L’Avion Jaune, a service provider and airborne sensors integrator in the field of aerial surveys, has selected the Septentrio AsteRx-m to equip its YellowScan unmanned aerial system. L’Avion Jaune chose the AsteRx-m for its robustness and low-power consumption, Septentrio said.
YellowScan is the a lightweight all-in-one solution designed to deliver quality aerial surveys carried out using a LiDAR sensor aboard UAVs. The self-contained system integrates into a small package all the necessary equipment for conducting airborne surveys: a 3D laser scanner, an AHRS, a controller, an autonomous power supply module and the AsteRx-m, a high-performance precision GNSS receiver.
The AsteRx-m provides a compact and low-power solution for precise positioning in difficult environments where the tracking of both GLONASS and GPS satellites allows the receiver to improve the availability and robustness of a positioning solution. Septentrio’s newest RTK models optimally adapt to situations where GNSS signals can be distorted by reflective surfaces and feature unique countermeasures to disturbances, maintaining accurate and stable measurements wherever and whenever centimeter-level accuracy is needed, the company said.
“The easy-to-integrate AsteRx-m has proven to deliver the most reliable and stable RTK performance of all, in a compact and exceptionally low-power consumption module,” said Michel Assenbaum, CEO of L’Avion Jaune. “The AsteRx-m allows us to extend the operational range and capabilities of the YellowScan, a fully autonomous surveying solution dedicated to UAVs. We have tested the solution in various environments across the world and have never seen it falter.”
“We are delighted that L’Avion Jaune, a respected expert in designing unmanned-aerial remote sensing solutions, has validated the excellent performance of our ultra-compact GNSS receiver,” said Jan Van Hees, head of business development at Septentrio. “We are impressed to see how much interest YellowScan has drawn since its introduction and we are very proud to be contributing to the success of a best of breed solution in this highly competitive market.”
SkyTraq Technology, Inc., a fabless GNSS positioning technology company, has introduced an all-in-one S2525DR8 GNSS dead-reckoning module, with integrating MEMS sensor and interface logic on-board. The module is designed for road vehicles requiring high accuracy 100 percent positioning availability.
The S2525DR8 offers accuracy for both indoor and outdoor positioning. It is based on SkyTraq’s Venus 8 multi-GNSS platform and uses a high-performance automotive-grade XV-8100CB analog output gyroscope and 16-bit differential ADC. A 3D option adds a barometric pressure sensor on-board, offering improved accuracy for altitude reading and altitude change detection over an accelerometer-based scheme in 3D dead reckoning.
Another monitoring option adds an accelerometer on-board, offering high-accuracy vehicle acceleration monitoring for driver behavior characterization, accident reconstruction analysis, or trigger event recording. The S2525DR8 is compact at 25 x 25 millimeters. It contains a level shifter on board, capable of direct interface to a vehicle odometer and forward/reverse signals ranging from 3V to 30V.
The SPI interface pins on the module allow autonomous data logging to an external SPI Flash memory device. For high-performance vehicle navigation systems, S2525DR8 provides continuous navigation inside tunnels and underground parking lots without signals; highly accurate barometric altitude enables identification of which level the vehicle is on in a stacked multi-level high-way or a multi-story car park. For automatic vehicle locating or fleet management systems, location can be identified immediately after power on, whether the vehicle is outdoors or indoors under a signal-denied environment.
The S2525DR8 provides reliable, uninterrupted position, speed and heading information in challenging environments; it is suitable for demanding vehicle navigation and tracking applications requiring the highest accuracy and availability, SkyTraq said. The S2525DR8 is now being manufactured in ISO/TS 16949 automotive-certified factories; an evaluation kit, sample, datasheet, and reference design are available now. A 3D option with barometric sensor and a vehicle-dynamics monitoring option with accelerometer will be available in the first quarter of 2015.
