GPS World

Category: Applications

  • Firmware update for u-blox M8 GNSS receiver adds Galileo

    u-blox has released new firmware, FW 3.01, for its u-blox M8 concurrent multi-GNSS platform.

    u-blox M8 FW 3.01 now also supports Galileo, in addition to GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS and SBAS. It can track up to three constellations concurrently and makes use of all SBAS and QZSS augmentation systems at the same time.

    With Galileo fully deployed, the European positioning system will provide access to 24 additional satellites, significantly increasing availability of GNSS signals and further improving position accuracy in challenging urban environments. u-blox M8 supports Galileo-based eCall, the European emergency call system, which will be required in new vehicles starting 2018. u-blox M8 is also compliant with ERA-GLONASS, eCall’s Russian equivalent.

    In addition, with FW 3.01, u-blox M8 now boosts the BeiDou acquisition sensitivity and adds support to the Indian GAGAN augmentation system.

    u-blox M8 chips and modules are able to operate reliably in difficult environmental conditions as well as in a security attack scenario. Because a growing number of wireless systems rely on GNSS positioning, the threat of attacks, such as diversion of drones or hijacking of car electronics, has become very real.

    Security mechanisms are now embedded in FW 3.01, the result of years of intense research at u-blox R&D labs. An anti-spoofing feature detects fake GNSS signals, and a message integrity protection system prevents “man-in-the-middle” attacks. Yet another security function detects and suppresses jamming. Since all this functionality is already built into u-blox M8 FW 3.01, these security mechanisms are a lot more effective than an external system implementation.

    Automotive-grade u-blox M8 products benefit from an extended operating temperature of -40 to +105°C and are AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualified. The extended temperature range allows more flexibility in vehicle integration, such as by integrating a u-blox M8 GNSS receiver into a roof-top antenna where temperatures can reach 105°C.

    Another feature of FW 3.01 is the 10 percent power reduction compared to earlier firmware versions of u-blox M8.

    The u-blox M8 platform supports applications where navigation performance, reliability, and high accuracy are paramount, whereas the recently announced u-blox 8 platform addresses power sensitive applications such as wearables. u-blox M8 and u-blox 8 products are pin- and software compatible.

    Firmware to upgrade existing flash-ROM based u-blox M8 products can be downloaded from the u-blox website. Products with FW 3.01 in ROM will become available in Q2′ 2016.

  • Advanced Navigation releases GNSS/INS post-processing software

     

    Advanced Navigation has released its GNSS/INS post processing software Kinematica.

    Kinematica is designed to be an easy-to-use GNSS/INS post-processing software that allows users to process raw GNSS and inertial data after collection and achieve higher accuracy position, velocity and orientation than is possible in real time.

    Kinematica has been released as free software with a time lock to Aug. 1, 2016.

    The software supports kinematic GNSS positioning, which provides a 200x increase in position accuracy over standard GNSS with 8-mm position accuracy. Dual antenna GNSS heading processing is also supported.

    Kinematica processes data in forward and reverse six times, which allows it to fill any satellite outages and ignore errors that would normally affect a real-time solution. Both loosely and tightly coupled GNSS/INS processing is supported and the software automatically switches between each mode depending upon the environment.

    Kinematica supports all of Advanced Navigation’s GNSS/INS products. Support for a wide range of third-party systems is scheduled for the next update in July.

    Kinematica is targeted at surveying, scanning and aerial photography applications that need to squeeze the maximum performance out of their systems.

  • Aerial delivery without GPS can aid troops, relief operations

    The U.S. Army’s Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) has developed a new capability with a navigation alternative to GPS.

    In recent tests, JPADS were dropped from planes, and immediately determined their location using optical sensors to compare local terrain with commercial satellite imagery. The new system demonstrated navigation to its intended point, using nothing but imagery to guide it.

    The new JPADS also works with little knowledge of the aircraft’s location at the drop point.

    JPADS, largely guided by GPS, has already proven its importance in supplying troops with necessary materials and equipment, relying less on vulnerable convoys.

    Dropping critical supplies from the air has allowed the U.S. military to rely less on easily-ambushed truck convoys and helicopter resupply. Exposure to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and ambushed convoys resulted in more than 3,000 causalities in Afghanistan and Iraq through 2007.

