GNSS Survey & Engineering, a 238-page primer for the professional user, has just been published by Geomares. Four opening chapters deal with the general layout of GNSS, its errors and its practical use. Geared to the everyday professional GNSS user, this section does not give in-depth theoretical background. The second group of four chapters discusses topics such as geodesy, satellite signals and positioning theory. Filling in the background of subjects in the first part, this section is aimed at the more specialized professional user or student who needs an in-depth knowledge of GNSS positioning.
This is the second edition of the book by Huibert-Jan Lekkerkerk. The book is based on lectures the author has written for Skilltrade, an online training site, as well as a series of articles on satellite navigation systems. Lekkerk has bachelor’s degrees in hydrographic surveying and maritime electronics and a Master’s degree in geographic information management. He works in hydrography and on the standardization, analysis, processing and dissemination of geographic data for the Dutch government.
GlobalTop Technology, maker of positioning modules with embedded antennas, has launched the Titan X1, a compact multi-GNSS patch module for applications where small footprint, ease of integration and flexible interface options are essential in addition to robust positioning performance.
At 12.5 x 12.5 mm, Titan X1 is one of the smallest embedded patch antenna GNSS modules based on Mediatek’s MT3333 chipset. It features a specially tuned (12 x 12 mm) GPS+GLONASS patch antenna that offers excellent performance for a module so small.
Titan X1 offers a fully integrated design as standard, with a complete set of components including TCXO, RTC Crystal, SMPS, SAW filter and an additional LNA, all of which are considered vital for optimum performance.
Titan X1’s introduces multi-interface support (UART, I2C and SPI), and includes external antenna detection circuit with interface so users don’t have to choose between compact size and advanced features.
“We understand the growing need for ultra-small positioning modules, especially those with embedded antennas,” said Sam Khan, vice CEO of GlobalTop Technology. “But we don’t believe in compromising essential components and functions for the sake of a smaller size. With Titan X1 we show our commitment to making ultra-compact modules that lack nothing in terms of interfaces and functions compared to their larger counterparts. IOT devices are getting smaller but more complex with most devices featuring a wide array of sensors and connectivity modules. Being just a receiver radio, we believe that integrating a positioning module to an IOT device should be the easiest part of the development and Titan X1 is perfect for that.”
Samples of Titan X1 are available now, with mass production starting March 30.
Spectrum of the Adaptive Notch Filter output signal for various interference levels Photo: Adaptive Notch Filter
Limits of narrowband interference mitigation using adaptive notch filters
By J. Wendel, Frank M. Schubert, Airbus DS GmbH, and A. Rügamer and S. Taschke, Fraunhofer IIS. Presented at ION GNSS+, September 2016.
The robustness of a GNSS receiver against interferences can be increased significantly by using an adaptive notch filter, which estimates the instantaneous frequency of the interfering signal and suppresses it. In this paper, the foundations of adaptive notch filtering are described. Then, experiments are performed with an arbitrary waveform generator for jamming signal generation combined with a space segment simulator for GNSS signal generation. The resulting signals are recorded and post-processed in a software GNSS receiver, which implements an adaptive notch filter for interference mitigation. This setup is used to demonstrate mechanisms that limit the interference mitigation capabilities of adaptive notch filters.
Spoofing, jamming and multipath interference classification using a maximum-likelihood multi-tap multipath estimator
By Jason N. Gross, West Virginia University and Todd E. Humphreys, University of Texas at Austin. Presented at ION ITM, January 2017.
This paper experimentally evaluates the application of existing multipath mitigation technology in conjunction with in-band power monitoring for the purpose of GNSS interference classification. Interference detection and classification metrics derived from the output of a multiple-correlation tap, maximum-likelihood multipath estimator are jointly used for the alarming the presence of GNSS spoofing, jamming or multipath. This approach is evaluated against a dozen sets of deep urban multipath recordings, several recordings of wideband jammers at several different power levels, and clean static data recordings. Two detection approaches are proposed, and one is shown to be better at discriminating between spoofing and jamming attacks.
In early January, a new U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document appeared: “Improving the Operation and Development of Global Positioning System (GPS) Equipment Used by Critical Infrastructure.”
The document focuses on receivers used in critical infrastructure, with an emphasis on timing receivers. It provides owners, operators, researchers, designers and manufacturers with information to improve the security and resilience of PNT equipment across the spectrum of equipment development, deployment and use.
Specifically, its recommendations address:
installation and operation strategies that can be implemented for current equipment,
strategies that can result in more robust and resilient new and/or improved products based on existing technology and knowledge,
research and development that can lead to improved future capabilities.
