TomTom has redesigned its personal navigation devices with new TomTom GO. The TomTom GO has new interactive map, lifetime TomTom Traffic and 3D maps that give drivers the ability to know precisely what is going on around them, as well as what lies up ahead, TomTom said.
TomTom has also launched its new navigation engine, NavKit.
“Where navigation used to be about getting people to unfamiliar destinations, we are now empowering drivers with easy access to the information they need to make the smartest driving decisions, every day,” said Corinne Vigreux, managing director of TomTom Consumer. “We have completely redesigned the PND to become an essential daily driving tool. By providing easy access to our world class TomTom Traffic and enabling drivers to see more than just the road ahead, drivers will feel on top of their journey like never before.”
Drivers can easily access the travel information they need via a high-resolution, capacitive touchscreen, TomTom said. A new Interactive Map responds and scales to touch. Drivers can zoom in and out to find and explore places on the map with their fingertips and tap on the map to get an instant route to a destination.
New NavKit Engine
TomTom’s navigation engine, NavKit, will power all future TomTom navigation products and be available for licensing to automotive and enterprise customers. The configurable component architecture has been designed to enable rapid integration. NavKit has programming interfaces for adding a customised user interface, porting to any operating system and integrating navigation services. As a result, the development of a connected navigation system on any device platform becomes far quicker and simpler, TomTom said.
The new NavKit engine incorporates all the navigation logic of an on-board turn-by-turn navigation application. Every element has been enhanced to deliver an improved user experience including route planning, free text search, 2D map browsing and 3D guidance view, map-matched positioning and real-time guidance, TomTom said.
“The automotive industry’s next challenge is to create a seamless connected car experience,” said Harold Goddijn, CEO at TomTom. “To help our customers achieve this, we created NavKit, a flexible, future-proof navigation platform. NavKit makes the creation of connected navigation solutions easier and faster than ever before.”
NavKit’s architecture will allow customers and industry partners to replace components in a modular way. Its new routing engine achieves faster and more accurate dynamic routing, both on TomTom’s maps and on Navigation Data Standard (NDS) maps. Additionally, it provides better routes around traffic and fully supports TomTom Traffic, Version 6.0, including incident duration predictions and jam tail warnings. The new free text search engine provides easier and faster address and POI search. A new map visualization engine greatly improves 2D map browsing and introduces a 3D guidance view.
TomTom GO Features
The new TomTom GO series also comes with Lifetime TomTom Traffic. TomTom’s world-class traffic information pinpoints exactly where delays start and end, helping drivers to get to their destinations faster. Drivers can choose to connect to TomTom Traffic in one of two ways, either via Smartphone Connected or Always Connected. Smartphone Connected devices are ready to receive TomTom Traffic by connecting to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Smartphone Connected uses an existing smartphone data plan to access TomTom Traffic, as well as other services like TomTom Speed Cameras.
Always Connected devices offer the simplest way to receive TomTom Traffic straight out of the box, TomTom said. With connectivity built-in and with no additional costs for roaming, drivers can access TomTom Traffic and other services, including TomTom Speed Cameras.
3D Maps bring buildings and landmarks to life so that drivers always know exactly where they are.
The new TomTom GO range has a simplified product line-up. Customers can select their preferred screen size, choosing from a 4.3″, 5″ or 6″ model; then decide how they prefer to receive their TomTom Traffic information, either via Smartphone Connected or Always Connected.
Additional TomTom GO Features
Route Bar: Essential traffic and travel information at a glance. The Route Bar shows precise traffic and speed camera information on the road ahead.
Quick Search: Drivers can find their destination faster with intuitive search results. Quick Search starts finding destinations as soon as the driver starts typing.
My Places: Drivers can see their favourite locations on the map and personalise their map with My Places. This makes it easier to find and navigate to favourite locations again and again.
Lifetime Maps: Always drive with the latest map. For the life of the product, drivers can download four or more full updates of the map onto the device, every year. Drivers receive all updates to the road network, addresses and Points of Interest.
Speed Cameras (three month trial): Drivers can drive in a more relaxed way, receiving alerts for speed cameras ahead. These timely warnings increase drivers’ awareness of local speed limits and help to save money on speeding fines. As part of TomTom’s global driving community, drivers will benefit from an advanced and highly accurate warning service.
Emerging GNSS applications in automobiles support regulation, security, safety, and financial transactions, as well as navigation, guidance, traffic information, and entertainment. The GNSS sub-systems and onboard applications must demonstrate robustness under a range of environments and varying threats. A dedicated automotive GNSS test center enables engineers to design their own GNSS test scenarios including urban canyons, tunnels, and jamming sources at a controlled test site.
By Mark Dumville, William Roberts, Dave Lowe, Ben Wales, NSL, Phil Pettitt, Steven Warner, and Catherine Ferris, innovITS
Satellite navigation is a core component within most intelligent transport systems (ITS) applications. However, the performance of GNSS-based systems deteriorates when the direct signals from the satellites are blocked, reflected, and when they are subjected to interference. As a result, the ability to simulate signal blockage via urban canyons and tunnels, and signal interference via jamming and spoofing, has grown fundamental in testing applications.