Leica Geosystems has extended its Spider product family with the new GNSS Unlimited for the Leica GR10 and GR25 GNSS receiver series, allowing receivers to be upgraded to the latest technology standards at any time. Both receivers are designed for Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) infrastructure and monitoring applications, supporting GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS.
Also, the classic Leica GRX1200+GNSS has been enhanced to support the Chinese BeiDou navigation system.
The Leica GR10 and GR25 Unlimited are scalable reference receiver and server solutions designed for permanent and semi-permanent GNSS network installations and monitoring applications such as RTK and static networks, single base stations, field campaigns, structural monitoring, atmospheric and seismic studies and offshore positioning.
One customer, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), took advantage of the future proof concept to provide cost-efficient and reliable data products for all its CORS users. MDOT has been working with Leica Geosystems since the beginning of 2000.
“Leica Geosystems’ customer commitment and promise of future proof hardware guarantee has always ensured our investment remains current,” said Shawn Roy, statewide survey equipment development manager at MDOT. “Their promise has allowed MDOT to upgrade, modernize, and expand our network from the early GRX1200’s (GPS-only) in 2005 to the latest GRX1200+GNSS. The company’s continuous development for hardware and software on our GRX1200 family of devices has helped MDOT over the past 10 years to provide cost-efficient and reliable data products for all the users of the Michigan Spatial Reference Network and other affiliated partners, such as NGS and its data products.”
GNSS Unlimited. High-precision GNSS users are faced with an ever-changing GNSS space segment, due to its modernization. According to Leica, the GR10 and GR25 receivers provide a safe and long-term investment for CORS operators and fully support the Chinese BeiDou and Japanese QZSS systems, as well as GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. The GNSS Unlimited series includes an upgrade to more than 500 channels that will serve the users’ needs well beyond 2020.
Both receivers allow an upgrade of all key hardware parts, such as tracking, memory, power and communications. This enables customers to always keep up with the latest technology advances at minimum cost and only when really needed. The GNSS reference receivers act just like a data center server that satisfies all needs for a reliable operation, such as backup power supplies, redundant data communications, secured access and an easy way to monitor all the servers’ activities.
GRX1200+GNSS. First introduced a decade ago, the GRX1200 series is an example of Leica’s future-proof design with a newly released option to track the signals of the Chines BeiDou navigation system. Since 2004, customers have relied on the sensor’s innovation, allowing them to maintain and increase the value of their initial investment, Leica said.
Ready-mix concrete transportation has long been a challenge for the fleet industry, as concrete is subject to unique time and maintenance limitations to prevent hardening during transit. To improve delivery efficiencies and monitor the integrity of this temperamental cargo, Road King Technologies, Inc., a fleet management and automation company, has integrated Hirschmann Solutions antennas, a supplier of antenna and transceiver systems for M2M (machine-to-machine) and automotive communications, to develop a more reliable fleet data-collection solution.
“As we continue to find ways to provide more data collection benefits to our concrete transport customers, we’re creating strategic partnerships with innovators like Hirschmann, who can help advance our technology,” said Harry Marks, president of Road King. “Our relationship with Hirschmann has been — and will continue to be — a fruitful partnership for years to come.”
Using Hirschmann roof antennas, Road King is able to maintain the best possible cellular and GPS signal connection for its GPS-enabled solution, which is directly installed in concrete delivery trucks. The technology requires constant connectivity to upload data from the truck, including water usage, quantity control and dispatch wait times every 30 seconds. This information is processed by the server and sent to clients in a graphic format showcasing the delivery status of every truck. As a result, customers can review the processed information to improve and adjust their transport systems, boost driver reliability across their organizations and increase overall efficiencies.
“The complexities of delivering ready-mix concrete makes it vital that cargo data collection is constant and reliable,” said Frank Homann, president of Hirschmann USA. “With Hirschmann’s antenna, we’re working with Road King to ensure their data collection solution can optimally operate in any condition, including areas where cellular connectivity can be a major issue.”
