The U.S. Army continues to expand the use of DT Research’s DT311 series of ultra-rugged tablets into additional army facilities to support training missions and other logistics. In 2016, the U.S. Army awarded DT Research three rugged tablet contracts.
DT Research is a designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with offices in China and Taiwan.
“We are honored to have the U.S. Army choose our rugged tablets again,” said Daw Tsai, president of DT Research. “The U.S. Army has strict requirements for advanced durability, powerful computing, robust connectivity, and fully integrated data capture options for the rugged tablets they use. We are proud to meet these high standards and deliver a specialized tool that will serve the U.S. Army well in their diverse environments.”
LizardTech, a provider of software solutions for managing and distributing geospatial content, has received Certificates of Networthiness (CoN) for GeoExpress 9.x and Express Server 9.x from the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM).
The CoN signifies that GeoExpress and Express Server are configured to the current Army Golden Master (AGM) baseline and comply with all U.S. Army and Department of Defense (DoD) standards for security, compatibility and sustainability.
A CoN is required for all enterprise software products in the Army Enterprise Infrastructure Network and applies to the U.S. Army as well as National Guard, Army Reserve and DoD organizations using the Army network.
GeoExpress is LizardTech’s flagship software product, enabling geospatial professionals to manipulate digital satellite/aerial image and lidar data and compress them to industry-standard MrSID or JPEG2000 files for easy and cost-effective processing, storage and transmission.
Express Server software is the LizardTech solution for high-performance cataloguing, delivery and publication of geospatial data that lets users access geospatial data on any device with any connection.
“Receiving Certifications of Networthiness for our most recent geospatial software products is a significant achievement and a testament to LizardTech’s continued engagement with the U.S. Army and other U.S. DoD user communities,” said Terry Ryan, LizardTech federal government sales manager. “These CoNs give our users confidence that LizardTech solutions will meet their IT safety and stability requirements, and we look forward to supporting our users at home and abroad.”
The current CoN applies to all 9.x releases of the GeoExpress and Express Server software. LizardTech has pursued and received CoNs for earlier versions of GeoExpress and Express Server, demonstrating a long-term commitment to ensuring U.S. Army forward-deployed personnel have rapid access to geospatial imagery and related data when and where they need it.
ArcticDEM provides insight into effects of climate change and enables communities to take early action
The ArcticDEM project is a collaboration between government agencies, the Polar Geospatial Center and Esri to achieve goals set by a 2015 executive order by President Barack Obama calling for enhanced coordination of national efforts in the Arctic to reverse the trend of climate change.
Coupled with the accessibility of Esri’s online platform, ArcticDEM can meet the need for high-quality elevation data in remote locations and provide accurate measurement of topographic change.
ArcticDEM Strip Density. Photo: ArcticDEM
“This new Arctic elevation data is another demonstration of the power of technology and innovation in deepening the ways we can appreciate the immense value of our shared Arctic,” said Ambassador (ret.) Mark Brzezinski, executive director of the Arctic Executive Steering Committee at the White House.
New elevation models on Esri’s public online portal show stunning surface detail from Baffin Island, Svalbard Islands and Iceland. In many locations, the models are created images collected on multiple dates, allowing anyone to see the landscape changes over time, such as the rate at which glaciers are receding.
Since the Arctic region is uniquely challenged by the effects of climate change, including melting ice, this elevation data provides a great resource for enabling better planning and adaptation. For instance, elevation models can help local communities monitor coastal erosion in order to identify important structures at high risk of storm damage.
“Esri is excited to provide this continually updated elevation data as easy-to-access web services and apps,” said Peter Becker, ArcGIS product manager, Esri. “These new detailed surfaces, which provide a much better picture of how the Arctic region is rapidly changing, allow more effective risk management for Arctic communities.”
Explore visualized data from the ArcticDEM project at the ArcticDEM Explorer.
A high-performance navigation system by GMA is being supported by a Sensonor inertial module. Sensonor is in serial deliveries supporting the AXD-LNS land navigator, which went into regular production in late 2016, following five years of development.
The AXD-LNS land navigator by GMA. Photo: GMA
The STIM210 provides high-accuracy inertial data for the Land Navigator, which specifically addresses the stabilization and guidance needs of the defense market — all of its components comply with the demanding standards of safety and reliability used in defense. It is intended for a wide range of applications, such as advanced navigation displays and navigation control systems in armored vehicle programs.
