Category: Applications

Oregon State University to support new generation of geodesists, surveyors and geospatial professionals
In my November 2023 GPS World newsletter, I highlighted the announcement made by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) of the recipients of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FY 23 Geospatial Modeling Competition Awards. The primary objective of these projects is to modernize geodetic tools and models as well as develop a geodetic workforce for the future. My past two GPS World newsletters, February 2024 and March 2024, highlighted two of the grantees — Scripps Institution of Oceanography and The Ohio State University — that included developing models to address what NGS denotes as the Intra-Frame Deformation Model (IFDM). This newsletter will address another NGS geospatial modeling grant awardee, which is the proposal made by Oregon State University (OSU).

The title of the OSU proposal is “NSRS Modernization and Geodetic Workforce Development.” Christopher Parrish, Ph.D., director of the Geospatial Center for the Arctic and Pacific (GCAP), is the lead principal investigator (PI). I met him when we both worked for the NGS years ago. The goal of the OSU project is to improve the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) and enhance workforce development and geodetic science.

I will highlight several items in the proposal, but first, I must address the issue of two universities with the same acronym, which is “OSU.” In my opinion, since The Ohio State University officially used the acronym first, it is The OSU, but Chris said we are just going to have to agree to disagree. See “Two Universities with the Same Acronym” for the facts.

There could be some confusion in my newsletters because the acronym OSU is used by The Ohio State University and Oregon State University. That said, in the remainder of this newsletter, OSU will refer to Oregon State University.

The OSU project is organized by the following three themes:

1) Development and Investigation of Geodetic Tools, Models, and Workflows.

2) Enhancement of Geodetic Infrastructure.

3) Geodetic Partnerships, Education and Outreach.

The project will develop and support a new generation of geodesists, surveyors and geospatial professionals. The plan will build on OSU’s Geomatics graduate program, the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) undergraduate Geomatics program, and partnerships throughout the nation to provide opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to directly participate in cutting-edge research. This part of the proposal will help address the geodesy crisis. As I mentioned in my March 2024 newsletter, I have been highlighting the geodesy crisis and programs that advance the science of geodesy — July 2020, November 2022, and December 2022.

The goals of the OSU proposal will be achieved through the following five objectives:

Objective 1: Develop and test novel approaches to integrate precise point positioning (PPP) and real-time networks (RTNs) into the NSRS, including the development of a real-time network (RTN) alignment service. The current focus includes:
1. Explore alternative methods to monitor RTN health.
2. Develop a semi-automatic workflow for aligning RTNs to the NSRS.
3. Create an accessible web-based interface to empower surveying practitioners and RTN managers with real-time network alignment information.
The proposal states: A user-friendly real-time network alignment program will be very helpful to RTN operators during the implementation of the new, modernized NSRS.

Part of the proposal includes contributing to the development and evaluation of NGS’s OPUS Projects web tool for the inclusion of multi-GNSS, gravity, leveling and total station observations.

The inclusion of additional types of data into OPUS Projects will allow users to incorporate all survey data from their projects into the new, modernized NSRS such as leveling data to estimate NAPGD2022 orthometric heights.

Objective 2: Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure proper implementation of and transition to the new 2022 datums for geospatial applications such as topographic mapping, photogrammetric surveys and asset inventories.

Developing standard operating procedures will provide consistency between different surveying and mapping agencies, as well as routines developed by software companies during the implementation phase of the new, modernized NSRS.

The OSU proposal includes developing automated methods to manage the Oregon Real-Time GNSS Network (ORGN) to improve the ability of users to observe real-time coordinates in the new, modernized NSRS.

This work is very important to all RTN operators. It will lead to the development of a National Real-Time Network (RTN) alignment service that will allow RTN operators/managers to align their RTN with the new, modernized NSRS.

Objective 3: Improve the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s, and the Yurok Tribe’s hydrodynamic models of the Columbia and Klamath Rivers through use of the modernized NSRS.

