GPS World

Author: GPS World Staff

  • DroneDeploy integrates with agX on UAV mapping flights

    DroneDeploy, a cloud software platform for commercial drones, is integrating with agX to help growers more easily capture field maps and analyze aerial data.

    agX users can now share field boundaries saved in agX with DroneDeploy to simplify the planning of drone mapping flights. Over time, agX and DroneDeploy plan to integrate further to allow seamless sharing of drone images from DroneDeploy to agX.

    “This integration will provide agX users an efficient method of combining high-quality UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] imagery from DroneDeploy with other agronomic data to assist in decision-making that can add to a grower’s bottom line,” said Shawn Peterson, business development lead at agX. “Integrating quality imagery into an operation brings tremendous value by showing the varying conditions of the crop throughout the field. We are excited DroneDeploy will join the platform to offer imagery solutions that bring value to UAV applications.”

    agX users can exchange field boundaries between DroneDeploy and other agX Compliant applications, allowing them to centrally store, access and share field boundaries. In the future, DroneDeploy’s integration will offer users the ability to share field data and imagery layers.

    DroneDeploy makes drones accessible and productive tools that help growers save time and create actionable insights. Using DroneDeploy, a grower can automatically fly and capture drone imagery, create a field map and analyze crop variability in hours to help make timely management decisions.

    “DroneDeploy makes it fast and easy for growers to capture aerial data,” said Scott Lumish, vice president of business development at DroneDeploy. “Integrations with tools like agX help growers turn that data into action.”

    agX helps growers and service providers stay connected to various precision agricultural applications. Users can access and share their data within agX Compliant applications to save time and reduce duplicate data entry. Anyone can create a free agX account.

    Support for DroneDeploy imagery transfer will be added to agX in early of summer 2017.

  • European satnav competition open for submissions

    The European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) — the largest international competition for the commercial use of satellite navigation — is once again in search of outstanding ideas and business models for accelerating Galileo applications.

    Renowned institutions and regional partners are set to award prizes worth a total of more than €1 million in more than 20 categories.

    Submissions are due June 30.

    Innovation Network for Satellite Navigation

    Satellite navigation is indispensable when it comes to accurate, reliable and continuous localization, according to the ESNC. This technology is fundamental to a variety of current trends, including multimodal logistics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and smart cities.

    First held in 2004, the ESNC has evolved into the leading innovation scouting mechanism in terms of Galileo-related applications across Europe and beyond. Moreover, the ESNC promotes the transformation of groundbreaking business ideas into market-ready products and new ventures.

    Each year, the competition offers advantages to more than 400 business ideas. It has awarded prizes to more than 300 winners, which represent just a fraction of the 3,700 innovative concepts submitted by 11,000 participants. Through its network — including the ESA Business Incubation Centres, other incubators across Europe and the new E-GNSS Accelerator co-funded by the European Commission — the ESNC plays a decisive role in the realization of promising ideas by supporting the foundation of startups and creating high-tech jobs.

    One of the main objectives of the ESNC is fostering the European space sector’s competitiveness globally by boosting the development of commercial space applications, especially for startups, SMEs and young entrepreneurs. Advancing Europe’s space programs and meeting user needs, especially when it comes to space data access to encourage alternative business models and technological progress, represent major goals of this strategy.

    ESNC-2017-kickoff

    The involvement of the pan-European spirit within the EU Space Strategy is realized in the ESNC by engaging multiple regions across Europe with their own dedicated prizes.

    “The investment in space technologies and applications as well as the support of forward-thinking entrepreneurs and startups ensure Europe’s increased competitiveness,” said Elżbieta Bieńkowska, commissioner for internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs. “To achieve this ultimate goal, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) and the Copernicus Masters are a proven platform for trendsetting technologies and business models based on Galileo and Copernicus to implement the new EU Space Strategy.”

    Within this context, this year’s ESNC patronage taken over by Markku Markkula, president of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), sets the tone for the innovation competition’s pan-European mission of uniting the European regions and cities through the support of space-related businesses and future-oriented entrepreneurs, increasing the market and user uptake of Galileo.

    “The European Committee of the Regions attaches great importance to the new opportunities linked to the involvement of European regions in innovation networks, such as the European Satellite Navigation Competition,” Markkula said. “I have therefore gladly taken on the role of patron for the ESNC as of 2017.”

    E-GNSS Accelerator

    As the high-tech platform for pioneering satellite navigation applications, the ESNC is now additionally equipped with the new E-GNSS Accelerator. This program is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs and startups to accelerate their business case on a broad scale and bring their products and services to market.

    The E-GNSS Accelerator will run for three years and will directly support the winners of the ESNC 2017, 2018 and 2019. Thereby, the participants await even more prizes, services and three further business incubations worth an additional value of EUR 500,000.

    ESNC-2017-event

    ESNC Partners

    In the ESNC 2017, special prizes are to be offered in partnership with the following institutions: the European GNSS Agency (GSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).

    Prototypes can also be entered into the GNSS Living Lab Challenge.

    The University Challenge, meanwhile, is explicitly designed for students and research associates.

    In addition, participants choose from this year’s confirmed partner regions: Asia, Austria, Baden-Württemberg / Germany, Basque Country / Spain, Bavaria / Germany, Catalonia / Spain, Estonia, France, Hesse / Germany, Ireland, Madrid / Spain, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, and the Valencian Community / Spain.

    Stay tuned for more updates on additional ESNC regions.

    Obtain more information at the official website, www.esnc.eu, comprising all relevant information on prizes, partners, and terms of participation involved in the ESNC.

    Prizes for the Best Applications

    This year’s winners will take home prizes worth a more than EUR 1 million and be welcomed into the ESNC’s leading innovation network for global satellite navigation systems.

    Along with cash, the various prize categories offer primarily technical, business-related and legal support in realizing the winning business models. A jury of international experts from the realms of research and industry will also evaluate the winners of all the categories to select an overall winner, who will be revealed at the festive Awards Ceremony in early November 2017.

    Furthermore, three additional incubations, supported by the European Commission, will be awarded in front of a high-ranking audience.

    Those who enter the ESNC also stand to benefit greatly from the opportunity to work closely with leading institutions and regional partners. The ESNC is geared towards individuals and teams from companies, research facilities and universities around the world.

    Awards Ceremony and Space Conference

    A partner program, the Copernicus Masters (Earth observation), also kicked off on April 5 in Brussels.

    The Awards Ceremony for both the ESNC and the Copernicus Masters takes place in early November. The event brings together industry, politics, entrepreneurship and research to showcase the most disruptive space applications and discuss trendsetting developments in the satellite downstream sector and its various application fields.

  • AUVSI Xponential co-located with civilian UAV workshop

    AUVSI Xponential co-located with civilian UAV workshop

    AUVSI-2017-logo
    Logo: AUVSI

    A co-located event focused on unmanned aircraft will take place during AUVSI Xponential 2017, which will be held May 8-11 in Dallas.

    AUVSI, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, is joining with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to present the AIAA/AUVSI Third Workshop on Civilian Applications of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

    The workshop is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CDT on May 8. It will bring the AUVSI and AIAA professional communities together to focus on the current civilian applications of UAS, to look at lessons learned during the Public Decade (2008-2017), and to look forward to defining the Civil Decade (2017-2026).

    Key questions that will be addressed include:

    • What is the current state of civilian applications of UAS?
    • What are lessons learned from the Public Decade to be applied in the Civil Decade?
    • What are the critical technologies and regulatory environment that must be in place in 5 years, 10 years?
    • What are the roles of stakeholders in the industry, agency and academic communities to ensure U.S. leadership in the Civil Decade and beyond?

    Stakeholder feedback will be collected during the half-day event to help UAS manufacturers, operators, policy makers and regulators begin to shape the Civil Decade.

    The workshop is one of several events co-located with AUVSI XPONENTIAL. “XPONENTIAL’s co-located events shine a light on the technology developments, policy issues and business opportunities that will drive revenue in the unmanned systems industry, and help accelerate its evolution,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “This year’s agenda features forward-looking leaders who can share critical insights and best practices for maintaining a competitive edge in our rapidly-changing industry.”

    More than 7,000 industry leaders and professionals from 55 countries are expected to attend XPONENTIAL 2017. The exhibit hall will showcase more than 650 cutting-edge companies, representing more than 20 industries.

  • Tersus GNSS launches Precis-BX306 RTK board

    Tersus GNSS launches Precis-BX306 RTK board

    The Tersus GNSS Precis-BX306.
    The Tersus GNSS Precis-BX306.

    Tersus GNSS Inc., a GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) manufacturing company, has launched its new GNSS RTK board, the Precis-BX306.

    The launch of Precis-BX306 aims at facilitating the applications that need centimeter positioning accuracy and dynamic operation mode, enforcing effective observation data logging and management, and popularizing the adoption of high precision in aerial mapping and drone-related integration.

    Compared with previous Precis GNSS RTK boards, Precis-BX306 further improves the reliability and continuity of positioning performance in challenging environments. It supports GPS L1/L2, GLONASS G1/G2 and Beidou B1/B2 with 192 tracking channels.

    The Precis-BX306 can easily integrate into Pixhawk and other autopilots. The event mark and PPS features of the new board provide more possibilities for shutter synchronization.

  • Japan readies second Michibiki satellite for QZSS

    The second satellite in the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is scheduled for launch in June.

    QZSS will be a satellite augmentation system for GPS in the region of Japan.

    The first Michibiki satellite was launched Sept. 11, 2010.

    Michibiki 2 will be launched aboard H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 34 from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Launch time is tentatively set for 9:20 a.m. (Japan Standard Time) from Yoshinobu Launch Complex, JAXA’s Tanegashima Space Center. The exact date and time could vary, with a launch window planned for June 1-30.

  • Russia commissions GLONASS station in Nicaragua

    On April 6, Russia commissioned a new GLONASS ground station in Managua, Nicaragua — its first in Central America.

    The station was created under a Jan. 26, 2012, agreement between the two countries to cooperate in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

    GLONASS consists of 24 satellites orbiting at a medium height of 19140 km in three planes with inclination of 64.8 degrees. Access to navigation signals of GLONASS is provided to consumers across the globe free of charge and without restriction.

    The station in Nicaragua is part of a global network that will monitor performance of all GNSS — GLONASS, GPS, Galileo and BeiDou.

    Monitoring stations help ensure interoperability of the GLONASS system with other navigation systems and improves accuracy and reliability. It will also contribute to a precise global coordinate system, which is a key element of many international scientific programs, such as a global Earth monitoring program implemented by the International Association of Geodesy.

    The information received by the station will be used for the Nicaraguan side of the self-control characteristics of navigation systems, refinement of its national system of coordinates, as well as for high-precision navigation services in order to improve the efficiency of agriculture, used in construction, aviation, navigation and scientific research.

    The opening ceremony of the station was attended by a delegation of the government space state corporation Roscosmos, headed by the general director Igor Komarov, Russian ambassador to Nicaragua Andrew Buda, representative of the president of Nicaragua Laureano Ortega, and other officials.

    “Our cooperation with Russia shows the kind of results we can achieve together in a short time, when there is the political will and technical capacity,” Ortega said. “This station is very important for Nicaragua and Central America as a whole. The use of the data will enrich all areas of industry and science of Nicaragua. ”

    “The history of our cooperation in space activities has wonderful traditions, but today what we are doing together is a serious new step, important for modern society,” Komarov said. “In Nicaragua, the ground station will start operating GLONASS global navigation system, which embodies the most advanced technologies in the creation of navigation systems that will significantly improve the navigation performance of work on a global scale. This is the first GLONASS station in Central America, and it starts to work in Managua, which indicates the level of understanding of Russia and Nicaragua. “

  • Sierra Wireless turns to Skyworks for IoT, M2M

    Sierra Wireless is leveraging a broad suite of 3G/4G connectivity solutions from Skyworks Solutions to power its AirPrime HL Series of wireless modules targeting machine-to-machine (M2M) and device-to-cloud applications, according to Skyworks.

    In total, Sierra Wireless is making use of 17 Skyworks devices spanning high-performance multimode, multiband power amplifiers, transmit/receive front-end modules, RF switches and DC-DC converters.

    With the integration of Skyworks’ devices, Sierra Wireless’ modules combine voice and connectivity functionality that can be deployed in any region and on any wireless mobile network.

    “By partnering with market leaders like Sierra Wireless, Skyworks is diversifying into new, fast-growing markets across the Internet of Things (IoT),” said Carlos Bori, vice president of sales and marketing for Skyworks. “Our unique connectivity portfolio and integration capabilities enable us to solve our customers’ challenges and deliver efficient, scalable solutions.”

    “Sierra Wireless’ HL Series modules provide unprecedented scalability between networks,” said Dan Schieler, senior vice president and general manager, OEM Solutions, Sierra Wireless. “By leveraging Skyworks’ analog and RF expertise, we are able to support various data rates, enable global coverage and offer industrial-grade solutions for OEMs who are looking to standardize connectivity across multiple products and markets.”

    According to a GSMA Intelligence report, at its current rate of trajectory, global cellular M2M connections are forecast to reach close to one billion by 2020, growing at a 25 percent per year compound annual growth rate from 2015 to 2020.

  • Leica Zeno GG04 smart antenna increases access to GIS

    Leica Geosystems has introduced the Leica Zeno GG04 smart antenna, enabling a flexible solution to improve mobile devices’ GNSS accuracy with real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP).

    Paired with the Zeno GG04, any Zeno or third-party mobile device with Android or Windows OS can now collect highly precise positioning data with Leica Geosystems’ GNSS technology and 555-channel tracking performance. With PPP, users can collect data in areas without cellular coverage. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) functionality enables any smart device to collect survey-grade data, delivering centimeter results.

    “We’re excited to hear about the new Zeno Connect for Android. Being able to connect any Android device to the new GG04 antenna and use it for field data capture is a real game-changer,” said Zenny Chareas, project manager at PeopleGIS, a firm that builds web-based database applications for field collection currently using the Leica Zeno GG03. “Our clients have been eagerly anticipating this type of functionality, and it’s pretty cool that we now have a solution for them.”

    With the Zeno Connect app, any third-party app is compatible with the Zeno GG04 smart antenna. The Zeno Mobile, Zeno Connect or Esri’s Collector for ArcGIS apps provide an easy and familiar platform for non-surveying professionals to collect and analyze data. Organizations can integrate and enrich data in real time from different sources to collect all details of any project from anywhere in the world, regardless of how remote.

    “Wherever users are working, despite, how rough the environment, the Zeno GG04 ensures all needed data is easily and accurately collected,” said Alexander Fischer, Leica Geosystems Zeno product manager. “The flexibility offered by turning our most common devices into precise instruments increases access to the geopositioning world, and this is certainly an exciting advancement to share technology and information with new segments.”

  • Trimble introduces compact GNSS sensor for system integrators

    Trimble introduces compact GNSS sensor for system integrators

    Trimble-ABX-Two-OEM-GNSS-Sensor-W.jpgTrimble has introduced the ABX-Two OEM GNSS sensor, which delivers precise heading, pitch, roll and 3D positioning information. With two internal MB-Two modules, the ABX-Two offers a third antenna option that provides a drift-free, absolute attitude solution.

    The ABX-Two is designed for a wide variety of applications such as agriculture, automotive, aviation, construction and marine systems.

    The announcement was made at Ocean Business 2017, an international event for ocean technology.

    The ABX-Two is a compact, lightweight and weatherproof enclosure that is built around two MB-Two modules. The sensor allows a wide range of voltage inputs and maintains low-power consumption regardless of the voltage. The ABX-Two speeds the integration process with a web user interface and a variety of interface connections for an easy addition into new and existing solutions.

    “System integrators require high performance, reliability and support for their positioning solutions,” said Chris Wheeler, business area manager of Trimble’s Precision OEM GNSS group. “The ABX-Two is designed for easy integration. And its rugged dependability makes it ideal for harsh environment applications.”

    The ABX-Two has a powerful RTK engine that delivers centimeter-level accuracy from a base station or Real- Time Kinematic (RTK) network. With Trimble RTX correction services, the ABX-Two achieves Precise Point Positioning without a base station.

    The ABX-Two features a wide range of option-upgradable GNSS configurations from single sensor/single frequency/single GNSS to multi sensor/multi frequency/multi GNSS capability. Trimble’s patented Z-Blade technology drives a powerful GNSS agnostic engine, allowing the ABX-Two to use any single GNSS satellite system for positioning without any constellation preference to deliver fast and stable centimeter-accurate positioning and heading information.

    The Trimble ABX-Two is available now through the Trimble GNSS OEM international network of representatives and authorized dealers.

  • Galileo search-and-rescue service officially launched

    The European Union's SAR zone.
    The European Union’s Galileo search-and-rescue zone.

    The Galileo Search And Rescue (SAR) service, made possible by the Galileo satellite constellation, is now active.

    Galileo SAR is Europe’s contribution to the COSPAS-SARSAT network, a distress alert detection and information distribution system best known for detecting and locating emergency beacons activated by aircraft, ships and hikers.

    By providing COSPAS-SARSAT with the coverage capacity of the Galileo constellation equipped with SAR transponders, Europe is helping to reduce the detection delay of a distress signal from up to several hours to 10 minutes.

    A return link, a signal informing the person in distress that the signal has been received and localized, will be added to the system by the end of 2018.

    Beacon Awareness Day

    The Galileo SAR launch day, April 6, is Beacon Awareness Day in the United States. It’s also named 406 day. 406 stands for 4/06 — the date in U.S. format — and the 406-MHz frequency of the SARSAT beacons.

    For Twitter and social media, special hashtags #406day, #406day17 and #savedbythebeacon already exist. The program has added the hashtag #getabeacon to complement it.

    The following video about the program focuses on maritime operations, which account for 75 percent of the alerts.

    Coming to the Rescue

    With Galileo, the time to identify the location of a beacon signal is reduced from several hours to a few minutes. At sea, this makes SAR rescue operations easier thanks to a narrowed “search box,” since the vessel in distress has less time to drift.

    On land, the quick acquisition of a precise position enables rescue teams to more quickly reach the operation zone and assist the victims.

    In the air, Galileo contributes to fulfilling International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements for implementing the next-generation emergency management system Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS). In particular, it enhances location of an airplane in distress, which will be mandatory on Jan. 1, 2021.

    The Search And Rescue transponders on Galileo satellites can pick up signals emitted from any 406-MHz distress beacon anywhere in the service coverage area and transmit this information to the dedicated ground stations (MEOLUTs). The SAR/Galileo infrastructure is interoperable with GPS and GLONASS SAR transponders.

    Once the beacon is located by the MEOLUTs, the location data is sent to the COSPAS-SARSAT mission control centre (MCC), which distributes it to the relevant rescue centres. The rescue centres, under the responsibility of national competent authorities and administrations, then coordinate the required rescue efforts.

    Improving COSPAS-SARSAT

    Galileo plays an important role in the Medium Earth Orbit Search And Rescue system of COSPAS-SARSAT (MEOSAR), and provides a ground segment coverage of 40 million square kilometers over Europe as a contribution to MEOSAR global coverage.

    Thanks to the advanced European technology used, integration of Galileo into COSPAS-SARSAT improves the system by:

    • enabling faster detection and localization of distress signals anywhere in the service coverage area, reducing the delay between beacon activation and distress localization
    • making it easier to find the source of a signal by significantly boosting precision in comparison to the current situation
    • increasing availability and improving detection of signals in difficult terrain or weather conditions.