Because of its high-stability MEMS sensor-based architecture, the AXD-LNS equipment is easily configured for platform stabilization applications, Sensonor said. In a GPS-denied environment, the system exploits the velocity aiding with help of the high-accuracy inertial data, providing a continuous navigation solution.
The Sensonor STIM210 inertial module. Photo: GMA
STIM210 is a small, lightweight and low power, ITAR-free high-performance tactical grade gyro module with three gyros. The STIM210 is closing the performance gap to fiber-optic gyro (FOG). It is also free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
STIM210 is currently deployed in applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles, satellites, portable target acquisition systems, land navigation systems, turret stabilization, missile stability and navigation, and mortar aiming systems.
STIM210 has been in regular production since 2010 and is part of the STIM gyro and IMU family that has fielded more than 50,000 gyros worldwide.
NASA Supplier. Sensonor first began supplying its standard inertial measurement unit (IMU) and gyroscope modules for low-Earth orbit (LEO) space applications in 2012, beginning with the launch of the NASA-sponsored AeroCube-4 satellite.
In August 2016, Sensonor became a supplier for NASA’s current and future low- and near-Earth orbit space applications.
Sensonor’s STIM300 and STIM210 inertial products are now a standard part in many spacecraft similar to the AeroCube-4.
Current NASA projects using STIM inertial systems include the Raven technology demonstration and Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout.
Raven is testing key elements of an autonomous relative navigation system. Its technologies may one day help future robotic spacecraft autonomously and seamlessly rendezvous with other objects in motion, such as a satellite in need of fuel, or a tumbling asteroid.
The NEA Scout cube satellite is a robotic reconnaissance mission that will be deployed to fly by and return data from an asteroid representative of NEAs.
NASA, in conjunction with the Aerospace Corporation, spearheaded the use of STIM products in space, and many other commercial launch and satellite companies have since followed NASA’s lead. More than 30 companies around the world use Sensonor inertial products in various space applications, with several satellites successfully flying with STIM gyroscope modules for more than three years.
The STIM gyroscope modules are often used in combination with GPS or a star tracker and Kalman filter to orient and stabilize the satellite, as well as to provide feedback on satellite motion induced by its reaction wheels. In some applications, the gyroscopes are used to stabilize satellite-to-satellite communications.
A V2X test system developed by Spirent and Tata Elxsi has been adopted by CAICT, a scientific research institute directly under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China.
V2X, or “vehicle to everything,” includes vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) connected technology as well as vehicles to pedestrians, devices or transportation grids.
Tata Elxsi, based in Bangalore, India, is a design and technology services provider for product engineering in industries including broadcast, communications and automotive.
The next-generation test system provides a flexible, scalable and comprehensive test environment for testing and performance benchmarking of V2X applications, in various stages of the development cycle, from early research up to pre-production.
The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) in Beijing.
Using a combination of Tata Elxsi’s patent-pending V2X Emulator software and Spirent’s advanced solutions for GNSS and radio channel simulation, the integrated V2X test bed offers the ability to bring real-world traffic scenarios into the lab, significantly reducing costs and time associated with extensive field testing.
Various driving scenarios can be emulated under a variety of terrain, wireless channel and atmospheric conditions. The V2X test bed, which supports both WAVE-DSRC (U.S., Asia) and ITS-G5 (Europe) standards, offers a comprehensive platform for both functional and performance assessment of V2V and V2I/I2V safety applications, V2X security testing and test report generation.
“V2X technology is gaining tremendous interest among global OEMs and tier-1 companies for delivering safer driving experience,” said Nitin Pai, senior vice president of marketing, Tata Elxsi. “With China being the largest automotive market in the world, this latest win with CAICT in China is significant for us and automotive companies targeting this market.”
The V2X Test System enables multi-standards compliance testing using a single solution. The system has the capability to emulate more than 100 onboard units (OBU) and roadside units (RSUs) on a single hardware, enabling repeatable testing of complex scenarios from early development stages without the high risks and costs associated with live vehicle testing.
“V2X communication will contribute significantly to making the autonomous car a safe and secure reality,” said Peter Tan, Greater China and East Asia, Spirent. “The U.S. DOT’s [Department of Transportation] newly issued regulation proposal mandating V2V communication for light vehicles is another confirmation of this widely accepted fact. With test solutions for conformance, functionality and performance developed in partnership with Tata Elxsi, Spirent is proud to help our customers ensure that their devices meet all conformance functionality and performance requirements to master these major changes ahead.”