    JPADS has proven to be an important tool in the Army’s logistics chain in many scenarios to supply troops with material and equipment in adverse terrain and remote locations when ground lines of communication are not possible or deemed too high a risk.

    A JPADs pallet lands on target, followed by several others still in the air, during recent testing. (Photo: US Army)
    A JPADs pallet lands on target, followed by several others still in the air, during recent testing. (Photo: US Army)

    The Army life cycle manager, Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems (PM-FSS), continues to improve the JPADS capability with technology enhancements being led by the Army’s Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), including making JPADS more robust and versatile to environment, terrain and other factors. Investments are focused on significant increased accuracy, lower cost and lower retrograde weight/volume of the reusable JPADS at all weight classes.

    The U.S. Army NSRDEC, with Draper and numerous other partners, recently began testing a new version of the JPADS guidance system that takes advantage of Draper’s technology to navigate precisely to its intended ground impact point using imagery alone, and having minimal knowledge about the aircraft’s location when the package is dropped. The accuracy is critical, as payloads that stray even slightly off course can force troops to expose themselves to enemy fire, or can tumble down mountainsides in rugged terrain, explained Chris Bessette, Draper’s JPADS program manager.

    “This is a huge step forward for aerial resupply,” Bessette said. “The guided airdrop system is keeping U.S. forces from the danger that has killed thousands of their fellow troops. By enabling the system to operate using imagery alone when dropped as high as 25,000 feet above Mean Sea Level and upwards of 20 miles away from the target depending on winds, we can ensure that JPADS is even more versatile so troops receive supplies like fuel, ammunition, food, and water in the safest manner possible.”

    Draper’s JPADS software autonomously flies the cargo-carrying parafoil to land at a user defined location, adapting in real-time to local environmental conditions, such as varying wind. The company’s work on JPADS takes advantage of its expertise in applying position, navigation, and timing algorithms to combine the outputs of precision instruments to enable highly accurate, long-duration navigation solutions.

    The recent testing demonstrated the ability to accurately navigate JPADS to a pre-selected user position, using imagery alone, with almost no information about where the package was released from the plane. During testing in Arizona, the payloads were dropped from planes, and then JPADS immediately determined their own location by comparing terrain features spotted using optical sensors with commercial satellite imagery of the area.

    The Army is also supporting Draper in developing upgrades to the vision-aided navigation system to address current limitations, including cloud cover, which degrades the system’s ability to correlate vision sensor inputs with satellite imagery.

    The military can leverage the same technology to help guide military free fall paratroopers and unmanned aerial vehicles utilizing imagery data alone, Bessette said.

  • US Coast Guard issues GPS jamming alert

    The U.S. Coast Guard issued a safety alert on Jan. 16, warning mariners of the potential detrimental impact to navigation caused by GPS interference or jamming. The warning emphasizes the importance of understanding how vessel equipment could be impacted by the loss of a GPS signal.

    The Coast Guard states that this past summer, multiple outbound vessels from a non-U.S. port suddenly lost GPS signal reception. The net effect was various alarms and a loss of GPS input to the ship’s surface search radar, gyro units and ECDIS, resulting in no GPS data for position fixing, radar over ground speed inputs, gyro speed input and loss of collision avoidance capabilities on the radar display. 

    Fortunately, the vessels were able to safely continue theirvoyage using radar in heads up display, magnetic compass and terrestrial navigation. Approximately six nautical miles later, the vessels’ GPS units resumed operation. Although the vessels had back-up systems to allow a safe transit, the consequences could have been severe, warns the Coast Guard.

    Full content of the alert appears below.

    Global Navigation Satellite Systems – Trust, But Verify
    Report Disruptions Immediately

    Do you know what equipment relies upon the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) signal? How would you respond if you lost the signal? This past summer, multiple outbound vessels from a non-U.S. port suddenly lost GPS signal reception. The net effect was various alarms and a loss of GPS input to the ship’s surface search radar, gyro units and Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS), resulting in no GPS data for position fixing, radar over ground speed inputs, gyro speed input and loss of collision avoidance capabilities on the radar display. Fortunately, the vessels were able to safely continue their voyage using radar in heads up display, magnetic compass and terrestrial navigation. Approximately 6nm later, the vessels’ GPS units resumed operation. Although the vessels had back-up systems to allow a safe transit, the consequences could have been severe. These types of events highlight the potential detrimental impact to navigation caused by GPS interference or jamming and the importance in understanding how your vessel’s or facility’s equipment could be impacted by a loss of GPS signal.

