By Yacine Bouroubi Effigis Chief Scientist, Earth Observation Division
Canadian agriculture has an international reputation for being highly productive and modern. It plays a major role in the country’s economy, and contributes to 8 percent of GDP and 12 percent of jobs.
Everyone involved in Canada’s agricultural sector is aware of the environmental issues associated with farming. To optimize performance and revenue while respecting the environment, for the past few years producers have been counting on a new ally: precision agriculture.
Using technologies such as GPS, auto-guidance, variable rate technology, yield sensors, satellite images and drones, precision agriculture is now part of the day-to-day life of farmers. The application of agricultural inputs based on the four Rs (the right source at the right rate, in the right place at the right time) must be based on scientific knowledge and technical know-how. Such knowledge and know-how are based on reliable, accurate and complete information, which is often necessary on a global scale, but with a rather fine spatial resolution. Satellite images are the ideal tool to provide much of the information required.
The SCAN program extracts agronomic knowledge related to nitrogen fertilization to make more accurate models. (Image: Effigis)
Using Satellite Images. For about 15 years now, sensors on very high spatial resolution (VHR) Earth observation (EO) satellites have been offering a source of data that can provide information on soils and crops at adequate spatial scales (around 2 meters using multispectral imagery) with an unbeatable price/quality ratio. Products derived from satellite images for estimating the quantity of nitrogen fertilization to meet plants’ nutritional requirements are a concrete example of an operational use of this data.
Determining the optimal dose of nitrogen is not easy, since it depends on complex interactions between plants, the soil, weather conditions and management practices. By wanting to avoid performance loss due to nitrogen deficiencies, current practices favor overfertilization, which leads to unnecessary costs as well as serious environmental problems.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada developed a model based on statistical analyses for understanding the direct relationship between the properties that influence nitrogen requirements (soil, growth, weather and management) and the response to nitrogen fertilization, based on a large number of fertilization trials. These relationships were implemented in a system called SCAN (Soil, Crops and Atmosphere for Nitrogen). Satellite imagery acquired at a specific growth stage provides information required for the operation of SCAN.
SCAN includes two major innovations: extracting agronomic knowledge related to nitrogen fertilization and modeling this knowledge in the form of inference rules in a fuzzy logic system. Work is ongoing to advance these two aspects of SCAN and validate it for various agricultural regions, as well as adapt it to various types of crops.
A SCAN web platform will be tested by 100 users starting in the summer of 2016, in anticipation of its commercial use in 2017.
The ION 2016 Joint Navigation Conference (JNC) advance program is now available online. The JNC, sponsored by the Military Division of the ION, will be held June 6-8 (FOUO U.S. ONLY) at the Dayton Convention Center, Dayton Ohio; and the U.S. ONLY CLASSIFIED sessions will be held June 9 at the Air Force Institute of Technology on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
JNC 2016 will be the largest U.S. military positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) conference of the year, with joint service and government participation. Registrants can save $200 on conference registration by booking the hotel first, and entering a valid hotel confirmation number from one of the official conference hotels at the start of the registration process.
JNC 2016 will focus on technical advances in guidance, navigation and control (GN&C) with emphasis on joint development, test and support of affordable GN&C systems, logistics and integration. From an operational perspective, the conference will also focus on advances in battlefield applications of GPS; critical strengths or weaknesses of fielded navigation devices; warfighter PNT requirements and solutions; and navigation warfare.
PLEASE NOTE: Attendance Restricted
Conference attendance for both FOUO U.S. ONLY (June 6-8) and U.S. ONLY CLASSIFIED (June 9) sessions will be screened by the Joint Navigation Warfare Center and will be restricted to U.S. ONLY.
SkyTraq Technology Inc., developer of high-performance chipset and module solutions for the GNSS market, unveiled its new S2525F8-RTK low-power, single frequency RTK receiver for applications requiring centimeter-level accuracy positioning.
S2525F8-RTK is a multi-constellation GNSS RTK receiver that can use 12 GPS, eight SBAS, six BDS, and one QZSS signal. In situations where an RTK fix is not possible, a Float RTK mode can be used for decimeter-level accuracy positioning.
A moving-base mode supports a precise heading GPS compass application. The receiver is 25 millimeters by 25 millimeters form factor, weighs 3 grams and consumes 250 milliwatts of power for any outdoor mobile applications requiring high precision RTK positioning, SkyTraq reported in a news release.
