GPS World

Author: GPS World Staff

  • Location and context advances in Android

    Location and context advances in Android

    Plus access to raw GNSS measurements for all

    By Steve Malkos
    Technical program manager, Google

    Google’s annual developers conference in May, Google I/O, featured many announcements, accomplishments and 2017 plans. Of particular interest, the Android Location and Context Team’s talk “Android Sensors & Location: What’s New and Best Practices,” is available online.

    This followed a keynote by CEO Sundar Pichai on solving problems at scale with deep neural networks, machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI). He also spoke about a shift from a mobile-first model to AI-first. Google is doing this across every product area, applying AI and machine learning. Other keynotes updated Assistant, Photos, YouTube, Superchat, Android and VR (virtual reality).

    The Android Location and Context team — Marc Stogaitis, Wei Wang, Souvik Sen and myself — spoke about background location, location accuracy, activity recognition, Android sensor hub, Android sensors, and the future of location and context.

    Discussing why battery life is so important, we showed detailed graphs on the costs of accessing different parts of the phone subsystems like WiFi, GNSS and making data connections.

    Then we introduced Background Location Limitations (at the 4:30 point in the posted video) coming with Android’s latest operating system in Android O. These limits will prevent applications from misusing Android’s APIs in the background, thus saving its user’s battery. There were examples on how to make your app background ready for these upcoming changes.

    We showed plans for location accuracy improvements (12:50) coming later this year and comparisons of existing vs. upcoming solutions for the positioning algorithm.

    We covered the tools to help analyze GNSS measurements. How strong are the individual measurements? How accurate are the range measurements? With these tools, developers now have direct insight into the lowest layers of a GNSS receiver. Then came activity recognition algorithms (15:40) and how deep neural networks will improve the precision of these algorithms and help advance the field in activity recognition.

    I spoke spoke about the Android Sensor Hub (20:27), how Google is leveraging the capabilities of an always-on low-power processor in Android phones. The sensor hub allows Google to port algorithms such as Activity Recognition, Geofencing and Gestures from the main application processor into the low-power sensor hub. We then went into detail around the new sensor features (25;55) and improvements around the compass (28:34).

    Finally, we looked into the future (33:28). I covered Project Elevation, Accurate Indoor Location, and dual-frequency GNSS. Closing thoughts were around how more signals are going to be added into the low-power always-on compute domains so that the phone is more aware and intelligent, simplifying users’ interactions, augmenting human memory and knowledge, and assisting users understanding of themselves and the world around them.

    Access to Raw GNSS Measurements

    In related news, our new web page is up and operational!  This site provides all the details around GNSS Raw measurements in Android along with our analysis tools for anyone to download. Our previous site was accessible to people who signed up as a partner with Google, but now we have opened up this site to everyone.

    Android GNSS Analysis Tool: Shows how you can select and run the analysis on a per satellite basis. This tool now supports multi-constellation and dual frequency (L1+L5) by default

    Android apps typically access GNSS chipsets through a filter, which improves the GNSS location output for the majority of use cases. Filters use additional sensors, such as motion sensors, to improve the end user experience. However, filtering is not appropriate for some applications used by professionals such as researchers and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) developers. The Android Framework provides access to raw GNSS measurements on some Android devices. The page lists Android devices that support raw GNSS measurements as well as tools that help you log and analyze GNSS data.

    For more on Android and raw GPS measurements, see the GPS World Innovation article Precise positioning using raw GPS measurements from Android smartphones.

  • Second GPS III satellite assembled, ready for testing

    Second GPS III satellite assembled, ready for testing

    In a specialized cleanroom designed to streamline satellite production, Lockheed Martin is in full production building GPS III — the world’s most powerful GPS satellite, according to the company. The company’s second GPS III satellite is now assembled and preparing for environmental testing, and the third satellite is close behind, having just received its navigation payload.

    In May 2017, the U.S. Air Force’s second GPS III satellite was fully assembled and entered into Space Vehicle (SV) single line flow.

    In May, the U.S. Air Force’s second GPS III satellite was fully assembled and entered into Space Vehicle (SV) single line flow when Lockheed Martin technicians successfully integrated its system module, propulsion core and antenna deck. GPS III SV02 smoothly came together through a series of carefully-orchestrated manufacturing maneuvers utilizing a 10-ton crane.

