Author: Tracy Cozzens

Polaris Wireless provides E911 z-axis for Schok flip phones

Image: Polaris

Phone users can now be located by emergency responders within one floor level inside multi-story buildings

Polaris Wireless, an innovator of high-accuracy software-based wireless location solutions, announces the company’s Z-axis location solution is commercially available nationwide.

The technology — demonstrated to meet the 3-meter vertical location accuracy requirement of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — is integrated into Schok Gear ’s newly released flip phones.

Schok’s flip phones are typically used by consumers looking for a simple, yet powerful flip phone, that can now be accurately located in emergencies. Adding indoor and vertical location to these devices enables first responders to locate all wireless 911 callers with floor-level accuracy in multi-story buildings.

“This is a major milestone for the 911 industry to deliver FCC-compliant Z-axis emergency location technology for users of feature phones” said Manlio Allegra, CEO and Founder of Polaris Wireless. “Working with Schok and their partners has been straightforward and it’s exciting to see for the first time the complete Z-axis solution commercially available in a flip phone.”

“The Polaris Wireless location software was seamlessly integrated with our existing location and chipset vendors” said Samuel Gutiérrez, chairman and CEO, Schok, LLC. “Our Schok flip feature phone passed Tier I carrier acceptance testing, which for the first time included Z-axis location. Now our customers can be assured their accurate vertical location will enable first responders to find them faster in an emergency.”

The vertical component of wireless location is critical in today’s environment when most 911 calls are placed by mobile phones and increasingly indoors, where location determination is particularly challenging. Accurate indoor wireless location is a game-changer for first responders to quickly get to where they are needed, regardless of the phone being used by callers. The Polaris Wireless Z-axis service is available seamlessly nationwide for public safety and commercial deployments.

July 13, 2022
Fugro to design USV Blue Prism for geophysical surveys

Fugro’s Blue Prism USV will have greater endurance, improved weather resilience and ultra-low carbon emissions. (Image: Fugro)

Fugro has signed a contract with Kooiman Engineering and Van Oossanen Naval Architects for the naval design of Blue Prism, Fugro’s next generation of unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

Engineered for both coastal and offshore operations, the Blue Prism will combine an ultra-low carbon footprint with high-quality data collection, weather resilience and endurance characteristics, Fugro explained in a press release.

Available in 2023, Fugro’s Blue Prism will acquire high-accuracy bathymetry and sub-bottom data using hull-mounted sensors, while also having the ability to tow multiple geophysical sensors. It will also be capable of beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations.

Together with Fugro’s smart data-management software, the speed and endurance of the Blue Prism will reduce risk and accelerate project delivery in offshore wind, hydrographic charting and coastal resilience.

“To re-think the design and layout of a vessel without a crew is a dream come true for a naval architect,” said Perry van Oossanen, managing director and naval architect at Van Oossanen Naval Architects. “We are thrilled to be part of this exciting project in which the best techniques in Dutch ship building are combined in this new uncrewed ultra-efficient vessel.”

“The collaboration between Kooiman and Van Oossanen has already led to innovative solutions, and we are pleased to be able to help Fugro take the next step in uncrewed vessels,” said Maarten Kooiman, director of Kooiman Engineering.

July 13, 2022
ComNav Technology introduces R60 data collector

Photo: ComNav

ComNav Technology has introduced its new-generation data collector, the R60. The powerful handheld has an ergonomic design and runs on Android 12 OS, providing a suitable workhorse for surveying professionals in the field.

Survey Master field software works seamlessly on the R60, which features a Qualcomm 8-core processor for massive data processing. Its 64-GB memory allows ample data storage and enables the opening of CAD drawings in seconds. A full QWERTY keyboard speeds up surveying efficiency.

The 9000 mA Li-ion battery provides more than 30 hours of continuous functioning and is fast charging, taking only 5 hours to fully charge with the USB-C interface port.

The 5.5-inch sunlight-readable, high-resolution screen provides a smooth and comfortable experience in outdoors. The IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating protects the R60 from most harsh environments.

The R60 data collector now is available through ComNav Technology authorized local distributors or ComNav Technology directly.

July 11, 2022
UK organizations join new center for seabed mapping

Initiative aims to increase the global coverage, quality and accessibility of seabed mapping data through collaboration and the creation of a more integrated marine geospatial sector

Durdle Door on the beach in Dorset County, United Kingdom. (Photo: Fonrimso/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is inviting UK government organizations involved in seabed mapping who share common interests in optimizing the UK’s national maritime assets to become members of the newly unveiled UK Centre for Seabed Mapping (UK CSM).