S2525F8-RTK supports both base station and rover modes. As a rover, it receives RTCM (Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services) 3.0 or 3.1 data from a base station — or raw measurements from another S2525F8-RTK receiver serving as base station — and performs carrier phase RTK processing to achieve relative positioning with 1 centimeter plus 1 part-per-million position accuracy with 10-kilometer baseline. Decimeter-level accuracy for over 10-kilometer baseline can be achieved using the Float RTK mode. Two S2525F8-RTK receivers can be used to form a GPS compass that provides better accuracy and more reliable heading solution than conventional digital magnetometers that’s affected by changes in the magnetic environment, according to SkyTraq.
A $50 NS-HP evaluation board is available for evaluation and integration into portable survey equipment, unmanned vehicles, machine control applications and robotic guidance applications. The standard NMEA-navsat-driver package of Robot Operating System (ROS) works directly with NS-HP, enabling accessible centimeter-level accuracy positioning for robotic applications, SkyTraq says.
iXBlue — a subsea navigation, positioning and imaging systems company — is offering two new positioning sensors.
Fifth-generation Octans
iXBlue is offering its customers the opportunity to upgrade their fourth-generation Octans positioning reference system to the fifth-generation system. The fourth-generation Octans was manufactured beginning in January 2014.
Built on iXBlue’s high-performance fiber-optic gyroscope technology, the Octans is an all-in-one gyro compass and motion sensor (attitude and heading reference system) with features such as IMO/IMO-HSC certification. The upgraded system provides extremely accurate real-time output for roll, pitch, heading and heave, as well as acceleration and rate of turns under challenging GNSS-denied environment.
Heading measurement accuracy has been doubled over the fourth-generation Octans: with still 0.1° Seclat in stand-alone, the system can now provide 0.05° Seclat with GNSS.
Moreover, the fifth-generation Octans now offers the ability to align on transit and the extended capability to deliver, in real time, accurate heave for swells up to 30 seconds.
The offer from iXBlue includes both the upgrade and calibration, backed by a five-year warranty.
Rovins Nano for remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs)
iXBlue has also launched a new inertial navigation system for the offshore industry, the Rovins Nano.
Based on iXBlue’s fiber-optic gyroscope technology, the Rovins Nano has been designed for ROV pilots performing maintenance and construction operations. It offers the stability and accuracy of the inertial position, outputting true north, roll, pitch and rotation rates.
“Rovins Nano is able to directly transmit the ROV’s position with extreme accuracy thanks to its integrated INS algorithm capable of collecting acoustic data,” said Paul Wysocki, iXBlue Rovins Nano product manager. “This is now possible regardless of the depth at which it is located: it is therefore not just an evolution, but rather a revolution for the middle water station keeping.”
Where the Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) has limitations, especially when operating in middle water, Rovins Nano is now there to guarantee optimal navigation safety.
“In the future, it will no longer be necessary to use a DVL,” Wysocki said. “Even in ‘sparse array’ LBL fields, with the presence of only one or two beacons, the combination between Rovins Nano and our Ramses acoustic system enables us to reach extremely accurate positioning data.”
A science ROV being retrieved by an oceanographic research vessel.
iXBlue provides more flexibility to its customers: by avoiding the use of DVL, operators reduce their operational and associated calibration costs.
Besides its high level of performance, Rovins Nano adapts itself to the user: the configuration, installation and product’s use have been considerably facilitated, while incorporating a system as complex as the inertial navigation system (INS). The ultimate goal is for the pilot to forget the existence of the product when maneuvering. Moreover, thanks to its compactness, lightness and open architecture with all third-party sensors, Rovins Nano is easy to integrate.
The French high technology company iXBlue is now offering an expanded range of subsea navigation systems, from ROV navigation to survey applications.
Veripos, a global supplier of high-precision GNSS positioning services to the offshore oil and gas industries, has extended its ranges of proprietary software with the introduction of Quantum, a new, all-purpose suite of visualization modules providing a state-of-the-art user interface to support next-generation services and features.
Designed to operate with all current Veripos positioning options including its latest Apex5 multi-constellation PPP service (see below), the new software has been developed with significant input from a wide range of users by way of simplifying any system configuration while easing methods of interpretation. Other advances include integral diagnostic functions for simple identification of operational problems together with indications of likely solutions.