    GPS III SV02 is part of the Air Force’s next generation of GPS satellites, which have three times better accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities. Spacecraft life will extend to 15 years, 25 percent longer than the newest GPS satellites on-orbit today.

    “Now fully-integrated, GPS III SV02 will begin environmental testing this summer to ensure the satellite is ready for the rigors of space,” said Mark Stewart, vice president of Navigation Systems for Lockheed Martin. “This testing simulates harsh launch and space environments the satellite will endure, and further reduces any risk prior to it being available for launch in 2018.”

    A Factory Full of GPS III Satellites

    Right behind GPS III SV02, eight more contracted GPS III satellites are moving through production flow at Lockheed Martin’s nearly 40,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art GPS III Processing Facility near Denver.

    GPS III SV03 recently completed initial power on of its bus, which contains the electronics that operate the satellite. The company received SV03’s navigation payload from its supplier, Harris Corporation, in May. After further system testing, SV03 will be ready for full integration later this fall.

    GPS III SV04’s major electronics are being populated as it prepares for its own initial power on. This satellite’s navigation payload is expected to arrive and be integrated into its space vehicle before the end of the year.

    Right behind the second GPS III space vehicle (GPS III SV02), eight more contracted GPS III satellites are moving through production flow at Lockheed Martin’s nearly 40,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art GPS III Processing Facility (GPF) near Denver.

    Components of the next six satellites, GPS III SV05-10, are arriving at Lockheed Martin daily from more than 250 suppliers in 29 states. To date, more than 70 percent of parts and materials for SV05-08 have been received. The company was put under production contract for SV09-10 in late 2016.

    All of these satellites are now following the Air Force’s first GPS III satellite, GPS III SV01, through a proven assembly, integration and test flow. SV01 completed its final Factory Functional Qualification Testing and was placed into storage in February 2017 ahead of its expected 2018 launch.

    Investing in the Future of GPS III

    With multiple satellites now in production, Lockheed Martin engineers are building GPS III smarter and faster. Key to their success is the company’s GPS III Processing Facility, a cleanroom manufacturing center designed in a virtual-reality environment to maximize production efficiency. Lockheed Martin invested $128 million in the new center, which opened in 2011.

    The company’s unique satellite design includes a flexible, modular architecture that allows for the easy insertion of new technology as it becomes available in the future or if the Air Force’s mission needs change. Satellites based off this design also will already be compatible with both the Air Force’s next generation Operational Control System (OCX) and the existing GPS constellation.

    “From day one, GPS III has been a team effort and our successes would not have been possible without a strong Air Force partnership,” Stewart said. “GPS III will ensure the U.S. maintains the gold standard for positioning, navigation and timing. We look forward to bringing GPS III’s new capabilities to our warfighters and beginning to launch these satellites in 2018.”

    The GPS III team is led by the Global Positioning Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Air Force Space Command’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.

  • Contract signed with OHB, SSTL for eight more Galileo satellites

    Contract signed with OHB, SSTL for eight more Galileo satellites

    UK’s SSTL to build third batch of Galileo navigation payloads

    News from the European Space Agency

    Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation will gain an additional eight satellites, bringing it to completion, thanks to a contract signed at the Paris Air and Space Show.

    The contract to build and test another eight Galileo satellites was awarded to a consortium led by prime contractor OHB, with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd overseeing their navigation platforms.

    This is the third such satellite signing: the first four In Orbit Validation satellites were built by a consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space, while production of the next 22 Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellites was led by OHB.

    These new batch satellites are based on the already qualified design of the previous Galileo FOC satellites, except for changes on the unit level – such as improvements based on lessons learned and reacting to obsolescence of parts.

    ESA’s Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities, Paul Verhoef, signed the contract with the CEO of OHB, Marco Fuchs and OHB Navigation Director Wolfgang Paetsch, in the presence of ESA Director General Jan Woerner and the EC’s Deputy Director-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Pierre Delsaux.

    “This procurement from OHB will enable the completion of the Galileo constellation and have reserves both in-orbit and on-ground,” said Director Verhoef. “This signing delivers the necessary infrastructure robustness that is essential for the provision of Galileo services worldwide.”

