The U.S. Department of Transportation’s most recent document preparing for the future of self-driving cars almost entirely ignores positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) needs, according to the Resilient Navigation and Timing (RNT) Foundation. And when it does address GPS, it gets things wrong. A Dec. 3 deadline looms for interested parties to file their comments with DOT.
The comment period is open until December 3. Interested parties can make their own comments and read those already submitted at the website for Docket DOT-OST-2018-0149.
The cited comment from the RNT Foundation states that, while most self-driving cars are being designed to navigate without external inputs, GPS/GNSS will still be required to initialize location information for vehicle cold startups. Also, most vehicles will reference GPS/GNSS when communicating their positions to other vehicles and traffic control systems.
Much of the benefit of automated vehicles will come from their participation in Intelligent Transportations Systems. This means wireless networks. The RNT Foundation also urges the department to consider these networks’ critical dependence on GPS timing synchronization in their plans going forward.
(Image: Pavel Vinnik/Shutterstock.com)
The Secretary of Transportation has had a mandate to provide a backup capability for GPS since 2004 that has not been acted upon. The RNT Foundation comments observe that doing so could greatly mitigate all of the concerns mentioned.
Dana Goward is president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, based in Washington D.C.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the December 2018 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
Combination antenna
Long-range connectivity
Photo: Molex
The Molex highly compact 2.4/5-GHz combination GPS/Wi-Fi ceramic antenna is designed to be a cost-competitive solution covering the full GNSS band, 1.561 to 5.85 GHz. The triple-band ceramic antenna has Wi-Fi HaLow compatibility and is interference-resistant, supporting larger but lower (900-MHz) frequency ranges than 2.4/5-GHz connections. It also operates with lower power over longer ranges than 2.4/5-GHz Wi-Fi. Advanced Wi-Fi applications the internet of things, connected cars, smart homes and smart cities.
The MSB1054 multi-receiver module requires no external components, meeting needs of smartwatches, fitness trackers, logistics and navigation. Its Flash memory saves navigation data to optimize performance and provide a hot start. The ability to receive signals from several satellite systems significantly reduces the time to first fix. The module provides a built-in RF-front end (SAW filter, low-noise amplifier) as well as a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO), so no external component is required other than an antenna. It measures 5.8 × 6.2 × 1 millimeters and uses 3.4 mA current in low-power mode, such as for tracking.
The GE310-GNSS is an internet of things (IoT) module with GSM/GPRS, multi-constellation satellite positioning and Bluetooth functionality in a 270-millimeter-squared form factor. It meets European demand for GSM/GPRS compact form factors and is part of Telit’s migration-support program that helps customers leverage 2G’s low cost and broad coverage while preparing for 4G and 5G. The GE310 enables OEMs and system integrators in asset management, utilities and telematics to meet the strong demand for low-cost, highly compact devices without tradeoffs in performance, reliability and functionality, particularly in regional markets such as Europe, where 2G is forecast to remain in strong growth in number of IoT connections for many years.
With multi-sensor fusion positioning and orientation
Photo: Unicore
The CLAP-B multi-GNSS/MEMS integrated inertial navigation board features a miniaturized high-performance inertial measurement unit (IMU) on a compact high-performance GNSS board. The high-accuracy GNSS positioning coupled with a high-precision gyro and accelerometer provides stable, continuous 3D position, velocity and attitude, as well as original acceleration and angular velocity measurements, even in GNSS-denied environments. CLAP (Concurrent Localization & Attitude Pilot) technology is a high-precision multi-sensor fusion positioning and orientation technology developed by Unicore. The board is compact, light weight and has low power consumption. It is designed for ease of integration and mass production, and is suitable for autonomous driving, smart surveying and UAVs.
The UNI-GR1 RTK GNSS receiver offers highly accurate heading and positioning output. It can be connected to any device through Wi-Fi, mobile data, radio, USB or serial cable. It simultaneously tracks GPS L1/L2/L5, GLONASS L1/L2, Galileo E1/E5a/E5b and Beidou B1/B2/B3 on 432 channels. The receiver has a built-in level, a LED ring driven by a nine-degrees-of-freedom inertial measurement unit. Users can configure numerous settings such as real-time kinematic, or begin surveying immediately with a smartphone or laptop.
Dynamic tilt functionality has been added to the Trimble SPS986 GNSS smart antenna. The dynamic tilt upgrade allows for faster data collection to enable construction surveyors to create larger digital terrain models faster and with improved accuracy. It can capture higher accuracy measurements on steeper slopes from a moving vehicle and more accurate volume measurements to save time and money on material planning. The dynamic tilt measurement mode also auto-measures antenna height. From inside the vehicle, contractors can set the height of the antenna and quickly interrogate surface models using the real-time 3D surface display in Trimble Siteworks field software.