This may seem like a very local benefit, which it obviously is, but the RTN improvements enabled through their other tasks will support efficient, accurate bathymetry collection at greatly reduced cost and will extend training into a broader community of users. NAPGD2022 and GEOID2022 will improve the use of the data for hydrodynamic modeling throughout the nation. Therefore, these enhancements will enable improvement in the modeling of water levels in other water systems and in the accurate representation of dynamics of shallow water habitat. This is a benefit that will be useful to many NSRS users.

Objective 4: Assist in the development and testing of OPUS-Projects and M-PAGES. As previously mentioned, part of the proposal includes contributing to the development and evaluation of OPUS Projects for the inclusion of multi-GNSS.

This is important because incorporating multiple satellite systems, such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, into the processing routine will improve the precision and accuracy of coordinates, especially in the height component.

Objective 5: Develop and train the next generation of geodesists, surveyors and geospatial professionals and broaden participation in these fields through existing and new collaborative programs between the tribal, academic and government members of the Geospatial Center for the Artic and Pacific (GCAP), where education and outreach are part of its mission. GCAP provides training workshops covering topics such as GNSS, geodesy, 3D laser scanning and least squares adjustments.

These types of workshops are usually locally given but part of the proposal includes working with Oregon State E-campus to expand the workshops to an online education program. This will benefit a lot of surveyors, mappers, and geospatial users across the Nation.

These five objectives will be achieved through eight focused tasks organized into the three themes previously mentioned. The new, modernized NSRS will affect in some way the daily operations of all geospatial users. I have highlighted several tasks that, in my opinion, are critical to the implementation of the new, modernized NSRS. For example, incorporating all types of geodetic data into OPUS Projects will help facilitate the implementation of the new NSRS; developing a National RTN Alignment Service will allow RTN operators/managers to align their RTN properly and correctly with the new, modernized NSRS; and working with Oregon State E-campus to expand the workshops to an online education program will increase outreach efforts that will benefit many users across the geospatial community.

Key benefits:
- Enhancing and extending diverse use of the NSRS where these advances are most needed.
- CORS postprocessing with PPP will facilitate both CORS monitoring and position.
- Providing impactful and critical workforce development such as new career opportunities for future generations by expanding undergraduate and geomatics education opportunities and capacity as well as career advancement and upskilling opportunities for the existing workforce.
- New outreach programs will actively engage Alaska Native communities and K-12 students.
- Graduate and undergraduate students involved with the project will have unique interdisciplinary experiential learning opportunities collaborating with professionals.
- Providing broader impacts to society and the planet, including improved resilience to coastal and seismic hazards with improved monitoring capabilities, and developing a diverse geodetic science and geomatics workforce in a currently underserved region.
This newsletter and my past two GPS World newsletters highlighted three of the NGS Geospatial Modeling grantees, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The OSU, and OSU, which included creating geodesy curriculums that will help address the geodesy crisis. Changes in these geomatic programs will provide students with the skills in geospatial systems that will make available opportunities for employment in the public and private sectors. My next newsletter will address the fourth NGS geospatial modeling grant awardee: Michigan State University’s proposal.
April 3, 2024
SparkFun, u-blox release GNSS L1/L5 Breakout

Image: SparkFun

SparkFun Electronics has released the NEO-F10N GNSS L1/L5 Breakout board. This GNSS breakout board features the u-blox NEO-F10N module and a dual-band L1/L5 configuration designed to add precision to GNSS projects operating in urban and rural environments. Additionally, the L5 signal falls within a protected frequency band, which reduces RF interference on the incoming signal.

This breakout supports the concurrent reception of three GNSS constellations: GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou. The proprietary dual-band multipath mitigation technology from the u-blox F10 allows the module to choose the best signals from both bands to achieve a significantly better position accuracy in challenging urban environments than with the L1 band alone.

It has an integrated rechargeable battery that powers the RTC on the NEO-F10N, which reduces the time-to-first fix from cold to hot starts. The battery also maintains RTC and GNSS orbit data without external power to offer uninterrupted performance.

u-blox-based GPS products are configurable using u-center. This offers users extensive customization options such as baud rates, update rates, spoofing detection and more.