    ESA signed the contract on behalf of the EU represented by the European Commission – Galileo’s owner. The Commission and ESA have a delegation agreement by which ESA acts as design and procurement agent on behalf of the Commission.

    Signing Ceremony

    Galileo is Europe’s own satellite navigation system, providing an array of positioning, navigation and timing services to Europe and the world.

    With 18 satellites now in orbit, Galileo began Initial Services on Dec. 15, 2016, the first step towards full operational capability.

    Further launches will continue to build the satellite constellation, which will gradually improve the system performance and availability worldwide. The launch by Ariane 5 of another four satellites is due to take place later this year.

    The full Galileo constellation will consist of 24 operational satellites in three orbital planes plus orbital spares, intended to prevent any interruption in service.

    These new eight satellites will provide the constellation with in-orbit and on-ground spares. ESA and the Commission are also in the process of developing an improved Galileo Second Generation for the next decade.

    Galileo is now providing three service types, the availability of which will continue to be improved.

    ESA’s Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities, Paul Verhoef (right), signing the contract of behalf of the European Commission, shakes hands with the CEO of OHB, Marco Fuchs beside OHB Navigation Director Wolfgang Paetsch, in the presence of ESA Director General Jan Woerner (in background) and the EC’s Deputy Director-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Pierre Delsaux.

    Galileo coverage

    The Open Service is a free mass-market service for users with enabled chipsets in, for instance, smartphones and car navigation systems. Fully interoperable with GPS, combined coverage will deliver more accurate and reliable positioning for users.

    Galileo’s Public Regulated Service is an encrypted, robust service for government-authorized users such as civil protection, fire brigades and the police.

    The Search and Rescue Service is Europe’s contribution to the long-running Cospas–Sarsat international emergency beacon location. The time between someone locating a distress beacon when lost at sea or in the wilderness will be reduced from up to three hours to just 10 minutes, with its location determined to within 5 km, rather than the previous 10 km.

    The public will begin benefiting as Galileo-capable devices enter the marketplace: 17 companies, representing more than 95% of global supply, now produce Galileo-ready chips.

    SSTL continues Galileo work

    “SSTL is delighted to have been selected to build the third batch of navigation payloads needed to complete the initial Galileo Constellation,” said Gary Lay, SSTL’s director of navigation. “I am confident that the OHB-SSTL solution offered the lowest risk and best value for money, and I believe that our selection as payload providers for the third time in succession demonstrates a high regard for our work.”

    SSTL’s state-of-the-art Galileo FOC payload comprises different units including European sourced atomic clocks, navigation signal generators, high power traveling wave tube amplifiers and antennas. SSTL’s payload proposal for Batch 3 is for a recurrent build of the existing payload, with an evolution of the atomic clocks to incorporate advances made under the European GNSS Evolution Programme.

    Fourteen of SSTL’s Galileo FOC navigation payloads are currently operational in orbit, with a further eight payloads already delivered to OHB for integration and test.

    SSTL has been involved in the Galileo program since 2003 with the design and build of GIOVE-A, Galileo’s pathfinder mission. GIOVE-A was launched in 2005 and is still operational today, providing valuable data about the radiation environment in Medium Earth Orbit. An experimental GPS receiver on board GIOVE-A is also used to map out the antenna patterns of GPS satellites for use in planning navigation systems for future high altitude missions in Geostationary orbit, and beyond into deep space.

  • Handbook on GNSS published by Springer

    Handbook on GNSS published by Springer

    The Springer Handbook of Global Navigation Satellite Systems is now available.

    Described as “A state-of-the-art description of GNSS as a key technology for science and society at large,” the 1,327-page tome is edited by Peter J.G. Teunissen and Oliver Montenbruck.

    Teunissen is a professor of Geodesy and Satellite Navigation at Curtin University, Australia, and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Netherlands.

    Montenbruck is head of the GNSS Technology and Navigation Group at the DLR’s German Space Operations Center, Oberpfaffenhofen, and chair of the Multi-GNSS Working Group of the International GNSS Service, as well as being a GPS World contributor and recipient of the GPS World Leadership Award.

    Exhaustive Reference. The handbook presents a complete and rigorous overview of the fundamentals, methods and applications of the multidisciplinary field of GNSS, providing an exhaustive, one-stop reference work and a state-of-the-art description of GNSS as a key technology for science and society at large.

