Author: Jesse Khalil

Launchpad: Upgraded surveying software, application suite, GPS integrity module

A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the June 2024 issue of GPS World magazine.

SURVEYING & MAPPING

Upgraded surveying software
With an improved CAD engine

Survey Master 3.5.0 includes an enhanced CAD engine. A measurement grade has been added to the CAD to improve the software’s utility in design and planning projects. Additionally, the latest version features expanded CAD drawing and survey functions to offer users a comprehensive toolset — including point, line, polyline, curve, arc, square, rectangle, polygon, circle and text. Survey Master 3.5.0 features CAD capture mode from any point and allows users to easily display or hide point icons.

The system added the Dominican predefined coordinate system, SBAS configuration, PPP and RTK PPP fusion, updated satellite frequencies and an external datalink CDL7 configuration. Existing software users can update directly in Survey Master.
Comnav Technologies, comnavtech.com

Scanning kit
Combines photogrammetry with RTK precision

The Pix4D & Emlid Scanning kit combines advanced photogrammetry with real-time kinematics (RTK) precision for quick data capture when documenting trenches and as-builts, performing volumetric measurements and enhancing aerial data with terrestrial scans. It includes the PIX4Dcatch app and the Emlid Reach RX RTK rover.

The PIX4Dcatch app allows precise scanning for both photogrammetry and lidar projects. The hardware features the Emlid Reach RX RTK rover, which comes with an ergonomic handle and accessories. It is integrated with PIX4Dcatch and provides real-time positioning through NTRIP.

The kit works with any correction network or GNSS base station broadcasting RTCM3. The rover gets a fix in less than five seconds, offering centimeter-accurate positioning in challenging conditions. It can also be used with the survey pole as an RTK rover for data collection and stakeout.

Designed for urban surveying, the Reach RX rover is lightweight, rated IP68, sealed and protected from water and dust.

The PIX4Dcatch mobile app allows users to use a smartphone for scanning, access RTK precision data through integration with Reach RX and generate a digital model within minutes. Users can also store, annotate, measure and share data online in PIX4Dcloud as well as verify geolocated positions and visualize the project in AR. It extracts insights from both terrestrial and aerial data and features online and offline processing, advanced photogrammetry capabilities, team collaboration and AR for CAD overlays.
Emlid, emlid.com

UAV surveying software
Now with planimetric survey capabilities

Virtual Surveyor version 9.5 is a smart UAV surveying program featuring new planimetric survey capabilities. Users can survey 2D features from UAV orthophotos and add them to a 3D topographic model generated from the same data set.

The integrated Terrain Creator app photogrammetrically processes UAV photos to build survey-grade digital surface models (DSMs) and orthomosaics. These transfer seamlessly to the traditional Virtual Surveyor app where users can generate CAD models, create cut-and-fill maps and gather other 3D topographic information.

No third-party software is needed to create surveys from UAV data. The system is ideal for users in construction, surface mining and excavation projects.
Virtual Surveyor, virtual-surveyor.com

RTK technology
For GIS needs

RTK Torch is designed for high-precision geolocation and GIS needs. It has tri-band reception and tilt compensation.

The RTK Torch can provide millimeter-grade measurements. Users can connect a phone to the device over Bluetooth and receive the NMEA output and work with most GIS software.

The RTK Torch features Zero-Touch RTK technology, which gives connected devices WiFi credentials for a hotspot or other WiFi network. The device will begin receiving corrections without any further setup, with no NTRIP credentials required. These corrections are obtained over WiFi from u-blox PointPerfect and are available in the United States, Europe and various parts of Australia, Canada, Brazil and Korea.

The RTK Torch includes a one-month free subscription to PointPerfect. Additional subscriptions can be purchased if desired. If PointPerfect coverage is not available in the area, corrections from a local base station or service can be provided to the device over NTRIP, delivered via Bluetooth or WiFi.

It is housed in an IP67-rated enclosure. It is waterproof when submerged up to 1 m for up to 30 minutes when the USB cover is closed. Under the hood of the SparkFun RTK Torch is an ESP32, a UM980 L1/L2/L5 high precision GNSS receiver from Unicore, and an IM-19 for tilt compensation. The addition of the L5 reception makes this portable GNSS device ideal for densely canopied areas where normal L1/L2 reception may have problems.
SparkFun, sparkfun.com

3D laser scanner
For indoor and outdoor mapping

The VZ-600i terrestrial laser scanner offers a broad range capability from 0.5 m up to 1,000 m and is suitable for indoor and outdoor 3D mapping applications. It features 3D position accuracy of 3 mm, less than 30 sec scan time for high-resolution scans with 6 mm point spacing at 10 m, weight less than 6 kg (13 lbs), 2.2 MHZ PRR, three internal cameras and is GNSS integrated.

