GPS World

Author: Matteo Luccio

  • Correcting errors, big and small

    Correcting errors, big and small

    Three decades after it first entered popular culture during the Gulf War, even a cursory review of articles about GPS aimed at a mass audience still will reveal a plethora of inaccuracies and misunderstandings, ranging from the trivial to the fundamental. Among my pet peeves, some for 20 years, are statements to the effect that GPS:

    1. is a tracking technology

    2. is the only such system

    3. is responsible for routing errors

    4. can operate indoors

    5. receivers “talk” to the satellites

    6. relies on triangulation

    7. has 24 satellites in orbit 

    (For those of you picking up this magazine who are new to satellite navigation, the correct versions of those statements are below.)

    Matteo Luccio
    Matteo Luccio

    Additionally, GPS is taken for granted, with hardly any recognition for the engineers, technicians, U.S. Air Force service members and others who make the miracle happen, and for the fact that U.S. taxpayers foot the nearly $2 billion annual bill for the system, which is offered free to users worldwide. (All GPS program funding comes from general U.S. tax revenues. The bulk of the program is budgeted through the U.S. Department of Defense, which has primary responsibility for developing, acquiring, operating, sustaining and modernizing GPS. The U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for funding the extra costs associated with new, civilian GPS upgrades beyond the second and third civil signals, and agencies with unique GPS requirements are responsible for funding them.)

    While not as deadly as those about vaccines or as consequential as those about elections, misstatements about GPS lead to public confusion about threats to privacy and threats to the system. To help secure GPS, it behooves those of us who understand it the most to help educate the rest about it and correct misstatements, misunderstandings and misperceptions.

    Matteo Luccio | Editor-in-Chief
    [email protected]

    1. Tracking a person, vehicle or other object requires pairing a GPS receiver with a transmitter, typically a cellular phone.
    2. It is one of four complete global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), the other three being the Russian GLONASS, the European Galileo and the Chinese BeiDou-3. There are also two regional systems, one Indian and one Japanese.
    3. Routing errors are caused by bad map data or bad routing algorithms.
    4. It requires a clear view of at least four satellites, unimpeded by terrain, buildings, roofs or even dense tree canopies.
    5. GPS receivers are just that and have neither the need nor the ability to transmit messages back to the satellites.
    6. Triangulation determines position by measuring angles. By contrast, GNSS determine position by measuring distances (between receivers and satellites), which is called trilateration.
    7. The are currently 30 operational GPS satellites and the number varies as some satellites are temporarily removed from service, older ones are decommissioned, and new ones are placed in orbit. Find the current status of the constellation here.
  • A2Z Drone Delivery launches commercial dual-payload UAV featuring its Freefall Delivery System

    A2Z Drone Delivery launches commercial dual-payload UAV featuring its Freefall Delivery System

    Photo: A2Z
    Photo: A2Z Drone Delivery

    A2Z Drone Delivery LLC, developer of a patented tethered freefall drone delivery mechanism, has launched its RDSX commercial delivery UAV.

    The company delivered the UAV in collaboration with a global logistics provider to deliver dual payloads per flight, helping drone service providers streamline deliveries while mitigating consumer concerns with residential drone delivery. The RDSX integrates A2Z Drone Delivery’s proprietary tethered freefall Rapid Delivery System capable of quickly and safely delivering payloads from altitudes as high as 150 feet. By keeping spinning rotors far from people and property, the RDSX helps mitigate consumer concerns with drone deliveries—such as the potential for property damage and intrusive rotor noise—and assuages some of the privacy concerns with low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles.

    A2Z Drone Delivery will be showcasing the new RDSX at the Commercial UAV Expo (September 7-9, 2021 in Las Vegas, NV).

    The RDSX is a flexible drone delivery platform capable of carrying dual payloads each weighing up to two kilograms on a round trip of up to 18 kilometers. Alternatively, it can be configured with a single tether to expand its range out to 30 kilometers. The controlled-freefall delivery method it employs allows UAV service providers to reduce time-on-station to a minimum by delivering the package to the ground in seconds and eliminating the need for the drone to touch down. By maintaining its altitude throughout the delivery, the RDSX keeps spinning rotors away from people and property, mitigating consumer concerns and enabling it to deposit payloads into areas congested by trees, wires, or other dangerous obstructions.