    All global and regional satellite navigation systems, in operation and under development (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, IRNSS/NAVIC, SBAS), are examined in detail. The functional principles of receivers and antennas, as well as the advanced algorithms and models for GNSS parameter estimation, are rigorously discussed.

    The book covers the broad and diverse range of land, marine, air and space applications, from everyday GNSS to high-precision scientific applications and provides detailed descriptions of the most widely used GNSS format standards, covering receiver formats as well as IGS product and meta-data formats.

    The full coverage of the field of GNSS is presented in seven parts, from its fundamentals, through the treatment of global and regional navigation satellite systems, of receivers and antennas, and of algorithms and models, up to the broad and diverse range of applications in the areas of positioning and navigation, surveying, geodesy and geodynamics, and remote sensing and timing.

    Each chapter is written by international experts and amply illustrated with figures and photographs, making the book an invaluable resource for scientists, engineers, students and institutions alike.

    Learn more at the publisher website.

  • New reports confirm exceptional performance record for civil GPS service

    The U.S. Air Force released two technical reports demonstrating that the Global Positioning System (GPS) continues to deliver exceptional performance to civilian users around the world, reported the Los Angeles Air Force Base.

    Operated by the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, the GPS constellation provides precise PNT services worldwide 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

    The 2014 and 2015 performance reports confirm that the GPS Standard Positioning Service (SPS) satisfied nearly all measurable performance commitments documented in the GPS SPS Performance Standard, furthering the status of GPS as the “Gold Standard” for PNT.

    The GPS Directorate at the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center commissioned the GPS SPS performance reports to enhance public transparency of the real-world performance of civil GPS.

    The GPS Directorate at the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center commissioned the GPS SPS performance reports to enhance public transparency of the real-world performance of civil GPS. The reports confirm that GPS met all of the evaluated commitments for calendar years 2014 and 2015 with one exception.

    This exception was that the reporting notification commitment for scheduled GPS satellite interruptions during calendar year 2014 was only met in 29 of 30 cases (96.7 percent). The vast majority of GPS users were not impacted by this single delayed notification. In this single case, the U.S. Air Force only provided 17 hours of advanced notice, as opposed to the SPS PS commitment of at least 48 hours advanced notice, before the scheduled satellite interruption.

    The commitments evaluated in the reports include those of accuracy, integrity, continuity, and availability of the GPS signals-in-space. For example, the signal-in-space ranging accuracy of the GPS civil signals was significantly better than the published standard of “7.8 meters or better at the 95th percentile.” This metric represents a key component in the total “user range error” that GPS receivers experience.

    Most impressively, the oldest GPS satellites still provided an average signal-in-space accuracy of 2.8 meters during their worst performing month of 2015 – surpassing the target accuracy metric by over 300 percent. On average, the signal-in-space accuracy of the GPS constellation in 2015 was 1.4 meters, which is a 0.4 meter improvement over the accuracy in 2013.

    The GPS SPS performance reports are generated by Applied Research Laboratories, the University of Texas at Austin (ARL:UT), which is a Department of Defense University-Affiliated Research Center. Using data from 33 GPS monitoring and reference stations located around the globe, the ARL:UT team assesses GPS performance against the commitments defined in the 2008 GPS SPS Performance Standard. The ARL:UT reports focus on those commitments that can be verified by anyone with knowledge of standard GPS data analysis practices, familiarity with the relevant signal specifications, and access to a Global Navigation Satellite System data archive.

    “The GPS Directorate remains committed to providing highly accurate and reliable PNT services to our users around the globe. The use of published standards to transparently guide data-driven decision making is how we have become the ‘Gold Standard’ in PNT,” said Col. Steven Whitney, director of the GPS Directorate. “The GPS Directorate is working every day on improved capabilities to ensure users receive the maximum benefit of the PNT services offered by GPS.”

    ARL-UT expects to complete the 2016 SPS performance report later this year. The 2013, 2014 and 2015 reports are publicly available for free download. The National Coordination Office for Space-Based PNT maintains the GPS.gov website to provide official information about GPS to the public.

    Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California, is the U.S. Air Force’s center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes GPS, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space-based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities.