Designed for mobile mapping applications, the system is suitable for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), building information modeling (BIM), as-built surveying, forensic and crash scene investigation, archeology, forestry and more.
RIEGL, riegl.com

OEM

Application suite
Featuring GRIT Technology

The NovAtel Application Suite Version 2.0 now includes GNSS Resilience and Integrity Technology (GRIT). The GRIT Monitor application allows users to observe radio frequency (RF) interference through a comprehensive dashboard to make informed decisions to maintain robust positioning.

GRIT is RF interference detection and mitigation technology available on all OEM7 GNSS receiver products, including individual cards and enclosures such as smart antennas, PwrPak and MarinePak.
It includes positioning and device status overviews to serve as a mitigation assistant that indicates whether interference is detected. It features an interactive spectrum viewer, which shows all constellations and frequency bands (spectrum and waterfall), and a signal matrix indicating the signal quality and interference status by frequency band and constellation.

The updated suite also introduces firmware compatibility and improvements to the user interface and extends support to include MarinePak, among other enhancements. The Manage application, previously known as Setup and Monitor, now supports satellite tracking for L-Band and SBAS and offers a global map view of connected receivers.

Version 2.0 of the NovAtel Application Suite is designed to assist users in maintaining accurate GNSS positioning by quickly identifying and responding to RF interference. This update is targeted to industries that require precise location data, such as aerial mapping, agriculture and autonomous vehicle navigation.
NovAtel, novatel.com

DEFENSE

Upgraded UAS
With silent VTOL capabilities

The VXE30 Stalker unmanned aerial system (UAS) features the new “Havoc” configuration, designed to double the system’s flight endurance and payload capacity.

With the Havoc upgrades, the VXE30 can now support the complex demands of both small tactical units and larger brigade-level operations without extensive reconfiguration. The upgrades are designed to make the UAS more versatile across various military applications.

The VXE30 Stalker UAS has silent, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and is payload agnostic with the Havoc configuration. It supports easy integration of third-party payloads and subsystems through a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), requiring no additional training for current operators.
Edge Autonomy, edgeautonomy.io

CUAS technology
Adheres to NDAA standards

This counter-unmanned aircraft system (CUAS) is a high-speed kinetic interceptor UAS that utilizes advanced autopilot algorithms for calculating and tracking precise target trajectories, neutralizing Group 1 and 2 aerial threats with pinpoint accuracy.

The system is manufactured in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to ensure it meets the federal requirements necessary for immediate deployment in both military and industrial settings in the United States.
Nearthlab, nearthlab.com

GPS integrity module
Seamlessly integrates with existing platforms

The Shift5 GPS integrity module is a platform-agnostic solution for military, aviation, rail, maritime and space applications.
With real-time access and analysis of onboard data, the module assesses changes in navigational position through multi-faceted anomaly detection methods, which alert operators to GPS spoofing attacks as they happen.

Using data collected from onboard systems, the module uses algorithmic position analysis to identify significant position deviations and GPS data validation to verify GPS information accuracy. Discrepancies or deviations that indicate tampering trigger an immediate notification, allowing operators to initiate standard operating procedures (SOPs) rapidly and accurately.

The module is designed for cross-platform deployment, across commercial and military planes, locomotives, vessels and aircraft, as well as on other critical systems such as radar, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and weapon guidance systems. It seamlessly integrates with existing platforms and can deploy directly to onboard hardware.

It offers multi-faceted detection and alerts for GPS spoofing attempts, designed to improve the safety and reliability of navigation systems. It uses physics-based spoofing detection to determine whether reported changes in position are physically possible to provide an effective method for initial spoofing detection. The system analyzes data from all sources to detect subtle, sophisticated spoofing attempts, which is essential for identifying more complex spoofing strategies that may evade traditional spoofing detection techniques.

Shift5 alerts can be integrated into existing SOPs to help preempt contamination of other positioning and navigation data, such as inertial navigation calibration against false GPS data. Metadata about the time, location, duration and estimated position of the attack can be passed for inclusion in threat mapping and other geospatial systems for future route avoidance.
Shift5, shift5.io

VTOL UAS
Designed for military forces

The Rogue 1 loitering munition UAS is designed to provide military forces with enhanced versatility, survivability and lethality in modern combat environments.

The Rogue 1 is an optionally lethal, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable of engaging both moving and stationary targets, including armored vehicles and dismounted threats. It features a unique mechanical interrupt fuzing system that allows for the drone to be safely recovered and reused if the mission is aborted or targets are disengaged.

Equipped with advanced electro-optical and FLIR Boson 640+ thermal cameras, Rogue 1 offers day and night long-range reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. The system’s gimballed payload allows for precise targeting, facilitated by a novel coupling between sensors and warhead. Operators can customize the munition with various modular, mission-specific payloads to effectively engage different types of enemy targets.