    The Galileo Search And Rescue service is one of the three services launched in December 2016 with the Initial Services. The SAR service represented just 1 percent of total Galileo program costs, but should result in thousands of lives being saved, according to the head.

  • UAV manufacturer senseFly joins April 20 webinar panel

    UAV manufacturer senseFly joins April 20 webinar panel

    A speaker from UAV manufacturer senseFly will appear on the free April 20 webinar, “From Flying Drones to Doing Business,” addressing ease of use for the user in business applications. The Switzerland-based company specializes in professional-grade UAVs for survey, mapping, precision agriculture and asset inspection. The company recently became the first drone operator to be granted anytime Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) authorization in Switzerland.

    ebee copy 2
    Photo: senseFly

    The webinar will cover a broad range of issues concerning sensor integration aboard a flying platform, and in particular their use for commercial purposes. Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to ask direct questions of the speakers, both upon registration and during the live event. Register free at env-gpsworld-integration.kinsta.cloud/webinar.

    The senseFly speaker (name to be announced soon) will join a panel that consists of:
    Gustavo Lopez, Product manager GNSS solutions for UAV applications, Septentrio; Jan Leyssens
, Managing Director, Sales & Business Development, Airobot; and Zak Kassas, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Riverside.

    Further speaker details:

    Lopez: Septentrio is an leader in bringing high end GNSS technology when accuracy and reliability matters. Gustavo Lopez is Product manager for UAS applications at Septentrio. Since joining the company, he has held a number of R&D and product management roles. Gustavo holds a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Monterrey’s Technology Institute and an MBA from United Business Institute

    Leyssens: Airobot specializes in meeting safety demands for UAVs by providing intelligent safety components, specifically designed for drones, and in facilitating end-users’ success in completing their missions. Leyssens has Masters’ degrees in avionics, electrical engineering and business administration.

    Kassas will present the research material from his cover story in the April issue of GPS World: “LTE Steers UAV — No GPS? No Problem! Signals of Opportunity Work in Challenged Environments.” Long-term evolution cellular can be exploited for accurate and resilient autonomous vehicle navigation in the absence of clear GNSS signals. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that GPS-like performance can be achieved in the absence of GPS signals when cellular pseudoranges aid an inertial navigation system.

  • NovAtel releases Oceanix Nearshore correction service for marine applications

    NovAtel, the OEM supplier of high-precision GNSS positioning technology, unveiled its Oceanix Nearshore correction service at the Ocean Business show in Southampton, U.K.

    Oceanix Nearshore, a subscription-based GNSS correction service for Precise Point Positioning (PPP), provides exceptionally reliable subdecimeter positioning for marine applications such as dredging, hydrographic survey, mapping and coastal patrolling.

    The robustness of Oceanix infrastructure sets it apart from the competition. Oceanix precise corrections data is generated utilizing a network of over 80 strategically located GNSS reference stations globally.

    Oceanix’ high-rate corrections ensure the full accuracy of carrier phase is gained for enhanced solution accuracy. Oceanix corrections are delivered via geostationary satellites over L-band directly to the enduser, providing reliable high accuracy positioning worldwide.

    “NovAtel is in the unique position to have control over the entire PPP data generation process as well as the positioning algorithms that drive GNSS receiver performance, delivering the best user experience for our marine customers,” said Miguel Amor, chief marketing officer for Hexagon Positioning Intelligence. “With the launch of Oceanix Nearshore, our customers now have the ability to obtain not only world-leading GNSS technology, but also a truly robust correction service and integrated support all from a single vendor.”

    Oceanix offers multiple subscription durations so that our clients can obtain the service that best fits with the needs of their application. Driven by the NovAtel CORRECT positioning engine, Oceanix Nearshore delivers 4 cm horizontal and 6 cm vertical accuracy rms. Algorithms proprietary to NovAtel CORRECT greatly enhance the accuracy and recovery speed from GNSS signal interruptions.