The UK Center of Excellence for ITS (innovITS), in association with MIRA, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), and Advantage West Midlands, has constructed Advance, a futuristic automotive research and development, and test and approvals center. It provides a safe, comprehensive, and fully controllable purpose-built road environment, which enables clients to test, validate and demonstrate ITS. The extensive track layout, configurable to represent virtually any urban environment, enables the precise specification of road conditions and access to infrastructure for the development of ITS innovations without the usual constraints of excessive set up costs and development time.
As such, innovITS Advance has the requirement to provide cityscape GNSS reception conditions to its clients; a decidedly nontrivial requirement as the test track has been built in an open sky, green-field environment (Figure 1).
Figure 1. innovITS Advance test circuit (right) and the environment it represents (left).
NSL, a GNSS applications and development company, was commissioned by innovITS to develop Skyclone in response to this need. The Skyclone tool is located between the raw GNSS signals and the in-vehicle system. As the vehicle travels around the Advance track, Skyclone modifies the GNSS signals to simulate their reception characteristics had they been received in a city environment and/or under a jamming attack. Skyclone combines the best parts of real signals, simulated scenarios, and record-and-replay capabilities, all in one box. It provides an advanced GNSS signal-processing tool for automotive testing, and has been specifically developed to be operated and understood by automotive testing engineers rather than GNSS experts.
Skyclone Concept
Simulating and recreating the signal-reception environment is achieved through a mix of software and hardware approaches. Figure 2 illustrates the basic Skyclone concept, in which the following operations are performed.
In the office, the automotive engineer designs a test scenario representative of a real-world test route, using a 3D modelling tool to select building types, and add tunnels/underpasses, and jammer sources. The test scenario is saved onto an SD card for upload onto the Skyclone system.
The 3D model in Skyclone contains all of the required information to condition the received GNSS signals to appear to have been received in the 3D environment.
The Skyclone system is installed in a test vehicle that receives the open-air GNSS signals while it is driven around the Advance track circuit.
The open-air GNSS signals are also received at a mobile GNSS reference receiver, based on commercial off-the-shelf GNSS technology, on the test vehicle. It determines the accurate location of the vehicle using RTK GNSS. The RTK base station is located on the test site.
The vehicle’s location is used to access the 3D model to extract the local reception conditions (surrounding building obstructions, tunnels attenuations, jamming, and interference sources) associated with the test scenario.
Skyclone applies satellite masking, attenuation, and interference models to condition/manipulate raw GNSS signals received at a second software receiver in the onboard system. The software receiver removes any signals that would have been obstructed by buildings and other structures, and adds attenuation and delays to the remaining signals to represent real-world reception conditions. Furthermore, the receiver can apply variable interference and/or jamming signatures to the GNSS signals.
The conditioned signals are then transmitted to the onbaord unit (OBU) under test either via direct antenna cable, or through the air under an antenna hood (acting as an anechoic chamber on top of the test vehicle). Finally, the GNSS signals produced by Skyclone are processed by the OBU, producing a position fix to be fed into the application software.
Figure 2. Skyclone system concept.
The Skyclone output is a commercial OBU application that has been tested using only those GNSS signals that the OBU receiver would have had available if it was operating in a real-world replica environment to that which was simulated within the Skyclone test scenario.
Skyclone Architecture
The Skyclone system architecture (Figure 3) consists of five principal subsystems.
Office Subsystem Denial Scenario Manager. This software has been designed to allow users to readily design a cityscape for use within the Skyclone system. The software allows the users to select different building heights and styles, add GNSS jamming and interference, and select different road areas to be treated as tunnels.
Figure 3. Baseline Skyclone system architecture.
City Buildings. The Advance test site and surrounding area have been divided into 14 separate zones, each of which can be assigned a different city model. Ten of the zones fall inside of the test road circuit and four are external to the test site. Each zone is color-coded for ease of identification (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Skyclone city zones.
The Skyclone system uses the city models to determine GNSS signal blockage and multipath for all positions on the innovITS Advance test site. The following city models, ordered in decreasing building height and density, can be assigned to all zones: high rise, city, semi urban, residential, and parkland.
Interference and Jamming. GNSS jamming and interference can be applied to the received GNSS signals. Jamming is set by specifying a jamming origin, power, and radius. The power is described by the percentage of denied GNSS signal at the jamming origin and can be set in increments of 20 percent. The denied signal then decreases linearly to the jammer perimeter, outside of which there is no denial.
The user can select the location, radius, and strength of the jammer, can select multiple jammers, and can drag and drop the jammers around the site.
Tunnels. Tunnels can be applied to the cityscape to completely deny GNSS signals on sections of road. The user is able to allocate “tunnels” to a pre-defined series of roads within the test site. The effect of a tunnel is to completely mask the sky from all satellites.
Visualization. The visualization display interface (Figure 5) provides a graphical representation of the scenario under development, including track layout, buildings, locations, and effects of interference/jammers and tunnels. Interface/jammer locations are shown as hemispherical objects located and sized according to user definition. Tunnels appear as half-cylinder pipes covering selected roads.