It introduces clear definitions of different categories of threats and hazards, including the new term “data spoofing.” It recommends some creative ways to install receive antennas, such as using decoy antennas and obscuring the location of the actual antennas being used, presumably to foil some spoofing attacks. It also points out that modern GNSS receivers are computers, and need to be operated and maintained with good cyber hygiene, just like other computers.
The extensive list of recommended development strategies will challenge manufacturers while informing purchasers about the features they can seek in new equipment.
Implementing these recommendations will lead to increased competence — that is, equipment that is better able to accommodate imperfect or faulty inputs, intentional or not.
The document reflects the recognition that many reported problems or difficulties with GPS could be prevented or mitigated by improvements in GPS user equipment and how it is installed and operated. It is encouraging to see DHS taking steps to remedy this situation, and important that manufacturers of timing receivers, as well as critical infrastructure owners and operators that use timing receivers, follow through on these recommendations.
The document is posted on the website for DHS’ National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center, National Coordinating Center for Communications-Computer Emergency Readiness Team.
The unmanned ground vehicle market (UGV) is estimated to be valued at $1.49 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $2.63 billion by 2021 with a CAGR of 12.14 percent during the forecast period, according to a new market report.
The report, published by MarketsandMarkets, examines the unmanned ground vehicle market (UGV). The base year considered for the study is 2015, and the forecast period is 2016 to 2021.
The title of the report is “Unmanned Ground Vehicle Market by Application (Defense-ISR, EOD, Crew Integration, Commercial-Agriculture, Field, Domestic, Transportation), Mobility (Wheeled, Tracked), Size, Component, Modes of Operation, Payload & Region — Global Forecast to 2021.” The 193-report includes an in-depth table of contents, 86 market data tables and 64 figures.
The increasing demand for UGVs in the commercial and defense sectors and technological innovations that have created a demand for UGVs to perform complex operations with minimal human intervention and better safety are the major factors driving the UGV market, according to the company’s analysts.
Based on application, the UGV market has been segmented into commercial and defense. The commercial segment of the UGV market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR till 2021. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for domestic and industrial UGVs.
Based on size, the unmanned ground vehicle market has been segmented into micro UGVs, small UGVs, medium UGVs, and large UGVs. The small UGV segment of the unmanned ground vehicle market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The demand for small UGVs from both the commercial and defense sectors for their capabilities has enhanced the growth of this segment.
Wheeled UGV and tracked UGV have been considered under the mobility segment of the unmanned ground vehicle market wherein the tracked UGV segment is projected to grow at the highest growth rate. Tracked UGVs are more versatile than wheeled UGVs as they can be operated on difficult terrains and can carry higher amounts of loads, thus leading to its higher demand.
Autonomous mode
In 2012, a second unmanned MTVR was built to evaluate multiple UGVs supervised by a single operator.
The unmanned ground vehicle market is segmented into tethered, tele operated, semi- autonomous and autonomous, based on mode of operation. The autonomous segment is estimated to have the largest share with the highest CAGR in this segment during the forecast period due to their capability of operating without any human intervention.
The software component segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period compared to the hardware segment as the customers are looking for sophisticated UGVs, which require advanced software systems.
The UGV market Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The rapid growth of the Asia-Pacific market can be attributed to the increasing investments to develop UGVs for defense as well as commercial applications. The investments are mainly driven by the developments in China, India, Japan and South Korea, which are among the fastest-emerging economies in the world.
Major players
The major players in this market have been identified to be QinetiQ Group Plc. (U.K.), iRobot (U.S.), Northrop Grumman (U.S.), Oshkosh Corporation (U.S.) and Lockheed Martin (U.S.), among others.
The report segments and analyzes the unmanned ground vehicle market on the basis of mode of operations (tethered, tele-operated, semi-autonomous and autonomous), mobility (wheeled and tracked), size (micro, small, medium and large), payload (sensors, lasers, camera, radars and others), application (defense and commercial), and component (hardware and software) and maps these segments and sub-segments across the major regions of the world, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the rest of the world (comprising Latin America and Africa). Brief information on the research methodology for the report can be found in the report description provided on website.