Tata Elxsi is showcasing the V2X Test System along with an array of other automotive solutions covering integrated e-cockpit, infotainment, ADAS, autonomous vehicle technology and telematics at its booth 6223 at CES 2017, Las Vegas.
Netherlands-based TomTom has launched two car navigation products in the U.S. under the TomTom GO and TomTom VIA lines. The advanced GPS devices offer TomTom’s latest innovations and most up-to-date maps.
TomTom made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2017, which is being held this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The TomTom GO devices are available in two models, GO 520 and GO 620, in 5-inch and 6-inch capacitive touchscreens, respectively. They include a new Wi-Fi capability feature and integrate seamlessly with smartphones, the company said.
TomTom VIA 1625.
TomTom GO devices can read text messages aloud, enable full use of smartphone personal assistants and allow hands-free calling to keep drivers’ eyes on the road. Lifetime World Maps or software can be updated via Wi-Fi with no computer connectivity.
The devices are able to learn drivers’ habits and can predict destinations: The devices become familiar with regularly driven commutes, automatically alert drivers to traffic and provide alternate routes.
The slim TomTom VIA GPS devices are available in three models: VIA 1425, VIA 1525 and VIA 1625, available in 4-inch, 5-inch and 6-inch touchscreens, respectively. They offer an enhanced address search that helps drivers define destinations from the search menu or by touching a point on the map.
TomTom VIA devices also offer Advanced Lane Guidance, helping drivers prepare for exits and intersections by clearly highlighting the correct driving lane for a planned route. Drivers also have the ability to update maps for the device’s lifetime at no extra charge with Lifetime Maps.
TomTom Go 520.
“At TomTom we continue to bring innovation to our navigation products working to make the experience safer and smarter,” Corinne Vigreux, co-founder and managing director, TomTom Consumer. “We constantly strive to make more accurate maps, deliver faster and more detailed traffic information, and create smarter routing. This combination is what makes the TomTom driving experience so unique.”
“Listening to our customers, we understand the responsibility we have as the most trusted companion to drivers, and with the new TomTom GO and TomTom VIA series, we’re once again honoring that trust and confidence,” Vigreux said.
The TomTom GO and TomTom VIA devices will be available on TomTom.com in March 2017.
Visitors to CES can visit TomTom to find out more at Sands Expo Hall C, Booth No. 43705 (level 2).
The Vanilla Aircraft VA001 flew for 56 hours recently over Las Cruces, New Mexico (right), setting a new world record for flight duration for its weight class. The airplane is designed to ultimately carry a 30-pound payload at 15,000 feet for up to 10 days without refueling. (Images: DARPA)
On Dec. 2, Vanilla Aircraft‘s VA001 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) completed a world record non-stop, unrefueled 56-hour flight.
The flight was supported by the technology innovation investments of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO) and DARPA-funded efforts through Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR 4.11 – Patuxent River).
The VA001 10-day Endurance UAS.
The flight, planned as a 120-hour mission, was ended early because of forecasts of severe icing and range restrictions. However, the airplane landed with enough JP-8 fuel on board for an additional 90 hours of flying, or enough for a total of six days of flight.
The flight was certified as a world-duration record for combustion-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the 50-500 kilogram subclass (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Class U-1.c Group 1). A representative from the National Aeronautic Association was present to witness the record. Moreover, the flight was the fourth-longest for any unmanned airplane and the 11th-longest for an airplane of any type (manned or unmanned, solar or fuel-powered).
Originating and ending at Las Cruces International Airport, the flight was conducted under the authority of the New Mexico State University UAS test site designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“This effort represents tremendous and unprecedented coordination among civil, defense, academic, and private industry to bring a heretofore only imagined capability to reality,” said Vanilla Aircraft CEO Rear Adm. Timothy Heely (ret.).
Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an increasingly important means for military forces — especially small dismounted units — to bring extra communications or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the field. Current designs, however, offer relatively limited range and flight endurance; additionally, their need for frequent refueling, specialized launch and recovery equipment, and regular maintenance often limit them to flying from fixed bases close to the front lines.
“This record-breaking flight demonstrated the feasibility of designing a low-cost UAV able to take off from one side of a continent, fly to the other, perform its duties for a week, and come back — all on the same tank of fuel,” said Jean-Charles Ledé, DARPA program manager. “This capability would help extend the footprint of small units by providing scalable, persistent UAV-based communications and ISR coverage without forward basing, thereby reducing personnel and operating costs. We’re very pleased with what the Vanilla team has accomplished.”