Visualization modules can also be operated independently without affecting concurrent positioning calculations which might otherwise be feeding critical survey or vessel systems.
At the same time, the Quantum framework comprises a series of different modules to meet a variety of specific operational tasks such as those necessary for hydrographic and seismic surveying as well as dynamic positioning. Its versatility also extends to providing a basic foundation for accommodating new modules or features.
Apex5 PPP service launched
Veripos has extended its Apex service with introduction of Apex5, which is capable of receiving observations from five available satellite constellations comprising GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS.
Using precise point positioning (PPP) methods for correction or modeling of all GNSS error sources, the new multi-constellation service with its access to increased civilian signals ensures greater power levels via interoperable networks in addition to improved levels of observation and redundancy. Other advantages include a higher satellite count and position availability, particularly in masked and scintillated environments.
Calculations are based on Veripos’s own orbit and clock determination system (OCDS) which derives real-time corrections for all available satellite constellations using proprietary algorithms. The OCDS uses data from the company’s own global network of reference stations with multiple and redundant systems supported by dedicated network control centres in Aberdeen and Singapore.
Apex5 is broadcast alongside existing Apex, Apex2 and Ultra services via seven geostationary satellites to ensure continuous availability and service redundancy. Typical position accuracies are better than 5cm horizontal at the two sigma (95 percent) confidence level.
PLK Technology has selected Telit’s SL869-V2 GNSS IoT (Internet of Things) module to deliver positioning functionality for Optian, a new product combining the features of an Advanced Driver Assistant System (ADAS) and a high-end automotive black box.
Telit’s SL869-V2 is a subminiature multi-satellite receiver module that can be installed in vehicles, industrial, wearable and portable digital devices. It delivers a high level of stability for navigation applications by tracking GPS and GLONASS at the same time, relaying accurate and fast-refreshing positioning information.
PLK’s Optian takes the functionality of a typical black box capable of post-processing accidents, and adds ADAS capabilities to implement accident prevention measures, delivering lane departure warning, forward collision warning and front car departure alert functions. Optian uses the Telit SL869-V2 GPS module to sense displacement, from which it derives speed and distance between cars to warn the driver about the risk of collision.
ADAS are systems found in modern vehicles designed to automate, adapt and enhance vehicle safety and driver experience. Safety features in ADAS include warnings for collision and accident avoidance which help drivers implement safeguards, and sharpen their focus on control of the vehicle.
Adaptive ADAS features help by automating lighting, providing adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking, incorporating GPS and traffic warnings, connecting smartphones, alerting drivers about dangerous driving situations, keeping the driver within the lane of traffic and enhancing visibility of the vehicle’s blind spots.
PLK started in 2000 as an in-house venture firm as part of Hyundai Motor Company and was later spun off in 2003. It specializes in the development and production of ADAS, utilizing camera image sensors to recognize lanes, vehicles, light sources, traffic lights and pedestrians.
PLK was the first to develop a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) based on color image recognition and, in 2006, became the first to line-fit it into vehicles (Hyundai Motor Company).
PLK systems quickly became widely recognized for their performance and, have since 2009 been equipping 15 models around the world, including in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, China and Australia, in addition to Hyundai and KIA passenger cars.
“It is rewarding to secure the Optian project for Telit’s GNSS module. The selection process was very stringent and PLK’s choice of the SL869-V2 is a testament to the quality and performance of the product,” said Steven Kim, senior sales director of Telit Korea. “Telit GNSS modules are not only successful in the automotive sector but also in various other industries. We expect that cooperation with PLK will expand as they continue developing innovative systems and products that make driving a safer experience for motorists everywhere.”
Advanced Scientific Concepts (ASC), supplier of 3D flash lidar vision systems for terrestrial, aerial and space applications, is creating of Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC, following the sale of its ASCar division to Continental AG.
With the acquisition of ASCar, Continental plans to mass produce flash lidars at an affordable price to support the commercial automotive industry.
Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC will continue to focus on providing 3D flash lidar custom and standard product solutions for space, manned airborne and underwater applications. This includes also providing UAS, autonomous vehicle and 3D mapping solutions for the domestic and international military markets.
