GPS World

Category: Transportation

  • New Airbus A350 Airliner Comes EGNOS-Capable

    New Airbus A350 Airliner Comes EGNOS-Capable

    Airbus_A350_node_full_image_2
    The twin-engine, wide-body Airbus A350 XWB, seen here at Spain’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, comes with EGNOS capability.

    News by the European Space Agency

    The EGNOS system, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for sharpening the accuracy of satnav across Europe, has been adopted by a growing number of airports to enable satellite-guided landing approaches. The new Airbus A350 airliner, currently entering service, comes fitted with it as standard.

    “For the first time on the A350 we have a new system called the Satellite Landing System,” explained Jean-Francois Bousquie, an Airbus flight-test engineer focused on avionics. “This allows pilots to perform precision landing approaches guided by EGNOS or its U.S. equivalent, WAAS, offering vertical guidance down to a minimum of 60 meters before the pilot sights the ground to make the go/no-go decision on the final landing descent.”

    A350 isi equipped with a new system called the Satellite Landing System, allowing pilots to perform precision landing approaches guided by EGNOS or its US equivalent WAAS. This capability offers vertical landing guidance down to a minimum of 60 m before the pilot sights the ground to make the go/no-go decision on the final landing descent.
    The A350’s Satellite Landing System allows pilots to perform precision-landing approaches guided by EGNOS or its U.S. equivalent, WAAS. The capability offers vertical landing guidance down to a minimum of 60 miles before the pilot sights the ground to make the go/no-go decision on the final landing descent.

    The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System, or EGNOS, can provide horizontal and vertical guidance to anywhere in Europe, without the need for any additional airport-hosted infrastructure. By using three geostationary satellites and a 40-strong network of ground stations, EGNOS improves the accuracy of GPS signals over European territory, while also providing continuous updates on their integrity.

    The result is that the EGNOS-augmented signals are guaranteed to meet the extremely high performance standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation standard, adapted for Europe by Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. The signals from space can therefore be relied on routinely for the safety-critical task of vertically guiding aircraft during landing approaches.

    A total of 131 airports in Europe offer some 225 EGNOS-based approach procedures. By 2020, 582 landing procedures are expected across 20 European countries. The largest international airports use Instrument Landing System (ILS) infrastructure, with radio beams offering a truly precision landing capability, including the ability to autoland when visibility is at its worst.

    But ILS is expensive to install and maintain, so smaller regional airports often forego it. The same is true of many new or expanding airports. Even with larger airports, in many cases only their busiest runways are equipped with ILS. So EGNOS offers a cost-effective way of safely increasing use of remaining runways, boosting the flexibility of any given airport.

    “By reducing the value of the minima — the lowest safely guided altitude — for non-ILS runways, EGNOS increases the efficiency and safety of aircraft landings,” added Bousquie. “The take-up of EGNOS by European airports remains relatively low for now, but this should change over time. And with the A350, we are really designing for the long term — each aircraft will have a working life of 25 to 30 years.”

    “Every qualified commercial airline pilot has been trained on ILS, to follow its radio beam,” Bousquie said. “So the Satellite Landing System works by having them follow the same type of cues as much as possible on a ILS ‘look-alike’ basis, employing all available navigation data including EGNOS.”

    A pair of onboard Multi Mode Receivers manage the A350’s radio sensors, compute the deviations and ensure interface with display and guidance systems.

  • Derailed Train in Philadelphia Lacked Automatic Controls

    An automatic train control system — many of which use GPS — was not installed on the commuter rail route where an Amtrak train left the track on Tuesday, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The advanced safety technology, known as positive train control, is designed to prevent high-speed derailments.

    Seven people were killed and more than 200 injured when Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 with seven cars derailed while rounding a curve at more than double the 50-mph speed limit.

    An Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES) was due to be installed on the route before the end of the year.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation describes these methods of positive train control, most of which use GPS:

    • ACSES (Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System). A transponder-based system, in use on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor originally put into use on the Northeast Corridor by the specific requirements of an Order of Particular Applicability. This type of positive train control system has been approved and certified by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
    • ETMS (Electronic Train Management System). A GPS- and communications-based system being deployed by BNSF Railway.
    • I-ETMS (formerly called Vital Electronic Train Management System). A GPS- and communications-based system, not yet ready for deployment. It is the system of choice for CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. BNSF Railway is to upgrade to it when software is available; various passenger/commuter and other railroads are adopting it for compatibility and interoperability.
    • ITCS (Incremental Train Control System). A GPS- and communications-based system used by Amtrak on its Michigan line, authorized for passenger train speeds up to 110 mph, originally put into use by the specific requirements of an FRA-approved waiver. ITCS certification through Amtrak’s request for expedited certification process is pending successful resolution of a few remaining issues before FRA approval for certification.

    The Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 mandates that positive train control be implemented across a significant portion of the nation’s rail industry by Dec. 31, 2015.

  • Satnav Augmentation Systems Settle on Common Channels Post-2020

    Satnav Augmentation Systems Settle on Common Channels Post-2020

    EGNOS is Europe’s first venture into satellite navigation. EGNOS broadcasts augmented information through a trio of geostationary satellites linked to a network of monitoring ground stations, to sharpen the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals across the continent.
    EGNOS is Europe’s first venture into satellite navigation. EGNOS broadcasts augmented information through a trio of geostationary satellites linked to a network of monitoring ground stations, to sharpen the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals across the continent. (artist’s concept: ESA)

    News from the European Space Agency

    The next decade’s aircraft pilots will be able to rely on enhanced, reliable satellite navigation signals on a seamless basis across much of the world, thanks to decisions made at the latest gathering of worldwide satnav augmentation system providers and experts.

    The U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) are leading examples of satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) that apply additional ground stations and satellite transponders to sharpen the accuracy and reliability of existing satnav services across given geographical regions.

    These performance enhancements permit satnav to be employed for safety-of-life services, especially aviation. Such systems are based on the U.S. GPS for now, but plans are being laid to move to a multi-constellation design employing Europe’s Galileo, China’s Beidou and Russia’s GLONASS satnav systems beyond 2020.

    The 28th Satellite-based Augmentation Systems Interoperability Working Group (IWG), planning standardization of SBAS systems to come, was hosted at ESA’s ESTEC technical centre at Noordwijk, the Netherlands, on April 1-3.

    The ESTEC facility in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
    The ESTEC facility in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. (Photo: ESA)

    All participants unanimously endorsed the “message definition” for a new secondary SBAS channel — to be known as L5, along with the current L1 — for the planned second-generation SBAS systems, which will utilize dual-frequency multi-constellation signals.

    Using dual frequencies greatly increases the accuracy of navigation systems, by allowing interference from the ionosphere — an electrically active outer layer of Earth’s atmosphere — to be largely subtracted from the final result.

    “This definition is presented in what is called the Dual Frequency Multi-Constellation Definition document,” explained Didier Flament, representing ESA. “It represents the outcome of a four-year activity, which started at IWG 19 in Japan, back in 2010, coordinated between all IWG members under the technical leadership of ESA and French space agency CNES on the European side, and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and Stanford University on the U.S. side.

    “The formal IWG review loop for the document took six months to conclude, with this IWG 28 then allowing endorsements to be gathered by SBAS project managers, culminating in formal signatures to the document,” Flament said.

    Planned_SBAS_coverage_for_2020-W
    SBAS coverage for 2020: Comparing current worldwide SBAS coverage — based on WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS — to the situation envisaged for 2020–25: near-global coverage based on WAAS, EGNOS, MAAS, SDCM and GAGAN, with an expanded network of stations in the southern hemisphere, all based on a common dual-frequency/dual satnav standard being finalized by the SBAS Interoperability Working Group. (Image: ESA)

    IWG members now intend to have this document accepted by the official international SBAS standardization bodies: the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the U.S. Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment.

    “This next step is very important,” added Didier. “Not only for the coming 2016-22 implementation of the European EGNOS v3 but for implementation of other second generation SBAS in other regions of the world.”

    The meeting also reported on the state of development of the other global SBAS systems. Along with the four operational systems — the U.S. WAAS, European EGNOS, Japan’s Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS) and India’s GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation or GPS and geo-augmented navigation system (GAGAN) — these comprise South Korea’s KASS, China’s Beidou SBAS, Russia’s System for Differential Corrections and Monitoring (SDCM) and the West African Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) SBAS.

    The follow-up IWG meeting will take place in October, hosted by the FAA in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the next RTCA meeting.

  • Expert Advice: Sensor Fusion for Highly Automated Driving

    High-Precision GNSS Needs Help for Continuous Localization Reliability

    By Siamak Akhlaghi

    Automotive safety and comfort functions, known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), have become an essential part of modern vehicles. These functions assist drivers in the driving process, providing capabilities such as adaptive cruise control or highway driving mode. To achieve a desired level of performance, the position of the vehicle must be known. Precise positioning supports the vehicle’s systems with planning, executing and monitoring of a particular maneuver.

    Position determination, or localization, is the estimation of the location, heading, velocity and acceleration of a vehicle with respect to a fixed coordinate system. High-precision GNSS provides an excellent, worldwide, absolute position reference for localization. However, GNSS technology alone has limitations that must be overcome to make it suitable for use in autonomous systems. For instance, GNSS signals may become blocked or lost due to: obstructions such as in urban canyon or tunnels; multipath, where signals are reflected off the vehicle body; or signal interference from other RF signal sources.