Ready-mix concrete trucks work in some of the most extreme cellular environments, such as downtown areas where tall buildings can create urban canyons that block or interfere with cellular transmissions and GPS signals. In some cases, deliveries are made in new urban areas, where cellular towers are not yet installed and service, if any, can be intermittent, at best.
Road King’s data collection technology using Hirschmann antennas is certified by the PTCRB (PCS Type Certification Review Board), an organization setup by network operators to test GSM (global system for mobile communications) devices, such as mobile phones, modules and M2M devices. PTCRB certification is a requirement for launching cellular devices on North American GSM carriers.
u-blox has provided global positioning technology to Cohda Wireless‘ vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) equipment, collectively called V2X. V2X will be a key technology for the next generation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as autonomous vehicles, the companies said.
Cohda’s DSRC (dedicated short-range communications) based V2X system uses accurate satellite positioning with embedded dead-reckoning technology provided by u-blox. The system enables early warning of imminent collisions, oncoming traffic, the presence of road workers and unsafe speed based on vehicles in the vicinity.
“Cohda’s V2X DSRC-based solutions make full use of u-blox’ advanced automotive-grade positioning technology to enhance driver safety through ample warning time and excellent non-line-of-sight performance. Such technology will soon be a standard feature embedded in all vehicles,” said Michael Ammann, VP platform partnerships at u‑blox.
“Our V2X vehicle warning systems are dependent on highly accurate position and velocity data to deliver the performance that is crucial to meet the safety demands of next generation cars,” said Fabien Cure, Chief Engineer at Cohda Wireless. “u-blox’ satellite positioning solutions, leading automotive dead reckoning technology, module roadmap and clear strategy to deliver lane accurate performance in challenging urban environments was convincing.”
In October, Jeremy Wood drove all over the United Kingdom to create a Halloween message, reports Metro. Wood drove a 10,000-mile, painstakingly-plotted route through England, Wales and Scotland in a Vauxhall Corsa, plotting a 264,000 positions on the car’s GPS. Wood linked the positions on a virtual drawing to create a picture that shows bats, ghosts, a spider web, and a pumpkin in a witch’s hat, with the word “Halloween” underneath. The result is the image below.
Photo: VB
Wood isn’t the first GPS-inclined artist. In 2013, a man in San Francisco equipped with an iPhone and tracking app rode his bike 27 miles around the city. Two and a half hours later, Payam Rajabi had etched a heart shape onto a city map.
Photo: VB
But the biggest devotee of GPS art could be Japanense artist Yassan, who in 2010 left behind his girlfriend for six months to travel across Japan, reports VB News. Carrying a GPS device, Yassan covered 7,163.7 km mostly by walking, but with some use of a car, ferry, and bicycle. He then used Google Maps to connect the GPS points he visited, resulting in this unique marriage proposal:
Photo: VB
Though he made the journey four years ago, his trek is now being featured in a new ad campaign and documentary by Hi-Tec, a company that makes hiking shoes and boots.
Yassan has been creating large-scale GPS drawings for years. Yassan was so inspired by the possibilities of GPS art that he quit his job in June 2008 to pursue his passion for making GPS drawings. Learn more about Yassan’s GPS Drawing Project on his website.
Nasdaq — the trading and exchange technology company — is launching a trade time-stamping service at its data center in Carteret, New Jersey, with access to a NIST-certified GPS antenna. The High Precision Time service is provided by Perseus, a provider of global high-speed connectivity, and enables Nasdaq customers to synchronize their time systems across a multitude of data centers.
High Precision Time offers access to a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-certified GPS antenna as well as Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) connectivity with nanosecond accuracy to the Coordinated Universal Time UTC (NIST) timescale. These NIST-certified options allow Nasdaq co-located clients at the Nasdaq data center in Carteret to synchronize their system clocks. This tool can be used as clients’ primary time service, or as a back-up for clients which already use Nasdaq’s shared GPS service or have their own dedicated GPS antenna.