It has a flight time of 30 minutes, can reach burst speeds exceeding 70 mph and has an operational range of over six miles, making it suitable for missions in harsh battlefield conditions, including communication- and GPS-denied environments.
Teledyne FLIR Defense, flir.com

UAV

Delivery winch
Improves safety and operational capabilities

A2Z Drone Delivery has released new safety features and hardware upgrades for its RDS2 commercial UAV delivery winch, including a weatherproof cover and an auto-releasing bag hook. This aims to improve safety and operational capabilities as well as aid in regulatory compliance for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations.

The system features entanglement auto-detection, which autonomously detects tether entanglements and allows the system to safely abandon the tether to prevent damage to the UAV. This feature can be customized to recognize different types of obstructions, whether at altitude or during the landing phase, enhancing safety across a variety of operational scenarios.

Additionally, the overweight payload rejection feature ensures that the payload weight does not exceed the 5 kg limit. This is useful when picking up payloads from third parties, as it automatically confirms that the weights are within safe flying limits before proceeding with the mission. The RDS2 now includes Tether Lifecycle Alerts, which notify operators when the winch’s tether, rated for up to 800 deliveries, requires replacement.
A2Z Drone Delivery, a2zdronedelivery.com

Integration platform
For fully autonomous operations

Flinks is designed for one-click integrations with third-party applications and devices. The platform aims to streamline the coordination of various systems involved in UAV operations, creating end-to-end automated workflows for fully autonomous systems.

It allows users to connect the FlytBase platform with critical business systems such as alarm systems, video management, data processing and more. By eliminating the need for complex, time-consuming manual interventions, Flinks is designed for users to seamlessly incorporate autonomous drones into their existing operations.

By joining the Flinks Partner Program, organizations can access FlytBase’s global network of UAV service providers, system integrators and enterprise customers.
FlytBase, flytbase.com

MACHINE CONTROL

Antenna
Integrates with heavy construction equipment

The iCON 120 machine smart antenna offers scalable and flexible machine control solutions for construction professionals.

The iCON 120 is a GNSS antenna intended for integration within the existing Leica MC1 platform. Using the iCON 120, operators can benefit from a tailor-made, Leica MC1-based machine control, allowing for more streamlined operations and consistent workflows with a variety of heavy construction equipment and application requirements.

Leica iCON 120 users can start with a single GNSS solution using a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), such as WAAS or EGNOS, or a HxGN SmartNet service. The HxGN SmartNet family offers network real-time kinematics (RTK) with RTK bridging and precise point positioning (PPP) services that work exclusively with Leica Geosystems GS sensors. The new smart antenna can be easily switched, with quick mounting and dismounting, between Leica MC1-prepared machines.

Users can optionally upgrade their basic-level machine-control solution with the Leica CR50 communication unit to receive RTK correction data via radio or modem. The CR50 features a web interface, automotive ethernet communication, worldwide cellular modem and integrated dual-frequency UHF radio.
Leica Geosystems, leica-geosystems.com

GNSS smart antenna
For construction Site Positioning

The R780 GNSS Smart Antenna is designed for construction site positioning. It features a dual-band radio (450/900 MHz) that connects to diverse base stations and job sites without additional external radios. The dual Trimble Maxwell 7 GNSS ASIC chip allows the system to perform in challenging GNSS environments such as a blocked sky, multi-path or degraded signal.

An activated and ready-to-use Trimble CenterPoint RTX subscription is included for the first 12 months. CenterPoint RTX is point positioning technology that provides real-time, centimeter-level corrections via satellite or cellular/IP.

Using the R780 with Trimble FieldLink software supports underground and long-distance layout projects as well as QA/QC and field positioning tasks. The R780 can serve as a GNSS rover or as a base station for other GNSS operations including machine control.
Trimble Civil Construction, heavyindustry.trimble.com

June 17, 2024
Seeds of change: Ernst Seeds uses data-driven approach to restore habitats

Ernst’s seed production relies on pollinators. Beehives are mapped and placed strategically across the fields to provide full coverage of seed crops. (Image courtesy of Ernst Seeds)

Every Monday and Wednesday, the team at Ernst Conservation Seeds gathers around maps to discuss which fields to harvest, which fields need treatments, and where to plant new crops.

On this 10,000-acre farm near the small town of Meadville, Pennsylvania, the company pioneered the propagation of 180 species of native wildflowers, grasses, and wetland plants to revive degraded land and provide wildlife habitat.

Now, the plants Ernst Seeds propagates are in high demand. Pollinator planting has become a trend worldwide, with the growing realization that flying bugs and birds are key to the survival of three-quarters of the world’s plants, including many we eat. Native plants are also being valued for nature-based solutions to protect soils from erosion and filter pollutants from stormwater.