  • Hexagon launches HxGN AgrOn Logistics harvest solution for sugarcane, forestry

    Hexagon launches HxGN AgrOn Logistics harvest solution for sugarcane, forestry

    Hexagon, a global provider of information technology solutions, has launched HxGN AgrOn Logistics, an end-to-end solution enabling sugarcane and forestry producers to manage and optimize the complex logistics processes essential to harvest.

    HxGN AgrOn Logistics will be officially unveiled today at Agrishow, one of the world´s largest agricultural technology trade shows, in Ribeiro Preto, Brazil.

    “In agriculture and forestry operations, success is defined by productivity,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “Efficiently moving product from field to processing is one of the most critical phases of production, and one filled with logistical risks. HxGN AgrOn Logistics is streamlining and optimizing this entire process,”

    AgrOn Logistics simplifies harvest with communications, insights and operations that are continuously optimized — from planning to field to processing. Real-time communications between machines enable easy coordination, while advanced software handles monitoring, capacity planning, scheduling, dispatching, resource management and more intensive data analysis.

    The benefit to sugarcane and forestry harvest operators is complete connectivity, with workflow synchronization that optimizes every step of the process – from planning to dispatching to real-time execution and full machine automation.

    Field-tested by more than 70 producers, AgrOn Logistics users are experiencing steep productivity gains and sharp decreases in raw materials loss, Hexagon said,

    HxGN AgrOn Logistics will put data to work for a more intelligent approach to harvest: connecting, synchronizing and optimizing workflows, people and information while reducing operating expenses.

  • Septentrio bestows Ecochallenge Award on Leuven University team

    Septentrio bestows Ecochallenge Award on Leuven University team

    Septentrio, a designer and manufacturer of GNSS solutions, has awarded the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) Ecochallenge team — the winners of the Galileo Masters (Flanders Challenge) of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) — with an AsteRx-m UAS receiver for its proposal to use high-precision high-reliability Galileo receivers to modernize inland waterway transport by introducing autonomous technology for the vessels.

    The judging panel were impressed with the proposal from the KU Leuven Ecochallenge team to use high-quality Galileo receivers to improve the safety and efficiency on autonomous and existing vessels, which can be retrofitted with the solution.

    The ambitious proposal offers a pragmatic step towards rejuvenating inland waterways as a viable ecological alternative for freight transportation, Septentrio said in a news release.

    The KU Leuven team also participated in Ecorace Challenge organized by the Flemish Waterways Agency and was both the overall winner in the cargo category as well as being voted the most innovative vessel in 2016.

    The AsteRx-m receiver board won by KU Leuven Ecochallenge team is a GNSS solution for applications in autonomous and unmanned vehicles, such as drones. The AsteRx-m UAS offers centimeter-level accuracy at 700 mW using L1/L2 GPS and GLONASS RTK.

    The AsteRx-m OEM Board by Septentrio.

    “As traffic continues to increase, exploiting inland waterways has been identified as a critical development for easing the pressure on road networks,”  said Jan van Hees, director of business development at Septentrio. “High-precision high-reliability positioning technology using GNSS is an essential element of the development. The KU Leuven team have demonstrated an innovative autonomous small vessel prototype already to move cargo safely and efficiently on the Flemish waterways, and we look forward to continued collaboration as they further develop this technology for bigger ships.”

    “The team is very pleased with their performance winning the Septentrio Prize and the Ecorace Challenge together in the same year,” said Geert Waeyenbergh of KU Leuven, who mentored the KU Leuven Ecochallenge team. “The received AsteRx-m will further help research and development of better ships going into the future.”

  • Cobham launches next-generation GPS anti-jam system at Paris Air Show

    Cobham launches next-generation GPS anti-jam system at Paris Air Show

    Cobham Antenna Systems has launched its next-generation anti-jam GPS system.

    The system provides significant immunity to jamming compared with a conventional GPS antenna, allowing the platform to operate over 100 times closer to the jammer whilst maintaining its GPS reception, the company said.

    The system will be available to view on Cobham’s stand, hall 2b, stand E156, at the International Paris Air Show, which is taking place June 19-25.

    The compact size and modularity of the DACU and CRPA, as well as being receiver independent, means that the system can be installed in land and marine applications. (Photo: Cobham)

    “Cobham has been a global leader in development of anti-jam technology for over 20 years, and we are delighted to be launching launch our next generation anti-jam GPS system at Paris Air Show,” said David Bulley, vice president of Cobham Antenna Systems. “The system provides significant immunity to intentional or unintentional jamming compared with a conventional GPS antenna, thereby protecting mission critical systems that require assured position, navigation and timing information from GPS.”