    Siamak Akhlaghi
    Siamak Akhlaghi

    GNSS correction data and data from other sensors on the vehicle can be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of the vehicle localization solution both globally and with respect to the local environment. To achieve the localization performance, accuracy and integrity required for autonomous vehicles, a multi-system, sensor fusion approach seems to be the most promising. Localization systems will require absolute positioning references like precision GNSS as well as local or relative positioning inputs from inertial sensors, odometers, radar, LiDAR, cameras, infrared and ultrasound sensors. It is clear that no single technology will make highly automated driving possible. Rather, the fusion of the entire vehicle’s sensing technologies will provide the localization accuracy and reliability required.

    Achieving Accuracy and Reliability with GNSS

    GNSS has revolutionized localization in many applications, from precision survey to agricultural guidance. For autonomous driving applications, localization accuracy of 30 centimeters (cm) or less is required. The single-frequency, auto-grade GNSS receivers that have been used in vehicles up to now cannot achieve this level of accuracy. Multi-frequency GNSS receivers utilizing Precise Point Positioning (PPP) correction techniques can achieve accuracies better than 10 cm. PPP algorithms combine GNSS satellite clock and orbit correction data from a global reference station network with high precision GNSS receiver satellite observations to yield robust sub-decimeter positioning without the need for local base stations. Since the PPP corrections can be delivered via satellite, the solution is ideal for highly automated driving where communications infrastructure is costly and in some areas may not be available. Recent advances in PPP techniques provide robust positioning and the ability to quickly regain full accuracy following a temporary loss of GNSS signals, for instance under foliage or highway overpasses.

    Figure 1. High precision / localization with sensor fusion.
    Figure 1. High-precision / localization with sensor fusion.

    Sensor Fusion

    Occasional instantaneous irregularities and temporary outages of GNSS can be compensated for by incorporating measurements of the vehicle motion from inertial sensors mounted in the vehicle. An advantage of a tightly coupled GNSS-inertial solution is that the low frequency errors inherent to inertial sensors can be compensated for and removed from the solution. As a result, sensor fusion algorithms provide a highly robust and stable localization solution at data rates as high as 200 Hz. Other sensors in the vehicle, such as odometers, cameras or LiDAR, can also give information about the relative motion of the vehicle and can add to the redundancy, reliability and stability of the localization solution.

    Figure 2. With a tightly coupled GNSS-inertial solution, low-frequency errors can be removed from the localization solution. The brown dots are the GNSS solution, the blue dots are the inertial solution, and the combined colors represent the tightly coupled solution.
    Figure 2. With a tightly coupled GNSS-inertial solution, low-frequency errors can be removed from the localization solution. The brown dots are the GNSS solution, the blue dots are the inertial solution, and the combined colors represent the tightly coupled solution.

    High-Precision GNSS Antenna

    Antennas play a critical role in achieving precise localization with GNSS. While GNSS antenna requirements differ depending on the application, ideally the antenna should receive only signals above the horizon, have a known and stable phase center that is co-located with the geometrical center of the antenna, and have perfect circular polarization characteristics to maximize the reception of the incoming signals. Highly automated driving applications demand high performance as well as compact size and strong interference rejection. Achieving the required performance amidst these challenging constraints will require innovative new GNSS antenna designs.

    Autonomous driving will be a reality in the not-too-distant future. Innovation in the suite of sensors and fusion algorithms used for solving the localization challenge will be paramount to making safe and reliable autonomous vehicles. Further, innovation developed for automotive autonomy will support new autonomous vehicle applications in other segments.

    High-precision antennas are key.
    High-precision antennas are key.

    Siamak Akhlaghi is segment manager for Autonomous Systems at NovAtel. He has 20 years of professional experience working for high-tech sectors with broad experience in inertial sensors and navigation systems.

  • Protecting Position in Critical Operations

    Jamming Signals Criminal Activity in Intermodal Ports

    By Logan Scott

    More than 25 million containers pass through U.S. intermodal ports every year, with port operations valued at more than $1 billion per day. Measured in 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), the World Bank reports that worldwide, more than 600 million TEU passed through intermodal ports in 2012: 155 million through Chinese ports, 95 million through the EU ports and 43 million through U.S. ports.

    The Port of Long Beach alone handled 6,820,806 TEU in 2014. GPS is a central component of automated port operations, but because GPS is widely used in asset tracking and monitoring, it has also become a target for denial-of-service attacks. If we look to the history of computer security, the initial attacks were mostly nuisances, but as criminals figured out how to monetize attacks, the attacks became more damaging, more sophisticated and more profitable.

    In January, the U.S. Coast Guard held a public meeting on Maritime Cybersecurity Standards at Department of Transportation headquarters in Washington, D.C. Brett Rouzer, chief of Maritime Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Protection, Coast Guard Cyber Command, described how a major East Coast intermodal shipping facility was degraded by a GPS disruption for more than seven hours. Two ship-to-shore cranes ceased operation due to loss of position, and two others were degraded. Ports are highly automated; ship-to-shore cranes are just one of the container-handling systems critically reliant on GPS. Fully automated ports providing services for unmanned container ships, trucks and trains lie within the realm of feasibility in the near future.