Related Reports
“Military Robots Market by Platform (Airborne, Naval, Land-based), Application (Warfield, Pick ‘n’ Place, Firefighting, Voice-controlled Robotic Vehicle, Metal Detector Robotic Vehicle, Others), & Region — Global Forecast to 2020”
“Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market by Application, Class (Mini, Micro, Nano, Tactical, MALE, HALE, UCAV), SubSystem (GCS, Data Link, Software), Energy Source, Material Type, Payload and Region — Global Forecast to 2022”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today released an updated list of pilot, air traffic controller, law enforcement and citizen reports of potential encounters with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The latest data cover February through September 2016.
Reports of possible drone sightings to FAA air traffic facilities continued to increase during FY 2016. There were 1,274 such reports from February through September last year, compared with 874 for the same period in 2015.
Although the data contain several reports of pilots claiming drone strikes on their aircraft, to date the FAA has not verified any collision between a civil aircraft and a civil drone. Every investigation has found the reported collisions were either birds, impact with other items such as wires and posts, or structural failure not related to colliding with an unmanned aircraft.
Safely integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system is one of the FAA’s top priorities, and the agency wants to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal. Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.
The FAA wants operators to know where it’s legal to fly their drones. For current information on where unmanned aircraft can be flown safely, the FAA offers the B4UFLY app, available for iOS and Android smartphones. The app is free and can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute and Korean telecom company KT will co-develop Korea’s first satellite-based augmentation system, reports The Korea Herald. The SBAS is expected to bring technological advancements to transportation, defense and science.
A consortium led by KT has been selected as the preferred bidder for the project by Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which commissioned the project to improve the safety of flights during takeoffs and landings.
The government has been devising measures to cut the error range of the current GPS system from 30 meters to 1 to 2 meters, offering more precise location information for flights, helping improve safety and cutting fuel costs, the Herald reports.
The KT consortium, comprised of mobile carrier KT and satellite manufacturer KT SAT, is planning to integrate its fifth-generation (5G) wireless network system with satellite-related technologies for the project.
By 2020, the consortium will complete the installation of the required network equipment and run test services for various industries for two years, with the ultimate goal of launching the GPS service in about October 2022.
u-blox has launched the UBX M8230 CT GNSS receiver chip, which offers a balance of performance and ultra-low power use.
Its new super-efficient (Super-E) mode cuts the power consumption by two-thirds to 20 mW at one position update every second with hardly any loss in accuracy. It delivers continued superb speed and position accuracy even when tested in applications such as wearables and portable electronics, where the antenna is small and movement prevents a constant view of the sky.
The UBX M8230 CT’s Super-E mode is designed for devices that require high levels of speed and position accuracy, but where power is limited. Along with smartwatches, sports wearables and fitness trackers, it can be used in trackers for assets, people, children and animals, to provide accurate and frequent location information with minimal impact on battery life.
“Constantly needing to know the user location in wearables has a strong strain on the battery, which has traditionally limited GNSS adoption,” said Florian Bousquet, market development manager, Product Center Positioning at u-blox. “UBX-M8230-CT’s low power consumption combined with its high positioning accuracy and the ultra small design footprint of < 30 mm2 makes it possible to add GNSS to virtually all wearables.”
He added, “The UBX-M8230-CT’s Super-E mode uses concurrent reception of GPS with either GLONASS or BeiDou. It allows batching location data temporarily on the chip, which helps to further reduce the system power consumption by avoiding the need to constantly run the main CPU.”
The size and power savings brought by UBX-M8230-CT will enable designers to add features desired by the market, such as heart rate monitoring, while still offering high position and speed accuracy.
To learn more about UBX-M8230-CT and see a live demonstration, visit u-blox in the meeting room 2C3MR at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 27 to March 2.
Samples will be available in March 2017 and volume production will start in summer 2017.
TerraGo has entered a partnership with Duncan-Parnell, a provider of geospatial solutions to the surveying, construction and other infrastructure industries in Delaware, Washington, D.C., Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
“Our customers depend on Duncan-Parnell to provide innovative, reliable solutions for their geospatial and infrastructure management needs,” said York Grow, MGIS Solutions Manager at Duncan-Parnell. “Because TerraGo apps provide direct integration with Trimble receivers, they can help us deliver the best of both worlds for customers with an easy-to-use field app and proven Trimble accuracy.”
“Duncan-Parnell provides the expertise and level of service that complements our mobile technology to help our customers complete projects on time and on budget,” said John Timar, vice president, Worldwide Sales, TerraGo. “The latest Trimble GPS and positioning technology combined with our user-customizable apps means they get their field work done faster and cheaper, with the precision they already know and trust.”
Duncan-Parnell specializes in providing high quality hardware, innovative software, and invaluable services to make projects successful. With 13 locations to serve customers, Duncan-Parnell is an authorized reseller of TerraGo Edge and TerraGo Magic products in addition to Trimble, Esri and other leading geospatial technologies.