    The integrated A2Z Drone Delivery app combines manual control system operations with an onboard computer and sensor array to manage the package’s controlled-freefall and gentle stop before the ground. With the package delivered, the RDSX’s Kevlar tether and auto-release mechanism releases the payload before being reeled back up for reuse.

    A2Z Drone Delivery’s freefall delivery technology has previously been leveraged for residential drone delivery trials, deployment and retrieval of ground sensors for energy exploration, as well as for shore-to-ship port delivery. The technology is equally applicable for first responders delivering life-saving medicine, for search and rescue professionals quickly deploying equipment to remote areas, or for rapidly collecting samples throughout an expansive mining facility.

    The RDSX leverages a proven UAV flight platform equipped with a pair of cameras allowing pilots to navigate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Additionally, the system features an independent downward-facing LiDAR sensing system to stream continuous data to the onboard firmware which controls the payload’s rapid descent and allows the pilot to visually monitor payloads through flight and delivery. Featuring quick-swap bucket-style batteries to limit downtime between flights, the RDSX can operate in diverse conditions including temperatures ranging from -20 to 45 Celsius, in up to 95% humidity, and from elevations up to 4,800 feet. Additionally, the RDSX’s eight rotor arms, fitted with durable carbon fiber propellers, can fold away for easy transport of the drone.

    With its patented delivery system, A2Z Drone Delivery, LLC is developing innovative solutions to enable safe, accurate and low-noise drone deliveries. Its flagship delivery system, the RDS1 (Rapid Delivery System) enables payload delivery and retrieval to locations where most UAVs are unable to land, and its RDSX is a commercial multi-payload delivery system designed to meet the needs of the growing drone delivery industry. Based in Los Angeles, A2Z Drone Delivery originated as a drone delivery project at Brown University in 2016.

  • TRX awarded NIST funding for NEON Personnel Tracker

    TRX awarded NIST funding for NEON Personnel Tracker

    TRX Systems was awarded funding through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Innovation Accelerator Program (PSIAP) to test, validate and harden the TRX NEON Personnel Tracker solution to support wide-scale public safety deployment. TRX is partnering with the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) to conduct extended testing during which the TRX 3D location technology will be used by all personnel at Station 5, serving Pentagon City and Crystal City, to validate usability and performance and to better align the solution with first responder needs.

    Through a previous NIST PSIAP award, TRX improved the accuracy and capabilities of its NEON Personnel Tracker solution. With this subsequent Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) award, TRX will take the next steps toward wide-scale deployment by validating and tuning the NEON solution in a challenging live environment. Combined, these projects aim to accelerate the availability of improved 3D location accuracy, easy to use 3D map data tools, and actionable 3D visualizations for first responder use cases.

    Over the course of this program, TRX will partner with ACFD to conduct an 8-month field trial that exercises the TRX NEON Personnel Tracker solution 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in a fully operational environment. The key objectives of this extended deployment are to identify and close any gaps that could inhibit widescale deployment, validate usability and tracking accuracy, and demonstrate the operational feasibility and value of the solution.

    First responders typically operate in environments that are indoors, underground, or in other areas where reliable access to GPS signals is impeded. TRX’s NEON Personnel Tracker system delivers reliable and real-time 3D location in these GPS-denied environments by using patented mapping and tracking algorithms that fuse inertial sensor data to compute the user’s path and position. This solution lets on-scene and remote commanders track the real-time location of personnel during an incident, helping them to ensure the safety of their teams and improve the efficiency of their response.

  • Hemisphere GNSS launches new Outback Guidance MaveriX

    Hemisphere GNSS has announced its new Outback Guidance MaveriX Precision AG Solution.

    The new MaveriX Precision AG solution, built around the new MaveriX agriculture application software platform, provides  guidance, steering and application control.

    The MaveriX application software includes a new user interface that provides a tablet-like user experience with 3D graphics. The included adjustable widgets give users the freedom to customize their UI experience.

    Included with MaveriX, the new M7 and M10 terminals with 7- and 10-inch form factors are the centerpiece of the solution. The M-series terminals deliver the latest display technology and provide an enhanced situational awareness for users and preferred features like auto-scaling and pinch-to-zoom capabilities.

    The MaveriX solution provides centimeter-level performance via the new eDriveM1 steering controller.