Figure 5. 3D visualisation display.
Reference Subsystem
The reference subsystem obtains the precise location of the test vehicle within the test site. The reference location is used to extract relevant vehicle-location data, which is used to condition the GNSS signals.
The reference subsystem is based on a commercial off-the-shelf real-time kinematic GPS RTK system, capable of computing an accurate trajectory of the vehicle to approximately 10 centimeters. This position fix is used to compute the local environmental parameters that need to be applied to the raw GNSS signals to simulate the city scenario.
A dedicated RTK GNSS static reference system (and UHF communications links) is provided within the Skyclone system. RTK vehicle positions of the vehicles are also communicated to the 4G mesh network on the Advance test site for tracking operational progress from the control center.
Vehicle Subsystem
The vehicle subsystem acquires the GNSS signals, removes those that would be blocked due to the city environment (buildings/tunnels), conditions remaining signals, applies interference/jammer models, and re-transmits resulting the GNSS signals for use by the OBU subsystem.
The solution is based on the use of software GNSS receiver technology developed at NSL. In simple terms, the process involves capturing and digitizing the raw GNSS signals with a hardware RF front end. Figure 6 shows the system architecture, and Figure 7 shows the equipment in the innovITS demonstration vehicle.
Figure 6. Skyclone hardware architecture.
The digitized signals are then processed in NSL’s software receiver running on a standard commercial PC motherboard. The software receiver includes routines for signal acquisition and tracking, data demodulation and position determination.
In the Skyclone system, the raw GNSS signals are captured and digitized using the NSL stereo software receiver. The software receiver determines which signals are to be removed (denied), which signals require conditioning, and which signals can pass through unaffected. The subsystem does this through accurate knowledge of the vehicle’s location (from the reference subsystem), knowledge of the environment (from the office subsystem), and knowledge of the satellite locations (from the vehicle subsystem itself).
The Skyclone vehicle subsystem applies various filters and produces a digital output stream. This stream is converted to analog and upconverted to GNSS L1 frequency, and is sent to the transmitter module located on the same board.
The Skyclone transmitter module feeds the analog RF signal to the OBU subsystem within the confines of a shielded GPS hood, which is attached to the vehicle on a roof rack. An alternative to the hood is to integrate directly with the cable of the OBU antenna or through the use of an external antenna port into the OBU. The vehicle subsystem performs these tasks in near real-time allowing the OBU to continue to incorporate non-GNSS navigation sensors if applicable.
Onboard Unit Subsystem
The OBU subsystem, typically a third-party device to be tested, could be a nomadic device or an OEM fitted device, or a smartphone. It typically includes a GNSS receiver, an interface, and a software application. Examples include:
Navigation system
Intelligent speed adaptation system
eCall
Stolen-vehicle recovery system
Telematics (fleet management) unit
Road-user charging onboard unit
Pay-as-you-drive black-box
Vehicle-control applications
Cooperative active safety applications
Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure systems.
Tools Subsystem Signal Monitor
The Skyclone Monitor tool provides a continuous monitoring service of GNSS performance at the test site during tests, monitoring the L1 frequency and analyzing the RF singal received at the reference antenna. The tool generates a performance report to provide evidence of the open-sky GNSS conditions. This is necessary in the event of poor GNSS performance that may affect the outcome of the automotive tests. The Skyclone Monitor (Figure 8) is also used to detect any spurious leaked signals which will highlight the need to check the vehicle subsystem. If any spurious signals are detected, the Skyclone system is shut down so as to avoid an impact on other GNSS users at the test site. A visualization tool (Visor) is used for post-test analysis displaying the OBU-determined position alongside the RTK position within the 3D environment.
Figure 8. GNSS signal and positioning monitor.Figure 9. 3D model of city.
Performance
Commissioning of the Skyclone system produced the following initial results. A test vehicle was installed with the Skyclone and RTK equipment and associated antennas.. The antennas were linked to the Skyclone system which was installed in the vehicle and powered from a 12V invertor connected to the car power supply. The output from the RTK GPS reference system was logged alongside the output of a commercial third-party GNSS receiver (acting as the OBU) interfaced to the Skyclone system. Skyclone was tested under three scenarios to provide an initial indication of behavior: city, tunnel, and jammer.
The three test cenarios were generated using the GNSS Denial Scenario Manager tool and the resulting models stored on three SD cards. The SD cards were separately installed in the Skyclone system within the vehicle before driving around the test site.
City Test. The city scenario consisted of setting all of the internal zones to “city” and setting the external zones to “high-rise.”
Figure 10A represents the points as provided by the RTK GPS reference system installed on the test vehicle. Figure 10B includes the positions generated by the COTS GPS OBU receiver after being injected with the Skyclone output. The effect of including the city scenario model is immediately apparent. The effects of the satellite masking and multipath model generate noise within the position tracks.
Figure 10A. City scenario: no Skyclone.Figure 10B. City scenario: withSkyclone.
Tunnel Test. The tunnel scenario consists of setting all zones to open sky. A tunnel is then inserted along the central carriageway (Figure 11). A viewer location (depicted by the red line) has been located inside the tunnel, hence the satellite masking plot in the bottom right of Figure 11 is pure red, indicating complete masking of satellite coverage. The output of the tunnel scenario is presented in Figure 12. Inclusion of the tunnel model has resulted in the removal of all satellite signals in the area of track where the tunnel was located in the city model. The color shading represents signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), an indication of those instances where the output of the test OBU receiver has generated a position fix with zero (black) signal strength, hence the output was a prediction. Thus confirming the tunnel scenario is working correctly.
Figure 11. 3D model of tunnel.Figure 12. Results.
Jammer Test. The jammer test considered the placement of a single jammer at a road intersection (Figure 13). Two tests were performed, covering low-power jammer and a high-power jammer. Figure 14A shows results from the low-power jammer. The color shading relates to the SNR as received within the NMEA output from the OBU, which continued to provide an output regardless of the jammer. However, the shading indicates that the jammer had an impact on signal reception.
Figure 13. Jammer scenario.Figure 14A. Jammer test results: low power interference.Figure 14B. Jammer test results: high-power interference.
In contrast the results of the high-power jammer (Figure 14B) show the effect of a jammer on the OBU output. The jammer denies access to GNSS signals and generates the desired result in denying GNSS signals to the OBU. Furthermore, the results exhibit features that the team witnessed during real GNSS jamming trials, most notably the wavering patterns that are output from GNSS receivers after they have regained tracking following jamming, before their internal filtering stabilizes to nominal behaviors.
The Future
The Advance test site is now available for commercial testing of GNSS based applications. Current activity involves integrating real-world GNSS jammer signatures into the Skyclone design tool and the inclusion of other GNSS threats and vulnerabilities.
Skyclone offers the potential to operate with a range of platforms other than automotive. Unmanned aerial systems platforms are under investigation. NSL is examining the integration of Skyclone features within both GNSS simulators as well as an add-on to record-and-replay tools. This would enable trajectories to be captured in open-sky conditions and then replayed within urban environments.
Having access to GNSS signal-denial capability has an immediate commercial interest within the automotive sector for testing applications without the need to invest in extensive field trials. Other domains can now benefit from such developments. The technology has been developed and validated and is available for other applications and user communities.
Navevo specialists in satellite navigation solutions for heavy-goods vehicles (HGV) drivers, now offers the ProNav HGV Cyclist Alert. Supplied as standard on the new ProNav PNN420 satnav for truck drivers and soon to be rolled out across all current ProNav systems, the safety feature provides junction alerts at high convergence areas of trucks and cyclists and prompts drivers to take extra care.
The number of cyclists in London is on the rise, along with safety risks that arise when trucks and cyclists both are traversing busy London junctions and interchanges.
The ProNav HGV Cyclist Alert software was developed in association with Transport for London (TfL) to provide a commercial vehicle driver with an audible and visual alert as he or she approaches a junction (or section of road) that has been determined to be a location where there are high volumes of HGVs and cyclists. A warning symbol is displayed on the navigation system’s mapping that projects a 50-meter radius “warning zone” around each HGV/Cyclist convergence area. Drivers are also provided with a short audible tone as a reminder, giving the driver plenty of time to check for any cyclists on the road, Navevo said.
The HGV Cyclist Alert software uses data provided by TfL and the up-to-date Department for Transport HGV and pedal cycle flow figures for London’s road network. The dataset uses this information to identify locations where large numbers of HGVs and cyclists converge. Initially, 100 high-convergence areas across London have been included (alerts at every junction would be counterproductive to drivers). Working with other local authorities both in London and nationally, Navevo plans to increase the level of coverage and will provide free updates when new data becomes available.
“A navigation system is something a driver is likely to be listening to as they approach a junction, and so it makes perfect sense to also alert the driver of the risk of cyclists, reminding them to be observant and drive safely,” says Navevo CEO, Nick Caesari. “The safety of drivers, cyclists and other users of the road is a concern for everybody, and we are proud to lead the navigation industry by launching this ‘world first’ safety feature, which we believe could significantly contribute in improving road safety and reducing the number of incidents involving HGVs and cyclists.”
“For many years, London has worked to lead the way in pushing for the adoption of safer lorries and safer lorry driving,”
Ian Wainwright, head of Freight and Fleet at Transport for London. “The creation of a specific cyclist alert for HGV drivers is another positive step forward and will help to further raise awareness and improve cycle safety across the capital.”
A LocataNet will provide the vitally important high-precision positioning required by the VRC to perform rigorous, consistent and repeatable scientific evaluation of the new vehicle crash avoidance systems, Locata said. VRC crash tests produce the “Top Safety Pick” ratings that have helped consumers make informed decisions about buying safer cars for years. Now research into new technology systems, which allows cars to avoid crashes in the first place, will elevate the value of the institute’s safety ratings, Locata said.
