Taiwan will launch its first indigenously developed meteorological satellite in March 2023, reports Taiwan News.
The Triton satellite was designed and made by the National Space Organization (NSPO) over eight years. The satellite has completed testing and is undergoing review.
The 250-kg Triton carries GNSS-reflectometry equipment (GNSS-R) — independently developed by NSPO — to collect GNSS signals reflected by the Earth’s surface. Its mission is to research air-sea interaction to help predict typhoons.
Taiwan is hit by typhoons every year. Information on wave height and sea-surface wind speed, retrieved from the reflected signals, will be useful for research on typhoon intensity and path prediction.
The satellite will be transported to the Guiana Space Center in January. It is scheduled to launch in March aboard a Vega C rocket manufactured by Arianespace.
Canadian-based technology company SJAWS Technologies has developed a GPS monitoring system to assure the reliability of signals. The company’s Skysweeper service monitors the integrity of GPS signals and alerts users when interference occurs.
“The GPS navigation signals that maritime, terrestrial and aviation industries rely on are all vulnerable to interference and manipulation,” said SJAWS CEO Peter Mueller, adding that thousands of spoofing and jamming incidents occur every year, including to U.S. Navy vessels and commercial aircraft.
SJAWS will be at the Canadian Aerospace Conference in Ottawa, Ontario, on Nov. 8–9, and will be available to meet ITB obligors and strategic partners in person or by video to present the latest update on their technology.
Mueller started SJAWS this year with Liz Hennessy after 15 years of GNSS network technology experience with Rx Networks. Hennessy co-founded Goldtouch Technologies Inc., manufacturer of ergonomic PC peripherals.
Trimble and Exyn Technologies are developing multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments. (Photo: Trimble)
Trimble and Exyn Technologies are working on a proof of concept for a fully autonomous surveying solution for construction.
The solution will integrate the Boston Dynamics Spot robot, the ExynPak powered by ExynAI, and the Trimble X7 total station. It will enable fully autonomous missions inside complex and dynamic construction environments, which can result in consistent and precise reality capture for production and quality-control workflows.
Autonomous robots powered by ExynAI can sense and avoid obstacles, dynamically adapting to the complexity of construction environments. To ensure safety and efficiency, the ExynPak integrates with a robot, supporting Level 4 of autonomous exploration missions without requiring the robot to “learn” about its environment beforehand.
A surveyor can define a 3D volume for a mission, and then the integrated robotic solution handles the complexities of self-navigation without needing a map, GPS or wireless infrastructure.
The integration of the Trimble X7 provides high-speed, high-accuracy 3D laser scanning to capture the state of the environment. The captured data can be uploaded to the Trimble Connect collaboration platform and shared with project stakeholders for further analysis, including a comparison to building information models (BIM) and previous scans to monitor quality and progress. The result is a detailed and accurate map collected with minimal human intervention and risk.
Exyn and Trimble will be demonstrating their technology at the Trimble Dimensions+ Conference Nov. 7-9 in Las Vegas.
Chinese scientists say they have succeeded in an experiment that could improve satellite navigation and redefine the second as a unit of time, reports the South China Morning Post.
The scientists performed the experiment in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in western China. They placed two terminals in laboratories 113 km (70 miles) apart. Each terminal was equipped with a laser, a telescope and two optical frequency combs that measure exact frequencies of light. Laser pulses sent between the terminals allowed researchers to confirm the time.
The research team was led by quantum physicist Jian-Wei Pan at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
Sending signals over long distances would enable a global network of optical clocks that can help improve the accuracy of satellite navigation services.
China also is sending three atomic clocks to its Tiangong space station to establish a space-based timekeeping system of exceptional accuracy. The clocks can work together to measure time with 10-19 stability, missing only one second every few billion years, and is expected to be thousands of times more accurate than a hydrogen maser.
The Ricoh Theta X 360° camera uses a u-blox module for its location metadata. (Photo: Ricoh)
The ZOE-M8B GNSS module from u-blox is integrated into the new RicohTheta X camera. The camera allows users to shoot high-quality 360-degree spherical images and videos in one click and visualize them immediately on an LCD touch panel.
The u-blox ZOE-M8B enables the Ricoh Theta X’s built-in location system, one of its key features. The module is listed on the u-blox site as receiving GPS, BeiDou and GLONASS signals as well as QZSS, but the Ricoh Theta X specifications list only GPS + QZSS along with assisted GPS.
The u-blox receiver automatically embeds highly accurate location information for each image taken, without the need for a smartphone or another external device.
An icon on the LCD touch panel displays the availability of the GPS signals depending on the user’s location, ensuring the location information has been reliably acquired before shooting begins. The location is accurate down to a 5-meter radius, suitable for a wide range of industrial and consumer applications.
The u-blox ZOE-M8B GNSS module is an ultra-small (4.5 mm x 4.5 x 1.0 mm) system-in-package offering highly accurate positioning with concurrent reception of up to three satellite constellations. The Super-E (Super-Efficient) mode guarantees power consumption as low as 12 mW, and built-in SAW and LNA make it suitable for passive antennas. The u-blox ZOE-M8B targets applications that require a small size without compromising performance.
Part of a 360° spherical image shot with the Theta X. (Photo: Ricoh)
“We chose the u-blox module because of the highly accurate location information it offers, alongside easy integration and low power consumption,” said Kenji Daigo, GPS Function Developer for Theta X at Ricoh.
The Algiz 10XR’s screen features a glove/rain mode. (Photo: Handheld)
Handheld Group, a manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, has released the Algiz 10XR, a rugged 10-inch Windows tablet that combines durability with a GNSS receiver, 5G and future-proof features.
The Algiz 10XR was developed for field work or other challenging environments in markets such as logistics, mining, public transport, public safety, waste management or geographic information systems (GIS). It also has also been designed with customization in mind.
The tablet has a dedicated multiband GNSS u-blox NEO-M8U receiver for accurate positioning. The NEO-M8U module offers u-blox’s untethered dead-reckoning technology, which provides continuous navigation even under weak GNSS conditions.
Other key features
future-proof 5G communication for live video streams and bandwidth-heavy tasks such as mapping
Intel Elkhart Lake x6000 platform for reliable performance
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (64 bit)
high-resolution, sunlight-readable 10-inch touchscreen with super-hardened glass and rain-and-glove mode
future-proof 5G capabilities, 4G/LTE high-speed data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
IP65 and MIL-STD ruggedness
full-day, hot-swappable battery
optional, integrated barcode scanner and near-field communications.
The tablet is supported by a broad set of accessories for field professionals: carry cases, vehicle cradles, pole mounts, extended batteries, and a vehicle dock with antenna pass-through for both GPS and Wi-Fi.
“The Algiz 10XR will bring some great performance gains for our partners and customers who rely on Windows tablets in the field,” says Johan Hed, Handheld chief product officer. “We’ve worked with this segment for decades now and are confident that we’ve developed a device with not only great specs, but a complete accessory package to help our customers with their fieldwork.”
Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, has launched of Leica iCON gps 160 — a significantly enhanced, next-generation construction smart antenna with features that increase productivity in all stakeout and measurement applications on the jobsite.
The Leica iCON construction portfolio offers a broad range of smart antennas to fit every construction professional’s needs. From basic level to sophisticated high-end applications, Leica Geosystems’ smart antennas are designed and built to withstand challenging site conditions. All of them seamlessly integrate with all Leica iCON construction instruments and controllers as well as the iCON field software for precise, real-time verification.
To expand its portfolio of smart antennas, Leica Geosystems has launched the iCON gps 160, a versatile solution for various applications. It can be used as a base station, as a rover or for machine guidance. The Leica iCON gps 160 is a modernization and enhancement of the successful Leica iCON gps 60, which has been well accepted in the market. The result is a smaller, more compact GNSS antenna with additional features and a larger display for ease of use.
The new Leica iCON gps 160 is particularly suited to complex construction environments with different GNSS requirements — the ability to switch between the different applications is at the users’ fingertips. Besides checking grade, cut and fill, stakeout points and lines, users can also benefit from using this solution for basic-level GNSS machine guidance.