    The eDriveM1 offers AB Straight, AB Contour, Freeform Contour, and Circle Pivot guidance modes and supports Shuttle Shift, Reverse Steer, and the Outback Guidance eTurns feature for automated headland turns. The eDriveM1 can be paired with the ESi2 Electric Wheel, existing OEM Steer Ready, or hydraulic retrofit interfaces. Outback Guidance continues to offer machine specific installation kits for more than 1,500 machine models.

    The A631 GNSS Smart Antenna delivers unmatched GNSS performance at scalable accuracy levels using RTK, SBAS, and Hemisphere’s Atlas L-Band service. The A631 supports RTK Base functionality when paired with the Outback RTK radio option.

    The MaveriX technology platform supports the AC110 Rate and Section control to maximize your implement functions during planting, spraying and application tasks.

    Hemisphere GNSS designs and manufactures heading and positioning products, services, and technology for use in agriculture, construction & mining, marine, OEM, L-band correction service markets, and any application that requires high-precision heading and positioning.

  • Volvo Group Venture Capital invests in Foretellix

    Volvo Group Venture Capital AB has announced a new investment in a company in the field of measurable safety for driver assistance and autonomous vehicles. Foretellix Ltd was founded in 2018 by a team of verification and validation pioneers whose mission is to make automated driving systems safe and efficient.

    One of the main challenges of autonomous systems is deciding when a product is safe enough to commercialize. This is what Foretellix is tackling with its verification platform.  It uses intelligent automation and big data analytics tools which coordinate and monitor millions of driving scenarios to ensure that the autonomous vehicle behaves correctly under all possible driving conditions, including edge cases.

    In addition to the Volvo Group Venture Capital investment, Volvo Autonomous Solutions formed a closer partnership with Foretellix earlier this year with the aim of jointly creating a coverage-driven verification solution for autonomous driving that operates both on public roads and in restricted areas.

    The role of Volvo Group Venture Capital is to make investments that drive transformation by facilitating the creation of new services and solutions and to support collaborations between start-ups and the Volvo Group.

    Against the background of the trends shaping the future of transportation and the strategic priorities of the Volvo Group, the key areas of investment for Volvo Group Venture Capital are logistics services, site solutions and electrical infrastructure. The organization has a global scope and focuses on Europe and North America.

  • Raven debuts driverless ag technology on Case IH Magnum

    Raven Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of driverless ag technology, showcased and demonstrated its OMNi suite of technology at the recent Farm Progress Show, one of the largest public farm shows in the United States. At the show, Raven featured its technology in the event’s Autonomy Zone, where the company debuted OMNiDRIVE on Case IH Magnum and showcased OMNiPOWER performing autonomous missions.

    Raven’s OMNiDRIVE is the first driverless ag technology for grain cart harvest operations. The company launched OMNiDRIVE in May 12, 2021, with a year one limited release of 75 aftermarket systems. Today, all systems have been committed to by founding dealers. Through the remainder of the summer, the company is holding OMNiDRIVE demonstration events at its Founders Club dealers, where participants get a first-hand view of OMNiDRIVE controlling a driverless tractor pulling a grain cart and commanding it to sync with a harvester.

    OMNiDRIVE is Raven’s aftermarket technology solution that transforms existing tractors into driverless machines. The technology connects, manages, and safely operates autonomous agricultural machinery and is compatible with:

    • Case IH Magnum CVT (2014-2020 models): M250 / 280 / 310 / 340 / 380 (available in October 2021)
    • New Holland CVT (2014-2020 models): T8.320 / 350 / 380 / 410 / 435 (available in October 2021)
    • John Deere 8Rs Powershift and IVT (2010-current models)

    OMNiPOWER is a self-propelled power platform that easily interchanges with farm implements, allowing the ag professional to perform multiple farming operations.

    Raven Industries makes precision agriculture, high-performance specialty films, and aerospace and defense solutions.

  • Space Systems Command declares three GPS III space vehicles ‘Available for Launch’

    Space Systems Command declares three GPS III space vehicles ‘Available for Launch’

    The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command recently declared GPS III SV06, SV07 and SV08 satellites “Available for Launch.” Here, the space vehicles await official call up for launch in Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility in Waterton, Colorado. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
    The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command recently declared GPS III SV06, SV07 and SV08 satellites “Available for Launch.”
    Here, the space vehicles await official call up for launch in Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility in Waterton, Colorado. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

    The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command recently declared the eighth GPS III satellite as “Available for Launch.” This significant accomplishment officially marks the third space vehicle within the GPS III program to be declared available for launch in the past three months.