Carrying out these new tests is not a trivial exercise, Locata said. The VRC will have to research and install new robotic and positioning technology to enable the required level of precision. The LocataNet installation will furnish the IIHS with a locally controlled positioning system that is seamless over all of the VRC test areas, enabling extremely reliable automated positioning of vehicles. The newly expanded facility includes a continuous vehicle test track that traverses not only open-air roadway areas, but also a vast 300- by 700-foot fully covered testing area. Locata’s ability to provide centimeter-accurate, locally controlled positioning across both outdoor and indoor environments gives the IIHS flexibility to design a positioning system to meet their vital test requirements, while also allowing easy upgrade and expansion in the future, Locata said.
The dramatic video footage from IIHS crash tests draws extensive media coverage, which becomes a powerful public incentive for automakers to improve the safety of their vehicles. The media, auto industry and policymakers look to the IIHS as a leader in highway safety research, and the expanded VRC will enable the IIHS to play a major role in the emerging area of crash avoidance testing, Locata said. IHS’s YouTube channel shows crash tests and dicusses the ratings system.
“Crash tests and research conducted at the VRC have helped drive life-saving improvements in vehicle designs,” said Adrian Lund, IIHS president. “Our new state-of-the-art facility will allow us to also evaluate emerging vehicle-based systems intended to prevent crashes or lessen their severity, so that we can encourage the entire industry to adopt the most effective ones.”
To do this new research, it is essential to conduct tests under identical, controlled condition, Locata said. With Locata, IIHS researchers will be able to ensure precise positioning data is available in all of its test areas. In places where GPS signals would be unreliable or unavailable when tests are conducted under cover, Locata seamlessly delivers consistent, reliable and accurate positioning, available everywhere, the company said. It will help IIHS carry out automated, identical testing to allow “apples to apples” comparisons of motor vehicles. This is a critical advancement for testing systems that will save many lives in the future, Locata said.
The planned Locata-enabled covered test track.The Locata-enabled covered test track building (artist’s concept).
Here is a video tour of the VRC.
Locata technology provides GPS-style, ground-based positioning covering local areas ranging in size from a parking lot to thousands of square miles. It provides precise positioning either in combination with, or in the total absence of, GPS. It is the first technology that can replicate GPS’s precise positioning capability without using satellites.
Locata’s current devices have already delivered new positioning capabilities to professional applications in mining, aviation, warehousing, and as “GPS backup systems” for important strategic areas. Locata is being trialed by several government bodies in urban areas as a locally controlled positioning infrastructure in applications for transport, first responders, surveyors, and container port automation. As Locata devices are further miniaturized over the next few years, this technology promises to be a game changer for the positioning capabilities available to indoor, mobile and smartphone applications, Locata said.
The partners met at the VRC on February 14 to plan out the Locata installation. From left are Robert “Bo” Jones, IIHS engineer; Paul Perrone, president, Perrone Robotics; Geoff Hoekstra, business development, Perrone Robotics; Adrian Lund, president, IIHS; David Zuby, chief research officer, IIHS; Nunzio Gambale, Locata CEO; Jimmy LaMance, Locata. The auto is the result of a crash test conducted that day.
“GPS satellites are in a constant state of motion,” said Nunzio Gambale, CEO of Locata Corporation. “In many environments, this makes it impossible to achieve the level of reliable positioning required for meaningful scientific testing. Locata readily steps into these environments to deliver an always-on, unfailing and superbly accurate positioning signal. We are honored to be chosen as the positioning technology that helps the IHS research, test and drive forward the development of life-saving automotive initiatives. This Locata installation at the legendary Vehicle Research Center will be the most publicly visible jewel in our crown to date. Relationships like this confirm the value of years of hard work we put in to invent this amazing and unique technology.”
“The Locata team is thrilled to see how rapidly our systems are being taken up by the creme-de-la-creme of the positioning industry,” continued Gambale. “We know this VRC testing is world-first, groundbreaking work that has enormous global and social value. It’s wonderful to think that our work may contribute to one day saving my life—or yours.”
Steve Spriggs was cited for holding his smartphone in his hand using it for navigation while driving. California code 23123 reads, “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless that telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while driving.” Spriggs fought the ticket, saying the law does not apply to looking at maps.
But a judge of the appellate court said holding a phone to look at a map is distracted driving — the same as sending a text message — and the law applies. “Our review of the statute’s plain language leads us to conclude that the primary evil sought to be avoided is the distraction the driver faces when using his or her hands to operate the phone. That distraction would be present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and emails. This case requires us to determine whether using a wireless phone solely for its map application function while driving violates Vehicle Code section 23123. We hold that it does. “
The National Safety Council has noted that there is no research or evidence that indicates voice-activated technologies eliminate or even reduce the distraction to the drivers’ mind.
OS for Improved Accuracy, EDAS for Further Enhancement, Integrity Data
EGNOS availability over Europe, as a precursor of Galileo globally, provides a guaranteed level of positioning accuracy in real time, for tracking vehicles transporting hazardous material. The EGNOS Open Service enhances position accuracy compared to GPS-only. The EGNOS Data Access Service further enhances accuracy and indicates the quality of the position data received from GPS. As a result of the SCUTUM project, EGNOS is now used in the operational transport of dangerous goods by road in Europe.
