, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands and other US territories residing on the Pacific Plate. For informative articles about NAD 83 see Snay and Soler, 2000, Snay, 2003. The new realization of NAD 83 involves no datum change, which means that, the origin, scale and orientation of NAD 83(2011) are identical to those of NAD 83(CORS96), and the same for the two other frames. The coordinates are not the same in the old and new realizations for multiple factors including the switch to absolute antenna calibrations, new/revised processing algorithms, improved discontinuity identification, several years of additional GPS data, change in reference epoch, and an improved definition of the global reference frame, IGS08. For a description of how NAD 83 is related to the global reference frame see Craymer et al., 1999, Snay and Soler, 1999. Users working in Canada should consult Craymer, 2006 for a review of how NAD 83 is implemented in Canada. Concisely, the two biggest changes are caused by the change in reference epoch and the move from relative to absolute antenna calibrations.

Current CORS Coordinate Listing for a CORS in Monroe, NC (NCMR)

(ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/coord_08/ncmr_08.coord.txt)

Updated CORS Coordinate Listing for a CORS in Monroe, NC (NCMR)

(ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/ncmr_14.betacoord.txt)

A March 2017 presentation by NGS employee Kevin Choi does an excellent job of explaining the CORS status and why NGS is reprocessing the CORS to be consistent with the latest ITRF. It is dated because it was presented in March 2017 but the reasons for reprocessing and recommendations are still valid today.

Slides from NGS Presentation titled “CORS, OPUS, and Reprocessing status”

by Kevin Choi

(https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS/Presentations/NSPS_MAPPS/CORS-OPUS-Repro2-version1.pdf)

The text box titled “Slides from NGS Presentation, titled ‘CORS, OPUS, and Reprocessing status by Kevin Choi,’” contains four slides from Kevin Choi’s presentation that explains why NGS periodically performs a multi-year reprocessing of the National CORS. As stated in the slides: (1) some CORS coordinates are outside their allowable 2/4 cm (H/V) threshold, (2) some stations that had modeled velocities will now have computed velocities, (3) there are new CORS stations since the last reprocessing, and (4) there is an updated ITRF (ITRF2014 and a corresponding IGS14). What’s really important to the user of CORS is, how much have the coordinated changed and what does it mean to me. This column will focus on changes in ellipsoid heights. I downloaded the CORS coordinate information for both the updated ITRF2014 values (ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/nad83_2011_geo.comp.txt and ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/nad83_2011_geo.htdp.txt) and the current IGS08 values (ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/coord_08/nad83_2011_geo.comp.txt and ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/coord_08/nad83_2011_geo.htdp.txt) from NGS’ website. See box titled “Excerpt from ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/nad83_2011_geo.comp.txt” for a sample of the contents of the file of the stations with computed velocities and the box titled “Excerpt from ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/nad83_2011_geo.htdp.txt” for a sample of the contents of the file of the stations with modeled velocities. As previously stated, the ITRF2014 coordinates are “Beta” and can change before being officially published. I generated several plots that depict the difference between the two sets of ellipsoid heights referenced to NAD83 (2011).

Excerpt from ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/nad83_2011_geo.comp.txt

Data: National Geodetic Survey

Excerpt from ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14/nad83_2011_geo.htdp.txt

The column labeled “Site Status” indicates whether the site is (1) Decommissioned, (2) IGS station and not a National CORS, (3) Non-Operational, and (4) Operational. A summary of the status of the Stations is listed in the text box titled “A Summary of ITFR2014 CORS Stations.”

A Summary of ITFR2014 Station

The file also provides the velocity of the station (modeled or computed) in the north (Vn – units mm/yr), east (Ve – units mm/yr), and up (Vu – units mm/yr) component. The box titled “A Summary of the Velocity Values of ITRF2014 Stations” provides a statistically summary of the velocity components of the stations.