    The system consists of a 7-6005 anti-jam GPS digital antenna control unit (DACU) and a four-channel 20-7009 anti-jam GPS controlled reception pattern array (CRPA) antenna. Both units meet stringent airborne requirements making them ideal for new installations and retrofitting to fixed-wing, rotary-wing and UAV platforms.

    The compact size and modularity of the DACU and CRPA, as well as being receiver independent, means that the system can also be installed in land and marine applications so offering a single solution for all platforms.

    The high-performance, four-channel antenna and electronic system, offers the optimum balance between size, weight, power and cost. Intelligent, dual-band protection is provided with processing optimized to combat the threat environment.

  • Research Online: Tight integration algorithms designed for cars

    Research Online: Tight integration algorithms designed for cars

    Image: Authors
    Image: Authors

    By Gianluca Falco, Gianluca Marucco, Mario Nicola and Marco Pini, Istituto Superiore Mario Boella (ISMB) / Presented at ION ITM, January 2017

    The authors of this paper deal with the development of a Robust Position Unit (RPU) based on the real-time implementation of an advanced positioning algorithm. The RPU uses a tightly coupled technique between a mass-market single-frequency GNSS chipset with a low-cost inertial measurement unit (IMU) based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and an odometer.

    The tight integration algorithm has been obtained through the design of a complex extended Kalman filter (EKF). Its performance has been verified running the designed real-time algorithm in different challenging environments. One is an urban scenario characterized by narrow streets, few satellites in view and tree-lined avenues. A second harsh environment is represented by a mountain area where the vehicle has driven through long tunnels, overpasses and sharp road bends.

    The tests showed how a tight integration algorithm, designed by using raw data from only low-cost sensors, can provide real advantages at a price of careful customizations and adaptations that take into account the particular use and environment.

    In the designed tight algorithm, additional features and constraints were added with respect to a common tight strategy in order to provide a navigation solution targeted for land applications. Results show a significant decrement of the positioning errors compared to those obtained with other commercial devices. In particular, the tightly-coupled algorithm provides better estimates of the vehicle position and attitude in case of an urban scenario. The improvement was measured following a standardized testing method, considering the horizontal position error and the yaw angle, as the main performance metrics.

    Moreover, the advantages of the embedded system based on an ad-hoc tightly-coupled strategy become even more evident in case of a mountain road that is characterized by frequent tunnels and steep slopes. The experimental results demonstrate the possibility to employ tightly-coupled architectures in low-cost mass-market devices. In the future, the improvement of MEMS technology and the evolution of GNSS, with enhanced signal formats, different frequency bands and more satellites in view, are expected to further increase the positioning performance of mass-marked devices, enabling a variety of new services for road users.

  • Galileo satellite team wins European Inventor Award

    The invisible signals that Europe’s Galileo satellites are beaming down to the world are officially award-winning: the team behind their design has won the European Inventor Award, run by the European Patent Office, reports the European Space Agency.

    The 12th European Inventor Award (Research) was given at a special ceremony on 15 June at the Arsenale di Venezia in Venice, Italy.

    Just like the Galileo satellites and their globe-spanning ground stations, the Galileo signals themselves needed to be designed, having to pack multiple Galileo services aimed at different classes of users within the limited frequency bands allocated for the system by the International Telecommunications Union.

    This task was accomplished by the Galileo Signal Task Force, a multinational group of experts who came up with a pair of innovative signal modulation techniques.

    This team was led by Spanish engineer José Ángel Ávila Rodríguez – now part of ESA’s Galileo team – and his French colleague Laurent Lestarquit from France’s CNES space agency, sharing in the European Patent Office’s European Inventor Award 2017.

    The team also includes German Günter Hein, formerly head of the department studying the evolution of EGNOS and Galileo for ESA, as well as Belgian Engineer Lionel Ries, now in ESA’s technical directorate, as well as French CNES engineer Jean-Luc Issler.

    “When the nations of Europe work together, the whole world benefits,” said José.