    Whether walking through the city, driving across town or navigating the world, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have become an integral part of everyday life. However, at times, the positioning signals may be impacted by interference from both natural and human-made sources. The most common types of interference are reception issues, usually due to bad installations, poor antenna positioning or faulty equipment. Jamming devices, while illegal in the U.S. and a threat to safety, have been used for nefarious or deceptive purposes. Interference can also be unintentionally caused when operating GNSS in close proximity to other radiating devices, such as amplified TV antennas (see our Safety Alert 11-02). Therefore, it is important to remember to use all available means for navigation and maintain proficiency so you can still navigate should your primary GPS fail.

    Indicators of positioning systems interference include an intermittent signal, no signal, or an incorrect signal. Suspected or suspicious disruptions should be reported immediately. Critical information to take note of during a disruption event includes location, time, and period of outage.

    Commercial operators are reminded, should your navigation or other equipment onboard (e.g. AIS) be impaired as a result of a disruption or interference, this should be reported to the nearest U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, District Commander or Vessel Traffic Center as soon as possible; and, await further directions (per 33 CFR 164.53).

    All operators should be aware, vigilant, and immediately report GPS disruptions to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN). The report will be disseminated to the U.S. Air Force GPS Operations Center and the Federal Aviation Administration in an attempt to identify the problem and correlate with any other GPS incidents in the same general geographic location. Depending on the severity of the report, NAVCEN may refer it to law enforcement and/or other federal agencies for further investigation.

    Reporting a disruption — or other navigation hazards or aids to navigation outages — is simple, and can be done electronically (http://www.navcen.uscg.gov, the preferred method) or via phone call to the NAVCEN (703- 313-5900), 24 hours a day.

  • Bluesky creates Microsoft UltraMap for aerial photomap production

    5-cm OrthoVista of RICOH Arena in Coventry.
    5-cm OrthoVista of RICOH Arena in Coventry.

    UK aerial mapping company Bluesky has reduced the time taken to process the terabytes of data captured by more than 75 percent, which will speed the production of aerial photography.

    Following a major research project, the team at Bluesky’s Leicestershire production facility has implemented an UltraMap system from Microsoft, which has allowed for the introduction of a continuous, uninterrupted processing workflow. By investing in an entirely new workflow, Bluesky has also improved the quality of the aerial images, reducing “building lean” and image distortion, and the accuracy of its digital height models.

    Bluesky’s investment in software follows the recent purchase of two UltraCam Eagle cameras, also from Microsoft, and the introduction of new flying practices.

    Bluesky has recently secured a number of high-profile contracts, including a multimillion pound contract for the supply of geographic data to Central Government organizations awarded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and a four-year contract to supply the national mapping agency for Great Britain, Ordnance Survey.

    Earlier this year, Bluesky announced plans and commenced data capture for the first high-resolution aerial survey of the whole of the Republic of Ireland, and will also create digital surface models and terrain models.

    “2015 has been a phenomenal year in terms of data volumes to be processed,” said Bluesky’s Technical Director James Eddy. “We have introduced new flying methods, we have secured a number of large contracts and we are actively pursuing our own ambitious flying program. This has meant the volume of raw data to be processed is unprecedented.”

    Microsoft UltraMap is an end-to-end photogrammetric workflow system that provides highly automated processing capabilities, allowing Bluesky to rapidly generate quality data products from UltraCam cameras. The improved workflow is designed to process huge amounts of data in the shortest possible time with the highest degree of automation, supported by guided manual interaction, quality control tools and powerful visualization.

    “In order to process the many terabytes of data produced in a flying season — for example, we are looking at over a trillion DSM (digital surface model) points alone — the UltraMap system is just one component of a complex system,” continued Eddy. “We have also invested significantly in hardware, including an array of multi core processors, our network infrastructure, a robust backup system, internally produced software to increase and improve QA and improve productivity, and of course, perhaps most importantly, skilled and experienced staff.