A Summary of the Velocity Values of ITRF2014 Stations

The text box titled, “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS” depicts the differences in NAD83 (2011) ellipsoid heights between all common CORS between the two set of values in conterminous United States. There appears to be several CORS that have very large changes in ellipsoid heights.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS

The box titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights
and Published CORS – Less Than +/- 1 cm” depicts the differences that are between -1 cm and 1 cm.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS – Less Than +/- 1 cm

The box titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS – Greater Than +/- 1 cm” depicts the differences that are less than – 1cm or greater than 1 cm. As the plots indicate, most of the differences are between +/- 1 cm.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS – Greater Than +/- 1 cm

The box titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS – Greater Than +/- 2 cm” depict the differences that are greater than absolute 2 cm (that is, less than – 2 cm and greater than 2 cm). The plot clearly indicates that most of the station coordinates will change less than +/- 2cm.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS – Greater Than +/- 2 cm

The text box titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in North Carolina” depicts the differences in NAD83 (2011) ellipsoid heights between all common CORS between the two set of values in North Carolina. Most of the differences are less than a centimeter.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in North Carolina

The box text titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in North Carolina – Greater Than +/- 5 mm” depict the differences greater than absolute 5 mm. The plot clearly shows that the coordinates of most stations in North Carolina will change less than 5 mm.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in North Carolina – Greater Than +/- 5 mm

The box titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in Alaska” depict the differences in Alaska. Most of these differences are less than a couple of cm but there are a few large differences.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in Alaska

The box titled “Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in Anchorage, Alaska, Region” depict the differences in the Anchorage, Alaska, region. There are a couple of stations in the Anchorage region that their ellipsoid heights will change over 10 cm.

Differences between 2014 Reprocessed CORS Ellipsoid Heights and Published CORS in Anchorage, Alaska, Region

Sources: Esri, DeLorme, USGS, NPS, NOAA

This column discussed the preliminary results of NGS’ second Multi-Year CORS Beta Solution of the National CORS. The CORS coordinates will be updated to be consistent with the latest International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2014 (ITRF2014). NGS has provided preliminary information from the new MYCS at the following website: ftp://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cors/coord/beta_coord_14. It was noted that these values are considered “Beta” so they are not final. It was emphasized that they may change before they are adopted by NGS for publication. This column provided potential changes in ellipsoid heights based on the updated beta CORS coordinates (downloaded on January 11, 2019). Future column will provide more details after NGS completes their analysis and adopts the final coordinates for the MYCS.

February 6, 2019

Virtual Surveyor adds functionality for larger drone survey projects

Virtual Surveyor drone surveying and mapping software has added new functionality that enables users to process larger projects without buying more powerful computers or cloud services, according to the company. This addition is one of several included in Virtual Surveyor 6.2.

“Our objective with Version 6.2 is to make our users more productive while saving them money by eliminating the need to invest in new hardware or processing services,” said Tom Op ‘t Eyndt, CEO of Virtual Surveyor in Belgium. “We have addressed the fact that drones are capturing more data at higher resolution, resulting in enormous files sizes.”

According to the company, Virtual Surveyor 6.2 solves the problem of large files by offering enhanced clipping and mosaicking functionality. The new version allows users to merge multiple smaller processed pieces of orthophotos and digital surface models into a single project and create smooth edges between these pieces with the new clipping tool. The mosaic can then be exported to a new tiff file or serve as the basis for a full area virtual survey.

In addition, Virtual Surveyor 6.2 offers a 3D Fly Through capability that allows users to select spatial bookmarks and waypoints in their scene and create a movie that allows the viewer to fly through the terrain in three dimensions.

Virtual Surveyor 6.2 also features improved surface handling for volume calculations. This feature was developed primarily for users who measure volumetrics of material piles in drone survey data. This capability makes it easy to represent topographies as triangles, contour lines or outlines without creating three different objects, the company said.

Other enhanced features of Virtual Surveyor 6.2 include a renumbering tool that allows users to select a set of times, features or geometries in the data set and automatically number them sequentially from any chosen starting number; concave hull extraction that allows users to select a section line to create a surface for a curved roadway; and boundary selection that allows users to trace around an unwanted feature and delete that object and all the points within it.

“The advantage of Virtual Surveyor is that it combines the interpretation skill of a professional surveyor with computing power to create standard survey products,” said Op ‘t Eyndt. “Surveyors can now accomplish more in Version 6.2 without expensive upgrades to other aspects of their workflow.”

Featured image: Virtual Surveyor

February 5, 2019
IUGG General Assembly accepting submissions for positioning symposium

Organizers of the 27th IUGG General Assembly, which is set to take place July 8-18 in Montréal, Québec, Canada, are accepting submissions for Symposium G05 — Multi-Signal Positioning, Remote Sensing and Applications. This symposium is one of two organized by IAG Commission 4 and taking place during the event.