UK CSM is administered by the UKHO, and was submitted as a UK Government Voluntary Commitment to the United Nations at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 27.

The UK CSM has a remit to increase the coverage, quality and access of seabed mapping data collected using public funds, as well as to better promote it as a critical component of national infrastructure.

Working groups established

Created to spearhead a coordinated approach to the collection, management and access of seabed mapping data – and to champion a more integrated marine geospatial sector in the UK – the UK CSM has established three working groups: National Data Collaboration, International Data Collaboration, and Data Collection Standards.

These working groups will further the discussion and coordination of data accessibility, collection and collaboration, as well as progress work on data standards, by creating the conditions and developing infrastructure to enable the diverse community of marine geospatial stakeholders to come together to deliver significant, sustained and strategic benefits to the UK – particularly in the context of the integrated review and the UK’s Global Britain vision.

So far, 22 government agencies are involved in the inaugural management group meeting of the UK CSM and volunteered to participate on the working groups.

The UK CSM will develop specifications that support UK and international standards for the collection of marine geospatial data.

July 11, 2022
NV5 Geospatial marks 65 years serving Alaska with geospatial projects
Photo: A&J Fotos/E+/Getty Images

Work supports climate change research, the 2020 Juneau landslide, and effects of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill

NV5 Geospatial marks its 65th year helping Alaska solve environmental and geospatial challenges, with new hydrospatial projects with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Alaska Railroad Corporation, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“As climate change intensifies, so do the challenges that Alaska and its citizens face,” said Adam McCullough, NV5 Geospatial’s Alaska program manager. “From mapping the coastlines, to collecting lidar and imagery data to better understand geohazards and landslide risks, to mapping rivers, lakes and other surface water features, we are involved in critical projects across the state. We are proud to work side by side with national, state and local governments and agencies, as well as private corporations to facilitate climate-change informed decision making over the state’s valuable, unique resources.”

The following six projects provide a sampling of the work in which NV5 Geospatial has participated across the state:
- Revillagigedo Topobathymetric Lidar and Imagery Mapping – NV5 Geospatial is working alongside state and federal partners on a multi-year program to map Alaska’s 66,000 miles of complex coastline. This work is part of a larger national shoreline mapping project being undertaken by NOAA to gather baseline data to update nautical charts, manage coastal resources, and define U.S. territorial limits.
The data collected also can support maritime trade and transportation, as well as wave and wind energy site selection. The data supports coastal resiliency efforts that include modeling sea-level change, storm surge, coastal flooding and pollution trajectories, as well as analysis and monitoring of critical habitats, developing land and marine GIS base layers.
- The Alaska Railroad Corporation (AARC) Lidar Acquisition for Geohazards – AARC engaged Michael Baker and NV5 Geospatial to collect high-resolution topographic lidar and imagery data for analysis of geohazards, hydrology, engineering and landscape ecology across portions of its vast rail network in Alaska. NV5 leveraged its advanced combined low-altitude sensor solution (CLASS) mounted to a helicopter to simultaneously collect lidar, ortho-imagery and oblique images along the rail line that enables researchers to evaluate landslide and hydrological risks in areas of concern.
- USGS 3DEP Juneau Landslide Lidar Study – In the aftermath of unprecedented rain events in Southeast Alaska in December 2020, the City and Borough of Juneau, along with Alaska Electrical Light & Power, partnered with the USGS to acquire and process 3DEP-compliant airborne topographic lidar data covering the Juneau landslide impact area. The USGS contracted NV5 Geospatial to perform the lidar survey that included acquiring extremely accurate lidar to USGS’s highest quality level specification.
The lidar data will support planning and landslide assessment to enable the reinforcement of critical infrastructure resources in the area. Project stakeholders are able to use this data along with existing lidar collected by NV5 Geospatial in 2013 to study how the landscape is changing in precise detail.
- Alaska 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) – The USGS, in partnership with state, local, and tribal governments and others, has embarked on a multi-year effort to enhance the mapping of rivers, lakes and other surface water features for the entire state of Alaska. Supporting that initiative, NV5 Geospatial has been repeatedly contracted by USGS to develop improved hydrography, covering 62,934 square miles to date.
NV5 Geospatial is leveraging the recently completed statewide interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) coverage as the elevation data source to define drainages, impoundments and other hydrographic features in greater detail and accuracy. Once completed, the enhanced map data will be used to inform navigable waterways; conduct flood analysis; and delineate wetlands, fish habitat, recreational opportunities, coastal resiliency and more.
- Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill, National Wetlands Inventory and National Hydrography Dataset – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is leveraging grant funds to map wetlands and hydrography for areas affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. These areas include Kodiak Island, Afognak Island and the shorelines of Shelikof Strait in Alaska. Wetlands data are used by natural resource managers to promote the understanding, conservation and restoration of wetlands, while the hydrographic data supports scientific studies, cartography and natural-resource management associated with inland surface water features.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Aerial Orthoimagery Term Contract – NV5 Geospatial was awarded a large multi-year term contract to support aerial orthoimagery in Alaska. The contract has been used to acquire tens of thousands of square miles of high-resolution orthoimagery covering some of the nation’s largest national forests including Tongass and Chugach, as well as agricultural lands significant to the Natural Resource Conservation Service. These areas are in areas with some of the most challenging weather and terrain anywhere in North America and require aircraft on persistent standby to take advantage of the brief windows of opportunity to collect high-quality imagery.
July 11, 2022
Safran officially acquires Orolia for PNT solutions

After a negotiation process that began in December 2021, Orolia officially joined Safran Electronics & Defense on July 8.

Orolia employs more than 435 people in Europe and North America and has revenues of about €100 million. Its solutions include atomic clocks, time servers, simulation and resilience equipment for GNSS signals, and emergency locator beacons for commercial aviation and military applications.

These products and solutions will complement Safran Electronics & Defense’s activities as it meets the challenges of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) in contested and vulnerable environments, Safran said.

In most situations, GNSS receivers are the reference providers of time and position data. Still, they need to be secured by combining them with accurate, high-integrity autonomous time or inertial references.

Through this partnership with Orolia, Safran Electronics & Defense, will offer a comprehensive set of resilient PNT architectures and equipment to meet the challenges of integrity and robustness for the aviation, defense, space, transportation, new mobility and critical infrastructure markets.

“Orolia could not imagine a better fit than with Safran to secure its growth and leverage its PNT leadership positions,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of Orolia. “Thanks to the addition of best-in-class timing and inertial technologies, premier access to the largest defense and aerospace markets, and a proven track record in government program capture and execution, Safran and Orolia now have all the cards in hand to establish themselves as the resilient PNT leader.”

Martin Sion, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense, said: “The acquisition of Orolia makes Safran one of the few companies with the full complement of PNT technologies, bringing together Orolia’s precise time referencing and Safran Electronics & Defense’s proven inertial navigation solutions. Our shared ambition is to become the world leader in resilient PNT for all conventional and strategic applications.”

July 11, 2022
Companies discuss navigation solutions at NAVISP Industry Days

Europe’s leading companies and research institutes working on positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies met in the Netherlands in mid-June for this year’s NAVISP Industry Days. The event is devoted to the latest developments in the Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP), sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA).

NAVISP is focused on navigation technologies beyond Galileo and EGNOS, with many of the same engineers that led the development of Europe’s own satnav constellation working with European industry and academia on exciting new concepts.

Photo: ESA

About 130 people participated in the two-day event, which took place June 16-17 at the ESA-ESTEC center in Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands.

As well as attending presentations on NAVISP projects, participants had the opportunity to meet and talk shop in the exhibition area, which displayed products and hardware such as an improved-accuracy smartphone board and drones for data gathering.

The PNT sector accounts for 10% of the European economy.

Throughout Industry Days, the importance of innovation for competitiveness was highlighted, to enable companies to adapt to rapid technological change in the fast-growing PNT sector, which today accounts for 10% of the European economy.

“NAVISP’s strength lies in supporting all types of actors, from start-ups and SMEs to large enterprises, and space companies to companies in other sectors that have recognized the added value of PNT solutions,” said Pierluigi Mancini, NAVISP program manager. “That means playing a part in advancing research and product development, as well as commercialization to broadly foster and support European industry in addressing technology, market and regulatory risks.”

At the Industry Days, many different projects across varying market areas along different points in the value chain were highlighted such as air mobility testbeds, new technologies for roads and other infrastructure, support for maritime navigation, development of novel PNT satellites, studies for quantum-based PNT, and weather monitoring based on collaborative crowdsourcing.

The innovation potential of NAVISP activities was underlined by the fact that two new Navigation Directorate programs set to be proposed to ESA’s Council of Ministers this November — the in-orbit demonstration of low-Earth orbit PNT services and the GENESIS mission for precision Earth measurement — originated in NAVISP projects.