“ASC’s product line for military and aerospace has matured over the past couple years to a high technology readiness level (TRL) through rigorous design and development,” said Jim Curriden, president of ASC LLC. “ASC LLC will now be entirely focused and well positioned to provide affordable solutions for the military and aerospace community by providing either off the shelf or tailored products to meet a user’s unique requirements.”
Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC is aimed at concentrating on the key markets at the foundation of their technology, ready to invest in the future advancement of 3D flash lidar.
A GPS World webinar on April 14 explores how five organizations made the switch to using their own tablets and smartphones for field data collection (also known as bring your own device, or BYOD).
Lance Fugate of Enmapp based in Calgary inspects pipelines using TerraGo Edge on iPads.
Webinar participants will learn about and benefit from the real-world challenges faced during the five deployments of BYOD GPS field data-collection solutions. These customers and projects span very different industries, working conditions and requirements for GPS field data collection. Each offers a unique perspective based on their requirements and ultimately their approach to using smartphones and tablets for GPS-powered asset inspections, surveys, field service and remote workforce management.
The City of Sebring Water Utility faced challenges with field crew use of CAD diagrams, as well as obtaining RTK accuracy on iPads. Read more about the Sebring project in this article from our March issue.
The State of Louisiana needed to complete more than 4,000 miles of annual levee inspections while syncing field data from tablets to the cloud. Read more about the project.
Kleinfelder engineers needed to shift to real-time GPS on tablets so they could eliminate four hours per day of post-field processing, and bring projects in faster and under budget.
Empire Electric needed a method for customers to approve GPS-tagged work orders in real-time from the job site to avoid delays and lower costs.
Enmapp needed to cut pipeline inspection hardware and labor costs in the face of the oil industry’s low-price and margin-challenged cost environment.
President Obama’s trip to Cuba this week marks a historic milestone in the normalization process between the U.S. and Cuba. At the same time, the two countries are working to improve maritime navigation safety and related areas of mutual interest to protect lives and property at sea.
Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, and Col. Candido Alfredo Regalado Gomez, chief of Cuba’s National Office of Hydrography and Geodesy (ONHG), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on maritime navigation.
The MOU calls for cooperation in the areas of hydrography, oceanography, geodesy and related services of mutual interest. One of the major focuses will be to improve maritime navigation safety including efforts to ensure the accuracy of both electronic and paper charts, eliminate charting overlaps and fill in gaps in navigational chart coverage.
In addition to updating data on domestic charts like the NOAA chart above, the U.S. and Cuba agreed to work together on a new international paper chart which will cover south Florida, the Bahamas and northern Cuba. (NOAA)
In February 2015, less than two months after President Obama announced the United States’ new approach toward Cuba, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the ONHG, through a set of reciprocal exchanges, launched what became a year-long effort to formulate the technical exchange that is a normal course of affairs between most of the other maritime nations of the world. Both agencies are working on plans for monitoring and forecasting tides and currents for ports and improving positioning networks among other related scientific and technical activities.
“NOAA has a strong interest in both improving navigational safety and in protecting the marine environment in the heavily travelled and vibrant waters between our two countries in the Straits of Florida,” said Russell Callender, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service. “We welcome this agreement and the progress it represents.”
“Improved navigation services are important for commercial mariners and individual boaters alike,” said Ambassador DeLaurentis, “and it is particularly important as authorized trade and authorized travel increase between the two countries.”
“This MOU will allow us to fill gaps in essential navigational data, working on a practical level with our Cuban counterparts,” said Kathryn Ries, deputy director of NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. “The U.S. works with hydrographic offices of all nations that have waters adjacent to the United States and our territories, and this agreement improves the exchange of charting information with Cuba as well.”
The MOU is the first step in what is expected to be a long-term collaboration between the two countries.
In addition to aligning each country’s navigational charts, NOAA and ONHG are sharing data for the creation of a new international chart (known in mariner’s parlance as “INT chart”) 4149, which will cover south Florida, the Bahamas, and north Cuba. NOAA plans to publish the new chart this year.
Chinese antenna maker Harxon has launched a new GNSS helix antenna for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and geospatial applications.
The HX-CH6601A receives GPS L1/L2, GLONASS L1/L2 and BeiDou B1/B2 signals. It offers exceptional pattern control, polarization purity and high efficiency in a very compact form factor.