The multi-signal positioning symposium will be convened by Marcelo Santos of Canada, and co-conveners will include Australi’s Allison Kealy, Greece’s Vasilis Gikas, Australia’s Jinling Wang and Poland’s Pawel Wielgosz.

The symposium will key in on positioning applications. It will focus on theoretical and practical advancements, as well as innovative applications and architectures for multi-signal positioning, remote sensing and applications. It will also address issues and opportunities coming from multi-constellation signals.

Organizers will accept submissions that address navigation, timing and guidance systems for autonomous vehicles, intelligent transport systems, personal mobility, and other safety and liability critical applications. Abstracts must be submitted via the online submission system by Feb. 18.

January 30, 2019
Esri ArcGIS Hub helps government agencies meet open data law requirements

Esri’s ArcGIS Hub is helping government agencies more easily and efficiently comply with new policies outlined in the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act, Esri said.

The OPEN Government Data Act sets a presumption that all government information should be open data by default — machine readable and freely reusable.

According to Esri, federal agencies using the ArcGIS Hub can share data in open formats with only a few clicks and feed those data catalogs directly to data.gov, the government-wide website supported in the bill. In addition, apps and dashboards can help responders identify vulnerable populations areas, locate resources like shelters and hospitals, and visualize where and when routes to these resources are accessible in real time.

The ArcGIS Hub online portals also enable government agencies to direct their open data to deepen citizen engagement with apps, data, events and collaboration focused on specific civic initiatives. According to Esri, ArcGIS Hub lets citizens, businesses, academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations take advantage of their governments’ spatial analytics capabilities to collaborate and turn data-driven goals into policy.

“When authoritative data is unencumbered and interoperable, it enables effective and efficient government programs that save lives and money,” said Jill Saligoe-Simmel, Esri product manager for spatial data infrastructure. “Esri supports the OPEN Government Data Act — combined with the recently passed Geospatial Data Act — as an essential component to modern spatial data infrastructures.”

January 30, 2019
2019 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit to cover Galileo PRS

The 2019 Munich Satellite Navigation Summit, which will take place March 25-27 in Munich, Germany, will offer a number of educational sessions to attendees.

One of the sessions will key in on the future use of the Galileo public regulated service (PRS). According to show organizers, this session will discuss the deployment of the Galileo ground- and space-segment — including the PRS relevant components — which will reach full operational capability in the next years. The session will also cover PRS-receiver developments and PRS testing.

Other sessions offered by the conference will include legal aspects on selected topics in the field of GNSS; augmented reality meets high-accuracy positioning; GNSS program updates; satellite and terrestrial navigation trends; and more.

According to organizers, the Summit is part of the efforts of the Bavarian government and the cluster on aerospace and satellite navigation to stimulate applications and services in this high-tech field.

Featured photo: European GNSS Agency

January 25, 2019
Abstract submissions open for GNSS event in Switzerland
Abstract submissions are open for the 7th International Colloquium on Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of GNSS until March 31.

The event, which is organized by the European Space Agency and ETH Zürich, will take place Sept. 4-6 in Zürich, Switzerland.

The event will bring together members of the European scientific community and their international partners involved in the use of GNSS — specifically Galileo — in their research. In addition, attendees will discuss opportunities where GNSS satellites can be used for scientific purposes.

According to event organizers, the colloquium will address five major areas of research, including:
1. Scientific applications in meteorology, geodesy, geodynamics, geophysics, space physics, oceanography, land surface and ecosystem studies, using either direct or reflected signals, differential measurements, phase measurements, radio occultation measurements, using receivers placed on the ground, in airplanes or on satellites;
2. Scientific developments in physics with a potential impact on future GNSS, particularly in testing fundamental laws of physics;
3. Aspects of metrology such as reference frames, on board and ground clocks, precise orbit determination and time and frequency transfer;
4. Scientific aspects of satellite navigation, positioning and its applications, such as signal propagation, tropospheric and ionospheric corrections, multi-constellation aspects, hybridisation with additional sensors and integrated navigation, precise positioning;
5. Transversal topics of interest to a wide number of scientific fields including collection of GNSS big data and GNSS scientific data archives; internet of things positioning for science; scientific payloads in GNSS satellites; novel disruptive technologies for science; the use of cubesats, HAPS, UAVs and autonomous vehicles for GNSS science; software receivers and low-cost SDR platforms; GNSS for space users and applications; and the topic of GNSS science and education.
The conference will be organized as a series of plenary talks, parallel half-day sessions and poster presentations throughout the duration of the event, event organizers add.
January 25, 2019
Supercorrelation: Enhancing accuracy, sensitivity of commercial receivers