The Skycatch Edge1 is an on-premise data processing and GNSS base station optimized for the Skycatch Explore1 and DJI Phantom 4 RTK drones. Field teams can fly a drone, process the data and receive centimeter-level data output in 30 minutes or less, directly to a tablet, without the need for internet or cellular connectivity. 2D maps and 3D point clouds can be shared from the tablet. The Edge1 includes built-in WiFi, LTE and reliable sub-5-centimeter accuracy, and delivers high-quality data output. It is also capable of running deep learning algorithms to extract more insights from collected data in near real time.
Drone surveying software Virtual Surveyor now eliminates the need for clients to use third-party applications to prepare data for processing. Version 6.1 handles on-the-fly projections that previously required a separate software package to set the data in the proper coordinate system. It bridges the gap between UAV photogrammetric processing applications and engineering computer-aided design (CAD) packages. The software generates an interactive onscreen environment with UAV orthophotos and digital surface models where the surveyor selects survey points and breaklines to define the topography, creating highly accurate topographic products for CAD input up to five times faster than otherwise possible. Surveyors can drag and drop all kinds of files into Virtual Surveyor: points, raster, vectors and point clouds. The point clouds are converted to a DSM for manipulation and processing, dramatically accelerating the time required to generate the CAD model.
Includes Efficiency Gap Measure to explore redistricting problems
Screenshot: Mapitude
Maptitude for Redistricting is a professional tool for political redistricting. Maptitude provides measures and reports that support the creation of fair and balanced districts, and regularly enhances the software. Maptitude was used to democratize redistricting in California and is used by redistricters from independent commissions, non-profits, and civil rights groups, to the courts and political parties.
Stockpile measurements are up to 80% more accurate
Photo: DJI
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone is now part of the Kespry stockpile measurement solution for mining and aggregates companies. Kespry’s stockpile measurement solution produces data up to 80% more accurate than manual measurement. All of the survey data is stored in a central cloud application, accessible for analysis by the entire team. Large aggregates and mining companies can standardize and capture stockpile data across all their sites in the Kespry platform, while using Kespry 2s or DJI Mavic 2 Pro drones.
Designed for next-generation automotive applications
Image: Quectel
The automotive-grade C-V2X module AG15 features the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset paired with Quectel LTE module AG35. It is designed to meet the telematics and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity requirements of autonomous driving and road safety. It features a built-in multi-constellation high-precision GNSS (GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo/QZSS) receiver with additional support from satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) and Qualcomm 3D dead-reckoning technology, which improves positioning accuracy and speed while simplifying customer designs. It is designed to allow low-latency, highly reliable and highly dense data exchange between vehicles and their surroundings, enabling effective information sharing among road users to avoid collisions, thus improving automotive safety, automated driving and traffic efficiency.
The SPC58 Chorus H microcontroller (MCU) line can run multiple applications concurrently to allow more flexible and cost-effective vehicle electronics architectures. The line is designed for high-end body, networking and security applications such as gateways, body-control modules, battery management and ADAS safety systems. The line has three high-performance processor cores, more than 1.2-MB RAM and powerful on-chip peripherals. The MCU securely delivers updates over the air for vehicle powertrain, body, chassis and infotainment features. With high security and large on-chip code storage, ST’s Chorus automotive microcontroller is a gateway/domain-controller chip capable of handling major OTA updates securely. Two independent Ethernet ports provide high-speed connectivity between multiple Chorus chips throughout the vehicle and enable responsive in-vehicle diagnostics.
The VBOX 3i RTK is a real-time-kinematic-enabled version of the VBOX 3i dual antenna that can be used in conjunction with an RTK differential base station to obtain ±2-centimeter positional accuracy in real time at 100 Hz. The data logger combines the advantages of a twin antenna GPS setup with GLONASS satellite tracking. It can be used in vehicle tests where positional accuracy and repeatability are of key importance, such as lane departure testing, distance to a fixed object or precise mapping. The VBOX 3i RTK comes with the VBOX manager, a display enabling users to change dynamic modes and filter settings, set up slip angle data and define antenna locations.
The StarLink TrackerWi‑Fi advanced vehicle-tracking device combines u-blox GNSS, 4G and Wi-Fi technology, eliminating the need to equip vehicles with a separate mobile Wi‑Fi hotspot. StartLink is suitable for applications for connected cars, telematics, vehicle diagnostics, fleet management, vehicle security, usage-based insurance, and rental and leasing service companies. With the Wi‑Fi hotspot, users can tap into cellular 4G to transfer telematics data to the fleet manager and send real-time data to the driver’s smart device or infotainment system.
The Notilo Plus team with the iBubble. (Photo: Notilo Plus)
Notilo Plus has launched iBubble, a fully wireless, autonomous and intelligent underwater drone that can be used for search-and-rescue operations, naval or underwater infrastructure maintenance, and subsea patroling. iBubble can accompany divers for up to an hour and down to 197 feet depth, enabling superior underwater imaging. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was designed using a patented underwater localization technology, which is mainly based on acoustic signal transmission and image recognition (video tracking). By combining these technologies, iBubble is able to locate precisely its target underwater and shoot stable footage. The iBubble is equipped with an obstacle avoidance system, real-time image recognition, a stabilization system and direct surface control.
Anafi Work is an ultra compact tool for professionals, helping them make informed decisions using the drone’s aerial insights. Anafi Work includes the advanced Anafi drone equipped with an innovative imaging system, a 4K/21MP camera with a 180° vertical orientation, allowing users to capture images of inaccessible areas.The drone operates for 1 hour and 40 minutes with its 4 USB-C smart batteries. It can be transported anywhere in a compact shoulder bag. Professionals can create 3D models of buildings, quickly and easily, using a one-year subscription to Pix4Dmodel.
The Riegl VQ-480 II and VQ-580 II are designed for airborne applications at mid-altitudes for use on both manned and unmanned aircraft. The new Mark 2 designs of previous models improve both performance and user-friendliness. Both offer a measurement rate of up to 1,250,000 measurements/second and a 75-degree field of view of suitable for corridor mapping, city modeling and applications in agriculture and forestry. Weighing approximately 10kg, they are ready for integration into helicopters and unmanned UAVs with a higher payload capacity. The VQ-480 II and VQ-580 II are prepared for smooth GNSS/IMU integration, offer interfaces for up to five optional cameras, and are have built-in and removable storage.The VQ-480 II works at a laser wavelength of 1550 nm; the VQ-580 II at the1064 nm wavelength suited to measure on ice and snow.
DroneNode is a portable, compact and inconspicuous counter-drone jamming device that law enforcement can use at large outdoor events without raising public concern (it is not yet authorized for use in the U.S.) It can simultaneously jam 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz and GNSS L1 and L2 bands up to one kilometer, causing drones to return to their point of origin or land. It is also effective against swarm attacks. Emergency broadcasts, cellphone communication and other dedicated channels are unaffected.
Skydio R1 users now have the ability to follow cars. New modes include Car Follow, improved Lead Mode, and other improvements throughout the system, which is built on top of the Skydio Autonomy Engine. The engine operates 13 cameras, enabling it to map and understand the world in real time, allowing it to be fully autonomous and independently capture video footage. Its Nvidia Jetsonl AI runs neural networks that trained for the Car Follow feature on datasets of automobile images.
The module was introduced at the Electronica 2018 show, held Nov. 13-16 in Munich, Germany.
As the latest addition to Quectel’s GNSS portfolio, L26-DR is a concurrent multi-GNSS receiver module embedded with dead-reckoning solution, which greatly improves the positioning accuracy and speed while simplifying customer designs, the company said.
The dead-reckoning capability ensures the module delivers the highest performance positioning solution available, even when GNSS signal is absent or compromised, the company said.
Equipped with six-axis sensor MEMs and a powerful GNSS core, the module provides high sensitivity, fast GNSS signal acquisition and tracking with low system integration effort.
Moreover, the built-in low-noise amplifier offers the module with improved RF sensitivity and exceptional acquisition and tracking performances even in weak signal areas.
L26-DR is able to acquire and track any mix of GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS signals, which allows accurate navigation in harsh environments such as urban canyons, the company added. Compared with using GPS only, enabling multiple GNSS systems generally increases the number of visible satellites, reduces the time to first fix and improves positioning accuracy, especially when driving in rough urban environments.
Designed for automotive and industrial applications, the L26-DR comes in an ultra-compact size of 12.2 × 16.0 × 2.3 millimeters. The compact GNSS module also supports other precise positioning technologies, including differential GPS (RTCM) and SBAS (WAAS/EGNOS/MSAS/GAGAN).
According to the company, engineering samples of Quectel L26-DR will be available in December.
The U.S. Maritime Administration issued an expanded advisory for GPS disruptions in the Middle East. The new advisory renews and repeats warnings for the eastern Mediterranean and adds the Port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Reports have also been filed with the U..S Coast Guard Navigation Center about disruptions in Israel’s Port of Haifa and the Straits of Hormuz.
Analysis by the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation and the non-profit firm C4ADS has also shown on-going disruptions in Russian waters of the Black Sea. Also, GPS jamming by Russia is suspected during a recent NATO exercise.
The armed conflict in Syria has been blamed for much of the disruptions off of its shores.
GPS jamming in support of illegal fishing is suspected by some as the cause of problems off of Port Said, and disputes over mineral rights has been suggested for the disruptions seen near Cyprus.
Disruptions in the Black Sea are suspected to be security measures associated with the travel of Russian government officials.
Map: U.S. Maritime Administration Advisory 2018-014-GPS
Text of Maritime Administration Advisory
2018-014-GPS Interference-Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea
This revised advisory cancels U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-007.
Reference: U.S. Maritime Alerts 2018-004A, 2018-004B, 2018-008A.
Issue: Multiple instances of significant GPS interference continue to be reported by vessels and aircraft operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. These reports have been concentrated near Port Said, Egypt, the Suez Canal, and in the vicinity of the Republic of Cyprus. Additional instances of similar interference were reported in October 2018 near Jeddah Port, Saudi Arabia. This interference is resulting in lost or otherwise altered GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing and communications equipment.
Guidance: Exercise caution when transiting these areas. The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) and NATO Shipping Center websites contain information regarding effective navigation practices for vessels experiencing GPS interference. The information reaffirms safe navigation practices when experiencing possible GPS disruption, provides useful details on reporting possible GPS disruption, and is intended to generate further discussions within the maritime community about other disruption mitigation practices and procedures. This guidance also recommends taking note of critical information such as the location (latitude/longitude), date/time, and duration of the outage/disruption, and providing photographs or screen shots of equipment failures during a disruption to facilitate analysis. The NAVCEN information is available at https://go.usa.gov/xQBaU.
Contact Information: GPS disruptions or anomalies should be immediately reported to the NAVCEN at https://go.usa.gov/xQBaw or via phone at 703-313-5900, 24 hours a day. The NATO Shipping Center has requested that instances of GPS interference also be reported to them using the format on their Cyber Interference link.
Cancellation: This message will automatically expire on May 2, 2019.
Quectel Wireless Solutions has launched the automotive-grade C-V2X module AG15, which features the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset solution from Qualcomm Technologies, a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Image: Quectel
The module is now sampling to the automotive industry for the development of commercial C-V2X products.
The AG15 C-V2X module is manufactured in accordance to IATF 16949:2016 quality management system standard for the automotive sector, and it fully complies with the automotive product quality processes, including APQP and PPAP.
Pairing with the Quectel automotive-grade LTE module AG35, Quectel’s AG15 is designed to meet the telematics and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) connectivity requirements of the next-generation automotive applications, such as autonomous driving and road safety.
Also known as LTE-V2X, C-V2X is the V2X communication technology based on the globally recognized Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 14 specifications. The PC5-based direct communication mode of C-V2X supports vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communications on the 5.9-GHz intelligent transport system (ITS) spectrum.
In addition, C-V2X paves a strong evolution path toward 5G new radio (5G NR) and plays an essential part of the future of safe autonomous driving with its capabilities including non-line-of-sight (NLOS) sensing to support high-speed mobility and high vehicular density deployments, the company said.
For positioning function, the AG15 features a built-in multi-constellation high-precision GNSS (GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo/QZSS) receiver, with additional support from satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) and Qualcomm 3D dead-reckoning technology, which greatly improves the positioning accuracy and speed while simplifying customer designs.
Based on C-V2X technology, the Quectel AG15 module adopts the 3GPP Release 14 C-V2X PC5 protocol. It is designed to allow low-latency, highly reliable and highly dense data exchange between vehicles and their surroundings, enabling effective information sharing among road users in avoidance of collisions, thus improving automotive safety, automated driving and traffic efficiency.
Without the need for a subscriber identity module (SIM), cellular subscription or network assistance, the C-V2X direct communication mode helps reduce complexity and cost for customers.
Additionally, the Qualcomm 9150 C-V2X chipset solution has a built in A7 application processor (1.5 GHz), which could be potentially utilized to run ITS stack and associated C-V2X applications.
“We are very pleased to introduce our first batch of automotive grade C-V2X modules based on the Qualcomm 9150 chipset solution. Automated driving has unique requirements for V2X connectivity, such as lower latency, higher reliability and wider bandwidth, all of which could be addressed by C-V2X technology,” said Patrick Qian, CEO of Quectel. “Built upon Quectel’s expertise in connected vehicles and Qualcomm Technologies’ high-performance C-V2X chipset solution, the AG15 module is expected to help automakers and Tier 1 suppliers to effectively accelerate their efforts towards automated driving.”