    “We now believe we operate one of the most advanced aerial imaging processing facilities in the UK, if not the world and we have the capacity to handle our largest-ever projects.”

  • Eos Positioning announces RTK NTRIP app for Android

    Google Maps is tightly integrated with the app to display the user’s location anywhere in the world, and detailed satellite information includes a skyplot tracking each visible satellite.
    Google Maps is tightly integrated with the app to display the user’s location anywhere in the world, and detailed satellite information includes a skyplot tracking each visible satellite.

    Eos Positioning Systems has introduced a comprehensive RTK NTRIP app for Android that works with its Arrow line of RTK GNSS receivers. An Arrow GNSS receiver combined with the NTRIP app turns an Android smartphone or tablet into a powerful data collector capable of recording 1-centimeter accurate GIS data in real-time.

    “We designed Eos Tools Pro for the RTK user,” said Chief Technology Officer Jean-Yves Lauture. ”It is, by far, the most comprehensive NTRIP app for Android on the market today, turning smartphones and inexpensive Android tablets into powerful high-precision GNSS data collection devices.“

    The app, named Eos Tools Pro, has user-configurable audible and visual alarms to alert the user of high PDOP, lost RTK correction, unacceptable correction age and several other important metrics. It supports all current and future constellations — GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou.

    The Arrow 200 by Eos Positioning Systems.
    The Arrow 200 by Eos Positioning Systems.

    To eliminate any confusion as to which GPS/GNSS device the user’s app is using, Eos Tools Pro features a dropdown menu so the user may select any receiver the Android device has been paired with.

    “The Eos Tools Pro app enables Android devices running Esri’s Collector app on Android smartphones and tablets to collect data as accurate as 1cm when connected to an Arrow GNSS receiver,” said Esri Product Manager Jeff Shaner. “It’s a big leap forward to enable Collector to serve the high-precision GNSS user.”

    Google Maps is tightly integrated with the app to display the user’s location anywhere in the world. Detailed satellite information such as a skyplot that plots each visible satellite, whether it’s being used or not, and signal strength bar graphs from each constellation are also displayed. Finally, a Terminal screen displays the NMEA data flowing and allows the user to send commands to the receiver.

    Eos Tools Pro and Arrow receivers are targeted at high-accuracy applications like GIS; environmental; agriculture; electric, gas, water utilities; surveying; machine control; and federal, state, and local government.

     

  • Eos Positioning announces RTK NTRIP app for Android

    Eos Positioning Systems has introduced a comprehensive RTK NTRIP app for Android that works with its Arrow line of RTK GNSS receivers. An Arrow GNSS receiver combined with the NTRIP app turns an Android smartphone or tablet into a powerful data collector capable of recording 1-centimeter accurate GIS data in real-time.

    “We designed Eos Tools Pro for the RTK user,” said Chief Technology Officer Jean-Yves Lauture. “It is, by far, the most comprehensive NTRIP app for Android on the market today, turning smartphones and inexpensive Android tablets into powerful high-precision GNSS data collection devices.“

    The app, named Eos Tools Pro, has user-configurable audible and visual alarms to alert the user of high PDOP, lost RTK correction, unacceptable correction age and several other important metrics. It supports all current and future constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou).

    To eliminate any confusion as to which GPS/GNSS device the user’s app is using, Eos Tools Pro features a dropdown menu so the user may select any receiver the Android device has been paired with.

    “The Eos Tools Pro app enables Android devices running Esri’s Collector app on Android smartphones and tablets to collect data as accurate as 1cm when connected to an Arrow GNSS receiver,” said Esri Product Manager Jeff Shaner. “It’s a big leap forward to enable Collector to serve the high-precision GNSS user.”

    Google Maps is tightly integrated with the app to display the user’s location anywhere in the world. Detailed satellite information such as a skyplot that plots each visible satellite, whether it’s being used or not, and signal strength bar graphs from each constellation are also displayed. Finally, a Terminal screen displays the NMEA data flowing and allows the user to send commands to the receiver.

    Eos Tools Pro and Arrow receivers are targeted at high-accuracy applications like GIS; environmental; agriculture; electric, gas, water utilities; surveying; machine control; and federal, state, and local government.