    Rouzer did not specify the motivates for the disruption, how the attack was mounted, or if the shipping facility was even the intended target of the attack (I suspect it was not). Jamming is not a highly selective process, and it can affect numerous unintended targets.

    In June 2014, I reported to the PNT Advisory Board on how every third or fourth truck on Highway 30B near Portland (Oregon) International Airport was radiating at or near the GPS L1 frequency. This highway leads to several nearby Port of Portland intermodal terminals west of the airport. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently reported that “In 46 reported incidents, the thieves placed one or more GPS jammers in cargo containers with stolen automobiles” (italics mine). High-end automobiles command premium prices in foreign markets and are stolen and shipped out of the country within hours, usually via intermodal container. Active jammers can affect not only the automobile’s GPS tracker, but also trackers on other containers, ship’s navigation systems, straddle carriers and ship-to-shore cranes. Again, jamming is not selective.

    Of particular note as cited above, criminals are beginning to use multiple jammers. Car theft rings are not unique in this. According to the Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition in July 2014, “a tractor and trailer hauling $2 million worth of pharmaceutical products was stolen from a truck stop in Cartersville, Georgia, with the thieves deploying two separate GSM jammers.” The criminal’s motivation is that tracking devices can be hard to find and disable; just because you found one doesn’t mean that there isn’t another. The use of multiple jammers in criminal enterprise is indicative of a threat escalation where bad actors are seeking higher effect. This could lead to higher jamming powers and so on; and also more collateral damage.

    Response

    What is a correct and measured response to threats against navigation and timing? The key is to be on the lookout for emerging threats and to have a flexible response. Early detection usually yields a more effective and lower cost response; witness Ebola and ISIS. Following a public health model would seem to offer better prospects for protecting access to PNT. To this end, I would argue that situational awareness is the first important step.

    One of the most striking comments that Sarah Mahmood (DHS) made at last June’s PNT Advisory Board meeting was about how backup systems are often not activated or used because the GPS receiver fails to recognize that there is a problem. As we move towards resilient PNT architectures, one of the most critical needs is to be able to distinguish good signals from bad signals and act accordingly.

    Most GNSS receivers already have fairly advanced jamming detection capabilities by virtue of having an automatic gain control. Sudden changes in precorrelation input power levels are not normal and can indicate jamming or RF spoofing. Many GNSS receivers, particularly those that go into embedded mobile applications, also have sophisticated spectrum- and temporal-analysis capabilities, used mainly for diagnostic purposes in looking for interference sources from other components of the device. This same capability can be used in detecting and fingerprinting jammers. We already have the smoke alarms; we must amplify their use and visibility to the wider community of GNSS users and beyond.

    Detection

    One notable aspect of the port incident was the duration: more than seven hours. Rapidly finding and disabling the jammer was clearly a problem in this case. The old adage is that to find a stationary source (jammer) you need to be moving, and to find a moving source, you need to be stationary. Trucks and trains entering or leaving a port all pass through gates that can act as a simple chokepoint for detecting and finding active jammers. Properly hardened ship-to-shore cranes and straddle carriers can also act as a chokepoint. Straddle carriers used in moving containers around the yard and between modes could be very good at finding stationary jammers.

    There are numerous relatively low-cost approaches for finding jammers in support of enforcement actions. One additional point: law enforcement officials need to be better educated as to why they should be interested in jammers; jammers point towards a crime much like smoke points to a fire.

    Given the economic criticality of port operations and the concentration of assets (and asset trackers), we may see increased incidence of GPS disruptions. The situation is not critical yet, but it does bear watching. If jamming events increase or it takes too long to find and disable jammers, improved operational resilience will be needed.

    Inertial measurement units are already used in many critical applications, but they don’t offer long-duration capability. They drift. Using adaptive arrays in critical equipments is another possibility, but they are not a panacea. Adaptive arrays are physically large, and standard null-steering approaches are not compatible with RTK processing. Precise positioning systems based on GNSS require specialized antenna-receiver designs to achieve a high level of jam resistance.

    While I strongly believe eLoran is an urgently needed augmentation for resilient wide area navigation, it is not capable of the centimeter-level precision required for machine control, for example ship-to-shore cranes and straddle carriers.

    High-precision local-area positioning systems based on optical systems, RFID and/or Locata-style systems may be the best approach for creating a defense in depth.

    And then there is the cybersecurity question, which I will leave for another day.

    Note: A video of the Coast Guard meeting is on YouTube. Rouzer’s talk starts at 36:30, with the port jamming incident mentioned at 48:51.

    Logan Scott has 35 years of military and civil GPS systems engineering experience. He is a consultant specializing in radio frequency signal processing and waveform design. At Texas Instruments, he pioneered approaches for building high-performance, jamming-resistant digital receivers. He is a co-founder of Lonestar Aerospace, an advanced decision analytics company in Texas. Logan is a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation and holds 37 U.S. patents.