    With 18 satellites now in orbit, Galileo began Initial Services on 15 December 2016, so the two signals the team devised are now everyday reality.

    They took as their inspiration the GPS system, with signal shapes first designed back in the 1960s, but first fulfilling user needs today.

    The first signal technique is called Alternative Binary Offset Carrier modulation, or ‘AltBOC’ for short, combining four separate signals into one large ones – resulting in the largest bandwidth navigation signal ever transmitted.

    When used in its full performance AltBOC can support precision scientific applications such as geodetic measurements and seismic monitoring.

    The second modulation method, called Composite Binary Offset Carrier or ‘CBOC’, results in a signal for use by the mass market, possessing both narrowband and wideband components.

    The result is a signal that can work well with low-end receivers – such as those found in current smartphones – while the wideband component ‘future proofs’ the signal, allowing manufacturers to extend mass market receiver performance in the future.

    The other goal CBOC had to match was to be interoperable with GPS signals, allowing receivers to use both sets of signals at once on a seamless basis.

    With China planning to use a comparable CBOC-style solution for their Beidou satnav satellites, the resulting Galileo E1 Open Signal is set to become the new standard for mass market applications for the foreseeable future.

  • Leica Geosystems offers complete imaging solution

    Leica Geosystems offers complete imaging solution

    Leica Geosystems’ BLK360 is a miniaturized black 3D imaging laser scanner. The BLK360 captures the world with full-color panoramic images overlaid on a high-accuracy point cloud.

    The one-button Leica BLK360 is easy to use, Leica said. Anyone who can operate an iPad can now capture the world around them with high-resolution 3D panoramic images.

    The Leica BLK360 imaging laser scanner is so small and light that it fits in a typical messenger bag. It features a 60-meter measurement range for full dome scans. A complete full-dome laser scan, 3D panoramic image capture and transfer to the iPad Pro takes only 3 minutes.

    Using the ReCap Pro 360 mobile app, the BLK360 streams image and point cloud data to iPad. The app filters and registers scan data in real time. After capture, ReCap 360 Pro enables for point cloud data transfer to a number of computer-aided design, building information modeling, virtual reality and augmented reality applications. The integration of BLK360 and Autodesk software streamlines the reality-capture process, opening the technology to non-surveying individuals.

  • New Spectra Precision GNSS receiver gives surveyors flexibility

    New Spectra Precision GNSS receiver gives surveyors flexibility

    Spectra Precision has introduced its new SP90m multi-frequency and multi-application GNSS receiver.

    Spectra Precision’s SP90m GNSS receiver.

    The Spectra Precision SP90m is a powerful, highly versatile, ultra-rugged and reliable GNSS positioning solution for a wide variety of real-time and post-processing applications. It features integrated communications options such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UHF radio and cellular modem as well as two MSS L-band channels to receive Trimble RTX correction services.

    With a modular form factor, the SP90m is flexible and can be used as a base station, campaign receiver, continuously operating reference station (CORS), real-time kinematic (RTK) or Trimble RTX rover, or integrated on-board a machine.

    The patented Z-Blade GNSS-centric technology uses all available GNSS signals to deliver fast and reliable positions in real-time. The SP90m GNSS receiver also allows the connection of two GNSS antennas for precise heading or relative positioning determination without a secondary GNSS receiver.

    The SP90m’s unique design enables a broad range of mounting capabilities. In addition to the wide range of built-in communication options, the SP90m features an internal removable battery, internal memory, optional accessory kits for specific applications.

    The receiver is also compatible with a variety of software solutions such as Spectra Precision Survey Pro. The weatherproof, high-impact-resistant molded aluminum housing ensures the user’s investment is safe in extreme field conditions, which is important for campaign or base-station applications.

    “With the addition of the SP90m receiver to its portfolio, Spectra Precision has introduced a new generation of ultra-rugged, compact and feature rich GNSS solution to the surveying market,” said Olivier Casabianca, general manager of Trimble’s Spectra Precision Division. “This highly flexible receiver can be used where a typical integrated receiver on a range pole is not optimal and other configurations may be required. It is an ideal solution for geospatial professionals looking for a single receiver that can be used for multiple applications.”

    The Spectra Precision SP90m receiver is available now through the Spectra Precision global dealer network. For more information, visit www.spectraprecision.com or email: [email protected].