The entire set of the NAVISP Industry Days presentations can be found here.

July 7, 2022
5G LBS features verified on R&S TS-LBS test solution

Photo: Rohde & schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz and MediaTek have verified new location-based services (LBS) features for 5G new radio (NR), which are now available on the R&S TS-LBS test solution.

The features will improve emergency caller location and support LBS-related use cases in challenging indoor and outdoor environments with both satellite-based and terrestrial technologies. The R&S TS-LBS now support these and other 3GPP Release 16 network-based positioning features.

A 5G chipset from MediaTek also has been verified for Release 16, which ensures the chip’s positioning features.

The two companies verified the NR positioning reference signals (NR-PRS), which are central to network-based positioning features such as round-trip time (RTT), time difference of arrival in uplink and downlink (UL- TDOA and DL-TDOA), or angle of arrival and departure (AoA and AoD), and which meet the 5G requirements for indoor and outdoor positioning use cases.

With R&S TS-LBS supporting these features, mobile device and chipset manufacturers as well as test houses and network operators can carry out verification for GCF, PTCRB and network-operator certification using a single test solution.

About the R&S TS-LBS System

The R&S TS-LBS is a test system for testing GNSS and network-based positioning. It consists of an R&S CMX500 OBT one-box signaling tester as the network simulator and an R&S SMBV100B GNSS simulator.

The R&S CMX500 OBT setup provides full network simulation capabilities including the support of multiple 4G or 5G cells at a time. In addition, it provides LBS assistance data to the DUT while the R&S SMBV100B simulates the GNSS satellites.

The R&S TS-LBS test system can be used for pre-conformance tests and to obtain GCF and PTCRB certification as well as network-operator-specific certification acceptance and validated tests.

“Adding network-based positioning features such as DL-TDOA based on NR-PRS to the existing satellite based location signals shows the advanced level of our test solution,” said Christoph Pointner, senior vice president, Mobile Radio Testers, Rohde & Schwarz. “We are happy to continue our collaboration with MediaTek to push 5G location-based services further for 3GPP Release 16.”

July 7, 2022
InfiniDome records GPS jamming mitigation at Israel-Syria border

Photo: InfiniDome

InfiniDome has conducted testing and measurements in the Golan Heights along the Israel-Syria border. The goal of the tests was to hunt down jamming events, record them, see how they affect both protected and unprotected receivers, and then compare the results.

Two identical u-blox M8N receivers aboard a UAV were tested side by side, with one protected by GPSdome technology.

The GPSdome anti-jammer is a retrofit module that can be easily integrated to protect any GNSS-based system. It combines patterns from two omnidirectional antennas to create a null in the direction of the jamming signal, thus attenuating its power, making any GPS receiver about 50 times more resilient to jamming.

In a video of the tests, the GNSS receiver protected by GPSdome can be seen maintaining the GPS signal along the border, enabling uninterrupted navigation.

In contrast, the unprotected GNSS receiver loses the GPS signal during the attack, which can easily result in the drone becoming completely jammed, aggressively drifting and eventually crashing.

The Israel-Syria border experiences frequent jamming from Russian forces positioned in Syria, affecting critical border surveillance operations in the Golan Heights. Other global hotspots for jamming include the U.S.-Mexico border, where drug cartels use jammers on U.S. border surveillance drones, and the Shanghai port in China, where pirates may be the cause of ship and plane navigation confusion through use of jammers.

Jamming in Ukraine has also been well documented, with attacks from Russian forces taking down any plane, drone and even critical infrastructure asset in proximity, according to infiniDome.

Two screenshots of recordings during the event: The top image is of the GNSS receiver (u-blox M8N) protected with the GPSdome, ensuring continuous navigation. The bottom is unprotected and shows how the M8N was completely blocked for the entire route. (Images: InfiniDome)

The jamming attack was analyzed and appears not to have been a brute force attack, but rather a slightly more sophisticated signal, causing the receivers to “see” satellites but not be able to sync their signals and track them. The receiver protected by the GPSdome was able to distinguish between the real GNSS signals and the jamming signals.

In addition, GPSdome was able to attenuate the jamming signals sufficiently to be able to continue tracking the real GNSS signals while at the same time reporting the attack via its dedicated alert output.

Because GPSdome is both lightweight and easy to integrate (see integration diagram below), it can effectively provide much-needed resilience to drones and UAVs from widely available jammers, enabling drone operators to carry out missions safely and reliably.