  • 8 million GPS/wireless devices in use for fleet management

    Eight million GPS/wireless devices are used to manage fleet vehicles, trailers, construction equipment and mobile workers, according to a new report by C.J. Driscoll & Associates, a supplier of telematics market research and consulting services.

    According to the “2016-17 U.S. Mobile Resource Management Systems Market Study,” by 2019 this market will expand to more than 14 million units, and annual hardware and service revenues will grow to nearly $4.7 billion.

    Growth has been strong in the local service and delivery fleet market, where the use of commercial telematics solutions is expanding at a rate of 15-20 percent per year. However, the trucking sector’s rate of growth is projected to exceed the local fleet market because of the recently issued regulations requiring the use of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) by interstate trucking fleets for monitoring driver hours of service.

    While the largest GPS fleet management companies are becoming increasingly dominant, this has not discouraged new players from entering the market, some with considerable success. Overseas suppliers also continue to be drawn to the U.S. market due to its size and rate of growth.

    The 323-page market study provides in-depth information on each major MRM market segment, including the markets for vehicle-installed GPS fleet management solutions for local service and delivery fleets and long haul trucking fleets. The market for driver behavior management systems is also examined, along with the emerging market for managing mobile workers with GPS-equipped smartphones and tablets. In addition, the study covers the markets for monitoring mobile assets, such as fleet trailers and heavy equipment.

    The study assesses the current market penetration of MRM systems and services and projects annual subscriber and revenue growth through 2019. Detailed profiles are provided on more than 140 suppliers of MRM systems and services, including target markets, key features, installed base and pricing.

  • NextNav supports metropolitan beacon system for mobile

    The final specification for 3GPP Release 13 will include messaging support for Terrestrial Beacon System (TBS) location technologies, including the Metropolitan Beacon System (MBS).

    NextNav is deploying the MBS positioning technology across the U.S. to allow mobile phones and other devices to reliably determine their location in indoor and urban environments where GPS signals can’t be received.

    NextNav has adopted MBS for its nationwide deployment, which it calls an innovative “terrestrial constellation” bringing GNSS-like positioning performance to indoor and urban environments where satellite-based positioning is either unavailable or significantly degraded. By standardizing the core network information flow in 3GPP, support for MBS will become available across any Release 13-compliant LTE network platforms globally, similar to previously standardized GNSS systems such as GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo satellite signals.

    NextNav’s system is complementary to GPS and delivers high precision latitude, longitude and “floor level” altitude in GPS-challenged areas such as indoors and urban locations across an entire metropolitan area. Unlike cellular positioning in LTE, MBS does not consume expensive wireless spectrum to do so.

    “We are gratified, after an especially intensive effort, to see 3GPP add support for Terrestrial Beacon Systems generically and for supporting the NextNav implementation of it — the Metropolitan Beacon System,” said Ganesh Pattabiraman, president of NextNav. “This speaks to the urgent market requirements for ubiquitous, high-quality indoor positioning. MBS availability as an international standard ensures that our location signals can be used in widely deployed LTE (long-term evolution) networks as part of an end-to-end system. It also opens the doors for multi-vendor systems, a critical consideration for our carrier customers and users worldwide.”

    The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) unites seven telecommunications standard development organizations (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSDSI, TTA, TTC) and provides their members with a stable environment to produce the reports and specifications that define 3GPP technologies.

     

  • US government says it will invest $4B in self-driving cars

    In his final State of the Union address, delivered Jan. 12, President Obama signaled his intent to invest in a 21st century transportation system.

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has revealed part of the president’s proposal: a 10-year, nearly $4 billion investment to accelerate the development and adoption of safe vehicle automation through real-world pilot projects.

    Secretary Foxx also announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) is removing potential roadblocks to the integration of innovative, transformational automotive technology that can significantly improve safety, mobility and sustainability.

    Secretary Foxx made the announcement at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where he was joined by leaders in technology, executives of traditional auto manufacturers, and newcomers to the industry.

    “We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people,” said Secretary Foxx. “Today’s actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials, and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential.”

    The president’s FY17 budget proposal would provide nearly $4 billion over 10 years for pilot programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders to ensure a common multistate framework for connected and autonomous vehicles.

    Secretary Foxx also unveiled policy guidance that updates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2013 preliminary policy statement on autonomous vehicles. The new guidance, just released, reflects the reality that the widespread deployment of fully autonomous vehicles is now feasible.