Two VA001 UAVs by Vanilla Aircraft.
The airplane carried 20 pounds of actual and simulated payload, flying at 6,500 to 7,500 feet above mean sea level (MSL), and was a further step for the VA001 towards demonstrating the system’s objective performance of carrying a 30-pound payload for 10 days at an altitude of 15,000 feet.
The payload included a NAVAIR-provided relay and operated continuously throughout the flight to demonstrate functionality out to the maximum range.
The airplane also carried a NASA-provided multispectral imaging payload as a demonstration of Earth science and agricultural remote sensing.
“The VA001 has transformational potential, providing a scalable aerial system solution without increasing personnel or operating costs,” said co-founder and chief engineer Neil Boertlein. “The ability of a low-cost platform to provide persistent surveillance, battlefield pattern of life, or aerial mesh network relay, in a responsive and robust manner, and without forward basing, does not currently exist.”
Vanilla Aircraft is also planning a groundbreaking role for the VA001 in commercial applications, especially in agriculture. Vanilla is exploring strategic partnerships and equity financing to expand into this market.
“The VA001 would be a cost-effective option for widespread and regular low-level surveying,” said co-founder and program manager Jeremy Novara. “We could fill a wide cost and payload-capability market gap between small electric and large military unmanned aircraft, which is perfect for many commercial applications.”
The surveyor has been known throughout history for many things: part expert measurer, part historian, part lawyer and part geographer. These attributes have led the surveyor to become a trusted member of the mapping community, on both the public, and private sides.
Through the use of technology and associated mapping knowledge, the surveyor has provided the base layer for almost all physical ties of modern-day mapping commonly known as geolocation.
The term has become a common word in today’s lexicon and is defined as follows:
The physical location of an object in the world, which may be described by degrees of longitude and latitude or by a more identifiable place such as city or residence.
Modern GPS receivers have allowed the surveyor to establish positions of important land and governmental monuments throughout the world. However, as technology has moved forward and introduced faster and cheaper ways to utilize GPS measurements with many electronic devices, applications for its use has expanded greatly as well.
Recent uses of technology and the lower cost of entry into the geolocation world, however, is forcing governmental agencies to review uses of this data and potentially restrict its use due to privacy concerns. Let’s first review how we got here:
Maps: Windows on the world
Mapping has been part of civilization since the beginning of time. Early man marked out his discoveries and territorial limits on cave walls and flat rock surfaces. The invention of papyrus in the mid-2500 B.C. by the early Egyptians revolutionized how mapping data was created and retained. Keeping track of what lands had explored and being able to pass along this information provided the early incentive for map makers but crude depictions soon gave way to scientists and historians developing methods to accurately create the world around them.
Introduction of cartography
The art and science of mapmaking started as early as the Babylonian era, producing the first versions depicting a flat earth. The biggest revolutionary strides were by Greek philosophers Aristotle and Ptolemy several centuries later with the introduction to depicting the Earth as round and not flat per previous beliefs. With larger expeditions headed off into oceans and on to foreign lands to seek out new worlds, cartography became more important not in just recording history but accurately depicting the world around us for future exploration.
By the 15th century, hand-drawn maps were being slowly replaced by printing procedures using wooden blocks to ease duplication. It was also during this time that new versions of the Earth were being created to present it as truly spherical and depict the “New World” findings of Columbus and fellow explorers.
The next big enhancement to world mapping occurred in the mid-16th century when a cartographer named Gerardus Mercator of Belgium determined that our spherical Earth could be mapped by using a cylindrical projection to establish accurate latitude and longitude lines on a flat map. His projection method is still used today and is the basis of many more enhancements to world measurement systems made well into the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries in conjunction with extensive exploration and thorough record keeping.
Modern mapping and the geographical information system
The 20th century introduced the scientific world to several major inventions, with the electronic computer among the biggest ones. During the 1960s, Canada was leading the way with the development of a layer-based geographical information system (GIS), with the U.S. Census Bureau following closely behind.
This race to establish GIS dominance led to significant enhancements in mapmaking capability; more specifically, the ability to collect and display large amounts of data in a graphical form. By combining existing tax mapping with aerial photography, utility information and a state-plane coordinate system, local GIS databases began to appear but at a significant cost and effort to both the government agency and parties that wanted to use the information.