By Antonella Di Fazio, Daniele Bettinelli, and Kyle O’Keefe
The road sector is among the largest markets for GNSS applications, not only in automotive mass-market but also in professional applications such as freight transport and logistics. Carrying goods by road naturally involves the risk of traffic accidents. If the goods are dangerous, there is also the risk of incidents, such as hazardous spills, fire, explosion, chemical burn, or environmental damage. The many different kinds of authorities and operators active in the field have safety as a primary concern and make continuous efforts in this regard. To ensure that such transport continues being profitable and logistically effective, emphasis is placed on the quality and condition of infrastructure, on transport safety, and on supervision and control.
Technology’s role, particularly that of GNSS, is to provide the capability of supervision and surveillance, and thus enable better incident management and proactive prevention of accidents, while enhancing work. Use of GNSS combined with sensors and wireless devices has rapidly increased to enable continuous tracking and tracing services. GNSS-tracking devices installed on board vehicles ensure that the position, the date and time, the speed and the course, and any deviation with respect to a predefined path (coordinates and time) are transmitted automatically to a monitoring center. Combined with sensors, such devices send positioning information and the critical status parameters of the material (depending on the nature of the transported material and sensor type: identification of the goods/packaging, temperature, pressure, tampering or valve opening, and so on).
At the monitoring center, positions are displayed on digital maps, and regular data reports are processed for:
continuous tracking and tracing,
control of the shipment in a specified route (according to the plan and authorized path),
early warning/alarm when an anomaly condition is detected,
recording and logging for a regular summary of reported incidents, and
informing emergency-response forces for preparation of management arrangements and supporting emergency response plans.
These operations help reduce the possibility of human error during transport, prevent incidents, enforce regulations, and support law enforcement.
The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), augments the GPS signal over Europe and provides more precise positioning services. In addition, it gives users information on the reliability of the GPS signals (integrity data).
EGNOS is designed for safety-critical civil aviation operations. The characteristics of the EGNOS signal are compliant with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics Minimum Operational Performance Standards (RTCA MOPS) for airborne navigation equipment using the GPS augmented by SBAS. EGNOS also allows multimodal/land transport applications; however, EGNOS optimal use in these applications requires specific customizations for environments not compliant to MOPS.
The majority of receivers available on the market and integrated in operational devices are EGNOS-enabled. EGNOS provides two services suitable for multimodal/land transport applications:
EGNOS Open Service (OS) is made available to users equipped with GPS/EGNOS receivers, via the satellites’ Signal in Space (SiS).
EGNOS Data Access Service (EDAS) consists of a server that gets the data directly from EGNOS and distributes it in real time to professional users via terrestrial networks, within guaranteed delay, security, and performance.
Software solutions and technologies capable of using EDAS and able to deliver added-value services for road applications have been developed in various European projects in the past several years, have been extensively proven in real life, and are presently ready for operational use. During the last seven years, capitalizing on the efforts of national/European projects and company investments, Telespazio has developed LoCation Server (LCS) navigation software based on a patented algorithm, suitable for combined use of EGNOS OS/EDAS in road applications. LCS makes use of EDAS to augment EGNOS OS performance by:
improving the availability of EGNOS OS, since EGNOS SBAS corrections are made available to users through terrestrial networks and thus also in the cases of poor SiS visibility or complete absence;
enhancing EGNOS OS position accuracy using the patented software navigation solution to implement EGNOS SBAS corrections; and
processing EGNOS integrity information to compute the protection levels that give a qualification and a level of confidence in the position information. LCS is configured to output horizontal protection level (HPL) and vertical protection level (VPL).
Between October 2010 and November 2011, the European project SeCUring the EU GNSS adopTion in the dangeroUs Material transport (SCUTUM) conducted an extensive trial campaign in various road environments (urban and extra-urban) and real operation scenarios, to assess the performances of EGNOS OS and EDAS in comparison with GPS-only. SCUTUM trials were carried out with GPS/EGNOS receivers available on the market for automotive applications.
Analysis of the data collected during the trials shows that EGNOS OS enhances GPS position accuracy by 3 meters in road environments (see Figure 1). EDAS via LCS enables improvements over EGNOS OS by increasing the availability of SBAS corrections, further enhancing GPS position accuracy. Moreover, it affords the possibility of qualifying and guaranteeing GPS position information by exploiting EGNOS integrity and computing the protection levels.
Figure 1A. The green line indicates the reference trajectory; the position obtained by using EDAS with LCS (yellow dot) is more accurate with respect to the position obtained by using EGNOS OS (red dot) and the position obtained by using GPS only (blue dot).Figure 1B. A snapshot displaying the HPL computed by using EDAS with LCS.
SCUTUM Goods Tracking
Funded by the European Commission and managed by the European GNSS Agency (GSA), SCUTUM is the European best practice for the operational adoption of EGNOS in the transport of dangerous goods. An Italian oil company, eni, has had the opportunity to prove EGNOS added value compared to GPS alone, and to validate the relevant operational benefits in terms of higher safety and efficiency. The company adopted EGNOS to track and trace its operational fleet transporting dangerous goods throughout Europe. At the end of SCUTUM’s project timeline in November 2011, more than 300 eni tankers transporting hydrocarbon and chemical products in seven European countries were monitored with EGNOS. Today eni plans to gradually extend the use of EGNOS to the transport of chemicals and aviation products, and to further European countries.