The antenna is equipped with a high-quality, durable IP65 sealed radome housing and terminated with a SMA connector, which has high gain and wide beam width to ensure the signal receiving performance of satellites at a low elevation angle.
The 25-gram antenna is designed for applications across various markets, including aerial photographs, telemetry technology, disaster monitoring, traffic patrol and security monitoring.
HX-CH6601A offers a significant improvements compared to its predecessor HX-CH4601A GPS/GLONASS L1L2. The built-in low noise amplifier (LNA) and filtering offer up to 35-decibel gain with a single 50-Ohm SMA connector.
Virtual reality was huge at MWC, such as this demonstration at the ST Telecom booth. (Photo: Kevin Dennehy)
When more than 50 companies ask for interviews during the Mobile World Congress, which has grown to more than 100,000 attendees, you have to jot down what the product, service or strategy is — and then move on. So, here’s a wrap up of my four days in Barcelona.
BARCELONA, Spain — Location technologies are playing a prominent role in the development of Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled products and services, particularly for connected vehicles, at Mobile World Congress here, held Feb. 28-March 2.
One location company, Glympse, partnered with two major companies, Google and Samsung, for their location sharing products. With Google, Glympse is part of the company’s Project Tango, which provides a mobile device with 3-D motion tracking and depth sensing.
Samsung launched its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones to a packed auditorium of guests and press members. While the phone has an improved camera and battery life, the S7 and S7 Edge also have Glympse’s location-sharing capability for both an installed Car Mode and an app called My Place. “The Google Tango [product] allows a mobile device to know where it is, and our location-aware product allows people to see where their friends are. It’s been a great partnership,” said Bryan Trussell, Glympse founder and CEO.
Indoor location and mobile advertising
The number of mobile advertising and indoor positioning companies at MWC seems to be increasing each year. Most companies involved say the market, which has such big players as Google, Intel and ST Telecom involved, is finally arriving.
Polestar’s Jean Chenebault, COO, said the company has its Bluetooth beacons in hospitals, airports and shopping centers. “We are at Schiphol Airport, Yale Hospital and many others. We have 600 beacons installed at the Mobile World Congress,” he said. “The market for indoor location has really grown.”
At MWC, indoor positioning vendor Indoor Atlas signed a deal with Yahoo! Japan, which is the leading Internet portal in the country with 63 billion page views a month. The company, founded in 2012 with seven employees, uses geomagnetic positions based on the magnetic sensor in a smartphone. The company’s biggest customer, Baidu, is using the magnetic positioning in its maps product, said Indoor Atlas CEO Janne Haverinen.
Another company says its system is complimentary to GPS to deliver latitude, longitude and floor-level altitude in areas the satellite-based system doesn’t work, or works poorly. “We determine positioning, again, where GPS doesn’t work well,” said Christian Gates, NextNav vice president, strategy and development. A bonus point for NextNav is that it doesn’t burn up wireless spectrum, which is expensive, unlike cellular positioning, said Tom Wrappe, NextNav vice president, ecosystem development.
Industry veteran Wrappe was with SnapTrack and went to Qualcomm when that company purchased the assisted-GPS company that helped spur location in cell phones. Gary Parsons, former XM Satellite Radio CEO, heads the company’s board of directors.
A mobile advertising company, xAd, rolled out its MarketPlace Campaign builder that allows companies to control location campaigns. Using real-time location data, MarketPlace shows marketers available visitors and brand location. “Instead of showing an advertiser just impressions and clicks to a website, with the location capability we can show them that a customer went to the store to buy Kentucky Fried Chicken,” said Dipanshu Sharma, xAd co-founder and CEO.
Kevin Dennehy in VR goggles at Samsung press conference.
TCS has new name, showcases products and services at MWC
The acquisition of TeleCommunications Systems by Comtech Telecommunications for an estimated $431 million was completed during MWC. The company will not see personnel reductions, and its operations in Annapolis, Maryland, will continue, said Jay Whitehurst, Comtech president of commercial software group.
The company had several location services at MWC, including its Trusted Location application that provides such organizations as online gaming companies and financial entities a system to identify and prevent fraud using location algorithms. The company, which launched its VirtuMedix product at the 2015 MWC, said it has signed up several doctors for the patient monitoring system.