Construction technology must be easy to adopt. Thus, the iCON gps 160 comes with an integrated color display, a user-friendly interface, smart setup wizards and an intuitive construction-specific workflow to help contractors get the most out of their investment from day one.
Size and weight reductions make the iCON gps 160 easy to handle, while the latest GNSS and communication technologies improve data reception, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency.
Photo: Leica Geosystems
The optional tilt feature allows users to measure and stake out points with a tilted pole, which saves time and extends the measurement possibilities on any construction site.
“At Leica Geosystems, we understand that construction surveyors are under pressure and tight schedules to provide accurate, on-demand data that helps deliver projects on time and on budget,” said Matthias Schmidt, manager, Portfolio Field and GNSS, Leica Geosystems. “The iCON gps 160 Smart Antenna sets new standards in construction GNSS antennas. It solves several challenges simultaneously, enabling precise measurement, avoiding mistakes and extra trips on-site, ultimately helping to work toward a more sustainable future.”
The D70 is the latest release in the Boreas digital FOG (DFOG) series, offering a new performance grade with superior accuracy, exceptional stability and reliability. The technology is suited to surveying, mapping and navigation across subsea, marine, land and air applications.
“We are thrilled to expand the Boreas series with the D70. It’s a system that will provide additional flexibility in the Boreas family, making ultra-high accuracy inertial navigation far more affordable than with previous FOG INS systems,” said Xavier Orr, CEO and co-founder of Advanced Navigation. “This patented technology opens the possibility for adopting FOG INS systems across a much broader range of vehicular applications, particularly autonomous vehicles and aircraft where weight and size are at a premium.”
Boreas D70 combines closed-loop DFOG and accelerometer technologies with a dual-antenna real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver. These are coupled with Advanced Navigation’s artificial-intelligence-based fusion algorithm to deliver accurate and precise navigation.
The system features ultra-fast gyrocompassing, acquiring and maintaining an accurate heading under demanding conditions. While the D70 does contain a GNSS receiver, it is not required for gyrocompass operation.
Based on the company’s DFOG technology, the D70 delivers a 40% reduction in size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) when compared to systems of similar performance.
0.01° roll and pitch
0.1° secant latitude heading (gyrocompass)
0.01°/hour bias instability
10 mm position accuracy
The Boreas Series
The Boreas DFOG series features ultra-fast gyrocompassing and can acquire heading, either stationary or dynamically, in less than two minutes. The gyrocompassing allows the system to determine a highly accurate heading without any reliance on magnetic heading or GNSS.
The technology stems from Advanced Navigation’s artificial intelligence sensor-fusion algorithm allowing the system to extract significantly more information from the data. It is designed for control applications, with a high level of health monitoring and instability prevention to ensure stable and reliable data.
Advanced Navigation designed Boreas from the ground up for reliability and availability. The hardware and software are designed and tested to international safety standards and have been environmentally tested to MIL-STD-810. The system achieves a mean time between failure (MTBF) of more than 70,000 hours.
Additional features of the Boreas D70 include Ethernet, CAN and NMEA protocols, as well as disciplined timing via a PTP server and 1 PPS. An embedded web interface provides full access to all of the device’s internal functions and data. Internal storage allows for up to 1 year of data logging.
About DFOG Technology
DFOG is patented technology, which has been developed over 25 years involving two research institutions. DFOG was created to meet the demand for smaller and more cost-effective FOGs, while increasing reliability and accuracy.
The first generation of FOG, made available in 1976, used analog signals and analog-signal processing. The second generation was developed in 1994 and is still used to this day. It improved upon the first generation with a hybrid approach using an analog signal in the coil with digital signal processing.
In 2021, FOG evolved into DFOG. This third generation of FOG sets itself apart by being completely digital, providing higher performance and reliability while enabling a 40% reduction in SWaP-C.
To achieve this, three different yet complementary technologies have been developed to improve the capabilities of FOG.
Digital Modulation Techniques. DFOG uses a specially developed digital modulation technique passing spread spectrum signals through the coil. The new digital modulation technique introduced in DFOG technology allows in-run variable errors in the coil to be measured and removed from the measurements. This makes DFOG significantly more stable and reliable than traditional FOGs. It also allows a smaller FOG with less coil length to achieve the accuracy of one with a longer coil.