April 3, 2024
Swift Navigation, Telit Cinterion enhance precise positioning

Swift Navigation has partnered with Telit Cinterion to enhance the precision of GNSS positioning in low-power consumption devices such as wearables, robotic lawnmowers and vehicle tracking systems.

Under the collaboration, Telit Cinterion’s GNSS receivers will use Swift’s Skylark precise positioning service, which is designed to deliver consistent precision across vast areas while prioritizing energy efficiency, reducing processing demands and minimizing data transmission costs. It aims to provide accurate location information quickly, even in difficult environments such as urban centers and canyons where signals can be obstructed.

This partnership seeks to enhance location-based applications by allowing these devices to achieve centimeter-level accuracy. This level of accuracy is crucial for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles and industrial robots, but integrating it into small, battery-powered devices has been a complex challenge until now.

The solution is designed to comply with industry standards, making it interoperable with various GNSS chipsets, modules, receivers and applications.

April 2, 2024
Netnod bolsters Sweden’s national timing infrastructure

Netnod is implementing Adtran’s coreSync OSA 3300-HP, an optical pumping cesium atomic clock technology to fortify Sweden’s national infrastructure against emerging digital threats. This strategic upgrade aims to enhance the precision and reliability of timing services vital to the nation’s economy, spanning sectors from finance to next-generation telecommunications such as 5G.

Sweden’s leading position in digital services and telecommunications highlights the need for robust timing services, which are fundamental to the functioning and security of digital infrastructures. The introduction of coreSync OSA 3300-HP by Netnod — a company specializing in providing internet exchange, DNS, and time services in the Nordic countries — aims to enhance the accuracy, stability and durability of timing synchronization services across the country.

By deploying Oscilloquartz super ePRC technology across six pivotal timing centers nationwide, Netnod aims to address the growing concern over GNSS vulnerabilities. The optically pumped cesium technology of the coreSync OSA 3300-HP offers a highly stable and precise alternative timing source, providing frequency stability and an operational lifespan double that of traditional magnetic cesium clocks.

April 2, 2024
ComNav launches auto-steering system

Credit: ComNav

ComNav Technologies has introduced the AG502 automated steering system. It integrates advanced satellite reception, positioning, navigation and automatic driving to meet the diverse demands of modern agriculture.

The system consists of a GNSS tablet, an electric steering wheel, two angle sensors and two GNSS antennas, offering a plug-and-play capability with simple instillation and calibration. It is equipped with a ComNav SinoGNSS to support full-constellation and multi-frequency tracking.

It is designed to withstand harsh outdoor agricultural environments. With waterproof and dustproof properties, the system offers weather resistance and durability in diverse conditions.

The AG502 is equipped with connectivity modules, featuring a 4G modem alongside UHF radio. It offers farmers the flexibility to access real-time kinematics (RTK) correction sources from local RTK networks or GNSS RTK base stations. It uses the combined GNSS+INS terrain compensation technology to provide automated steering accuracy, with a precision of 2.5 cm. This level of precision makes the system ideal for tasks such as ditching, planting and harvesting.

For the remotely located or often network-lacking fields, the system offers a reliable precision point positioning (PPP) solution, which supports PPP-HAS and PPP-B2b service. It also features intuitive and user-friendly 2D/3D software, streamlining the learning and operation process for easy start-up. It supports various work modes such as straight, curved, automatic u-turn and pivot to accommodate diverse farmland and work requirements.

ComNav offers comprehensive training videos of the AG502. In the event of technical challenges, users have access to remote technical support or can reach out to local dealers via phone, email or messaging apps for prompt assistance.

April 1, 2024
ESA invests €233 million to launch Genesis and LEO-PNT missions

Genesis satellite. (Image: ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) has initiated two navigation missions, Genesis and low-Earth-orbit positioning, navigation and timing (LEO-PNT) as part of its FutureNAV program. ESA has awarded contracts, totaling €233 million, to several European entities to begin the development of the missions. They are designed to address the growing demand for more resilient and precise navigation solutions in Europe.