    GPS III SV06, SV07, and SV08 are now awaiting official call up for launch in Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility in Waterton, Colorado.

    “SV06, SV07, and SV08 AFL milestones in just three months prove that GPS III production continues to benefit from efficiencies with each satellite delivery,” said Col. Edward Byrne, chief of SSC’s Space Production Corps’ Medium Earth Orbit Space Systems Division.

    The first of the three recently completed satellites, SV06, is scheduled to launch in 2022 and will join the operational constellation of 31 GPS satellites.

    GPS III satellites deliver enhanced performance and accuracy through a variety of improvements, including increased signal protection and improved accuracy. GPS III also expands the civilian L5 signal, dubbed the “safety-of-life” signal, currently broadcast by the 12 GPS IIF satellites, but not yet operational, and delivers a new L1C signal designed to grant interoperability to similar international space-based positioning, navigation, and timing systems around the world.

    Space Systems Command, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Space Force’s Center of Excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. SSC’s portfolio includes space launch, global navigation satellite systems, military satellite communications, a defense meteorological satellite control network, range systems, space-based infrared systems, and space domain awareness capabilities.

  • Maxtena intros multi-frequency antenna shaped for high-precision applications

    Maxtena intros multi-frequency antenna shaped for high-precision applications

    Maxtena has introduced a new multi-frequency antenna shaped for high-precision applications featuring L-band corrections.

    Photo: Maxtena
    Photo: Maxtena

    The design will offer simultaneous GNSS reception on L1: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, L2: GPS L2C, Galileo E5B, and GLONASS L3OC, and L5: GPS + L-band corrections in a rugged, compact, and ultra-lightweight form factor. The antenna is well suited for high precision applications. The M9HCT-A-SMA is a great fit for the UAV markets, where high performance and low weight are driving features in antenna selection.

    The new rugged active helix antenna is designed and manufactured using automotive grade electronics for GIS, RTK and other GNSS applications.

  • Auterion and Phase One partner to integrate open drone ecosystem

    Auterion and Phase One partner to integrate open drone ecosystem

    Photo: Phase One
    Photo: Phase One

    Auterion, the company building an open and software-defined future for enterprise drone fleets, has partnered with Phase One, a developer and manufacturer of medium and large format aerial photography systems. The companies will make the Phase One P3 Payload lineup easily accessible, with a plug-and-play integration to Auterion’s open drone ecosystem.

    Enterprise inspections today are limited to periodic inspections of selected assets in a small geographic area. Enterprises are forced to use either internal drone operators or operators who are trained in the organization’s workflow to effectively collect pertinent data. Scaling the inspections from tens of assets to thousands of assets requires a platform-agnostic, end-to-end, streamlined workflow. This enables drone operators to conduct the inspections across a large region, lowering the cost and increasing the coverage.

    Known for its image quality in high-precision and time-critical inspections, Phase One’s P3 Payload consists of a high-resolution 100MP iXM camera—uniquely designed for UAVs—containing a BSI sensor with the highest dynamic range of 83dB, a rangefinder with smart focus, and a broad array of lenses including 35 mm, 80 mm and 150 mm. The partnership joins the P3 Payload’s inspection capabilities with the versatility native to Auterion’s ecosystem of software-defined and connected drones— enabling customers to integrate real-time inspection data into their existing applications and workflows. The P3 Payload is Phase One’s first payload compatible with the Auterion ecosystem.

    Drones leveraging the Phase One P3 Payload and the power and connectivity of Auterion’s Skynode and Suite are capable of dramatically scaling high-value, high-risk and time-critical inspections including those of wind turbine fields (on land and offshore), oil refineries and offshore rigs, power masts and utility lines, bridges, dams, nuclear facilities, large infrastructure projects and other use cases. The combination also benefits faster geospatial mapping, bringing world-renowned image quality with very high resolution, dynamic range, color fidelity and geometric accuracy to projects.

    Phase One A/S researches, develops, and manufactures medium format and large format digital cameras and imaging systems. Auterion provides enterprise and government with an ecosystem of software-defined drones, payloads, and third-party applications within a single, easy-to-use platform based on open-source standards.

  • Seabed 2030 and Kongsberg Maritime to map ocean floor

    Seabed 2030 and Kongsberg Maritime to map ocean floor

    Seabed 2030 logoThe Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project and Kongsberg Maritime have entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in support of the global initiative to produce the complete map of the ocean floor. Under the terms of the MOU, the two parties will work together to advance understanding of ocean bathymetry. The effort complements the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

    Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO to inspire the complete mapping of the world’s ocean by 2030 and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. GEBCO is a joint project of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.