Harvard Laboratory Computer Graphics is credited with the creation of vector-based computer graphic in the mid-1970s that allowed the visualization of GIS data through electronic means. The late 1970s/early 1980s also introduced the personal and small computer systems and allowed many more opportunities to begin working with GIS databases.
Esri opens for business
We were also introduced to a little company that started in 1969 in California as a land-use consulting firm, which would end up dominating the GIS software world: Esri. Jack and Laura Dangermond founded the company to better organize geographic and development data for future planning. Little did they know that Esri would eventually become the GIS juggernaut it is today.
By the late 1990s, computer companies with large resources began to see the possibilities of large-scale databases of geographical information along with high-resolution aerial and satellite photography. Microsoft was the first one to offer an online service when it combined current and historical U.S. Geological Survey orthorectified photography to create Terraserver, with more than 2 terabytes of georeferenced data, in 1997.
This was closely followed a small group named Keyhole, which utilized the original Terraserver data as its framework. As this company expanded and the service grew, an upstart search engine firm called Google bought the company and turned the entire site into the early version of Google Earth. The rest is history.
Surveyor’s role in geolcoation
The late 1990s also brought significant enhancements to real-time kinematic (RTK) equipment for the surveyor and the ability to easily produce data within a variety of coordinate systems for use in GIS. (See my earlier column for additional information.) It is also through the survey world that an incredible network of existing static monuments and continuous operating reference stations (CORS) exist to allow the high-accuracy measurement of the precise location of any type of dataset.
Many of these monuments were installed in historical or remote places that were deemed “safe” from being destroyed by future improvements or developments. It is this marriage of high-accuracy equipment and extensive network of survey monuments — along with the education, training and working knowledge of measurement and coordinate systems — that geolocation of existing features has become a surveyor’s specialty.
Access to this information and monuments is paramount to our profession as we would be limited greatly by eliminating the ability to utilize and reference them.
Not all who wander are lost
Because of the technology and miniaturization of GPS-capable devices, location capable electronics has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. It is almost impossible to not have a device with you at all times that will know where you are and how to get where you want to go.
Everything from cars to phones and computers to fitness trackers and watches has a GPS receiver to assist and track your every move. But it’s not just the GPS receivers that have revolutionized our world today; a big part of the geolocation system explosion was created due to the computer and innovative programming paired with it. We all know the application names: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Google Maps and so on.
These applications work so well because they know where we are based upon geolocation. Where’s the nearest McDonald’s or Starbuck’s? Any number of apps will show you and help you find the quickest route to get there.
Geolocation has also enhanced how people drive with apps like Waze and Google Maps using phone and car location data along traffic routes to gauge traffic speed, flow and congestion. Technology has improved almost everyone’s ability to travel, find places more efficiently and help bring people together at any location. Theoretically, possessing a GPS-enable device should eliminate ever being truly lost.
Was George Orwell right? Is Skynet next?
Technology, along with bringing good uses for applications and devices into our everyday lives, also brings possible issues as well.
Privacy advocacy groups are not a new concept, but the exploding use of electronic devices with GPS and geolocation capability has brought new life to their arguments regarding intrusion into our private lives. People sharing every detail of their lives opens up opportunities for identity theft and robbery by allowing critical data to be shared with the internet and all who use it. But the geolocation issue became a big privacy target with the phenomenal success of a smartphone app in the summer of 2016.
The humble beginnings of Pokémon started in Japan in the late 1980s with an arcade game created for the Nintendo Game Boy handheld console. The object of the game was to collect pocket monsters or Pokémon in various areas played within the game console. It became the second best-selling character-based game system ever, with more than 280 million copies sold on various platforms. Over the years, the game turned into a worldwide sensation featuring comic books, trading cards and even a popular television cartoon. It was this base knowledge of the characters and the concept of the game that led to the exploding sensation of Pokémon GO during the summer months of 2016.
Photo: Pokemon Go
This was the first mainstream app that blended a popular game with geolocation capability and a real-world environment, all tied together in an exercise to “catch ’em all.” The latest smartphones with high-speed streaming data provided the perfect game console for this new achievement for gaming with geolocation being a critical yet key component. Part of the lure of the game was catching many of the Pokémon in public parks and recreational areas, as they were placed there by game designers to allow easy access for players to find and collect.