Figure 1: Reflected signals in the local environment suffer different Doppler variations than the desired lineofsight signal. This means that the supercorrelator that is created for a given satellite broadcast couples strongly to the desired line of sight version of the signal, but attenuates any reflected signals arriving from different directions. (Figure: Focal Point Positioning)

The SGPS/SGNSS technology is a patent-protected suite of methods that provides software-based improvements to existing GNSS receivers. All methods within the software suite build upon a core technology called supercorrelation, which enables over a second of coherent integration while undergoing complex motions on low-cost platforms. The benefit is high sensitivity coupled with strong multipath mitigation capabilities, providing a high-accuracy and high-integrity positioning solution in traditionally difficult environments.

Many GNSS receivers perform a small amount of coherent integration, typically less than 20 milliseconds, and then optionally incoherently integrate over many hundreds of milliseconds to boost sensitivity if needed. The major problem with this approach is the resulting susceptibility to multipath interference. Incoherent integration destroys the phase information stored within the captured data before combining it, resulting in line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight signals accumulating within the same correlation peak, producing a distortion of the desired line-of-sight information. This distortion leads to erroneous codephase estimates, which in turn leads to erroneous position estimates.

Coherent integration can decorrelate signals arriving from different directions, but the degree of decorrelation depends on the user speed and the coherent integration time. Supercorrelator technology creates a clock-and-motion-compensated phasor correction sequence that provides over a second of coherent integration on low-cost consumer platforms. The outcome is signal tracking sensitivities down to nearly zero dBHz, combined with high multipath mitigation performance. Such long coherent integration times allow signals arriving from different directions to be separated out in the frequency domain, permitting new capabilities in anti-spoofing and 3D map-aiding methods by directly resolving GNSS angle-of-arrival using a single moving antenna.

Figure 2: The result of supercorrelation on positioning performance in the urban canyons of central San Francisco. The red line is a standard state-of-the-art vector tracking GPS solution, and the green line is the same positioning engine with supercorrelation processing enabled. (Image: Focal Point Positioning)

Traditionally, very long coherent integration times were not practical on consumer devices due to limitations of data modulation bits, crystal oscillator stability, and unknown (often complicated) receiver motion. Supercorrelation overcomes these limitations with signal processing and sensor fusion. Data modulation bits are not an issue for modern pilot signals, and for legacy signals they can be removed with a variety of methods, ranging from prediction or provision of the bits over a datalink, to stripping them directly with signal-squaring methods. Receiver motion can be inferred from inertial sensors mounted alongside the GNSS receiver, as is the case for smartphones and smartwatches, or can be modeled using multi-hypothesis methods. Low-cost crystal oscillators cause phase instabilities which traditionally reduce coherent integration time, but can also be accounted for by multi-hypothesis testing and by joint estimation processes across multiple channels.

A decade ago, consumer GNSS receivers were typically an ASIC or similar hard-wired design. Modern designs incorporate a front-end correlator bank which may or may not be reprogrammable, feeding into a DSP stage which handles all tracking and navigation processing from the DLL, PLL, FLL stages onwards. The flexibility of reprogramming the code running on the DSP stage permits existing GNSS chipsets to be easily upgraded to support supercorrelation, without needing to design and fabricate a new receiver.

Focal Point aims to have S-GNSS enabled chips by early 2020, with licensing opportunities available from summer 2019 onwards.

January 16, 2019
Hexagon Geospatial releases Luciad Portfolio update

Hexagon’s Geospatial Division has released V2018.1 of the Luciad Portfolio. According to the company, V2018.1 focuses on further expanding 3D capabilities and includes additional data formats and standards for users in military and maritime domains.

To accomodate organizations’ expanding geospatial data, LuciadFusion added a RESTful API to automate the entire process of data crawling.

As a part of the update, LuciadFusion and LuciadLightspeed, the server and desktop solutions, have added support for the E57 point cloud format and automate point cloud data optimization through the Tiling Engine API. LuciadLightspeed now includes inland electronic navigational charts and updated support for military symbology with the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Military Symbology Standard and the NATO Joint Military Symbology Standard APP-6D icons.

In addition, LuciadRIA now allows users to draw a multitude of complex lines and military tactical graphics in 2D and 3D in the browser.