    Kongsberg Maritime provides solutions for safe, efficient, and sustainable maritime operations. The solutions are suitable for offshore energies, seaborne transportation, hydrography, science, navy, coastal marine, aquaculture, training services and more. Kongsberg Maritime is the largest business area within Kongsberg Gruppen ASA. The Group has an integrated portfolio of solutions for businesses, partners and nations operating from the depths of the sea to outer space and to the digital frontier.

    All data collected and shared with the Seabed 2030 Project is included in the GEBCO global grid, which is free and publicly available.

    The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and GEBCO. The Seabed 2030 Project, launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017 by Chairman Sasakawa of The Nippon Foundation, coordinates and oversees the sourcing and compilation of bathymetric data from different parts of the world’s ocean through its five centers into the freely-available GEBCO Grid.

    Kongsberg Maritime is a global marine technology company providing technology solutions for all marine industry sectors including merchant, offshore, cruise, subsea and naval.

  • UAV Navigation integrates avoidance system into autopilots

    UAV Navigation integrates avoidance system into autopilots

    Photo: UAV Navigation
    Photo: UAV Navigation

    Autopilot platform developer UAV Navigation is integrating Iris Automation’s detect-and-avoid Casia software into its advanced autopilot solution, Vector. UAVs equipped with Vector and Casia now can detect uncooperative crewed aircraft in their airspace and autonomously or manually take corrective action, avoiding potential collisions.

    The integration comes as Iris Automation releases Casia Software v2.2. The release also includes improvements to performance, track fusion and flight data uploads. Casia Software is embedded in all Casia systems and uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to detect and classify aircraft intruders, similar to human pilots.

    Vector autopilots are specifically designed to execute flight completely autonomously, even if the remote-control datalink becomes unavailable or fails. They are used by a wide range of commercial clients flying rotary wing, target drone, fixed wing, and VTOL uncrewed aerial vehicles, worldwide.

    UAV Navigation specializes in the design of guidance, navigation and control solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Iris Automation is a safety avionics technology company pioneering detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems and aviation policy services that enable customers to build scalable operations for commercial drones.

  • National Academies proposes team to study FCC Ligado decision

    National Academies proposes team to study FCC Ligado decision

    NAS logoThe National Academies has announced its proposed team to examine the analysis and decision-making process by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the matter of Ligado Networks.

    Individuals and organizations wishing to comment on the appropriateness of any of the members of that team or on any other aspect of this study have until Sept. 19.

    The April 2020 decision by the FCC has generated significant controversy and opposition within the public and Congress. This resulted in, among other things, seven separate petitions for reconsideration being filed, all of which are still pending, and several provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021. One of those provisions requires the Department of Defense to sponsor a study of the technical assumptions and analyses that went into the FCC’s decision to allow Ligado Networks to operate.

    According to the post on the National Academies website, the study will consider:

    1. Which of the two prevailing proposed approaches to evaluating harmful interference concerns — one based on a signal-to-noise interference protection criterion and the other based on a device-by-device measurement of the GPS position error — most effectively mitigates risks of harmful interference with GPS services and DOD operations and activities.
    2. The potential for harmful interference from the proposed Ligado network to mobile satellite services including GPS and other commercial or DOD services including the potential to affect Department of Defense (DOD) operations, and activities.
    3. The feasibility, practicality, and effectiveness of the mitigation measures proposed in the FCC order with respect to DOD devices, operations, and activities.”

    This announcement is the first significant public step for the effort which is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months. Sources say that there will likely be public and classified versions of the report. The classified version is likely to take significantly longer to compile.

    Proposed study team members

    Chair: J. Michael McQuade

    Members:

    • Jennifer Lacroix Alvarez
    • Kristine M. Larson
    • John L. Manferdelli
    • Preston F. Marshall
    • Y. Jade Morton
    • Richard Reaser, Jr.
    • Jeffrey H. Reed
    • Nambirajan Seshadri
    • Stephen J. Stafford
    • Staff Officer: Jon Eisenberg

    Individuals and organizations wishing to comment on these proposed team members may do so through the project web page.

    Dana A. Goward is the President of the non-profit Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation.