Broadcast Date: April 14, 2016
On-Demand Available Until: April 14, 2017
Sponsor: TerraGo
Summary: Our expert speaker panel examines how five organizations from five industries (oil & gas, engineering, water utility, transportation and natural resources) made the switch from GPS handhelds to smartphones and tablets for their field data collection needs.
Speakers: Michael Gundling and Bryan Burns, TerraGo
Author: GPS World Staff
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BYOD GPS Gets Real: Lessons Learned with the New Rules of GPS Data Collection
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UAV Design and Applications: Autonomous Relative Navigation and GNSS Robustness for UAV Systems
Broadcast Date: May 19, 2016
On-Demand Available Until: May 19, 2017
Sponsor: Septentrio
Summary: Constantly evolving, it’s no wonder keeping up on the latest in UAV design and applications can be challenging. In this webinar, speakers will engage you in discussions involving self-generated radio-frequency interference aboard UAVs; an autonomous relative navigation tool for in-air UAV refueling; sensor integration for a UAV designed for industrial environments; and considerations for multi-GNSS integration onto UAV platforms.
Speakers: Dennis Akos, Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder; Joshua Stubbs, Recent Graduate, MS, Luleå University of Technology; Jeffrey Fayman, CTO, Geodetics; Chris Miser, CEO, Falcon Unmanned; and Jan Leyssens, Product Manager, Septentrio -
Connected Car: Cutting edge research aimed at implementing connected car and driverless car technology
Broadcast Date: Thursday, June 16, 2016
On Demand available until: Thursday, June 15, 2017
Duration: 60 minutes + time for Q&A
Sponsor: u-bloxConnected cars and V2X — connectivity between vehicles and infrastructure — lie around the next bend in the road. Extensive research and development have prepared these revolutionary concepts for implementation very soon.
Join GPS World and our panel of expert presenters as we discuss:
- Recent developments in – and the potential safety impact of – V2X technology.
- The role of GNSS, and potential challenges in accuracy, reliability, jamming and spoofing.
- How radar, lidar, cameras, dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and V2X will combine to create advanced Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
- Potential regulations and aftermarket devices.
Speakers: Chaminda Basnayake, Principal Engineer, V2X Systems, Renesas Electronics; John Kenney, Director and Principal Researcher, Network Division Toyota InfoTechnology Center; Nikolaos Papadopoulos, President, u-blox America, Inc.; and Roger Berg, Vice President, Wireless Technologies DENSO North American Research and Development Laboratories.
Moderator: Alan Cameron, Editor-In-Chief, GPS World
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China adds 23rd satellite to BeiDou constellation
The 23rd BeiDou satellite lifts off. The Chinese Beidou system’s 23rd satellite was launched into orbit Sunday aboard a Long March 3C rocket.
The Long March 3C rocket lifted off at 1530 GMT (11:30 a.m. EDT) from the Xichang launch base in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
This is the third new satellite to join the fleet this year. The 21st satellite was launched in February, and the 22nd in March.
The satellite was deployed into an elliptical orbit more than 22,000 miles (35,700 kilometers) above Earth. It will power its way into a circular geosynchronous orbit over the equator in the coming weeks.
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Gamma 2 Robotics launches autonomous security robot, partners with Hexagon
Gamma 2 Robotics introduced its new RAMSEE security patrol robot at Hexagon’s international conference HxGN LIVE, which is being held June 13-16 in Anaheim, California. The launch is part of a new partnership with Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure.
RAMSEE is a physical presence that patrols autonomously without supervision and provides real-time data on intruders, motion, heat, fire, smoke, gas and more. the company says in a news release.
“RAMSEE will change the world of security because it never rests and operates at a fraction of the cost paid for other security services,” says Lew Pincus, chief executive officer, Gamma 2 Robotics. “We built RAMSEE to be ideally suited for the overnight dull, dirty and dangerous patrols nobody wants to do. These are the jobs for which the security industry struggles to find staffing.”
RAMSEE can be used by companies that provide security personnel, as well as end users of security services, to provide safety and security at a lower cost than staffing with greater reliability.
“Mobile sensor platforms, such as robots and drones, have the potential to disrupt public safety and security markets,” said Kalyn Sims, chief technology officer, Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure. “Through our partnership with Gamma 2 Robotics and other efforts, Hexagon is exploring the integration of mobile sensor platforms, command-and-control software and advanced analytics to enhance public safety and security.”
The robot can be integrated with other safety and security assets, such as video surveillance systems, access control systems, building automation systems and others, into command-and-control software for a comprehensive solution for threat detection, assessment and response.
At HxGN LIVE, Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure and Gamma 2 Robotics are demonstrating the capabilities of a comprehensive physical security information management (PSIM) solution featuring Hexagon’s command-and-control software and multiple security systems and sensors, including RAMSEE.
“We teamed with Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure and chose to launch our new line of security robots at HxGN LIVE because Hexagon’s global footprint and reputation for innovative solutions provide an international platform for our game-changing, disruptive technology in security services,” Pincus says.
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Webinar probes future road: V2X communication, positioning and safety
Details of this Thursday’s Connected Car webinar emerged as speakers gathered today to share their presentation materials. (You can join this free webinar here.) A key concept is that no single technology can provide the required position accuracy in all environments. A combination of core GNSS technologies is needed: SSR-RTK with correction data (satellite and LTE), multi-GNSS for large number of measurements, Multi-band reception for minimal convergence time and 3D automotive dead reckoning.
The webinar is sponsored by u-blox.
Speakers from Renesas Electronics, Toyota InfoTechnology, u-blox and Denso will present technical material of interest to engineers and system integrators as well as product managers, strategic planners and executives.
The topics covered in the webinar include:
• Recent developments in – and the potential safety impact of – V2X technology, by Chaminda Basnyake, Renesas Electronics
Driver and Pedestrian intent are both expressed Over-the-Air (OTA). Key: Basic Safety Messages (BSM) / Personal Safety Messages (PSM) / Signal Phase and Timing (SPAT). OTA also broadcasts an intersection map and GPS corrections. • The status of V2X standards (traditional DSRC and emerging 3GPP), and the status of US spectrum and NHTSA regulations, by John Kenney, Toyota InfoTechnology Center
Spectrum choices and the possibility of unlicensed device spectrum sharing. • Considerations for GNSS and cellular/short-range connectivity for autonomous vehicles, and examples of implementations for connected vehicles, by Nikolaos Papadopoulos, u-blox America
There is no single technology capable of providing required position accuracy in all environments. A combination of core GNSS technologies is needed:
• SSR-RTK with correction data (satellite, LTE) brins accuracy of Multi-GNSS for large number of measurements.
• Multi-band reception for minimal convergence time.
• 3D automotive dead reckoning to smooth multipath effect, bridge obstructions and maintain positioning in tunnels and parking.• Connected and Automated Vehicles for Traffic Safety: How radar, lidar, cameras, dedicated short range communications (DSRC) and V2X will combine to create advanced Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS),by Roger Berg, Denso International
Video demonstrates in-car system giving audio warning of a hard-braking directly vehicle ahead, hidden from the driver’s view. -
CEE HydroSystems launches new echo sounder survey system
CEE HydroSystems has released a new single beam echo sounder survey system designed for shallow water unmanned surface vehicle (USV) survey applications, using both commercially available and one-off custom manufactured vessels.
The CEESCOPE-USV is a waterproof echo sounder, GNSS and broadband radio telemetry package that can be installed on remotely-operated crafts. It is a self-contained unit requiring no interface with the USV.
The CEESCOPE-USV uses real time broadband radio telemetry, detailed 20-hertz dual frequency soundings, up to 20 hertz RTK GNSS and a 3,200 sample per ping digital echogram, which are available on shore via the CEE-LINK radio base station. Using software packages such as HYPACK and Eye4Software Hydromagic data from the CEESCOPE-USV telemetry link, the operator can steer the USV along the survey line like in any manned boat survey.
“By removing the requirement for the vehicle to also handle data telemetry, total system costs may be reduced, and the separation of the instrument and vehicle electronics offers advantages for obtaining clean data, our main concern as an instrument manufacturer,” says Adrian McDonald, CEE Hydrosystems. “By giving surveyors a complete data package designed for USV surveying, we have made it a little easier for firms to create their own USV designs as they no longer have to worry about how to handle their data. Additionally, users wishing to add real time video or side scan capability to their USV simply plug the data output from these devices into the CEESCOPE-USV and those data are relayed to the shore with the GNSS and bathymetry data. Similarly, navigation data may be exported from the CEESCOPE-USV to vehicle control systems if needed, such as for waypoint guidance.”
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Four-satellite Galileo Ariane 5 dispenser in place
News from the European Space Agency (ESA)
A four-satellite dispenser for Galileo’s Ariane 5 is shown during shaker testing at Airbus Defence and Space near Bordeaux, France. The dispenser has had four Galileo engineering models attached to it for test purposes.
Copyright: ESAFollowing rigorous testing in France and Germany, a new type of dispenser designed to carry four navigation satellites into orbit at once is now in French Guiana, in place for Galileo’s first Ariane 5 launch later this year.
The dispenser is an essential element of launch success, with a double role to play. It first must hold the quartet of satellites securely in place during the stresses of liftoff, and then the nearly four-hour long flight to medium-Earth orbit.
Then, once the Ariane 5 EPS upper stage reaches its target altitude of 23,222 kilometers , the dispenser will release the four Galileo satellites using a pyrotechnic release system triggered by separate igniters, each one firing half a second after the other.
The separated satellites are then pushed away from the dispenser in separate directions using a spring-based distancing system.
The 447-kilogram dispenser, designed by Airbus Defence and Space, must support a satellite mass of 738 kilograms each – nearly three tons total.
Made from a combination of metal and composite materials for maximum stiffness, the dispenser has undergone very comprehensive testing at Airbus Defence and Space near Bordeaux, France, and the IABG testing centre in Ottobrunn, Germany – using both Galileo engineering models and an actual flight satellite, including fit, shock and separation testing.
A four-satellite dispenser for Ariane 5 Galileo launches with engineering models attached for test purposes.
Copyright: CNES/ESAThe test campaign met all objectives, reports the ESA, confirming the behavior performs as predicted, after which the dispenser was shipped to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
This fall, four Galileo satellites will be launched together for the very first time on a specially customized launcher — the Ariane 5 ES Galileo.
In development since 2012, the new launcher variant has evolved from the Ariane 5 ES (Evolution Storable), used to place ESA’s 20,000-kilogram ATV supply vehicle into low-Earth orbit.
This launder has to carry a lower mass payload – four fully fuelled 738-kilogram Galileo satellites plus their supporting dispenser – but needs to take it up to the much higher altitude of medium-Earth orbit, approximately 23,222 kilometers up.
The target orbit is actually 300 kilometers below the Galileo constellation’s final working altitude, which leaves the Ariane’s EPS upper stage in a stable “graveyard orbit,” while the quartet of Galileos maneuver themselves up to their final set height.
Once the Ariane 5 ES Galileo flight is complete, there should be 18 Galileo satellites in orbit.
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Expert Opinions: UAV PNT commercial requirements
Q: What different requirements for UAV PNT performance will be seen as the market shifts from a military focus to commercial uses and users?
Neil Gerein, Portfolio Manager, NovAtel A: PNT accuracy, availability and assurance will increase in importance. UAV payloads for military applications routinely require precise PNT information to geolocate sensor data for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. High-end commercial applications for survey and mapping will require similarly high levels of accuracy and availability. As commercial UAV operations enter the national airspace, PNT assurance levels will increase with the need for GNSS receivers designed for safety critical applications.
Jay Napoli, Vice President, KVH Industries A: Whether for military or commercial use, the accuracy requirements of a UAV’s positioning, navigation and timing system depend on the UAV’s size/weight, the mission duration and complexity, and the information being gathered. Commercial UAV applications such as mobile survey, mapping, surveillance and virtual imagery real-time overlays require higher levels of accuracy, particularly for UAVs in urban or heavily populated areas with tight restrictions. Many higher-end UAV accuracy requirements dictate the use of FOG-based inertial systems.
Christian Ramsey, UAS Program Manager, Harris Critical Networks A: As the growth of small UAS operations increase in the National Airspace System, it will be interesting to track how PNT standards and certifications evolve in order to adapt to a more versatile UAV aircraft certification system. Likely a tiered system will be required to map PNT requirements for lower risk, lower accuracy and lower cost applications to higher risk systems or those which require higher precision due to their mission profiles.
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FAA issues GPS interference flight advisory
[[Editor’s note: After this story was posted, and after the Navigate! enewsletter containing it was sent out to 27,128 subscribers, GPS World received notice that in fact the U.S. Navy canceled plans to jam GPS signals in the vicinity of the China Lake, California, Naval Air Weapons Station. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) had raised concerns about the impact on civilian air traffic and the size of the affected area. The Navy did not reveal the cause of the cancellation, other than to say the reason was “internal.”]]
According to a June 4 Federal Aviation Administration advisory, GPS testing is scheduled several days this month that may affect GPS reception on the West Coast of the U.S. with an unreliable or unavailable GPS signal.
The time periods discussed in this advisory may be reduced or cancelled with little or no notice. Pilots are advised to check NOTAMs frequently for possible changes prior to operations in the area. NOTAMs will be published at least 24 hours in advance of any GPS tests.
GPS Interference testing this June on the West Coast of the United States. Location: The location is centered at 360822N1173846W or the BTY VOR 214 degree radial at 059 NM.
Dates and times
7 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
9 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
21 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
23 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
28 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230Z
30 JUN 16 1630Z – 2230ZDuration: Each event may last the entire requested period.
NOTAM INFO:
NAV (CHLK GPS 16-08) GPS (including WAAS, GBAS and ADS-B) may not be available within a 476 nautical mile radius centered at 360822N1173846W (BTY 214059) FL400-UNL DECREASING IN AREA WITH A DECREASE IN ALT DEFINED AS:
432NM RADIUS AT FL250
375NM RADIUS AT 10000FT
340NM RADIUS AT 4000FT AGL
253NM RADIUS AT 50FT AGLTHIS NOTAM APPLIES TO ALL AIRCRAFT RELYING ON GPS. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO GPS INTERFERENCE IMPACTS POTENTIALLY AFFECTING EMBRAER PHENOM 300 AIRCRAFT FLIGHT STABILITY CONTROLS, FAA RECOMMENDS EMB PHENOM PILOTS AVOID THE ABOVE TESTING AREA AND CLOSELY MONITOR FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS DUE TO POTENTIAL LOSS OF GPS SIGNAL.
Affected Centers: Pilots are encouraged to report anomalies only when ATC assistance is required.
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Prince’s death highlights 911 location issues
By Tracy Cozzens
Managing Editor
Prince’s death on April 21 highlights a fatal flaw in the United States’ antiquated 911 emergency system. When you call from cell phone, 911 doesn’t automatically know where you are. 911 often can’t determine the location of an emergency, even when the call for help comes from a GPS-equipped smartphone. Often the 911 operator can only zero in the nearest cell tower, which can be several miles away or in the next county.In the transcript of the 911 call from Prince’s house comes this exchange:
911 operator: OK, what’s the address?
Caller: We’re at Prince’s house.
911 operator: OK, does anybody know the address? OK, your cell phone’s not going to tell me where you’re at, so I need you to find me an address … OK, have you found an address yet?
Caller: Yeah, um, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. (The caller is heard asking others if they know the address.)
911 operator: Is there any mail around that you could look at?
While a quicker response may not have saved Prince’s life, some experts estimate that cutting 911 response by one minute could save one person every hour every day nationwide.
The FCC and the four largest cellphone carriers say they’re doing their best to address the problem. One possible solution is LaaSer, a technology suite that runs in the cloud. LaaSer updates your precise location at the exact same time that the call to 911 is being made, so that the answering operator is immediately presented with your information.
With Laaser, any mobile device delivers accurate location information about the caller to 911 operators immediately. It does this using existing infrastructure, so carriers, handset manufacturers and 911 call centers wouldn’t have to change their systems to receive the benefits.
Unlike current 911 mobile phone technology, LaaSer takes advantage of all of the location information already available in smartphones, including GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near-field communications (NFC)/RFID, compass, accelerometer, barometer and more.
Our lives may depend on it.
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Rambus and Movimento team on personalized security for automotive
Rambus Inc. and Movimento are partnering to deliver secure, personalized over-the-air (OTA) vehicle updates critical to safety and performance in the era of the connected car.
Rambus is a specialist in digital security that provides a secure foundation for a connected world, and Movimento specializes in OTA software lifecycle and data management for the automotive/IoT sectors.
Movimento and Rambus are demonstrating the joint solution at TU-Automotive in Detroit. Visitors can see how the solution works on a live demo using a Dodge RAM truck in Movimento’s booth C67.
Moviemento also took home a TU-Automotive Award for Best Telematics Product/Service for its OTA platform.
The CryptoManager platform adds an important layer of security to the Movimento OTA solution. Vehicle updates provided by the combined Movimento and Rambus solution offers one-time, single-use keys unique to each vehicle, minimizing vulnerabilities and maximizing security.
As part of the collaboration, Movimento’s OTA technology uses the Rambus CryptoManager platform, enabling in-field provisioning of encrypted keys generated for each vehicle and allowing for secure communication between a vehicle and the cloud.
“As cars continue to increase in complexity and connectivity, often depending on more than 100 million lines of code to function, car makers and consumers alike are demanding simple and secure methods to download, authenticate and install vehicle updates,” said Mahbubul Alam, CTO of Movimento. “By partnering with Rambus and integrating the CryptoManager security platform with Movimento’s OTA solutions, we are able to further our strategy of building a best-in-class ecosystem of integrated solutions to enable the software defined car and data analytics.”
Movimento’s tools and technologies are designed to reduce complexity when making software and firmware updates by updating all the ECUs in a car in one go securely. From the chip to the cloud, Movimento builds on more than a decade of experience in automotive industry with the company updating more than 3 million vehicles every year.
“Many current OTA solutions deliver functional updates and security patches for vehicles using the same software encryption key for multiple vehicles, increasing the vulnerability of the update,” said Martin Scott, general manager of the Rambus Cryptography Research Division. “The Rambus CryptoManager solution provides an integrated security platform with flexible implementation from the hardware root-of-trust to the secure firmware which, when combined with Movimento’s OTA technology, enables the next level of integrated chip-to-cloud-to-car security.”
The CryptoManager platform allows for cost reduction by enabling security features already embedded in automotive chipsets and requires no additional security hardware. By utilizing an embedded hardware solution, the CryptoManager platform minimizes the attack surface of the vehicle by providing end point security.