  • FAA Hits Milestone for NextGen Air Traffic Control

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced a significant NextGen milestone with the completion of En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), a highly advanced computer system used by air traffic controllers to safely manage high-altitude traffic.

    ERAM was designed to be the operating platform for NextGen technologies, including the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. ADS-B transmits information about altitude, airspeed and location derived through GPS from an equipped aircraft to ground stations and to other equipped aircraft in the vicinity. Air traffic controllers use the information to “see” participating aircraft in real time with the goal of improving traffic management.

    “Looking at the future of air travel, we know that there will be more planes in our skies and more people in our airports, and in order to meet this challenge we must integrate cutting-edge technology into our aviation system,” said Secretary Foxx.  “ERAM is a major step forward in our relentless efforts to develop and implement NextGen. With this new technology, passengers will be able to get to their destinations, faster, safer, and have a smoother ride — all while burning less fuel to get there.”

    ERAM is the backbone of operations at 20 of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) en route air traffic control centers. The system, a crucial foundation for NextGen, drives display screens used by air traffic controllers to safely manage and separate aircraft.

    “ERAM gives us a big boost in technological horsepower over the system it replaces,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “This computer system enables each controller to handle more aircraft over a larger area, resulting in increased safety, capacity, and efficiency.”

    The first ERAM system went online at Salt Lake City Center in March 2012.  The final installation was completed last month at New York Center.

    ERAM uses nearly two million lines of computer code to process critical data for controllers, including aircraft identity, altitude, speed, and flight path. The system almost doubles the number of flights that can be tracked and displayed to controllers.

    Other NextGen technologies include:

    • Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B): The FAA is moving steadily toward replacing the old system of ground-based radars to track aircraft with one that relies on satellite-based technologies, including GPS. ERAM already receives information from aircraft equipped with ADS-B and displays that data on controllers’ screens. This technology has made it possible for controllers to provide radar-like separation to aircraft that previously operated in areas where no radar is available, such as the Gulf of Mexico and large parts of Alaska. ADS-B will replace radar as the primary means of tracking aircraft by 2020.
    • Performance Based Navigation (PBN): Controllers are already using ERAM to make use of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures that enable controllers and flight crews to know exactly when to reduce the thrust on aircraft, allowing them to descend from cruising altitude to the runway with the engines set at idle power, saving on flying time and fuel consumption.
    • Data Comm: To reduce congestion on radio frequencies, the FAA and the aviation industry continue to develop Data Comm, which will allow controllers and pilots to communicate by direct digital link rather than voice, similar to text messaging. ERAM is already equipped to handle this technology.

    Secretary Foxx and Administrator Huerta attributed the success of the development and installation of ERAM to the collaboration between FAA management and labor, including the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS).  This collaborative process is now a blueprint that will be applied to the rollout of future technologies.

    To see how ERAM works, watch the FAA’s video.

  • u-blox Joins CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium

    u-blox, a wireless and positioning module maker, has become a member of the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium. The industrial-driven consortium is dedicated to the development and deployment of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS).

    The consortium’s ultimate goal is to improve road traffic safety and efficiency. It is working to develop roadmaps for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications and to harmonize related standards. Lane-accurate positioning and short-range communication technology, both a focus of u-blox, play an important role for ITS applications.

    u-blox is a provider of wireless positioning and communications modules and chips to the automotive industry. “We see the work of the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium as pivotal to the success of C-ITS deployment, both in Europe and further afield,” u-blox CEO Thomas Seiler said. “Its working groups and technical committee are undertaking very important work to ensure that vehicle communications technologies will contribute to saving lives and reduce injury by making our roads safer. We’re delighted to be able to contribute to that effort.”

  • J.D. Power: Collision Tops Nav, Paves Way for Autonomous Driving

    Three of the top five technologies consumers most prefer in their next vehicle are related to collision protection, according to a new J.D. Power 2015 U.S. Tech Choice Study.

    Technologies that reduce the overall burden of driving and enhance the safety of the vehicle and its occupants receive the most consumer attention. Among the technologies consumers express most interest in having in their next vehicle are blind spot detection and prevention systems, night vision, and enhanced collision mitigation systems. These findings demonstrate growing customer acceptance towards the concept of the vehicle taking over critical functions such as braking and steering, which are the foundational building blocks leading to the possibility of fully-autonomous driving. The only non-collision protection technologies to crack the top five are camera rearview mirror, which falls into the driving assistance category, and self-healing paint, a comfort and convenience category.

    In contrast, technologies in the navigation category have low preference across all vehicle price segments.

    The inaugural study uses advanced statistical methodologies to measure preference for and perceived value of future and emerging technologies. A total of 59 advanced vehicle features are examined across six major categories: entertainment and connectivity; comfort and convenience; collision protection; driving assistance; navigation; and energy efficiency.