“The additional 3D capabilities of Luciad V2018.1 support our vision for a smart digital reality, empowering users to unlock the power of advanced geospatial analytics and visualizations,” said Mladen Stojic, president of Hexagon’s Geospatial Division.

January 15, 2019
TDK expands automotive motion sensor solutions

TDK Corporation has introduced a new line of automotive high-accuracy devices from InvenSense, a TDK group company. The line includes the IAM-20680, IAM-20680HP, IAM-20380 and IAM-20381.

According to the company, its family of automotive solutions can help enhance the absolute position of a vehicle in GNSS- and GPS-denied environments. They also can be interchanged without the need to redesign hardware or software.

The IAM-20680 is a 6-axis qualified sensor that features 16-bit accelerometers and 16-bit gyroscopes. The IAM-20680HP is a high-performance version of the IAM-20680 that features high gyroscope and offset thermal stability. The IAM-20380 is an automotive-qualified gyroscope fully compatible with a 3-axis automotive accelerometer and an automotive-qualified 6-axis device. The IAM-20381 is an automotive-qualified 3-axis accelerometer fully compatible with a 3-axis automotive gyroscope and an automotive-qualified 6-axis device.

The IAM-20680HP and IAM-20680 can be used to improve estimates of the position, direction and speed of a vehicle when the satellite signal is deteriorated or non-existent, as well as to improve the quality of the position estimation when the satellite signal is strong, the company said. Customers can design with the IAM-20680 and can use the IAM-20680HP when navigating in high temperature environments or for systems where cooling is weak or unavailable.

If cost efficiency is an important consideration, the company recommends the IAM-20380 or IAM-20381.

“With the increased usage of location services for turn-by-turn navigation, the importance of not losing your GPS or GNSS signal due to environments like tunnels, parking garages and urban canyons is paramount,” said Amir Panush, vice president and general manager of the Motion and Pressure Business Unit at TDK. “With a full family of InvenSense product offerings that are automotive qualified, OEMs have a plethora of options to differentiate the user experience and supply consumers with more reliable navigation solutions.”

The IAM-20680 and IAM-20680HP are also designed into the new InvenSense Coursa Drive software solution, an inertial-aided positioning software solution for autonomous vehicle platform developers.

January 15, 2019
Galileo to receive global infrastructure upgrade

News from the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) has received approval from the Galileo Security Accreditation Board to upgrade the global infrastructure running Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system.

According to ESA, the resulting migration, set to start in February 2019, will incorporate new elements into the world-spanning system and boost the robustness of Galileo services delivered from the 26 satellites in orbit.

The system qualification campaign, which was run by the ESA Galileo project team in coordination with the WP1x system support team led by Thales Alenia Space in Italy, took more than a year to execute. It included more than 150 system tests — summing up to a total of 409 tests runs across Europe — in the various Galileo operational centers.

Galileo’s global ground segment. (Photo: ESA)

According to ESA, a major driver of this latest update was the growth of the Galileo constellation, which increased by 12 satellites through a trio of Ariane 5 launches in the last three years to become Europe’s largest.

The updated ground system incorporates a sixth telemetry, tracking and control station in Papeete, used to oversee Galileo satellite platforms, as well as an expansion of the number of antennas at the sites of uplink stations at Kourou in French Guiana, Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and Noumea in French Polynesia.

In addition, receivers have been added to the Galileo sensor stations to ensure full redundancy.

“This marks the first update for Galileo’s operational infrastructure since it entered service,” said Edward Breeuwer, ESA Galileo system test and verification manager. “Galileo Initial Services began in December 2016, then last year we passed control of the system to our partner organization, the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency, or GSA.

“This, therefore, marks a major step, but migration to the upgraded system should in principle be entirely transparent to Galileo users. We achieve this by taking advantage of the redundant elements of the Galileo system, taking them offline to update them while their operational counterparts continue to run.”

Featured photo: ESA/Fermin Alvarez Lopez

January 11, 2019
Iowa DOT implements eX² Technology smart truck parking system

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) has integrated eX² Technology’s Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS) into its operations.

According to eX² Technology, the Iowa TPIMS solution, “Trucks Park Here,” is among the first statewide networks to be implemented in the Midwest. Operational usage began on Jan. 4.