Revolutionary Optical Chip. By integrating five sensitive components into a single chip and removing all the fiber splices, the size, weight and power are reduced considerably while significantly improving reliability and performance.
Specially Designed Optical Coil. DFOG employs a specially designed closed-loop optical coil, developed to take full advantage of the digital modulation techniques. The design allows for optimum sensing of in-run variable coil errors using the new digital modulation technique. It also provides a very high level of protection for the optical components from shock and vibration.
NextNav Inc., a GPS and 3D geolocation company, has acquired Nestwave SAS, a privately held company specializing in low-power geolocation.
The acquisition was completed Oct. 31 for $18 million.
NextNav is based in McLean, Virginia, and Nestwave is located in based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Nestwave provides advanced geolocation solutions to internet of things (I0T) modem and digital signal processor vendors and end IoT users.
Nestwave will adopt NextNav’s name and be integrated into existing TerraPoiNT engineering and technology efforts, with all Nestwave employees remaining with the company. Nestwave CEO Ambroise Popper will become NextNav’s vice president and general manager in France and is joining NextNav’s executive leadership team, while Nestwave CTO and Founder Rabih Chrabieh will serve as vice president of engineering.
The combination of NextNav’s technology with Nestwave’s LTE/5G capabilities will allow NextNav to intelligently combine signals from existing terrestrial LTE/5G networks with its own highly synchronized TerraPoiNT system to deliver near nationwide resilient 3D position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities that contribute to dramatically lower deployment costs.
The company serves markets including timing for critical infrastructure, aviation, automotive, IoT and other mass market applications sooner.
“The acquisition of Nestwave presents a unique opportunity for NextNav to optimize further the use of its existing spectrum bandwidth, while contributing to a drastic decrease of our TerraPoiNT system’s future capital and operating expenditures,” said Ganesh Pattabiraman, NextNav co-founder and CEO.
“By leveraging Nestwave’s unique technology and ambient LTE/5G waveform, NextNav can gain significant spectral efficiency, accelerate the availability of resilient PNT and release the underlying spectrum’s capacity for additional data-oriented services. An LTE/5G waveform also enables broader penetration of NextNav’s applications and technology across the handset and device ecosystem for all of its products and target markets,” Pattabiraman said.
Pattabiraman continued, “Nestwave brings not only a physical presence in Europe, but also a team of professionals who have established strong relationships with European Union representatives that will be beneficial as we continue active conversations with government officials in the United States, Europe and globally over GPS/GNSS resilience.
“The transaction is not expected to materially increase the company’s operational cash burn, and the lowered capital requirements will enable us to quickly scale our GPS resiliency capabilities in both the United States and global markets sooner than previously anticipated.”
A Garmin inReach with a map showing incidents. (Photo: Garmin)
InReach devices have provided SOS assistance on seven continents in more than 150 countries
Garmin International has announced that 10,000 SOS incidents have been aided with its inReach handheld device. InReach technology allows for location tracking, two-way text messaging, and critical SOS emergency-response services.
The Garmin inReach provides two-way communication and a coordination center staffed 24/7 to serve users engaging in activities such as mountain climbing or camping.
Garmin provided the following insights into who is using the device’s SOS capabilities, where, and in what situations. For more data insights, visit this blog.
The top five activities that produced incidents include hiking/backpacking, driving, motorcycling, climbing/mountaineering and boating.
Mountain regions such as the Pacific Crest Trail, the European Alps, and nearly all of New Zealand seem to have a high propensity for SOS incidents. However, cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix and Aspen have all reported SOS incidents ranging from cycling to hiking.
Medical emergencies and injuries represent nearly 50% of the global SOS incidents, highlighting the preparedness inReach provides users to meet unexpected or unforeseen events.
Nearly one in five incidents were triggered by a good Samaritan, who purchased a device for their own peace of mind but were able to assist someone else in need.