Sensors installed on the trailer to record load status.OBU on the tanker integrating a GPS/EGNOS receiver.
The tankers (see opening photo) are equipped with GPS/EGNOS tracking devices, consisting of a set of sensors installed on the trailer to record the status of the loads. The sensors are connected to an onboard unit (OBU) installed on the truck that integrates a GPS/EGNOS receiver configured to use EGNOS OS. The OBU collects measurements from the sensors, detects information on the vehicle’s parameters, measures the GPS/EGNOS position, and sends this set of data via a GPRS link to a remote monitoring platform (the transport integrated platform, or TIP) enhanced by LCS to use EDAS. The TIP receives the data from LCS, that is, EGNOS positions (corrected by EGNOS OS if available or corrected by EDAS), the relevant HPL and VPL, and visualizes them as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Operational tanker remotely monitored at the TIP by EDAS via LCS.
LCS for EDAS Services
LCS consists of several software modules, among them a module connecting to EDAS to get EGNOS data, and a module implementing the navigation solution by means of the Telespazio algorithm.
LCS makes use of EGNOS SBAS messages plus GPS ephemerides received in real time from EDAS (using Service Level 1), the positions (GPS or EGNOS OS positions when available) and time, and raw GPS measurements (code ranges) from the GPS/EGNOS receiver integrated in the OBU.
LCS calculates and returns EGNOS corrected positions (also in case of lack of SiS visibility) and the relevant protection levels obtained by processing the EGNOS integrity message. The HPL/VPL give a guarantee of the position information from the GPS/EGNOS receiver, as they qualify the reliability of position information and provide a measure of the confidence of the reliability.
If the position data from the OBU is not corrected with EGNOS OS (via the SiS), LCS uses the SBAS messages plus the GPS ephemerides, calculates and applies SBAS corrections, then calculates HPL/VPL. If the position data from the OBU is corrected with EGNOS OS (via the SiS), LCS returns only the HPL/VPL.
For remote monitoring of transported dangerous goods, the features provided by EDAS via LCS (better accuracy, higher confidence on the position, enhanced availability) are considered valuable by eni, as they enable tracking tankers more precisely and reliably along delivery routes, and also from bay to bay (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Accurate remote monitoring of a tanker in a bay area.
At the OBU, the positions are combined with other collected parameters, such as speed, engine parameters, driving parameters, loading/unloading the product on the vehicle, quantity of goods on the vehicle, product temperature and pressure, opening/closing bottom valves and manholes, opening/closing loading station. The information is sent to the TIP and visualized to the local operator, and also forwarded to the eni emergency room (shown in Figure 4) that is connected to the fire brigades and civil-protection emergency centers.
Figure 4. eni emergency room.
In an abnormal situation, such as the vehicle deviating from its planned path or being located in a dangerous/sensitive area, the local operator raises a warning and establishes a contact with the driver. If an accident occurs, an alarm is generated also at the eni emergency room responsible for emergency management and coordinating search-and-rescue operations with the proper public entities. The information is also used to keep the involved transport operator and eni’s customers informed.
Additionally, this information is stored for law enforcement and prevention purposes. Position data and parameters are analyzed to produce statistics and study cases of near-miss accidents.
Benefits generated from EGNOS lie primarily in the capability to implement more accurate risk management and to strengthen safety and prevention. The higher precision with respect to GPS alone and the location achieved by using EDAS via LCS ensure more accurate and reliable monitoring of operations in normal and critical situations, and thus are valuable for commercial purposes and safety reasons. Moreover, eni considers the position guarantee given by the protection levels useful for research on accident prevention.
Multipath-Mitigation Algorithm in LCS
SCUTUM also implemented and tested a multipath-mitigation algorithm used to enhance LCS, to further mitigate the effects of code multipath, typical of land applications. Developed in cooperation with the University of Calgary, the algorithm is based on a fault detection and exclusion (FDE) method and is designed to ensure that biased/multipath-affected observations do not contaminate the navigation solution.
As SCUTUM deals with a road transport application, the assessment targeted the HPL only. The algorithm is based on a statistical-empirical concept combining:
an FDE procedure using a statistical reliability method for the detection and removal of code-range observations corrupted by multipath; and
a field-testing procedure using the receiver under study and a geodetic-quality receiver to produce a reference trajectory.
The FDE procedure consists of sequential steps:
Computation of the navigation solution by means of a least-squares solution to obtain the calculated position, the HPL, and the residuals;
Reliability testing on the residuals, to detect the outliers (observations that contain biases and thus are considered measurements affected by multipath errors);
Exclusion of the detected outliers and re-computation of the navigation solution;
Iteration of the steps. In each iteration, the observation with the largest residual flagged as an outliner is removed.
The procedure ends once no further outliers are isolated, or the number of remaining observations is less or equal to five, or several special-case conditions occur. Outlier detection is done on the basis of a rejection threshold on the standardized residual. This rejection threshold is a parameter of the multipath-mitigation algorithm and is tuned by means of the field-test results. Additionally the multipath-mitigation algorithm behavior is a function of other parameters that depend on various factors, including satellite elevation, signal strength, and overall satellite geometry.