    “NHTSA is using all of its available tools to accelerate the deployment of technologies that can eliminate 94 percent of fatal crashes involving human error,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. “We will work with state partners toward creating a consistent national policy on these innovations, provide options now and into the future for manufacturers seeking to deploy autonomous vehicles, and keep our safety mission paramount at every stage.”

    DOT is committing to the following milestones in 2016:

    • Within six months, NHTSA will work with industry and other stakeholders to develop guidance on the safe deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles, providing a common understanding of the performance characteristics necessary for fully autonomous vehicles and the testing and analysis methods needed to assess them.
    • Within six months, NHTSA will work with state partners, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, and other stakeholders to develop a model state policy on automated vehicles that offers a path to consistent national policy.
    • Secretary Foxx encouraged manufacturers to submit rule interpretation requests where appropriate to help enable technology innovation. For example, NHTSA responded to an interpretation request from BMW confirming that the company’s remote self-parking system meets federal safety standards. Click here to read this interpretation.
    • When interpretation authority is not sufficient, Secretary Foxx further encouraged manufacturers to submit requests for use of the agency’s exemption authority to allow the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. Exemption authority allows NHTSA to enable the deployment of up to 2,500 vehicles for up to two years if the agency determines that an exemption would ease development of new safety features.
    • DOT and NHTSA will develop the new tools necessary for this new era of vehicle safety and mobility, and will consider seeking new authorities when they are necessary to ensure that fully autonomous vehicles, including those designed without a human driver in mind, are deployable in large numbers when they are demonstrated to provide an equivalent or higher level of safety than is now available.

    In 2015, Secretary Foxx refocused the national dialogue about the future needs of our transportation infrastructure by releasing Beyond Traffic, a report examining the challenges facing America’s infrastructure over the next three decades. This draft framework has already influenced decisions by elected officials, planners and stakeholders nationwide, the DOT said.

    In December 2015, the Secretary launched the Smart City Challenge, a national competition to implement bold, data-driven ideas that make transportation safer, easier and more reliable. He also worked to accelerate the DOT’s efforts to incorporate vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology into new vehicles.

  • Garmin acquires lidar company PulsedLight

    Garmin International has acquired PulsedLight Inc., a privately held designer of optical distance measurement technology in Bend, Oregon.

    PulsedLight makes sensor boards that are highly accurate, small and lightweight. PulsedLight developed and owns the intellectual property that enables this technology, Garmin stated in a news release.

    PulsedLight is the maker of the LIDAR-Lite, an optical distance measurement sensor for automotive blind-spot sensing, smart city traffic monitoring, 3D image scanning, collision avoidance, industrial measurements, security system components and other applications.

    “Optical distance measurement technology fits in nicely with Garmin’s core competencies of location and positioning,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin president and CEO. “We are delighted to add PulsedLight and their capabilities to the Garmin portfolio.”

    “We are excited to have the support of a technology leader like Garmin. They are able to provide the resources and manufacturing expertise to integrate our technology into incredibly useful new devices that serve a multitude of markets,” said Dennis Corey, president and co-founder of PulsedLight. “We look forward to an exciting future under the Garmin umbrella.”

    The PulsedLight office and its design associates will be retained by Garmin International. Financial terms of the acquisition will not be released.

  • HarvestMaster releases field applicator for improved efficiency

    Harvestmaster-W

    HarvestMaster, provider of agricultural data collection solutions, has introduced a new field applicator that applies various treatments to specific field plots. The field applicator is easily controlled from within HarvestMaster’s Mirus field data-collection software using a software plugin.

    Using the Mirus field applicator plugin, users can select which treatments to apply to individual plots from within the Mirus dashboard, and can choose to control the field applicator either manually or automatically, based on GPS location. The system significantly reduces error in treatment applications and improves productivity by streamlining the application process in the field, according to Juniper Systems, parent company of HarvestMaster.

    Compatible with a wide range of research spray systems, the Mirus field applicator plugin eliminates the usual bulky and often confusing toggle switch boxes that are typically used to control field applicators. The user imports a file that specifies which formulation is to be applied to each plot, then selects whether to control the applicator either manually or through GPS positioning data, and the system is ready to go.