Across its operation, Ernst Seeds embraces the science of agronomy and the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to understand native plant species and grow them better, faster, and less expensively.

There’s a lot of experimentation that goes into growing native seeds and designing the right mix for each restoration project. “What we’re doing is going out and looking at existing plant communities to see what species grow together and how they’re doing it,” said Andy Ernst, vice president of Ernst Seeds. “Then there are lessons from our farming failures and successes. We make a lot of discoveries in our fields when we map yield data and the treatments we applied.”

Improving plant propagation

Typically, large farms focus on commodity crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, or cotton. At Ernst Seeds, the growing cycles of 180 species are tracked across 1,300 fields and 15 square miles.

“I realized a long time ago that with the complexity of our farm, we needed software to track it,” Ernst said. His early forays into traditional farm management software products were frustrating as most could not support so many crops. The software lacked the data management and analysis capabilities needed to discern best practices for seed crops no one else was growing.

Then in 2015, Ernst Seeds started using GIS. For operations, the ability to see fertilizer and spray assignments on smart maps helped the company identify places that required more or less treatment.

“There are a lot of accidental experiments when a row is skipped, there’s overlap, or a different chemistry is used,” Ernst said. “When we go out in the field, we can see areas that thrive and other areas that do poorly. With GIS, we can answer why.”

Katy Flaherty, an agronomy expert and the GIS manager at Ernst Seeds, developed a GIS-powered work order management system that guides each phase of production, from planting and fertilizing to applying pesticides and harvesting. The system uses a combination of ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS Field Maps, and ArcGIS Dashboards to record data and visualize trends. Flaherty also uses ArcGIS Pro to analyze data from the field, layering it with historical crop records and real-time soil and weather data to uncover correlations.

“When we plan our fields across four counties, there are significant differences in what crops do well from north to south,” Flaherty said. “It’s very spatial aware farming, and that knowledge transfers to recommendations for customers.”

In one instance, this detailed level of monitoring led to a decision to stop using a product that harmed some plants. In another case, improvements in propagation for a species proved so fruitful that smaller plots would meet the demand.

Smart maps guide the company’s planting locations, irrigation system maintenance, and harvesting schedule. Staff use smart maps to track plant maturity and time seed harvests. Unlike corn and soybeans, which can sit in fields for months, some native seeds have only three days of viable harvest. Knowing when and where to harvest is crucial. Ernst Seeds sells 70% of the seeds it harvests every year, putting the rest in the ground for the next crop cycle.

In ArcGIS Pro, administrators and agronomists view short-term plans and historical information. The map views allows them to analyze passes over fields, coverage of treatments, quantities of materials, water drainage, and other variables to inform treatment decisions. (Image courtesy of Ernst Seeds)

Filling gaps and expanding geographic reach

Calvin Ernst, Andy’s father, started the thriving conservation seeds business in 1964 with a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation contract to supply seeds to revegetate highway rights-of-way. Over the next 50 years, the company made wild seed collecting forays across the US to add plants to its offerings. As species count and seed supply grew, so did work with a broader list of customers, including state and federal agencies.

The company has developed seed mixes tailored to specific regions, such as Maryland, northern Virginia, and coastal North Carolina. These seeds are adapted to thrive in the local weather and soil. By choosing native seeds, restoration project managers ensure plants are well-suited to the ecosystem and more resilient to changing climate conditions.

“A simple philosophy is to avoid plants in your seed mixes that would be planted at the southern edge of their historical range,” Ernst said, speaking to the growing need for heat-adapted plants.

This commitment to innovation comes at a cost—it takes time to establish every new species. But insights from GIS can accelerate that timeline.

“It can take seven to 10 years to figure out how to grow something,” Ernst said. “If our observations cut that time down to five years, that’s a major win for us.”

Building native seeds capacity

One of the main challenges with native seed farming, according to Ernst agronomists, is the lack of knowledge of native seed production when compared to conventional row crops.

While the company has typically filled knowledge gaps itself, there have been times when an academic partnership has proved beneficial. For example, Ernst Seeds collaborated with researchers at the Center for Pollinator Research at Pennsylvania State University to identify the mix of flowering plants that could maximize pollinator food and breeding opportunities. The seed mixes developed through this partnership are now used across solar energy farms for revegetation.

The work on developing the right seed mix for solar farms made Ernst Seeds an ideal partner for the Virginia Solar Pollinator Program. Originally, Ernst Seeds was employed on the project by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to guide a mix of native seeds for Virginia, but that work expanded.