Many of these public places were also historical, so local officials along with private citizens began complaining of large masses of players descending upon these sites and not being respectful of their surroundings. Stories of littering, vandalism, loitering and harassment were published nationwide, yet the game continued to draw players in by the thousands. While its popularity has waned toward the end of 2016, the concept of geolocation-based games left an indelible mark on the public and lawmakers who represent them as something they don’t want to see repeated.
Enter big bad government
Here in Illinois, lawmakers introduced proposed legislation in November 2016 to curb the use of various public and private locations from within geolocation-based video games on smartphones and handheld devices. Listed below are excerpts from the proposed bill language:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Geolocation Information Protection Act.
Section 3. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to preserve the personal privacy of Illinois citizens when it comes to their highly sensitive geolocation information and to allow Illinois citizens to maintain control over the collection and disclosure of that information by private entities. This Act is also intended to provide real property owners, managers, and custodians with an easily accessible procedure for removal of ecologically sensitive sites or locations, historically significant sites or locations, sites or locations on private property, or sites or locations otherwise deemed as dangerous by the real property owner, manager, or custodian from location-based video games.
“Ecologically sensitive site or location” means an area designated by federal, State, or local government for protection from development or damage due to the presence of endangered species or threatened species as defined in Section 2 of the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act
“Geolocation information” means information concerning the location of a device that is generated by or derived from, in whole or in part, the operation of that device and that could be used to determine or infer information regarding the location of a person. (Bold added for emphasis by author.)
“Historically significant site or location” means a site or location that has been designated by federal, State, or local government for preservation as a landmark, or any other site or location that the federal, State, or local government may designate as historically significant.
“Location-based application” means a software application that collects, uses, or stores geolocation information. (Bold added for emphasis by author.)
Section 20. Collection, use, and disclosure of geolocation information from location-based applications.
(a) A private entity may not collect, use, or disclose geolocation information from a location-based application on a person’s device unless the private entity first:
(1) informs the person in writing that his or her geolocation information will be collected, used, and disclosed;
(2) informs the person in writing of the specific purpose for which his or her geolocation information will be collected, used, and disclosed; and
(3) receives the person’s informed, written consent (including through an electronic means using the Internet) in a form distinct and separate from any form setting forth other legal or financial obligations of the person before collecting, using, or disclosing his or her geolocation information.
A voice for the surveyor was spoken loud and clear when the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) contacted the bill’s sponsor regarding the content. We expressed our deep concerns with the limits this legislation would place on our profession, on our efforts to serve the public and eliminate the use of thousands of historical monuments throughout the state. The various state and national surveying associations and societies will continue to press our legislators for reasonable legislation that allows the public protection they request, yet will allow the professional surveyor to complete their jobs and serve that same public.
The bottom line is that privacy issues will continue to be a concern for most while technology progresses forward. Our environment is on the cusp of autonomous automobiles, virtual assistants and robotic equipment completely replacing our workforce.
Yes, we have gained many new exciting technological advancements with computers and programming, but also have given up a lot of information in the meantime to make it work for us. It is virtually impossible to have one without the other, so we will need to make a choice.
I hope we choose to continue progressing forward, yet realize we still need to have a memory of the past. A surveyor’s craft is heavily woven around the past, so let’s work together to make sure the critical stitching stays in place.
NovAtel Inc. is showcasing its high precision positioning technology as part of AutonomouStuff’s “Roadmap to Autonomy” exhibit at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Jan. 3-8 in Las Vegas. The exhibit is located at the MGM Grand in the Skyline Terrace Suite.
AutonomouStuff provides research and development platforms for the safe and reliable testing of automation technologies.
It uses NovAtel’s exceptionally robust SPAN GNSS + Inertial (INS) technology to provide the highly precise, continuous 3D positioning necessary to evaluate robotic and autonomous solutions for autonomous applications.
NovAtel’s SPAN technology combines a high-performance Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to deliver deeply-coupled centimeter-level positioning. SPAN provides robustness against short GNSS outages, using IMU updates to bridge the positioning solution. SPAN also provides high data rate position, velocity and attitude (pitch, roll, heading) updates to capture the full real-time motion profile of a vehicle. Widely deployed in the automotive R&D space, SPAN supports applications ranging from autonomous navigation to V2X systems, where it is utilized to provide a source of vehicle ground truth.
As a committed technology partner, NovAtel has worked closely with AutonomouStuff to optimize SPAN for AutonomouStuff’s vehicle perception kits. As a result of these efforts, AutonomouStuff is able to offer three different levels of positioning performance — “good, better, best” — based on the grade of IMU selected.