    “There is a tremendous interest in collision protection technologies across all generations, which creates opportunities across the market,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and HMI research at J.D. Power. “In contrast, there is very little interest in energy efficiency technologies such as active shutter grille vents and solar glass roofs. Owners aren’t as enthusiastic about having these technologies in their next vehicle because of other efforts automakers are taking to improve fuel economy, as well as relatively low fuel prices at the present time.”

    Chart: J.D. Power

    Gen Y Willing to Spend Most for Technology

    Across all generations, price is the most important consideration for technology, accounting for 25.2 percent of importance. Gen Y is the least sensitive to technology price and shows a greater willingness to spend on new technologies than the other generations. Gen Y consumers, who have accounted for 27.7 percent of new-vehicle sales thus far in 2015 — second only to Boomers at 37.1 percent — are willing to spend an average of $3,703 on technology for their next vehicle. Gen X is willing to spend $3,007, while Boomers, who show the greatest price sensitivity, and Pre-Boomers are willing to spend only $2,416 and $2,067, respectively.

    Chart: J.D. Power

    Importance of Technology

    A certainty in the automotive domain is the impact the consumer electronics world has had upon it. From shifting consumer expectations of user interaction, to the rapid pace of technology introduction and importance of keeping software up to date, to the miniaturization and creation of cost-effective solutions for sensors and cameras, “the auto industry is standing on its head to keep technology up to consumers’ new standards,” said Kolodge. “Those who haven’t done so have seen negative feedback from consumers.”

    Apple CarPlay vs. Google Android Auto

    Smartphones play an increasingly vital role in everyday life, and vehicle technology is beginning to mirror what is offered on those devices, yet Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto technologies consistently have among the lowest preference scores across all generations.

    Consumer preferences for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are uniquely dependent on which smartphone they own. Those who currently own a smartphone that is compatible with one of these technologies would choose the technology compatible with their phone at only a moderate rate, while those with the opposite brand of smartphone will rarely, if ever, choose that technology. For example, Android owners indicate that Apple CarPlay is “unacceptable” nearly twice as often as they indicate that solar glass roof is unacceptable.

    Similarly, Apple phone owners indicate that Android Auto is “unacceptable” nearly twice as often as solar glass roof.

    Kolodge noted that “lukewarm interest in these technologies that connect your phone to your vehicle coupled with consumer loyalty to their phone poses a unique challenge for automakers, which could be remedied by knowing their customers’ phone preferences.”

    “Owners of luxury vehicles tend to own iOS devices, 1 so for many luxury brands, offering Apple CarPlay may be the best option, realizing they may be leaving out a portion of the market,” said Kolodge. “For nonluxury vehicle brands, the ownership of Apple and Android devices is much closer to an equal split. The solution for those brands may be to offer both operating systems and allow customers to select the option best suited for them.”

    Key Findings

    • Full self-driving automation technology, part of the collision protection category, is designed to perform all safety-critical driving functions and monitor roadway conditions. The younger generations (Gen Y and Gen X) have substantially higher preference for the technology than the older generations (Boomer and Pre-Boomer). The Pre-Boomer generation, in contrast, has a greater preference for lower levels of automation, such as traffic jam assist.
    • Blind spot detection and prevention has high preference across the range of vehicle price segments. In contrast, reverse auto braking systems have low preference across the vehicle price segments and preference wanes as vehicle prices increase.
    • Advanced sensor technologies, such as hand gesture controlled seats, biometric driver sensors or haptic touch screens have low preference.
    • Technologies in the navigation category have low preference across all vehicle price segments.

    The 2015 U.S. Tech Choice Study was fielded in January through March 2015 and is based on an online survey of more than 5,300 consumers who purchased/leased a new vehicle in the past five years.

  • FAA: GBAS Operational at Airports Worldwide

    FAA: GBAS Operational at Airports Worldwide

    Delta Boeing 737 lands at Newark using GBAS.
    Delta Boeing 737 lands at Newark using GBAS.

    Delta Airlines made a perfect Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) Landing System (GLS) landing at Liberty Newark International Airport on Feb. 18, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s SatNavNews newsletter.

    Delta now joins United Airlines and British Airways as airlines that use the GBAS at Newark.

    More GBAS locations around the world are reaching operational status, and airline operations using GBAS are increasing as additional GLS-equipped aircraft are entering service for the various airlines. Boeing has confirmed that many of the customers who have ordered multiple 787s, 747-8s or 737s have publicly stated their intention to use the GLS capability on these aircraft.

    More than 1,000 Boeing GLS-equipped aircraft are now in use, and this number is growing by an estimated 25 airplanes per month. This estimate is based upon current production rates — one third of 737s are being equipped with the GLS option. GLS is standard on 787 and 747-8 aircraft.