“The relationship with Nasdaq is an important step in helping our shared customers mitigate the risks of inaccurate time stamps when disseminating and trading on sensitive market information,” said Anthony Gerace, President, Global Financial Services at Perseus Telecom. “This is especially important for compliance and high-precision trading.”
Nasdaq co-located clients can connect to High Precision Time services via a simple inter-cabinet cross-connect with:
Certified NIST GPS antenna access
Certified UTC (NIST) timescale accuracy and reporting
Choice of delivery protocols: NTP (Network Time Protocol) and PTP (Precision Time Protocol)
“Our adoption of Perseus’ precision time service is another example of our commitment to provide member firms with technology solutions that reduce risk exposure,” said Stacie Swanstrom, Head of Global Access Services and senior vice president of Global Trading and Market Services at Nasdaq. “Transparency and choice is a hallmark of Nasdaq’s philosophy, which is why we continuously improve our Nasdaq Data Center environment while being mindful of the challenges and complexities of the markets.”
Europe’s fifth Galileo satellite, one of two delivered into a wrong orbit by VS09 Soyuz-Fregat launcher in August, transmitted its first navigation signal in space on Saturday, November 29. It has reached its new target orbit and its navigation payload has been successfully switched on.
A detailed test campaign is under way now the satellite has reached a more suitable orbit for navigation purposes.
Recovery
The fifth and sixth Galileo satellites, launched together on August 22, ended up in an elongated orbit traveling up to 25,900 km above Earth and back down to 13,713 km.
A total of 11 maneuvers were performed across 17 days, gradually nudging the fifth satellite upwards at the lowest point of its orbit. As a result, it has risen more than 3,500 km and its elliptical orbit has become more circular.
“The maneuvers were all normal, with excellent performance both in terms of thrust and direction,” explained Daniel Navarro-Reyes, ESA Galileo mission analyst. “The final orbit is as we targeted and is a tribute to the great professionalism of all the teams involved.”
The Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP) for Galileo satellites is overseen by a joint operations team from ESA and the French space agency CNES, alternately working from ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany, and the CNES LEOP Control Centre in Toulouse, France. Photo: ESA
The commands were issued from the Galileo Control Centre by spaceopal, the Galileo operator, at Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany, guided by calculations from a combined flight dynamics team of ESA’s Space Operations Centre, ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany and France’s CNES space agency. The commands were uploaded to the satellite via an extended network of ground stations, made up of Galileo stations and additional sites coordinated by France’s CNES space agency. Satellite manufacturer OHB also provided expertise throughout the recovery, helping to adapt the flight procedures.
Until the maneuvers started, the combined ESA–CNES team maintained the satellites pointing at the Sun using their gyroscopes and solar sensors. This kept the satellites steady in space but their navigation payloads could not be used reliably.
In the new orbit, the satellite’s radiation exposure has also been greatly reduced, ensuring reliable performance for the long term.
A Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellite, following on from the first four Galileo satellites already in orbit. A total of 22 FOC satellites are on the way, built by OHB in Germany with navigation payloads from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. in the UK. Photo: ESA
A suitable orbit
The revised, more circular orbit means the fifth satellite’s Earth sensor can be used continuously, keeping its main antenna oriented towards Earth and allowing its navigation payload to be switched on.
Significantly, the orbit means that it will now overfly the same location on the ground every 20 days. This compares to a normal Galileo repeat pattern of every 10 days, effectively synchronizing its ground track with the rest of the Galileo constellation.
The navigation test campaign
The satellite’s navigation payload was activated on November 29, to begin the full In-Orbit Test campaign. This is being performed from ESA’s Redu centre in Belgium, where a 20-meter-diameter antenna can study the strength and shape of the navigation signals at high resolution.
“First, the various payload elements, especially the Passive Hydrogen Maser atomic clock, were warmed up, then the payload’s first ‘signal in space’ was transmitted,” said David Sanchez-Cabezudo, managing the test campaign.