GPSdome integration. (Image: InfiniDome)

July 7, 2022
Semtech launches LoRa Cloud Locator service for asset tracking

New service demonstrates the asset-tracking capabilities of LoRa Edge ultra low-power geolocation platform

Image: Semtech

Semtech Corp. has announced its LoRa Cloud Locator service, which uses Semtech’s LoRa Cloud modem and geolocation services.

The new service gives customers the opportunity to experience devices powered by LoRa Edge and evaluate the accuracy and power consumption of the LoRa Edge platform, which offers an ultra-low power and cost-effective solution for indoor/outdoor asset tracking.

LoRa Cloud Locator features built-in serverless technology and delivers a simple end-to-end experience for customers to evaluate LoRa Edge implemented in various ecosystem trackers, either on a private or public LoRaWAN network.

“Asset tracking is one of the most common use cases across industry verticals,” said Karthik Ranjan, LoRa Cloud solutions and partnerships leader in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “Whether it’s tracking wheelchairs in a hospital, shopping carts in retail, pallets in supply chain, cattle in agriculture, or pets around a home, asset tracking can be found everywhere. Semtech’s LoRa Cloud Locator is the fastest way for customers to easily see for themselves the benefits offered by purchasing trackers with LoRa Edge, provisioning them onto the application and seeing their location on the map.”

LoRa Cloud Locator is designed specifically to work with trackers using Semtech’s LoRa Edge LR-series chips with minimal effort. Once configured on the service, together with Semtech’s LoRa wireless radio frequency technology for transmission to the cloud, customers can view the tracker location on the map in less than 15 minutes.

“Semtech’s LoRa Cloud Locator is the most efficient and fast way to evaluate the LoRa Edge platform as it can measure the performance of the technology and differentiate when a device is tracked by GNSS or Wi-Fi,” said Maximiliano Ruiz, founder and CEO at Galileo RTLS. “With the Wi-Fi location feature, we can now receive GNSS signals without paying for the prohibitive power consumption of traditional GNSS technologies. Through leveraging LoRa Edge, locating assets around the world is much simpler with the unprecedented years of battery life.”

July 6, 2022
Swift Navigation to provide South Korean telecom with precision positioning

KT Corp., a major South Korean telecommunications company, has partnered with Swift Navigation Co., a San Francisco-based technology firm, to commercialize an ultra-precision location data service, reports The Korea Economic Daily.

The companies on June 29 signed a precise-positioning business partnership agreement that KT hopes will enable precision location services for autonomous vehicles, drones and urban air mobility.

Swift Navigation’s precise-positioning platform improves location accuracy from several meters to centimeters, enabling safer driving, improved efficiency for last-mile delivery and commercial transport operations, and enhanced accuracy for mobile devices.

July 6, 2022
ADVA unveils high-performance optical cesium clock

Service providers harnessing the solution can now offer GNSS/GPS- backup-as-a-service (GBaaS) with enhanced precision and availability

OSA 3300-HP. (Photo: ADVA)

ADVA has introduced its Oscilloquartz high-performance optical cesium atomic clock. The coreSync OSA 3300-HP is ADVA’s latest innovation in assured positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).

Following ADVA’s launch of an optical pumping timing solution two years ago, the OSA 3350 ePRC+, the OSA 3300-HP takes the technology to new levels. It has a 10-year lifetime compared to the five years offered by currently available high-performance magnetic clocks.

As a high-performance optical cesium clock, the OSA 3300-HP sets a new benchmark for precision and availability, ADVA claimed, providing the resilience required for PNT assurance in critical infrastructure and empowering service providers to deliver differentiated service-level-agreement timing offerings with integrated GNSS backup.

The feature-rich device has embedded Ethernet- and IP-based management as well as a user-friendly touchscreen graphical user interface.

“The launch of our coreSync OSA 3300-HP marks a key milestone in the design of atomic frequency and phase standards,” said Gil Biran, GM of Oscilloquartz, ADVA. “After many years of extensive work in our Swiss laboratories supported by the European Space Agency, we now have a mature, state-of-the-art technology that enables a major leap in the accuracy and stability of network timing while providing a substantially longer lifetime.”

Atomic clocks offer synchronization backup for networks that rely on GNSS-based timing, combining high accuracy with outstanding availability. The OSA 3300-HP commercial high-performance optical cesium atomic clock features an all-digital design and leverages optical-pumping techniques using laser diodes. This enables it to measure 100 times the number of atoms, making it more efficient compared to existing primary reference clock (PRC) technologies.

July 6, 2022