“Quectel is a global leader in cellular modules with rich experience in commercial automotive products,” said Nakul Duggal, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies. “We are pleased to work closely with Quectel again to support its modules with our 9150 C-V2X chipset solution to help create safer and more efficient V2X solutions and to help empower road safety and autonomous driving. We look forward to working with Quectel in delivering the solutions required to address the needs of the next generation automobiles.”
The device combines u-blox GNSS, 4G and Wi-Fi technology, eliminating the need to equip vehicles with a separate mobile Wi‑Fi hotspot.
According to the companies, the StartLink TrackerWi‑Fi is suitable for applications for connected cars, telematics, vehicle diagnostics, fleet management, vehicle security, usage-based insurance, and rental and leasing service companies.
The internet of things (IoT) and connected-car initiatives are providing rental car companies and transportation and logistics firms with tools to track vehicles, preemptively detect and diagnose disturbances from a distance, and monitor the behavior of their drivers in real time. ERM has more than 1.8 million vehicle fleet-tracking devices deployed on roads world-wide.
As onboard Wi‑Fi becomes increasingly widespread, many companies are fitting vehicles with Wi‑Fi hotspots to offer drivers and passengers internet access. With its integrated Wi‑Fi hotspot, ERM’s StarLink TrackerWi‑Fi lets users tap into the cellular 4G connectivity to transfer telematics data to the fleet manager. This makes it possible to send real-time telematics data to the driver’s smart device or onboard infotainment system, and it also reduces the number of SIM cards needed from one per device to one per vehicle.
Sourcing the GNSS tracking, cellular 4G LTE, and Wi‑Fi technology from u-blox played a key role in achieving the device’s fast time to market. By using u‑blox’s pre-tested positioning and communications modules with integrated software, the manufacturer was able to cut the time needed for production and development by several months.
“We saw an opportunity to provide more values to our customers by adding Wi‑Fi hot spot functionality to our StarLink Tracker, our leading telematics product, but knew that we had to be quick to stay ahead of the game,” said Kfir Lavi, senior vice president of ERM Advanced Telematics.
“Our partners are always at the top of our priorities, and we are working to adapt our offerings to the market demands and the changing needs of their customers. Working with u‑blox as the provider of the positioning and wireless communication technology helped us move from concept to commercialization in under six months and provide our partners with an advanced product in a short time,” Lavi said.
“This successful collaboration demonstrates that we have evolved from a provider of individual technologies, namely GNSS positioning, cellular 4G connectivity, or short range radio communication, to a provider of solutions that bundle these technologies,” said Thomas Seiler, CEO of u-blox. “We are seeing increased demand for such bundled solutions and are convinced that the close integration of our technology portfolio offers our customers the unique ability to jump-start even challenging projects on extremely short notice.”
On Saturday, Nov. 10, Stanford colleagues of Professor Per Enge will host a celebration of his life. A live webcast of the event will be available here at at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.
The video will be available afterwards on this site.
GPS World extends this invitation to join Per’s family and friends in celebrating the wonderful life that he led and the extraordinary impact he had on those around him. Guests at the live event will be invited to share their favorite memories.
The following statement was recently read into the minutes of the Stanford Faculty Senate:
Per K. Enge, the Vance D. and Arlene C. Coffman Professor in the School of Engineering and one of the world’s foremost experts in GPS technologies, passed away on April 22, 2018, at his home in Mountain View, California. He was 64.
Per Enge, Professor and Director, Stanford University Center for Position Navigation and Time. (Photo: Stanford University)
Per was born Oct. 29, 1953, in Bergen, Norway. He immigrated at the age of 2 to the United States with his father and mother.
He earned his B.S. in electrical engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1975 and his MS and PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1979 and 1983, respectively. He met his wife of 38 years, Elaine, while at UMass. His son, Nick, a Stanford graduate and now a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, said that despite his academic upbringing, his dad was a middling student until Elaine introduced him to the library at UMass, where she was most often found.
While pursuing his advanced degrees, Per worked in industry, where he first gained experience using radio signals for terrestrial navigation. He then took a position as assistant professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he designed a radio-navigation positioning system that today has more than 1.5 million marine and land users. He also started to work on augmenting GPS so that it could be safely used for aeronautical navigation. Due to this effort he was recruited by Stanford University for a one-year visiting professorship in 1993 that was ultimately extended to full professorship.