“The satellite-broadcast L-band navigation signal is monitored using the large antenna at Redu, with experts from OHB and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd — the payload manufacturer, based in Guildford, UK — also on hand to analyze how it performs over time.”
The first Galileo FOC navigation signal-in-space transmitting in the three Galileo frequency bands (E5/E6/L1) was tracked by Galileo Test User Receivers deployed at various locations in Europe, namely at Redu (B), ESTEC (NL), Weilheim (D) and Rome (I). The quality of the signal is good and in line with expectations.
The Search And Rescue (SAR) payload will be switched on in few days in order to complement the in-orbit test campaign.
GPS Retransmission Kit by GPS Source. Photo: GPS Source
GPS Source has received a $7.5 million order for its GLI-COTTONMOUTH GPS retransmission kit from an international customer with an armored vehicle application. The kits will be used to provide armored vehicles with improved situational awareness. Shipments for the order are expected to be complete in the secondquarter of 2015.
“GPS Source is extremely pleased to be selected to provide the GPS retransmission solution for another one of our foreign military partners. Situational awareness, survivability and mission effectiveness are all improved by the use of GPS retransmission technology. Successful GPS Retransmission in the confined crew compartment of a military vehicle presents significant challenges, but one in which GPS Source has created the perfect solution,” said Robert Horton, CEO of GPS Source.
GLI-COTTONMOUTH is one of many GPS retransmission kits offered by GPS Source. The kits are available as permanent installs or man-portable. They provide GPS coverage within smaller military ground vehicle or aircraft. GPS receivers will experience no loss in signal coverage as they move out of a ground vehicle or exit an aircraft equipped with a tactical GPS retransmission kit from GPS Source.
GLI COTTONMOUTH and other GPS distribution solutions by GPS Source are in use by the U.S. Army and other military entities throughout the world. GPS retransmission technology developed by GPS Source is currently used by Net Warrior units aboard the Stryker, RG-33, and M1151. The technology is also used within the Canadian LAVIII and the French DGA SCORPION program.
Relevant GPS retransmission kits have received Safety of Flight Approval from the United States Air Force Mobility Command Systems Group and are used aboard the C17, C-130, CV/MV-22, CH-53 E/D/K, CH/MH-47, MH-60, HH60, and other host country aircraft.
As part of European project MEDUSA coordinated by Telespazio (Finmeccanica/Thales), a workshop will be held in Tunis on Dec. 17 with stakeholders in civil aviation to promote the use of European satellite navigation systems in Libya, specifically EGNOS.
MEDUSA (Mediterranean follow-up for EGNOS Adoption) is a project funded by the European Commission as part of Euromed program GNSS with the objective of promoting the use of European satellite navigation services (E-GNSS), starting from EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) ahead of Galileo, in the Euromed area.
MEDUSA assists and prepares countries in the area (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia) in the adoption process of E-GNSS services, mainly in aviation as well as in other transportation sectors. To this end, MEDUSA implements a ”program of assistance actions” in countries from the area to transfer abilities, create technological capacities and share good practices.
Moreover, MEDUSA has created an operational and cooperation structure, called GEMCO (Galileo EuroMEd Cooperation Office), with a long-term working plan providing for the participation at a regional level of all beneficiary countries.
Located in Tunis, GEMCO acts as a reference point and catalyzer for all Euromed countries and towards Europe. Through GEMCO, MEDUSA favors initiatives connected to E-GNSS in the Euromed region, and contributes to the implementation of assistance actions of the project like national and regional workshops, training sessions, and days dedicated to studying.
GEMCO will host the MEDUSA meeting with stakeholders of Libya’s civil aviation to analyze the country’s needs, identify priorities and help define a strategic vision in the short, medium and long-term in relation to the possible operative introduction of the use of EGNOS. Libya, which has repeatedly shown interest in the project and EGNOS (whose perspective of availability of coverage of respective service is provided for in the short and medium-term), represents an opportunity for EGNOS mainly in the aviation and helicopter sectors.