Genesis, with a contract value of €76.6 million, involves a consortium led by OHB Italia, tasked with the development and operation of the Genesis satellite and its payloads, supported by contributions from Italy, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Hungary and the UK. The satellite is expected to launch in 2028, with subsequent years dedicated to scientific exploitation. Genesis aims to significantly improve the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) and offer unprecedented precision for navigation and a myriad of Earth sciences applications.

For the LEO-PNT mission, ESA has distributed €78.4 million for each of the two contracts for the development of in-orbit demonstrators. These LEO-PNT satellites will explore new signals and frequency bands, designed to provide enhanced resilience, accuracy and speed in navigation. The projects are led by GMV Aerospace and Defense and Thales Alenia Space France and involve a broad consortium of more than 50 entities from 14 countries. The first LEO-PNT satellite is expected to launch within 20 months from the project’s commencement, with the complete constellation operational before 2027.

LEO-PNT satellite. (Image: ESA)

Genesis is designed as a flying observatory to refine the ITRF to an accuracy of 1 mm and a stability of 0.1 mm/year, serving as a crucial reference for all space- and ground-based observations. This enhanced reference frame is designed to directly benefit satellite-based systems and applications across various sectors, including aviation, traffic management and autonomous vehicles. It is intended to have have broader implications for meteorology, natural hazard prediction and climate change monitoring.

The LEO-PNT mission aims to establish a small constellation of demonstration satellites to test novel navigation signals and interoperability with GNSS to offer improved signal robustness and extended navigation services to challenging environments such as deep urban areas and indoors. This mission will explore the potential of LEO constellations in supporting a wide range of applications, from transportation and critical infrastructure to mobile devices and asset tracking using advancements in communication standards, such as 5G/6G.

April 1, 2024
NextNav enhances positioning and timing capabilities

Image: NextNav

NextNav has entered an agreement to acquire additional spectrum licenses in the lower 900 MHz band (902 MHz to 928 MHz) from Telesaurus Holdings and Skybridge Spectrum Foundation. This acquisition, valued at up to $50 million, significantly expands NextNav’s spectrum portfolio by an additional 4 MHz.

With the completion of this transaction, NextNav’s total spectrum assets will surge to 3.5 billion MHz-PoPs, which marks a significant leap in the company’s capacity to offer reliable and precise positioning and timing solutions.

The transaction involves an initial cash payment of $2.5 million due within 30 days following the court’s authorization to proceed. The balance will be settled in NextNav common stock, contingent upon reaching specific milestones, the final transfer of licenses and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals. The successful closure of this deal is subject to Court and regulatory clearances, including approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

NextNav aims to deliver PNT solutions that use 3D geolocation and PNT technology, facilitated by its ownership of low-band licensed spectrum. The company’s technologies are designed to ensure accurate, reliable and resilient 3D PNT solutions across a broad spectrum of applications, ranging from critical infrastructure and GPS resiliency to various commercial use cases.

March 29, 2024
Seen & Heard: UAVs to the rescue, fire strikes in Chile

“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry.

Photo: ChristinaFelsing / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

UAVs to the rescue

A child reported missing in Robbinsville, N.J., was found in less than 10 minutes using a UAV equipped with a thermal camera, WPVI reported.

On the night of January 17, Robbinsville Police received a call reporting a missing child last seen running into a heavily wooded area. Officers dispatched the department’s UAV equipped with thermal imaging cameras, which allowed officers to quickly locate the missing boy through thick vegetation after dark. The child was unharmed, according to the report.

Photo: Maxar Technologies

Fire strikes Chile

Maxar Technologies has released satellite images showing the widespread damage caused by raging wildfires in Chile’s Valparaíso region. The fires have killed more than 122 people. The images show entire neighborhoods destroyed east of the resort town of Viña del Mar yet do not show active wildfires. The fires reportedly surged in the Valparaíso region, fueled by winds and an intense heatwave that has seen temperatures of around 40° C.