While at Stanford, Per became one of the FAA’s most trusted advisors on the provision of aircraft guidance. He oversaw the development of two different systems that today allow airplanes to safely determine their positions within meters regardless of the weather conditions.
Per was a member of the National Academy of Engineers, a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Per is particularly remembered as a teacher and mentor. He designed a freshman course in electric cars and aircraft and helped launch a popular massive open online course (MOOC) for the GPS community outside Stanford. He leaves behind a strong legacy of more than 40 Ph.D. students, co-workers and colleagues who have been inspired by his genuine joy in being able to work in such an exciting field.
Per is survived by his wife, Elaine, of Mountain View, and a son, Nick, of Austin. In lieu of flowers, donations in Enge’s memory can be made to a new graduate student scholarship fund under the Stanford department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Donations can be made at https://gps.stanford.edu/resources/giving
Daimler Trucks to connect with AT&T. (Photo: Daimler)
AT&T provides connectivity for DTNA’s Detroit Connect platform across the U.S. and Canada. The Detroit Connect platform is installed on all new DTNA’s Freightliner Cascadia trucks built for customers in those countries. The relationship will now expand to cover trucks built for the Australian and European markets for 2018 model year Freightliners and newer.
The new Cascadia sets new standards in fuel efficiency, safety technologies and the latest connectivity solutions, DTNA said. Detroit Connect, connected by AT&T, enables enhanced safety reporting, powertrain diagnostics and software, and features over-the-air updates and fuel efficiency analytics capabilities for vehicles across North America.
New multi-year agreements cover Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
AT&T has reached other milestones in the connected car space. According to the company, it has accomplished the following:
It has 24 million connected cars on the AT&T network, and added 2 million this year.
AT&T connects more than 3 million fleet vehicles, specifically supporting small business, enterprise and government customers.
The company has relationships with 29 global brands including Airstream, Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, GMC, Honda, Volvo and much more. AT&T has worked with its partners on 4G LTE connectivity, enhanced infotainment services and greater Wi-Fi accessibility.
The company’s global SIM provides internet of things (IoT) connectivity across 500 carriers and 200+ countries and territories. AT&T also connects cars in 57 countries, including 12 where infotainment is enabled through Wi-Fi hotspots.
“We’ve had tremendous success in launching our proprietary connected vehicle platform with AT&T” said Jason Krajewski, director of connectivity at Daimler Trucks North America. “Working with AT&T, we will expand our connectivity services and connected vehicle portfolio to more vehicles and more regions.”
“Daimler Trucks North America is the industry leader in bringing IoT connectivity and innovative solutions to long-haul trucking industry,” said Chris Penrose, president, internet of things (IoT) Solutions at AT&T. “Broadening our collaboration outside North America for the first time will bring the benefits of efficiency, safety and performance to customers on a global scale.”
Representatives from the global automotive industry gathered at the the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) World Congress in Copenhagen in September. At a “Galileo for Mobility” session, panelists showed off new products and discussed the benefits of GNSS for the deployment of multimodality, new mobility services and digital platforms by transport authorities, industries and users.
Their goal: to make safe driverless road transport a reality.
Autonomous driving with multi-GNSS
Cover image of Galileo for Mobility leaflet. (Image: GSA)
Germany’s ANavS GmbH provides position and attitude solutions with centimetre-level accuracy. Fast fixing is achieved by using three GNSS constellations and the company’s patented RTK fixing technology. The system combines multi-GNSS (GPS + GLONASS + Galileo), inertial sensors, vehicle data, visual odometry and feature mapping, as well as LiDAR and radar. Tight coupling of GNSS and all of these other systems ensure reliable positioning even in areas with limited satellite visibility.
ANavS managing director Patrick Henkel said, “Our sensor fusion framework delivers precise position and attitude information for navigation. It also generates real-time, highly accurate maps with high resolution. The platform can be used for the whole range of transport applications from road transport to maritime and drone navigation, as well as in robotics, surveying applications and of course in agriculture for precision farming.”
The system is particularly well suited to autonomous driving applications because of its high accuracy, high availability and continuity, and, with Galileo, its integrity, according to Henkel. The ANavS module is available in different versions, with one, two or three integrated GNSS receivers, depending on the level of performance required.
Sensor fusion with non-connected vehicles
Swedish truck manufacturer Scania led work on the EU-funded project, Precise and Robust Positioning for Automated Road Transports (PRoPART), demonstrating a high-availability positioning solution for connected automated driving applications. The system implements sensor fusion using information from both the on-board vehicle sensors and an off-board road infrastructure traffic sensor, accounting also for non-automated and non-connected road vehicles.