SPAR Point Group will hold its first Commercial UAV Expo, October 5-7, 2015, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will feature an exhibit hall of UAV manufacturers, component and sensor manufacturers, software providers and service companies.
Organizers expect upwards of 1,000 attendees and 80 exhibits in 2015. Las Vegas was selected for proximity to key players on the West Coast and an affordable and accessible location for the entire market. A two-day conference program will feature programming tracks including commercial applications, hardware and software options, cost considerations, the regulatory environment and data management and integration.
SPAR Point Group are organizers of 3D technology events in North America, Europe and Asia. “We have been listening to our customers and watching the market for some time,” said Lisa Murray, director. “While it is well known that the unmanned aerial vehicle is a game-changing technology, the regulatory environment and concerns over safety have kept commercial growth to a minimum. Given the potential benefits of approved commercial UAV use and global market projections of $12 billion for commercial UAVs over the next decade, the time is right to launch this event.”
“Moving forward, it is vital that the industry has an event dedicated to commercial UAV use,” saidDave Henderson, Topcon’s director of geospatial sales. “SPAR Point Group is uniquely qualified to host such an event given their history and expertise delivering top-notch business and technology events for 3D precision measurement and imaging. They already have established relationships with providers and potential users in key market sectors eager to integrate UAV systems.”
“We are excited to connect the UAV community with potential customers in surveying and mapping, civil infrastructure, mining, construction, process, power and utilities, precision agriculture, law enforcement, security and emergency response,” Murray said. “These are natural markets for commercial UAVs, and ones in which we have established contacts. Seasoned professionals in aerial, mobile and terrestrial data capture technology are particularly interested in the business benefits UAVs provide, including potential cost savings, ease of use, immediacy of data delivery and increased accessibility.”
“In speaking with providers in the UAV sector, it is clear an event focused on industries suited to small UAVs is needed,” Murray said. “While the overall UAV sector is currently dominated by defense and military applications, it is hard to imagine any industry that will not be affected by UAV adoption. Our customers rely on our technology events to deliver the latest innovations on the market. They want to see what’s new and what’s next. Clearly, what’s next is the UAV, and we are excited to showcase this next wave of innovation at Commercial UAV Expo next year.”
The Geomatics Group, a Spectra Precision distributor and GIS software developer in Turkey, is achieving excellent success marketing the Spectra Precision MobileMapper 120 handheld GIS mapping device running Mobile GIS software developed by the Geomatics Group, according to Spectra Precision.
MobileMapper 120 uses a Windows open platform enabling it to run any Windows mobile application, including Spectra Precision applications for GIS or Survey, as well as third-party solutions that may better meet local regulations or specific customer requirements. The Geomatics Group has taken advantage of the Windows open platform to develop a specific application and integrated it with the MobileMapper 120 to provide a solution for its Turkish customers.
A Geomatics Group spokesperson says that sales of the MobileMapper 120 are particularly strong in three sectors in Turkey: mapping electrical infrastructure, orthophoto survey, and mapping public land and assets. Recently, 150 units of the MobileMapper 120 with the Geomatics Mobile GIS software were sold to the Turkey General Directorate of National Property to assist in public property management. According to the spokesperson, the sub-meter accuracy of the Spectra Precision MobileMapper 120 and the Mobile GIS software’s fast and easy menu access, hierarchical database and easily modified attribute library were important features in tests conducted by the customer. In another MobileMapper 120 sale earlier this year, 48 units were sold to the Provincial Directorates of Urban Environment for use in 48 different cities.
The spokesperson underscored the accuracy of the MobileMapper 120 that has impressed customers by reporting that one electrical grid customer who compared their ProMark 500 GNSS receiver to a MobileMapper 120, into which the Geomatics Group had installed a flying RTK option and using TUSAGA-Aktip (CORS-TR), found only a five-centimeter difference between the two receivers.