The second highest number of SOS triggers (12%) comes from driving incidents. Many driving SOS incidents involve people needing help while on the road and outside of cellphone service.
A few InReach incidents are pet emergencies, unexpected natural disasters, and reuniting a child with a parent.
Garmin Response center
The inReach devices have a dedicated SOS button and 100% global Iridium satellite network coverage. Users can quickly report an SOS should an emergency occur.
Once an SOS is reported, even if no other action is taken by the user, the device sends a distress message to Garmin Response, a 24/7-staffed professional emergency response coordination center.
Garmin Response will communicate with the individual in distress, his or her listed emergency contacts, applicable search-and-rescue organizations and other available local resources. The staff will deliver a confirmation when help is on the way, provide updates on the status of the response effort, and remain engaged until the incident is resolved.
“The two-way communication of inReach is so important in an emergency situation,” said Sarah Kramlich, Garmin senior director of services and subscription strategy. “After initiating an SOS, Garmin Response will ask questions to learn more about the incident and what appropriate first responses are needed for rescue, whether a tow-truck or helicopter.”
Tbe company has received Global Certification Forum validation of 5G LBS Assisted-Galileo test case
Keysight Technologies Inc. has gained Global Certification Forum (GCF) validation of a 5G location-based services (LBS) assisted-Galileo (A-Galileo) test case by combining 5G new radio (NR) and GNSS technology.
The achievement will accelerate implementation of LBS in smartphones by enabling mobile phone vendors to verify that designs comply to the latest 3GPP specifications that support accurate location positioning in a wide range of sectors.
Sectors include healthcare, road and aerial transportation, emergency and rescue services, public safety, and homeland security. Highly precise positioning services also enable mobile operators to deliver personalized services supporting entertainment, hospitality and retail applications.
LBS leverages different technologies, including GNSS, beamforming and round-trip time to geographically locate a user. LBS test cases allow users to verify sensitivity, accuracy and dynamic range in mobile phones that leverage GNSS constellations to identify precise geographic location.
S8705A RF/RRM DVT and Conformance Toolset. (Photo: Keysight)
GCF conformance agreement group meeting #72, held Oct. 21, confirmed the validation of the first 5G LBS A-Galileo test case, which was supported by Keysight’s S8705A RF/RRM DVT and Conformance Toolset. The toolset provides access to a wide range of radio frequency, radio resource management, and development validation test cases used to verify 5G NR designs in both non-standalone and standalone deployment modes.
The S8705A toolset uses the E7515B UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform, a compact signaling test platform with multi-format stack support, rich processing power and abundant RF resources for emulating various mobility scenarios in a 5G network as well as a recommended GNSS emulator to deliver the LBS test case.
InfiniDome has released GPSdome 2, its newest anti-jamming solution. The cost-effective and lightweight device provides simultaneous dual-frequency protection from three directions of attack.
GPSdome 2 is a high-end solution tailored to defend small- to medium-sized tactical UAVs as well as manned and unmanned ground vehicles.
Disruptions in critical positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) data mean loitering munitions that never find their targets, UAVs that fall to the ground, and ground vehicles that cannot be managed.
With a small form factor (500 g, 87 mm x 91 mm x 61.55 mm) and minimal power consumption, GPSdome 2 is suitable for loitering munitions as well as drones and UAVs, increasing resiliency while prolonging mission time and providing a superior return on investment. Fully retrofit and completely standalone, the system is compatible with almost any off-the-shelf GNSS receiver on the market as well as standard active GNSS antennas, meaning that it can be integrated into existing GPS systems or into new product lines, manned or unmanned.
With sophisticated algorithms and a proprietary RFIC, GPSdome 2 analyzes RF interference in the environment and combines multiple antenna patterns to create and dynamically steer three nulls in the direction of any hostile signal.
GPSdome 2 provides simultaneous dual-frequency protection (GPS L1 + L2 or GPS L1 + GLONASS G1), creating up to three nulls, protecting from three jamming directions within each band in real time, making it suitable for PNT applications.
The GPSdome 2 is a dual-use, non-ITAR device and comes with optional mil-spec compliance. It has been chosen by an Israeli defense contractor for integration with its platforms.