Ernst Seeds experts then worked alongside the Clifton Institute to gather seeds across Virginia, from the Coastal Plain to beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. They recorded the location and conditions of their findings using a GIS-powered mobile app on their phones. This knowledge will help in planting along corridor projects, such as land beneath the electric transmission lines that will deliver energy from solar farms in rural areas to businesses and households in urban centers.

From its start with solar projects, the program evolved into the Virginia Native Seed Pilot Project to launch a native seed industry in Virginia. The program identifies local growers who can produce native seeds at a commercial scale and shows them how data from GIS helps guide best practices.

Tractor operators record their observations and have access to historical data as they work the fields. (Image courtesy of Ernst Seeds)

“Creating a GIS-centric culture at Ernst has changed how managers and operators work the fields,” Flaherty said. “We aren’t only looking at maps and numbers, we’re utilizing and making the data work for us every day.”

A data-driven approach to farming can be tough to instill in farmers working the same fields with the same approach for decades.

“Early on, we had pushback about the need to collect different information,” Ernst said. “Then in one meeting, we had a big lights-come-on moment when the answers we needed came from the data they’d been collecting. The guys were saying, ‘I know what we did there,’ but when we looked at the records their memory wasn’t as good as they thought it was.”

Learn more about how GIS is used to intelligently manage agriculture.

This article originally appeared on Esri Blog.

June 13, 2024
BAE Systems unveils anti-jamming GPS receiver

Photo: BAE Systems

BAE Systems has unveiled NavStorm-M, a gun-hardened integrated anti-jamming GPS receiver for artillery, bombs, missiles and unmanned systems.

NavStorm-M features a layered protection approach using beamforming, anti-spoofing, resiliency and software assurance. It is an assured positioning, navigation and timing (A-PNT) device featuring M-Code GPS technology.

The capability is designed to meet the tight size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) requirements of unmanned aircraft systems, loitering munitions, hypersonic platforms and other weapons – especially in gun-hardened applications. NavStorm-M offers precise GPS navigation as a stand-alone system or integrated with an inertial navigation system (INS).

BAE Systems has delivered selective availability anti-spoofing module products to more than 45 countries and has begun delivering M-Code GPS receivers in multiple form factors and levels of capability to the U.S. armed forces and its allies through the Foreign Military Sales program.

June 12, 2024
LabSat launches GNSS simulator

Photo: LabSat

LabSat has launched the LabSat 4 GNSS simulator, designed to meet the demands of modern GNSS signal testing.

The simulator is equipped with three radio frequency (RF) channels, each of which can be configured with up to 12-bit I&Q quantization and a bandwidth of up to 60 MHz. This flexibility allows users to precisely control recording parameters and optimize file sizes based on their specific testing requirements. Additionally, synchronized record and replay of external data sources such as CAN, CAN-FD, RS232 and digital event capture are designed to further enhance complex test scenarios.

Users can save custom record settings for efficient setup and repeatability, and a user-friendly, web-based interface allows easy configuration and management of the simulation environment.

LabSat 4 offers file management capabilities with 7.6TB internal storage and robust data transfer options via Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0. This technology accommodates the high-volume data needs of modern GNSS testing without sacrificing speed or performance.

It maintains compact size, portability and cost efficiency and can be used in the field and laboratory.

It is fully compatible with SatGen Simulation Software, which allows users to create GNSS RF I&Q scenario files based on custom trajectories. This integration enables the simulation of scenarios that include multi-stop routes, time zone transitions, leap seconds, and more, based on any specified time, date and location.

June 12, 2024
GeoMax launches GNSS smart antenna

Photo: Geomax

GeoMax Positioning has unveiled the Zenith60 Pro GNSS smart antenna, designed for surveyors and construction professionals.

It is a real-time kinematics (RTK) rover that features calibrated free tilt compensation to measure otherwise inaccessible points. The antenna is suited for harsh climates, urban areas, dense canopy coverage or other challenging terrains.

This multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS receiver features a GNSS board with more than 800 channels and IP68 protection against dust and water. It also connects with GeoMax total stations and X-PAD field software to create an efficient and flexible workflow.

June 11, 2024
NAVSYS secures AFRL contract for complementary PNT solution

NAVSYS Corporation has secured a $4.4 million contract from the Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integration Development (RAPID) Laboratory of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The contract is part of AFRL’s Commercial Alternative Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) for RAPID (CAPR) program, which aims to provide the Department of Defense improved access to reliable and resilient PNT services, particularly in situations where GPS is unavailable or compromised.

The contract involves developing and maturing NAVSYS’ PNT as a Service (PNTaaS) system architecture. This technology uses existing SATCOM signals for PNT services, utilizing broadband signals outside of the L-band frequencies, which are often subject to jamming. The system employs multiple frequency allocations, including C-band, Ku-band and K-band, to offer high resilience and performance equivalent to GPS.