An eX² Technology ground truthing camera installed on a water tower took this photo overlooking the I-80 Truckstop, the world’s largest truckstop. This is one of the sites integrated into Iowa’s Trucks Park Here TPIMS network. (Photo: eX² Technology)

Iowa’s Trucks Parks Here provides real-time information on available truck parking spaces for public rest areas, private truck stops and other privately owned facilities along Iowa’s I-80, I-29, I-35, I-235 and I-380 corridors, said eX² Technology. In addition, the system connects to 41 truck parking facilities, including 24 public rest areas, 15 privately owned truck stops, one privately owned restaurant and one privately owned casino.

The components of the Iowa TPIMS solution are fully automated with a remote network monitoring system that provides operational, health and accuracy alerts and relies on a hybrid of detection methods to accurately assess available truck parking spaces, including screenline and space occupancy technologies such as in-ground sensors and video analytics, eX² Technology added.

“We’re really pleased with how seamless the project implementation went and the overall effectiveness of the solution,” said Kyle Hildebrand, vice president of project development at eX² Technology. “We leveraged our success with the Colorado DOT TPIMS deployment to deliver a reliable and economically feasible solution that was right for Iowa. In the process, we perfected a standardized, off-the-shelf product that we can implement quickly throughout other states across the country.”

The Iowa project was part of a larger Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) initiative that was funded in part through a $25M federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant awarded to a group of eight partnering states — Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The Iowa Department of Transportation received $3.4 million in MAASTO grant dollars to fund the $4 million Trucks Park Here project with a portion of the overall costs covering three years of systems maintenance and operations.

“eX² Technology took an innovative and cost-conscious approach to designing Iowa’s TPIMS solution,” said Phil Mescher, a transportation planner with the Iowa Department of Transportation. “eX² incorporated existing pole and site infrastructure into the TPIMS design when possible, used low power consumption and solar powered solutions and worked independently to procure non-traditional parking site facilities to increase the overall number of truck parking spaces within the TPIMS network.”

January 9, 2019
First GPS III satellite successfully launched

After several delays, the first GPS III satellite has successfully deployed from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:51 a.m. EST on Dec. 23. The satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, will serve in space for 15 years.

Ten days following the launch, the satellite will circularize its orbit at an altitude of 12,550 miles to begin a period of checkout and testing that could last up to 18 months, before entering service in the GPS constellation providing navigation and timing signals worldwide.

The satellite, known as GPS III SV01 and nicknamed “Vespucci” after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, is the first in a new generation of GPS navigation stations designed with improved services and longer lifetimes to ensure the U.S. military-run network remains available to troops, pilots, sailors and the public for decades to come.

“Launch is always a monumental event, and especially so since this is the first GPS satellite of its generation launched on SpaceX’s first national security space mission,” said Lt. Gen. John Thompson, commander of the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center and the Air Force’s program executive officer for space. “As more GPS III satellites join the constellation, it will bring better service at a lower cost to a technology that is now fully woven into the fabric of any modern civilization.”

Ground System

The U.S. Air Force used Raytheon Company’s GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System, known as GPS OCX, to support the launch. Following launch, GPS OCX will maneuver the GPS III satellite into its final orbit, a process that takes the ground control system 10 days to accomplish.

Ground antenna at Schriever Air Force Base, home of the 50th Space Wing. (Photo: Raytheon)

“The GPS OCX Block 0 launch and checkout system is foundational to the improved precision, navigation and timing of the entire constellation,” said Dave Wajsgras, president of Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “And we’ll all benefit from the system’s unprecedented level of cybersecurity protections.”

The fully modernized GPS OCX Block 0 launch and checkout system will support the launch of future GPS III satellites, enabling the introduction of a new civil signal, enhanced military signals, and anti-jam capabilities.

The ground system has achieved the highest level of cybersecurity protections of any Department of Defense space system, and its open architecture allows it to integrate new capabilities and signals as they become available, ensuring continued protection against future cyber threats.

In addition to GPS OCX’s role, RGNext, a joint venture between Raytheon and General Dynamics IT, provided operational launch support to ensure the safe launch of the Falcon 9 rocket that was carrying the GPS III satellite. RGNext operates the launch range on behalf of the U.S. Air Force, providing maintenance, range safety, weather monitoring, communication and surveillance support for all launches conducted by defense, civil and commercial companies at the range.

After several delays, the first GPS III satellite has successfully deployed from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:51 a.m. EST on Dec. 23. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket orbited the first GPS III satellite on Dec. 23, 2018. (Photo: USAF)

December 27, 2018