    The list below provides a summary of the airlines using GBAS and the airports where GLS approaches are flown on a regular basis.

    U.S. Carriers

    • Delta Airlines – Houston, Newark
    • United Airlines – Houston, Newark

    Non-U.S. Carriers

    • Air Berlin – Bremen, Malaga
    • British Airways – Newark
    • Cathay Pacific – Houston, Sydney (plans for Newark in the future)
    • Emirates Airlines – Frankfurt, Houston, Sydney, Zurich
    • Lufthansa – Frankfurt, Houston
    • Qantas – Sydney
    • Swiss Air – Zurich
    • TUIfly – Malaga
    • Various Russian airlines (S7, Transaero, Utair, Sakhalin Energy, Gaspromavia Russia). Fifteen GBAS locations in Russia have been approved with each airline using different airports (Domodedovo, Pulkovo, Tyumen, Ostafyevo, Nogliki and others).

    The commitment to GBAS development and implementation continues to grow, according to the FAA, with plans to implement GBAS in these additional locations:

    • Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    • Chennai, India
    • Gimpo, South Korea
    • London Heathrow, United Kingdom
    • Melbourne, Australia
    • Oslo, Norway
    • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    • St. Helena, United Kingdom.

  • Ford, Telogis Expand Partnership to Commercial UK Customers

    Ford Motor Company and Telogis have expanded their exclusive partnership to bring Ford Telematics powered by Telogis to Ford’s commercial customers in the United Kingdom first, with other European markets to follow later this summer. Ford Telematics uses real-time information from Ford vehicles to enable businesses with workers in the field to have insight into vehicle location, driver behavior and fuel consumption.

    The telematics can save companies up to 20 percent on fuel, according to a 2012 Frost & Sullivan report.

    Since 2011, Telogis has been the exclusive technology provider to power Ford Telematics (formerly Ford Crew Chief) in the U.S. and Canada, with comprehensive and scalable telematics for commercial customers. The UK expansion of the Telogis-Ford partnership leverages the success of Ford Telematics in the U.S. and Canada and will meet the demand from current and new Ford customers in the UK for in the visibility into day-to-day operations including Ford vehicle diagnostics.

    “Ford Telematics is an innovative system that can deliver reductions in cost of ownership for businesses that operate Ford’s Transit commercial vehicles,” said Paul McDermott, manager, CV aftersales, Ford of Britain. “Real-time vehicle location and diagnostic data provides fleet customers with a powerful tool to manage their vehicles more effectively and also encourage safer driving.”

    Making its debut at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show, Ford Telematics will be available to fleet customers in May as a dealer-installed option, offered through Ford’s network of specialist Transit Centres.

    Ford Telematics functions by securely transmitting vehicle data and metrics from the vehicle to a dedicated Telogis website via an embedded cellular connection. The telematics system’s ability to access proprietary Ford vehicle data enables operators to track details such as oil change warnings, water contamination in diesel fuel, tire pressure, safety belt usage and airbag status.

    “The reality of being able to visualize field staff and the performance of each Ford vehicle — all on one screen — is here,” said Paul Reynolds, automotive director at Telogis. “This visibility enables Ford commercial customers to provide better service for their own customers and run their businesses more productively and efficiently — it’s no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘have to have’ solution.”

    Based on the real-time data, the Ford Telematics powered by Telogis software platform delivers a comprehensive range of actionable business information that enables fleet managers to operate their vehicles in the most efficient way and to help ensure drivers are following safe and economical driving practices.

    Advances include a suite of more than 80 pre-loaded reports, integration with established business operating systems and fuel card services. Ford Telematics and the Telogis platform also allow for a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) approach, helping to further reduce hardware costs and increase productivity.

    Ford Telematics is compatible with Ford’s latest range of Transit commercial vehicles — including the all-new Transit, Transit Custom, Transit Connect and Transit Courier — as well as the Ford Ranger pickup. Additionally, the same Telogis hardware can be fitted to any other vehicles on the fleet, regardless of manufacturer, allowing informed fleet managers to view the whole fleet in one place, with all the usual driver performance and vehicle tracking information that they expect.

    Ford Telematics also provides a gateway to the broader cloud-based Telogis platform that includes a suite of connected vehicle technologies including route optimisation and planning, commercial-grade navigation, work order management and mobile applications to drive additional efficiencies and productivity for mobile enterprises.

    “Ford Telematics is another example of Ford facilitating the delivery of smart technology to help our customers enjoy the highest quality, safest and most sustainable operation of commercial vehicles available today,” said Nick Themistocleous, director, Fleet Operations, Ford of Britain.

     

     

  • Fleetmatics Report Shows Retail Sales Correlate with Fleet Activity

    Fleetmatics has released the second edition of its FleetBeat Report, an in-depth analysis of tens of billions of data points extracted from thousands of commercial fleets managed using the company’s Software as a service (SaaS) platform over a span of four years. The report, “FleetBeat, Vol. 2: The Economy in Motion,” was co-authored by Stephen Fuller, Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.