“We are benefiting from the high multipath mitigation enabled by the Galileo binary offset code, and there is a substantial improvement of reliability of the carrier phase ambiguity resolution,” said senior engineer Fredrik Hoxell. “All of this makes Galileo a really good addition to our sensor platform,” he said.
Big data contribution
Digital mapping is of course a critical resource for autonomous driving applications, and Tom Jensen of the veteran manufacturer of personal navigation devices TomTom stated “We have been compiling data from our GNSS receiver users for 10 years. We have 500 million devices currently running and today we have about 90 trillion data points!”
TomTom has dedicated itself to fusing that data for the generation of detailed maps that can be updated within minutes, for understanding traffic flow and traffic changes in near real time. “Now we want to open that up for the users,” he said. “We are meeting with public authorities, governments, decision makers who we know can use this information, for the roads, for the infrastructure, to plan their projects in the best and most intelligent way.”
Preventing terrorist attacks
The H2020-funded TransSec project coordinated by Daimler AG Trucks targets a solution to the recent rise in vehicle-based terror attacks across Europe, often employing heavy trucks to attack pedestrians.
Oihana Otaeguim, head of ITS at TransSec project partner Vicomtech, said, “We are developing and evaluating autonomous systems to detect and prevent trucks from being misused, to prevent these incidents from occurring. The trustability provided by Galileo is very remarkable. We have achieved advances in GNSS positioning, map data and map matching. On-board environment sensors and V2X communication are all combined in a local dynamic map. This can then be used for movement monitoring, critical area alarm, pre-crash object detection and for the implementation of non-defeatable emergency manoeuvres.”
The project team is also concerned with developing new and more effective methods to combat GNSS jamming and spoofing, which represent further threats to security in the context of automated driving technologies. Here, Galileo’s unique authentication feature will play an important role.
3D mapping
Japan’s Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, Automated Driving for Universal Services (SIP-adus) conducts several activities previewing the next generation of road transport systems: the human-machine interface in for autonomous and semi-autonomous driving, and the application of automated driving technologies in buses. The goal is precise stopping at bus stops with almost no space between the bus and the curb, to facilitate boarding and exiting for wheelchair users and elderly passengers.
“The project is validating the specifications and accuracy of a high-accuracy 3D mapping function,” Satoru Nakajo of the University of Tokyo said, “including data updating and distribution systems, and of the critical linkage of dynamic data delivered via road infrastructure.”
Public transport on demand. Area Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) will replace an existing fixed bus line with low demand with a flexible service that adapts bus routes according to the actual demand, improving the service and engaging new users without increasing public expenditure. The Galileo-based technology platform will consist of a mobile app and a system that manages requests, confirmations and cancellations, finds the best routes, and monitors distances travelled and payments.
Shared taxis. The pilot aims to alleviate Thessaloniki’s city centre congestion by reducing the number of trips from two eastern suburbs to the city. Ride sharing will be offered to commuters through 20 taxis provided by Taxiway at a flat rate.
Service aggregator. The Mobility as a Service (MaaS) app gathers mobility services available in Barcelona, Madrid and other big cities in Spain. It includes public transport, sharing services by motorbikes, bikes and cars, and bike parkings in these cities, improving accuracy and availability in urban areas, enabling a fast and smooth transition between transport modes, and offering the user a door-to-door and seamless multimodal trip experience.
Campus shuttle. The pilot will link autonomous electric vehicles to major hubs in a university or hospital campus (location to be determined).
Vehicle sharing. The Clem’ project will operate a last-mile transportation service to the community in Plateau de Saclay, an urban campus under development in the suburbs of Paris designed to welcome 85,000 students, workers and inhabitants by 2025. The pilot will include sharing a mixed fleet of 10 geolocated electric cars and 20 electric bikes.
This account drew heavily from published reports by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), available in full here.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued more drone flight restrictions — this time, near U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels operating in the vicinity of Naval Base Kitsap, Washington, and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia.
Drone operations are required to maintain a distance of at least 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet vertically from the ships and submarines.
The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Nebraska returns to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor following sea trials. (Photo: U.S. Navy/Lt.Cmdr. Michael Smith, Commander, Submarine Group Nine)
At the request of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the FAA is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations § 99.7 — “Special Security Instructions” — to address concerns about potentially malicious drone operations over certain, high-priority maritime operations.
The special security instructions, provided in an FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), are now in effect. Additional information on these special security instructions includes a visual depiction and geospatial definition of the relevant airspace.
The FAA also warns drone operators that the USN and USCG vessels are authorized by law to take protective action against drones perceived to be safety or security threats, which could result in seizure, damage or destruction of the drones.