Test results previously published by NAVSYS have demonstrated the system’s capability to use satellites operated by Intelsat, Viasat, Eutelsat, SES and Telesat to deliver backup PNT capability to GPS.

June 11, 2024
VectorNav participates in USAF PNT test

VectorNav Technologies has participated in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) NAVFEST 2024 Test Event held May 6-17, 2024. The event was hosted by the 746th Test Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR).

NAVFEST provides the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and industry partners the opportunity to test and evaluate products and solutions in real-world GNSS-contested conditions to enhance systems’ robustness and resilience in these environments.

VectorNav’s evaluated its solutions in GNSS-contested scenarios to continue advancing its capabilities for robust position, navigation and timing (PNT). The VectorNav team tested a variety of systems on both aerial and ground-based platforms and conducted both static and dynamic maneuvers.

During the event, VectorNav evaluated a variety of its single and dual-antenna GNSS-aided inertial navigation systems (INS) products, including the VN-210, VN-310, VN-210-S, VN-200, VN-300, VN-210E and VN-310E in various configurations. Additionally, these products were tested in combination with a variety of additional PNT systems, including external tactical and navigation grade IMUs, M-Code GPS receivers, anti-jam antennas, commercial L1/L2/L5 GNSS receivers in varied configurations and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite receivers.

The data collected from the event are being analyzed to further refine and improve the company’s solutions in GNSS-contested environments.

June 7, 2024
Upcoming webinar: The science of precise positioning for autonomous systems

GPS World, in collaboration with GEODNET, will be hosting an upcoming webinar, “The science of precise positioning for autonomous systems.” The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. EDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT, with an additional hour allocated for Q&A.

In this webinar, attendees will learn about precise, reliable localization for autonomy using real-time kinematics (RTK), precise inertial measurement units (IMUs) and lidar. An example use case of autonomous yard vehicles will be used to motivate a discussion around new IMU and RTK technologies and how practical solutions fuse multiple technologies to achieve reliable localization for autonomy. Considerations of mixed indoor/outdoor operating environments, accuracy and cost will be explored. Localization requirements for perception and path planning will also be discussed as well as the role of lidar and other vision sensors.

Click here to learn more and register.

June 6, 2024
Mosaic launches mobile mapping system with integrated Inertial Labs INS

Photo: Mosaic

Mosaic has introduced the Meridian mobile mapping system designed to enhance geospatial and surveying technologies. The system integrates the Mosaic X camera with Inertial Labs INS/lidar to improve mapping accuracy.

The Meridian system offers a 74MP native resolution and 13.5K resolution panoramas using precisely synchronized camera modules. The design minimizes image overlap to offer clearer and more consistent panoramas. The integrated INS system has a vertical accuracy of 2 to 3 cm and a precision of 2 to 4 cm.

It offers seamless, out-of-the-box operations with fully integrated and calibrated components. The Meridian system is designed for ease of use and requires only minutes of training. In addition, it features a rugged design to ensure performance in challenging environments.

June 6, 2024
Safran Federal Systems launches navigation warfare simulator

Photo: Safran Federal Systems

Safran Federal Systems has launched the BroadSim Duo, its dual-frequency GNSS simulator designed specifically for testing military receivers in an unclassified environment.

The new product integrates dual-frequency capabilities within a single compact GPS military signal testing unit. The simulator has dual-frequency capability, which is essential for testing P-Code and AES-M-Code. It features a new software-defined radio in an M.2 form factor, offering robust and reliable performance. It also seamlessly integrates with the Skydel simulation environment for improved versatility and functionality.

June 6, 2024
ANELLO Photonics, Key Dollar Cab enhance precision agriculture

ANELLO Photonics and Key Dollar Cab, an OEM and technology integrator, have formed a strategic collaboration to bring ANELLO’s optical gyroscope technology to agriculture applications. The collaboration focuses on enhancing positioning accuracy in orchards and other high-value crop environments with limited GPS availability.

The partnership aims to address the growing demand for more robust and accurate positioning systems in orchards where precise navigation is crucial for optimizing operations and maximizing yield.

Optical gyroscope technology offers several advantages compared to traditional positioning systems, including improved accuracy, reliability and robustness in challenging agriculture environments. The optical gyroscope technology and positioning solutions integrated with Key Dollar Cab’s agricultural machinery and equipment is designed to offer farmers improved precision and efficiency in various orchard management tasks, including planting, spraying, fertilizing and harvesting.

June 5, 2024

NGS beta version of a new NOAA CORS Network station web page

My past GPS World newsletters (February 2024, March 2024, April 2024 and May 2024) highlighted the NGS Geospatial Modeling grantees which included creating a CORS Dashboard that will be very useful to NGS employees monitoring the CORSs and evaluating the Intra-Frame Deformation Model (IFDM).