The companies are hosting a webinar at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 14 that includes a live demonstration of mobile GIS and GPS solutions available from TerraGo and Duncan-Parnell.
Q: What is the potential for low-Earth orbit constellations to augment services provided by the four medium-Earth orbit GNSS?
Doug Taggart, President, Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc.
A: With more than one hundred GNSS satellites broadcasting on three or more frequencies, our international constellation of medium-Earth orbiting (MEO) satellites will provide a combination of path diversity and frequency diversity. However, satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) should be added to our MEO mélange to provide orbital diversity and thus cyber safety. The LEO satellites would have 20 dB less path loss and compel jammers and spoofers to become conspicuous. Even with only one LEO in view, we would be able to use the LEO signal as a hot clock to improve the robustness of GNSS signal acquisition by our users. For timing applications, a solitary LEO satellite would enable time transfer to fixed locations worldwide.
Per Enge, Professor and Director, Stanford university Center for Position Navigation and Time
A: While it is prudent to take advantage of multiple PNT sources, the devil is in the details. Are users seeking more availability, accuracy, integrity and/or resilience to fill gaps? What is the complexity and cost for integration in user equipment, the reliability compared to other augmentations, the applications to be supported, vulnerability to interference, and so on? Additionally, all things from space may not be the best solution when all user needs and vulnerabilities are factored in.
LabSat has launched the LabSat 3 Wideband simulator, which can simultaneously record multiple signals from different constellations.
Small, battery powered and with a removable solid-state disk, LabSat 3 Wideband allows users to quickly gather detailed, real-world satellite data and replay those signals on the bench.
Photo: LabSat
With three channels, a bandwidth of up to 56 MHz and 6-bit sampling, LabSat 3 Wideband can handle almost any combination of constellation and signal that exists today, with plenty of spare capacity for future planned signals.
For example, users can now record GPS L1, L2 and L5 at the same time as GLONASS G1 and G2 and BeiDou B1 and B2.
An interactive bandwidth calculator allows users to see which combinations of constellation and signal can be recorded. Users can also change the bandwidth and bit depth to see how it affects the selection available.
Despite the huge capability of the unit, the LabSat 3 Wideband remains easy to use, retaining the one-touch recording and playback feature.
A removable battery pack gives two hours of use, and the 1-TB solid-state disk drive can be swapped in seconds.
Specifications
Recording bandwidth: 10MHz, 30MHz or 56MHz
Recording resolution: 2, 4 or 6 bits (depending on bandwidth)
The GPS Insight Hours of Service solution has a feature set designed to streamline fleet management. Photo: GPS Insight
GPS Insight, a technology provider of GPS vehicle and asset tracking solutions for commercial and government fleets, launched a new electronic logging device (ELD) solution on Feb. 1.
The GPS Insight Hours of Service solution has a feature set designed to streamline fleet management and ensure Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliance.
Hours of Service bundles an Android tablet hardwired to a GPS tracking device. The ruggedized ELD tablet features an intuitive user interface to ensure ease of use for all drivers. The management portal is web-based, secure and accessible via PC, tablet and smartphone.
In addition to the functionality required by the FMCSA, GPS Insight offers key ELD features that, together, create a powerful fleet management solution:
Messaging: Drivers and dispatch can now message each other between the tablet and the web-based interface. This capability will reduce the number of phone calls made and streamline communication with individual drivers or the entire fleet.
Navigation: Navigation is built into the ELD tablet. Management can dispatch audible and visual directions for each job to drivers using designated truck-specific routes.
GPS Tracking: The ELD solution combines e-logs with the GPS monitoring, alerting and reporting solution.
The GPS Insight Hours of Service Solution offers a simple alternative to paper logs and provides many benefits beyond compliance. Although it is an easy-to-use interface, GPS Insight understands this new mandate is a paradigm shift for the industry and is offering its customers hands-on training, augmented by on-demand training videos, to make the transition from paper logs to e-logs as seamless as possible.
“Implementing the GPS Insight ELD solution was really easy,” said Richard R., GPS Insight customer and owner of Rivers Transport Services. “We just hit the road running. The training videos for the drivers made it that much easier for them. It takes the headache of paper logs away.”
The document focuses on receivers used in critical infrastructure, with an emphasis on timing receivers. It provides owners, operators, researchers, designers and manufacturers with information to improve the security and resilience of PNT equipment across the spectrum of equipment development, deployment and use.