European fleet market growing
After a slow initial period, the European market for fleet tracking products has seen phenomenal growth, said Edward Kulperger, Geotab vice president, Europe. “We have nearly 500,000 units worldwide, and sell our products through an authorized reseller network,” he said. Geotab, which has a European partnership with Telefonica, offers MyGeotab software for in-vehicle driver coaching, engine diagnostics, real-time GPS vehicle tracing and other functions for the continent’s trucking companies.
Another company, Aeris, has had ups and downs in the past eight years, but has been seeing steady growth recently, said Dan McBride, Aeris senior director of marketing. “We have 7 million connected users through a MVNO-style service provider strategy,” he said. McBride said the company’s IoT products aren’t cookie-cutter in that they are tailored for each project. Currently, the company is pursuing most IoT markets in Europe: fleet, payment, healthcare and network security, to name a few.
Skyhook offers wearables location context
Unlike the Consumer Electronics show (CES), outside of a few new products from Garmin and Mio there wasn’t a big splash at MWC for wearables. However, companies are incorporating location technology on fitness child safety and personal security wearables, said David Bairstow, vice president of product at Skyhook Wireless, which uses GPS, Wi-Fi and cell towers for hybrid positioning.
“Without location you are blind to the user’s surroundings and will be reliant on a paired smartphone to complete your solution,” he said. “The use cases are endless when you pair these devices with location, varying from the ability to save a life, to keeping tabs on your kids, to capturing and adding context to photographic memories in real time. When accuracy is of the utmost importance, precise location can fill the void. The need for location on wearable devices is obvious and opens up a new world of capabilities for the wearable industry that they haven’t had historically.”
Waze finding success in Europe
Another company with a sluggish European start, Waze, is seeing big growth in central Europe, particularly in Italy and France, said Carlos Gomez of Waze. “We are improving the product to tailor it to European driving in city centers,” he said. Part of Google, Waze doesn’t sell any data it collects from users of the crowd-sourced map product. “We don’t sell it and are concerned with companies who sell data to third parties,” Gomez said.
Saying it is the only pure-play navigation company now that HERE is owned by a German automaker consortium, Navmii says its app has been downloaded more than 26 million times in 187 countries. “Many people do not know that Navmii builds its own maps, which it sells to companies around the world,” said Peter Atalla, Navmii founder and CEO. Navmii is also very much in the connected car and autonomous driving space. We are releasing a new version of the app called Navmii AI, which uses computer vision systems to provide ADAS features to drivers.”
Like Waze, Navmii enlists its users, and the data they provide, to contribute to the map to warn the community of upcoming disruptions. “This intelligence enables Navmii to generate high-quality traffic and map data,” Atalla said. “We believe that navigation should be free to users. We make money from the data collected (traffic and mapping) and white-labeling our technologies to power other devices and apps.”
Location critical for connected car payments
Accenture, Intel and Visa collaborated on a product to demonstrate the potential for next-generation connected vehicles. The demonstration showed how it can be securely and temporarily connected to personalized profiles for car sharing services, take advantage of biometric identification technologies and use location-based services (LBS) ecosystems, said Marcello Tamietti, Accenture Mobility Connected Transport lead.
“The proof of concept is integrated with easy-to-use, safe and secure contextual commerce services to transform the car-sharing and driving experience through IoT technologies, whether the vehicle is owned by the driver or not,” he said.
Contextual commerce relies on a payments system being situationally aware, and removing friction from the payments process, Tamietti said. “In this scenario, by applying analytics to data collected from a car on the behavior of a particular driver, services can then be offered through an LBS ecosystem that match a driver’s preference, and then make paying for it [seamless],” he said.
Security issues not going away
As companies roll out products, and differentiation is important, security and data privacy will become a top priority. “Even consumers with little interest or understanding of technology will see news stories about hacked devices and companies, and as a result will look to be reassured about how secure their personal data is, but also how far that data will be ‘legally’ shared with other companies,” Tamietti said. “Recent [Accenture] research found that for nearly half of respondents, security concerns and privacy risks rank among the top three barriers to buying an IoT device or service.”
Creating a secure connected vehicle will involve cooperation among all members of the ecosystem, at every step of the manufacturing process, and throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle, Tamietti said.