“We are always excited to work with the team at NovAtel and cannot wait to show off their ‘good, better, best’ SPAN GNSS options for autonomy in our suite at CES,” said AutonomouStuff CEO Bobby Hambrick. “Their solutions are a significant piece of autonomous research and development. With three kit options, there is something for everybody. We’ve done the work for you, allowing you to choose which kit is best for you based on your accuracy needs and price range.”
The collaboration with AutonomouStuff is reflective of NovAtel’s commitment to the development of fully autonomous vehicles for a wide range of industries. In May 2016, NovAtel announced the formation of a new Safety Critical Systems (SCS) Group, tasked with developing functionally safe GNSS positioning products that will meet the exceptional performance and safety requirements of autonomous vehicles.
“Our team made significant progress in 2016 towards product definition, GNSS integrity for automotive applications, and corporate TS 16949 compliance,” said Jonathan Auld, Director of the SCS Group at NovAtel. “As the world leader in high precision GNSS technology for more than 20 years, NovAtel is leveraging its extensive experience developing safety critical systems for the aviation industry to meet the future safety thresholds required for driverless cars.”
AutonomouStuff and NovAtel representatives will be available in the MGM Grand Skyline Suite during the CES to answer customer questions. To set up a meeting with the NovAtel SCS team at CES 2017, attendees can contact Allan MacAulay, Business Development Manager, SCS ([email protected]).
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. has introduced a new variant of its connected car reference platform using its flagship gigabit class Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to help car manufacturers deliver the high-speed, high-quality and reliable connectivity required for advanced telematics and connected vehicle services — supporting peak download speeds up to 1 Gbps.
Qualcomm is showcasing the variant at CES 2017, which is being held Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Building on the Company’s leadership supplying 3G/4G LTE modems for automotive, the reference platform is designed to allow carmakers to quickly and easily integrate the broad range of additional wireless and networking technologies required in today’s vehicles, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy and GNSS, with optional support for DSRC and Cellular-V2X.
The platform also includes a module reference design for the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to help automotive suppliers accelerate development and improve time-to-commercialization.
Highlights of the new connected car reference platform include:
Gigabit Class LTE cloud connectivity: The Snapdragon X16 LTE modem supports Gigabit-class download speeds, up to 10x as fast as first generation 4G LTE devices. The modem is designed to employ sophisticated digital signal processing to pack more bits per transmission with 256-QAM, receives data on four antennas through 4×4 MIMO, and supports for up to 4x Carrier Aggregation. All of this comes together to support peak download speeds up to 1 Gbps, helping satisfy the connectivity needs and use cases of the next generation of connected vehicles including high-definition map updates, connected navigation with real-time traffic and road condition information, software upgrades, Wi-Fi hotspot and multimedia streaming.
In-car networking and satellite navigation: The connected car reference platform also integrates Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Bluetooth Low Energy 4.2, sensor support for stolen vehicle tracking and recovery, quad-constellation GNSS and 3D Dead Reckoning (DR) location solutions, with optional support for vehicle-to-everything communications using DSRC/802.11p or Cellular-V2X. The solution is designed to manage concurrent operation of multiple wireless technologies using the same spectrum frequencies. In addition, the reference platform features in-vehicle networking technologies such as Gigabit Ethernet with Automotive Audio Bus (A2B), Controller Area Network (CAN) and Local Interconnect Network (LIN) interfaces.
OEM and third-party applications support: Qualcomm Technologies also provides a security-rich framework for the execution of custom OEM and third-party telematics applications. The simplified access to tightly-integrated apps processing functionality is designed to help automakers and service providers handle the increasing number of use cases requiring connectivity — simultaneously in many cases — and quickly prototype, develop and deliver unique and differentiated experiences to their customers.
Qualcomm Technologies has also developed a reference hardware module in two different band configurations, North America and Rest of World (including Europe). The module design is engineered to support up to four antennas to utilize the 4×4 MIMO capabilities of the Snapdragon X16 modem and reach the peak download speeds of up to 1 Gbps. This can help accelerate the time-to-commercialization of this flagship device and the Company is working with module manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers to further optimize 2-antenna and 4-antenna configurations aiming to meet cost-effectiveness and size requirements of specific automakers, specific segments and use cases.