Operators who don’t comply may face civil penalties and criminal charges.
Any operator with an overriding reason of public interest or necessity (such as conducting a search-and-rescue mission) to operate their drone in close proximity to the cited USN and USCG vessels must first coordinate with the USN or USCG point of contact.
In a separate Special Notice Advisory NOTAM, also effective today, the FAA strongly advises drone operators to remain clear of DOD and Department of Energy (DOE) facilities and mobile assets, as well as USCG vessels.
The notice applies nationwide and alerts operators who ignore this caution and conduct drone flights perceived to be a safety or security threat to these facilities and mobile assets could face a reaction by security forces that results in the interference, disruption, seizure, damage or destruction of their drone.
Information can be found here on these two NOTAMs, and all of the locations currently covered by § 99.7 restrictions. This website also provides an interactive map, downloadable geospatial data, and other important details. Additional information, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAA’s UAS website.
New connected-car automotive microcontroller (MCU) enables secure remote updates and high-speed in-vehicle networking.
Image: STMicroelectronic
STMicroelectronics (ST) has launched a new flagship SPC58 H Line as part of its Chorus series of automotive microcontrollers (MCUs).
The new line can run multiple applications concurrently to allow more flexible and cost-effective vehicle electronics architectures.
The SPC58 H line has three high-performance processor cores, more than 1.2MB RAM and powerful on-chip peripherals, the company said.
As critical vehicle powertrain, body, chassis and infotainment features increasingly become defined by software, securely delivering updates such as fixes and option packs over the air (OTA) enhances cost efficiency and customer convenience, the company said.
With high security and large on-chip code storage, ST’s Chorus automotive microcontroller is a gateway/domain-controller chip capable of handling major OTA updates securely.
Two independent Ethernet ports provide high-speed connectivity between multiple Chorus chips throughout the vehicle and enable responsive in-vehicle diagnostics. Also featuring 16 CAN-FD and 24 LINFlex interfaces, Chorus can act as a gateway for multiple ECUs (electronic control units) and support smart-gateway functionality via 2 Ethernet interfaces also on-chip.
“The way carmakers create, configure, deploy and maintain new vehicles is changing, as software-defined functionality makes advanced features, flexibility and convenience ever more widely accessible,” said Luca Rodeschini, microcontroller business unit director at STMicroelectronics. “Our latest and highest-performing Chorus microcontroller, being OTA-ready and with dual Ethernet ports up to Gigabit speeds, creates a state-of-the-art platform for seamless, safe and secure in-car connectivity and control.”
To protect connected-car functionalities and allow OTA updates to be applied safely, the new Chorus chip contains a Hardware Security Module capable of asymmetric cryptography. Being EVITA Full compliant, it implements industry-leading attack prevention, detection and containment techniques.
Some customers have received samples of the SPC58 Chorus H Line microcontrollers in the next generation of smart gateways and central body modules, and are also evaluating the devices for battery-management units and ADAS safety controllers.
Karamba Security, a provider of automotive cybersecurity, and STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company, are integrating Karamba’s Carwall end-to-end protection on the ST Telemaco3P STA1385 Automotive Telematics and Connectivity Processor.
Together, ST and Karamba are leveraging the security architecture of the Telemaco3P with the addition of Carwall Electronic Control Unit (ECU) hardening software.
The combined solution provides cyber security features for both contents and run-time integrity verification by detecting attempts at modifications and preventing deviations from the ECU’s intended behavior, the companies said.
Karamba Security’s deterministic approach has shown to prevent vehicle cyberattacks with zero false positives.
“STMicroelectronics is a leading provider in the connected-car ecosystem,” said Ami Dotan, Karamba Security’s co-founder and CEO. “We are pleased to collaborate to protect automotive systems based on ST’s Telemaco3P microprocessor by automatically hardening them against cyberattacks to assure consumer safety.”
“Karamba Security’s differentiated cyber-prevention solutions have generated significant market traction in a very short time and are a strong fit to enhance the security and value of ST’s Telemaco3P architectures,” said Antonio Radaelli, director of STMicroelectronics’ Infotainment, Automotive Digital Division. “Karamba’s Carwall adds another layer of security to the Telemaco3P benefits, which include its state-of-the-art power-efficient design, fast connectivity interfaces, domain isolation, and embedded Hardware Security Module. The combination provides customers with even stronger cybersecurity protection for in-vehicle systems.”
For more information, visit STMicroelectronics’ booth at Electronica Munich on Nov. 13-16 in C3 Stand 101, where ST and Karamba will be available to discuss this joint security solution.