Every device connected to a network is a potential source of weakness in a targeted hacking attack, said Kevin Curran, senior member of IEEE and senior lecturer at the University of Ulster. “We might also find, however, that some of the features we are adding to cars, which use a connection such as dialing 911 when a car crashes and an airbag is deployed, with the GPS coordinates leads to lives being saved. We really have to consider the benefits that come from more connected features versus the dangers that may arise to a car vulnerable to remote attacks — which will, of course, happen,” he said.
Timing important for IoT netwoks
LBS and timing information are key enablers for IoT networks and applications. The time, location and velocity accuracy provided by multi-constellation systems provides the fundamental building blocks for numerous IoT applications, said Stephen Douglas, Spirent Communications Solutions and Technical Strategy, IoT. These applications range from simple consumer monitoring devices such as pet trackers through smart-city transportation management solutions to the future of connected cars with autonomous driving controls, he said.
Because of the time-consuming and resource-intensive testing process, sometimes test conditions are unreliable, Douglas said. “With a GNSS signal simulator, you can test your device in any combination of conditions, and repeat the same test conditions over and over again to assess the impact of your modifications,” he said. “Then, when you are confident your device works well in simulated test conditions, you can significantly speed up and lower the cost of field testing by recording the RF signal environment at a test site, and playing it back to the device in the lab.”
In other Mobile World Congress news:
This year’s MWC topped 100,000 attendees for the first time. A show getting that big loses its ability to have people network, which was always the big draw for me over CES. The show had 2,200 exhibits/booths.
The big deal this year at both CES and MWC was virtual reality. Having VR goggles on most of the time at Samsung, and seeing Mark Zuckerberg walk up to announce a partnership with the Korean giant and his giant Facebook social media platform, was surreal. One company, AirPush, is leaning forward to start its own advertising on VR platforms called VirtualSky, said Cameron Peeples, Airpush CMO.
Join Lyft, BMW Group, HERE and 25 other speakers at Driverless, The Business of Autonomous Vehicles, which is March 22-23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Francisco Airport. Panels feature new technology, executive insights on the future, investments, legal and cyber security and mapping. For more information, go to www.driverlessmarket.com or [email protected].
ROCIS is an airborne system for mapping surface current conditions over a wide area of ocean for current-sensitive offshore operations.
Fugro and technology partner Areté Associates have successfully delivered near real-time, synoptic, surface current data to characterize Loop Current and Loop Current eddy conditions in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico during a period of intense current conditions.
Over the course of the five-month program, Fugro used the new ROCIS (Remote Ocean Current Imaging System) to survey currents over a distance of more than 125,000 kilometers — the equivalent of 3 times around the world.
ROCIS is the first commercially available system of its kind and represents a step change in technology for mapping surface current conditions over a wide area of ocean for current sensitive offshore operations.
Optimizing recent advances in remote sensing and aerial survey, Fugro and Areté Associates developed a system that uses a combination of digital camera technology and highly accurate positioning systems, together with advanced algorithms, to derive surface currents from wave spectra measurements. It can be installed on a suitable survey aircraft, together with an inertial navigation system augmented by Fugro’s Starfix satellite positioning system.
Current data are reviewed in real time on board the aircraft, providing continuous assessment of data quality and the location of strong currents. Within an hour of the aircraft landing the system produces a “quick-look” map of the currents over the area while processed data files are available a few hours later.
During the program, ROCIS data supported day-to-day operational planning and enhanced the accuracy of 3D hydrodynamic current forecast modeling.
The key technical benefits of ROCIS are the near synoptic, wide area, high resolution, high integrity surface current measurements that allow sub-mesoscale circulation to be measured and monitored. During a four-hour flight, the system can survey ocean currents at 250-meter intervals over a track of 900-1,100 kilometers. To map currents over a similar distance using traditional methods would take a combination of four vessels 24 hours. Given sufficient daylight hours, two ROCIS flight missions can be conducted each day.
ROCIS services can be provided to single or multiple clients to monitor offshore current conditions over specific locations or a broad area. The system can also provide support in emergency situations such as oil spill and search and rescue, as well as in oceanographic research programs.
Fugro and Areté Associates are working on further development of the ROCIS system and services, including the use of expendable probes and the incorporation of additional airborne sensors. In 2016 Fugro will add a second ROCIS unit to further enhance its support of offshore operations.