I mentioned in the May 2024 newsletter that NGS announced the release of a beta version of a new NOAA CORS Network (NCN) Station Web Page. Each CORS station in the NCN will have its own page with data, metadata, maps and photos displayed in a modular layout so information is easily found in one location. This newsletter will describe some features of the new beta site.

The beta site is located here.

I will highlight some of the information provided by the routine, but I would encourage others to access the beta site and provide feedback to NGS. NGS states on the site that “This is a Beta product. We are interested in your feedback. Please email us at: [email protected] and indicate the subject as “NCN Station Pages Feedback.”

When you access the website, it defaults to the CORS station GODE. The user has the option to enter their own CORS station in the box located on the right-hand side of the webpage.

A nice feature of the site is that the CORS data availability for the last seven days is provided under the Station Information section. For those interested in downloading data, there is a button titled “Quick Data Download,” on the top left corner. The site allows users to download daily data from the past 30, seven or two days.

In my example, I downloaded the last seven days of data for CORS TXLV. It only took a few seconds to download and provide the data in a zipped file. If a user includes this process in their standard operating procedure, they can easily download all the CORS data required for their project.

Another planning tool available is the weather information for a week. Today, most users can get the weather information on their phone. However, this is a convenient option to have when you are looking at available CORS on the day of occupying marks. It can help in managing schedule changes.

There is an option to show the five nearest CORS relative to your selected CORS by clicking on the button titled “Show Closest 5 on Map.”

Clicking on the button labeled “Show Legend” provides information about the CORS depicted on the map. This is a useful feature especially if selecting CORS that provide GNSS data other than GPS and/or data at different sampling rates.

If a user clicks on the button “Open NGS Map,” the site will access the NGS Map website and provide information about the selected CORS. This allows users to get information about the CORS. I found that the beta site provided most of the same information using the various options on the NGS Map website.

The site provides photos and equipment history that may help in troubleshooting an issue associated with processing sessions or during the analysis of the adjustment results. I have highlighted that a new antenna was installed at the TXLV CORS on August 5, 2021. I will explain later in this newsletter how this information helped me during my analysis of a GNSS project.

Under the Coordinates and Velocities section, the site provides information about the latest coordinates and velocities along with superseded values for the selected CORS. The superseded values may not be of interest to most users, but I am always looking at the changes in CORS coordinates. It is my nature to try to understand the reason why something has changed; especially for CORS that I am including in a GNSS project.

Clicking on the link titled “Position and Velocity” under the Coordinates and Velocities section provides the coordinate and velocity information for your selected CORS. I have highlighted the ITRF2014 velocities, the NAD 83 (2011) velocities, the latest antenna type, installation date and the dates the positions and velocities were revised.

As shown in the image above, the position and velocity sheet provide the dates that the position was revised. Clicking on the link titled “Datasheet with GRP/MON included (if available)” in the Coordinates and Velocities section provides the datasheet that lists the NAD 83 (2011) superseded survey control values. The superseded ellipsoid heights from the datasheet are provided in the box titled “Excerpt from TXLV Datasheet.”

When you are trying to estimate heights to the 2 cm level, changes in published NAD 83 (2011) CORS heights at the 2 cm level are significant and should be investigated and understood. This beta CORS website offers useful information that can help understand some of these changes. I will explain later in the newsletter how this information and other data from the beta site helped me in the analysis of my GNSS project.

The beta site provides plots that depict the daily positions and residuals for a CORS. In my May 2024 newsletter, I stated that NGS has developed a Beta CORS Time Series Tool that provides information that assists users in selecting appropriate CORS for a project. The Beta CORS Time Series Tool provides the residual differences from the daily NGS OPUS-NET solutions with the coordinates from the official CORS’ coordinate functions. The excerpt below explains the plots and residuals:

NCN Residual Time Series Comparison Tool (NCN PloTS)

This tool computes and displays the residuals for up to 50 CORS stations within the NCN. The mean, standard deviation, and root-mean-square error of the residuals are also provided in a summary table that is available for download. This tool is informational, not authoritative.

The residuals are calculated as the difference between the daily observation at a station and the official daily coordinates for a station. The daily observation is processed from the GPS L1 and L2 signals only, using a network adjustment program. There must be a minimum of 8 hours of data present in a 24 hour file for a solution to be generated. The network adjustment program is an internal application developed by NGS for monitoring the position of the CORS stations in the NCN (Gillins et al., 2019). The official daily coordinates for a station are calculated using the reference epoch (2010.0) position and velocity published as the station coordinate function in the Position and Velocity File. An example of a Position and Velocity File for NCN station GODE can be found here. To obtain Position and Velocity Files for NCN stations please visit the NCN Station Pages and navigate to the Coordinates and Velocities section.