Photo: seregalsv / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

No drones in the prison yard

The UK government has introduced regulations establishing a 400 m UAV “no-fly zone” around prison facilities. The announcement addresses the escalating use of UAVs by criminals attempting to transport illicit items — including phones, drugs and weapons — into prisons.

The initiative is a response to the increase in the number of UAVs detected or sighted within prison grounds, which more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, according to a press statement from the UK government. The implementation of “no-fly zones” aims to enhance law enforcement’s ability to catch organized criminals in the act. Additionally, these measures are designed to prevent illegal aerial filming of prisons.

Photo: Bim / E+ / Getty Images

Back to the fields

GNSS jamming by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has forced retired farmers in the Israeli settlement Mevo Hama to return to the fields. In an interview with CTech, local farmer Rami Laner shared that the younger equipment operators do not know how to operate the modern tractors for spraying or sowing tasks without the aid of their GNSS-based autonomous systems. With the IDF intentionally jamming and spoofing GNSS signals, civilians in the area are in search of alternative PNT systems to protect communities and maintain workflows.

March 29, 2024
PNT Advisory Board at 20: Still serving up big ideas
- Quickly prototype a GNSS interference detection and reporting system.
- Implement an internet-based High Accuracy and Robustness Service (HARS)for GPS.
- Relax export controls that currently restrict use of adaptive anti-jam antennas.
These are just three of the efforts the U.S. government is pursuing as a result of recommendations from the President’s National Space-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Advisory Board.

For 20 years the PNT Advisory Board has been providing the government independent expert advice about GPS and PNT.

Established by presidential directive in 2004 and administered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act by NASA, its charter has been regularly renewed. The charter provides that the board shall:
- Be composed of experts from outside the United States government.
- Seek input from state and local governments, industry and academia on developments in the application of space-based PNT technologies.
- Evaluate national and international needs for changes in space-based PNT capabilities and assess possible trade-offs among options.
- Provide independent advice and recommendations to the National PNT Executive Committee (co-chaired by the Deputy Secretaries of Defense and Transportation) on policy, system requirements, and program needs.
While “space-based” is in its name and charter, the board has long recognized that terrestrial assets also can play an important role in serving PNT users by augmenting, reinforcing, and complementing GPS. The use of complementary systems, for example, could help demotivate intentional jammers and spoofers and help safeguard users during any interference event. Thus, the board often considers a wide range of capabilities and systems.

The board also discusses policy, education, international relations and other issues important to the PNT community. As one board member commented, “Technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It is developed by, and intended to serve, people. If you don’t recognize that, you are missing most of the picture.”

The current board’s membership includes an impressive array of experts in PNT policy and technology. Its 29 members include a former governor, a retired admiral, three retired generals, GPS’ original chief architect, a former undersecretary, a former assistant secretary, three former presidents of the Institute of Navigation (ION), three international members and experts from across academia and industry.

Chaired by former Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, the board’s primary efforts are driven by its six subcommittees, reflecting a holistic approach to effective PNT:
- Strategy, Policy & Governance
- Protect, Toughen & Augment
- Emerging Capabilities, Applications & Sectors
- Education & Science Innovation
- International Engagement
- Communications & External Relations
While the subcommittees meet in fact-finding sessions to gather data, the PNT Advisory Board’s deliberations are public. Semi-annual meetings in Washington, D.C. and other locations may be attended by anyone, either in person or virtually. Announcements on the board’s webpage and in the Federal Register provide details before each meeting. By law, the minutes of each meeting are available to the public, and video recordings of meetings are normally posted as well.

Input from the public about PNT issues of concern is also welcome to inform the board’s current and future deliberations. Information on how to send input will be posted with the meeting announcement here.

According to board member Jeff Shane, former undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the PNT Advisory Board is evidence of government at its best. “The very fact that the board was established underscores our government’s willingness to hear and consider the widest variety of views and input. It should be a source of optimism, and even pride, for the entire PNT community.”