    Fleetmatics says the data included in the report reveals that performance of small businesses in the services industry directly reflects the health of the economy.

    “It has long been said that retail sales trends are often impacted by the health of small business,” said Jim Travers, chairman and chief executive officer of Fleetmatics. “Fleetmatics is uniquely positioned to analyze small business services activity given we have one of the largest fleet management data clouds in the world. Also, our customers are typically in the earlier phases of consumer consumption, such as distribution of goods and home deliveries.”

    fleetmatics_infographic_fleetbeat2

    As outlined in the report, the data extracted from Fleetmatics fleet management data cloud suggests that performance of small business services companies can be a highly credible indicator of national and regional economic health, even under changing conditions. The report also looks at small business services performance and retail sales in four Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and concludes that geographic features can significantly define regional small business activity profiles.

    “This is truly a groundbreaking new report, viewed from the perspective of the fleet management industry,” said Fuller. “Based on Fleetmatics’ FleetBeat second edition report, Fleetmatics data explains much of the variation and growth in retail sales. Furthermore, when comparing the Fleetmatics’ small business service fleet activity data with the retail sales data from Moody’s and the U.S. Bureau of Census, it’s clear the two data sets exhibit an extremely high correlation. I believe the ability to analyze real-time telematics data can now be considered an accurate data source on the small business flow of goods and service.”

    With a dataset of over 10.7 billion telematics-generated data points from commercial vehicles managed with the Company’s SaaS platform in the United States, the report used regression analysis to compare the data with national monthly retail sales data.

    There were eight telematics-derived, independent parameters considered in the analysis, both in aggregate and at the per vehicle level, including those related to mileage, number of vehicle stops, mileage per stop, number of active vehicle days per month and number of vehicles active in a month. The data was drawn from small business customers defined as entities having fleets from 5 to 100 vehicles, and only fleets from business types that were related to or supporting retail and service sectors were considered.

    The report also examined regional differences that drive activities of small business services companies in four markets: New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami. The result was an in-depth breakdown of the most prominent indicators of small business economic activity and correlation to retails sales in each core market.

    Fleetmatics’ first FleetBeat report highlighted the economic impact of telematics adoption and quantifiable benefits of business intelligence-driven fleet management. The report found that the total estimated economic impact of commercial fleet vehicles armed with telematics – assuming everyone had the same results as Fleetmatics’ optimized customers – would amount to $2.2 billion in fuel savings, a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions by 5 tons per year and $34.9 billion in total cost savings due to decrease in payroll hours.

  • Traqueur Unveils Autonomous Mobile Beacon Nano

    Traqueur Unveils Autonomous Mobile Beacon Nano

    Photo: TraqueurTraqueur, a French-based company in the field of advanced telematics, has introduced Nano, an autonomous mobile beacon for the protection of property and objects designed to optimize the potential of the Sigfox network.

    Nano uses radio and GPS to track indoor and outdoor location, has a battery life of three to five years and is named Nano for its compactness.

    In June 2014, Traqueur formed a strategic technical partnership with Sigfox, the sole operator of the global cellular network for the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine communications.

    Nano displays functionalities of UHF direction finding, providing the ability to locate buried and hidden objects. It also has a high-sensitivity GPS module and an integrated antenna to transmit its position through the Sigfox network when the beacon moves.

    Nano’s roaming features open up prospects for international marketing.

    The development of Nano has received support from BPI Ile-de-France (Paris region).

    “Certified Sigfox Ready and provided with mixed UHF/GPS technology, the Nano beacon means that we can offer the widest range of technology solutions of the track and trace type on the market and can address new segments including merchandise and logistics, for example,” said Marc Verdet, CEO of Traqueur. “We are also accelerating our international development through distribution partnerships in every country with a SIGFOX network infrastructure.”

    “The development of this new beacon by Tracker, based on our network, is extremely innovative and shows the limitless scope for innovation that SIGFOX technology allows, “Stuart Lodge, Executive Vice President Global Sales at SIGFOX. “This technology gives by far the longest battery life on the market, a decisive advantage for applications such as the location of property. The solution developed byTraqueur, because it is very demanding, confirms the legitimacy of our technology wherever the SIGFOX network is deployed.”

    DiscoverTraqueur in forthcoming trade shows in France:

    · Flotte Auto meeting, March 19, 2015 – Palais Brongniart – Paris Stand B07

    · DLR Congress, March 26 & 27, 2015 – CNIT Paris – Stand 44

    · MtoM & Connected Objects show on April 1 & 2 – CNIT Paris – Stand E7 Conference: Innovation in value-added services around the IoT. Tracker Nano presentation workshop.

    · Intermat from April 20 to 25, 2015 – Paris -Nord Villepinte – Booth 6B022