This tool is optimized for plotting data extending between 30 to 90 days in length but can be customized to other time frames. The earliest start date currently available is October 27, 2018, which is the completion date of the MYCS2 and the end date can be as recent as 3 days before the present day. This three-day time lag is so that the final orbits can be used in the network adjustment to create the daily solutions. Then, please enter the 4-character station ID for at least one and up to 50 CORS stations in the NCN and submit this request to obtain a map, summary table of comparative statistics, and residual plots during the date range.

The beta NGS NCN station pages show similar plots to the Beta CORS Time Series Tool. the station pages also allow users to create position and residual plots at different periods. I find these plots very useful when selecting CORS to be included in a GNSS project. The latest plots are of interest to users when selecting CORS to be included in their GNSS project but there are reasons to look at plots depicting older time periods.

I previously mentioned that the antenna of CORS TXLV was changed on August 5, 2021, so I used the option to plot the last five years to include data before and after the date the antenna was changed. I highlighted August 7, 2021, on both plots. This was two days after the antenna was changed on CORS TXLV.

There appears to be a 2 cm upward shift in the up component after the new antenna was installed. There was also a change of about 1 cm in the north component. Something else to notice in the position plot is that the east component has a significant tilt during the five years. The below provides the ITRF2014 velocities — the eastward component velocity is —1.21 cm/year. In 5 years, one could expect to see about a 6 cm change.

Five year residual plot of TXLV. — Five-year residual plot of TXLV.

Position plot of TXLV for selected time interval.

These small changes affected my analysis and network adjustment results. During the past several years, I have participated in several Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) GNSS projects performed in the Houston-Galveston, Texas, region. I have been involved with estimating subsidence in the Houston-Galveston, Texas, region for about 40 years so when I see changes in height values indicating an apparent uplift it makes me question my results. Therefore, I started investigating the CORS involved in the GNSS project. I looked at the Texas CORS surrounding the GNSS project: WHARTON CORS, COLUMBUS CORS, HEMPSTEAD CORS, LIVINGSTON CORS, and LIBERTY CORS.

The table below provides the differences between the published ellipsoid height and the previous superseded height for the five CORS. As the table indicates, the published ellipsoid height of the CORS increased by about 2 cm from the superseded height. This led me to use the NGS NCN Station Pages to investigate these CORSs. I found that all five of these CORSs had new antennas installed in 2021 and their position plots depicted a similar shift.

I want to emphasis that I am not saying that anyone did anything wrong or incorrect. The CORS manager of these sites provided the appropriate metadata to the NGS CORS team so the site information could be updated and correctly reported. What this indicates to me is that the installation of the new antenna and setup may have affected the height component of these CORS, that is, it may have changed the official position of the monument’s reference point. Again, I want to emphasize that I am not saying that anyone did anything wrong or incorrect. NGS’s process includes monitoring all CORS that are part of the NOAA CORS Network (NCN). The NGS CORS Team noticed the significant change in the up component comparing it to its expected value, so they computed a new coordinate and published the new coordinate in 2022. In my opinion, anyone using these CORSs as constraints in their GNSS projects after the date that the new antenna was installed and before the new coordinate was published could have generated adjusted heights that are in error by 2 cm. As previously stated, when you are estimating heights to the 2 cm level, changes in published NAD 83 (2011) CORS heights at the 2 cm level are significant. In my opinion, this type of analysis should be performed by all users that are incorporating CORS in their GNSS processing.

CORS ID	PID	Station Name	Published Ellipsoid Height (m)	Published Date	Date the New Antenna was Installed	Date Station Coordinates Superseded	Superseded Ellipsoid height (m)	Difference Between Published and Superseded Heights (cm)
txwh	DL9086	WHARTON	8.615	04/22	4/28/2021	06/19	8.595	2.0
txcm	DL9812	COLUMBUS	45.481	04/22	3/17/2021	06/19	45.459	2.2
txhe	DH3608	HEMPSTEAD	48.823	04/22	5/06/2021	06/19	48.803	2.0
txlv	DN4508	LIVINGSTON	29.100	04/22	8/05/2021	06/19	29.075	2.5
txli	DH3612	LIBERTY	-9.782	02/22	5/06/2021	06/19	-9.802	2.0

Keep checking NGS beta site because NGS makes changes based on user feedback. As I previously stated, I would encourage everyone to access the beta site and provide your feedback to NGS. NGS states on the site that “This is a Beta product. We are interested in your feedback. Please email us at: [email protected] and indicate the subject as “NCN Station Pages Feedback.” I have talked to the CORS team and they really would like feedback. The team will make changes to the website based on feedback from users.

June 5, 2024

Author: Jesse Khalil

A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the June 2024 issue of GPS World magazine.

SURVEYING & MAPPING

OEM

DEFENSE

UAV

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