National Space-based PNT Advisory Board

The next meeting will be from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MDT, April 24, 2024, and from 9:00 a.m. to noon April 25 at The Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Click here for information on a reception on April 23, featuring Gen. David Thompson.
March 28, 2024
SparkFun launches Iridium antenna

Image: SparkFun Electronics

SparkFun Electronics has released the 2J7426MPz by 2J antenna, a high-performance magnetic mount antenna designed to communicate with the Iridium satellite communication system. It is manufactured with high-quality polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic-styrene-acrylate terpolymer (ASA), a thermoplastic combination that offers strong resistance to UV, moisture, and heat and enhances mechanical properties.

The antenna housing is waterproof to IP69 standards and designed to operate in extremely harsh environments, including those with frequent exposure to water, dust and debris. It has a recommended operational and storage temperature of -40°C to +85°C. The magnetic mount allows for easy installation and removal between vehicles or assets, and it is easily converted to an adhesive type for greater flexibility.

It is delivered with a standard SMA-male connector and a standard 300 cm long coaxial LL100 cable. Iridium has certified the 2J7426MPz antenna for commercial use in connection with the Iridium communications system.

March 28, 2024
EAB Q&A: OCX is more than seven years behind schedule. What are the consequences?

OCX is more than seven years behind schedule. What are the consequences?

Greg Turetzky

“It’s more consequential than most people realize. The first and most impactful consequence is the limitation of the GPS constellation to
32 satellites. There are more healthy satellites in the sky and, more importantly, Block III satellites sitting in the barn. These additional satellites and their modernized signals would improve navigation globally with improved accuracy and resilience. Additionally, without OCX the L5 signals are labeled ‘unhealthy’ and therefore the constellation is labeled ‘pre-operational.’ Without OCX, L5 cannot reach initial operational capability (IOC), which prevents certain market segments from being able to officially use them. GPS will remain in third place if the delay continues.”

— Greg Turetzky
Consultant

Michael Swiek

“OCX seems more than seven years behind when you consider that we have been hearing about it as a concept and then a proposal for years before it became an actual program. In the Hope and Crosby movie, “The Road to Rio,” Jerry Colonna leads a cavalry charge to rescue the heroine across several brief scenes. He never arrives, and the heroine is saved by other means. Colonna then proclaims, ‘Well, we didn’t make it, but we sure added some excitement!’ While waiting for the heroic arrival of OCX, might the evolution of technology, and regular updates to the current system, already provide some of the improvements promised by OCX? The OCS is already upgraded to accommodate Contingency Operations for GPS III satellites, M-Code early use and incorporated cyber security protections. Is it, maybe, time to just move beyond OCX and start anew with today’s context and assessment of future needs?”

— Michael Swiek
GPS Alliance

March 27, 2024
Kongsberg Discovery launches hydrographic surveying solution

Image: Kongsberg Discovery

Kongsberg Discovery has released the Seapath 385 navigation system. It is designed to enhance precision in hydrographic surveying by using advanced navigation algorithms and integrating a range of satellite signals, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and QZSS, alongside geostationary satellite signals.

The system combines raw inertial sensor data from Kongsberg Discovery’s proprietary high-performance motion gyro compass (MGC) or motion reference unit (MRU) with GNSS data and corrections from real-time kinematics (RTK), precise-point positioning (PPP) or Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS). The integration offers a robust and accurate navigation solution ideal for hydrographic surveying.

The system’s dead reckoning capabilities are attributed to its advanced inertial sensors and updated navigation algorithms. It uses GNSS antennas for both positioning and heading determination designed to add an extra layer of robustness to the system. The Seapath 385 also introduces a new post-processing format that consolidates all necessary data and system configurations into a single file, which allows for centimeter-level position accuracy through either satellite orbit and clock data or data logged from base stations.

Designed for ease of installation and continuous, reliable operation, the Seapath 385 is a modular system with a processing unit that handles all critical computations independently of the user interface on the HMI Unit. This feature offers precise measurements with a data rate of up to 200 Hz at multiple monitoring points, which makes it an ideal solution for accommodating sensors or systems that depend on motion or position data throughout the vessel.

March 27, 2024