“Connected cars are becoming intelligent sensors on the road, not only using data for consumer use cases such as Wi-Fi hotspots and video streaming, but also collecting and transmitting critical, rich real-time information about road conditions, map updates and driver status,” said Patrick Little, senior vice president and general manager, automotive, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “As a leader in car connectivity, Qualcomm Technologies is well positioned to address the tremendous data demand, helping automakers integrate the broad set of technologies required by a new generation of connected vehicles.”
The new connected car reference platform using Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, including its corresponding reference module, is expected to be available in the first half of 2017.
All major global automakers currently use products from Qualcomm Technologies’ broad portfolio of automotive solutions, including the Company’s flagship Snapdragon automotive processors and modems.
Across telematics, infotainment and connectivity, Qualcomm Technologies has achieved more than 150 automotive design wins, and car manufacturers across the globe have selected Snapdragon processors for their next generation infotainment solutions. To learn more, please visit Qualcomm Technologies’ automotive booth at CES, north hall, booth #5609, or visit qualcomm.com/automotive.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded HRL Laboratories LLC $4.3 million to develop vibration- and shock-tolerant inertial sensor technology that enables future system accuracy needs without using GPS.
Positioning, navigation and timing are key to ensuring the location accuracy critical to the success of modern military missions. Today’s military systems typically rely on GPS to ensure position accuracy. While GPS provides sub-meter accuracy in optimal conditions, the signal is often lost or degraded due to natural interference or malicious jamming.
“The ATLAS project will deliver a comprehensive approach to breaking performance and cost, size, weight and power barriers in inertial sensor technology that prevent robust, GPS-independent, military positioning, navigation and guidance,” said Logan Sorenson, principal investigator and research staff member in HRL’s Sensors and Materials Laboratory.
ATLAS will combine intimate locking of a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) Coriolis Vibratory Gyroscope (CVG) sensor with an atomically stable frequency reference in order to exploit the intrinsic accuracy of the atomic hyperfine transition frequency.
“The engineering challenge lies in developing a system architecture to transfer the stability from the atomic reference to the CVG sensor without introducing unintended noise,” Sorenson said. “We are very excited to explore this novel approach to addressing long-standing precision navigation need faced by the U.S. military.”
HRL Laboratories is located in Malibu, California. It is a corporate research-and-development laboratory owned by The Boeing Company and General Motors specializing in research into sensors and materials, information and systems sciences, applied electromagnetics, and microelectronics. HRL provides custom research and development and performs additional R&D contract services for its LLC member companies, the U.S. government, and other commercial companies.
The European agency for global navigation satellite systems (GSA) has kicked off ESCAPE, a three-year, 5.4 million euro project to use Galileo services for automated driving.
ESCAPE (European Safety Critical Applications Positioning Engine) will coordinate relevant industrial and research institutions in Europe to create a positioning engine for safety-critical applications on the road — applications involving highly automated driving.
ESCAPE is led by the Spanish company FICOSA in collaboration with partners from across Europe: GMV from Spain, Renault and IFSSTAR from France, STMicroelectronics and Istituto Superiore Mario Boella from Italy. All partners are important stakeholders of the value chain in the domain of safety-critical applications for road transportation.
By 2019, the ESCAPE consortium will finish the development of an innovative positioning engine tailored to meet the safety requirements expressed by those road transport applications that will involve automation and have the potential to harm or damage people and goods.
ESCAPE core features.
GPS+Galileo Receiver
The first mass-market GPS+Galileo chipset receiver with multi-frequency capability tailored for the automotive sector is a key element of this innovative positioning device.
ESCAPE will enable a high-grade of data fusion with different vehicle sensors and the exploitation of key technological differentiators such as the precise point positioning service (PPP), the potential use of the Galileo ionospheric model and the provision of an integrity layer to assess the degree of trust one can associate to the position information provided by the device.
The use of the integrity layer is crucial: in safety-critical applications, it can be more important to know whether information is reliable than the precise information itself.
ESCAPE will set a new paradigm among and across the technologies enabling road vehicle automation, following the vision of the companies that joined the project, according to the ESCAPE team. The main keyword of this new paradigm is “safety-oriented,” while the pathway is the integration of multiple sources of positioning information (multiple satellite constellations, multiple signal frequencies, and multiple onboard sensors including maps) and high-accuracy services.
ESCAPE has been funded under the Fundamental Elements program of the GSA, a new European Union R&D funding mechanism supporting the development of EGNSS-enabled chipsets, receivers and antennas, with the major objectives of facilitating the adoption of the European GNSS Systems and improving the competitiveness of the EU industry, by addressing specific user needs in priority market segments.