Field Trials
SCUTUM field trials covered several environmental conditions and LCS configurations. Tests were performed in a wide range of Italian urban and extra-urban road environments. They considered five different typical driving environments (Table 1), corresponding to different levels of GPS and EGNOS signal availability and multipath, and various vehicle speeds and dynamic characteristics, with the objective of testing the robustness of LCS’s navigation solution.
TABLE 1. SCUTUM field trials driving environments.
From a physical point of view, the presence of natural and/or artificial obstacles could lead to lack of GPS and SBAS signals, worse satellite geometry, and introduction of additional errors in the measurements due to multipath propagation effects. Urban canyons are particularly prone to such effects, although they occur also in other cases depending on the topographic characteristics of the environment. For these reasons, the trials covered all possible environments traveled by LCS users, to provide a complete technical and business analysis for each operational condition.
To accurately indentify the appropriate driving environment, trial paths were matched on clutter maps categorizing the different driving environments (as shown in Figure 5 in the example of a trial path in Rome).
Figure 5. Method for driving environment identification by means of a clutter map.
A reference trajectory, hereafter called the true path, was calculated in post-processing, through a kinematic differential GPS method, by using GPS L1 and L2 carrier-phase measurements, combined with inertial navigation system (INS) measurements.
The differential GPS L1 and L2 carrier measurements were collected with a reference receiver installed near each test location, at an inter-receiver distance not exceeding 20 kilometers. The reference receiver was geo-referenced via a dedicated GPS network solution (based on a continuous collection campaign of at least two days’ data). The combination with INS targets smooth trajectories free from jumps, even in difficult GPS environments.
The tests ran on two identical OBUs, one GPS-only and one using GPS+EGNOS. The two OBUs and the GPS/INS system were installed in a test vehicle (Figure 6) and connected to a standard GPS patch antenna for automotive applications. Two pairs of OBUs were used (Figure 7).
Figure 6. GPS/INS system installed in the vehicle.Figure 7. OBUs in test vehicle.
Test Results
The trials collected these data sets:
Raw measurements from the GPS/INS system;
Positions and raw measurements from the two OBUs, GPS and GPS+EGNOS respectively.
As mentioned, positions and raw measurements from the GPS OBU were processed by LCS’s navigation solution in three configurations:
LCS baseline, running the baseline multipath mitigation method (based on the proprietary patented algorithm);
LCS enhanced, applying the multipath-mitigation algorithm with default settings of several parameters;
LCS enhanced and tuned, applying the multipath-mitigation algorithm with tuned parameters. The tuning was obtained by applying the combined statistical-empirical concept described earlier.
Data collected during the field trials was analyzed in terms of:
average values for the horizontal navigation system error (HNSE) that is the horizontal difference of the OBU position with respect to the reference trajectory;
average values for the HPL that gives an indication of the confidence/guarantee of the position above mentioned; and
the availability of the processing of LCS’s navigation solution.
Test data was analyzed with both commercial and freely available software packages. Table 2 reports the performances of LCS in its baseline configuration for each driving environment. Table 3 reports the performances of LCS by means of the multipath-mitigation algorithm with different tunings for extra-urban and urban environments.
TABLE 2. Performances of LCS baseline for driving environments.TABLE 3. Performances of LCS enhanced by multipath mitigation algorithm with different tunings.
The results show that for the road environments tested, LCS baseline performs better than statistical FDE.
From these results, an interesting conclusion can be drawn: in the road environments tested, a traditional FDE approach is not as effective as would be expected. Specifically, the removal of observations with large residuals resulted in larger overall position errors, both before and after attempting to estimate a larger observation variance than normally used for GPS. The reason for this is that in urban environments and extra-urban road environments there is significant multipath, corrupting many observations at the same time that the number of available observations is low. The conclusion is that on average, in the environments tests, it is better to leave small, but still statistically detectable errors in the solution than to remove them and degrade the solution geometry.
The fault-detection approach will be more appropriate in a multi-constellation GNSS, and in particular in the future when Galileo satellites can be used in conjunction with GPS, resulting approximately double the satellite availability in all environments.
Table 4 summarizes average performances for GPS+EDAS using LCS baseline compared with those of the GPS-only and GPS+EGNOS.
TABLE 4. Average performances of GPS+EDAS by means of “LCS baseline” in comparison with GPS-only and GPS+EGNOS OS.
Workshop Agreement
SCUTUM also carried out a European Committee for Standardization (CEN) workshop that elaborated the CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) 16390:2012, Interface control document for provision of EDAS-based services for tracking and tracing of the transport of goods, that is, the technical specification for development of EDAS-based products and applications.
CWA 16390 specifies:
the data (and relevant format) needed from the GPS/EGNOS receivers by the software solutions connected to EDAS, to enable the implementation of products and added value services; and
the type/format of the added value services produced by the software solutions (EDAS-based services).
The technical specification defined in CWA 16390 is architecture/technology-independent and flexible, so as to:
cope with different architectures (for example, those envisaging software solutions running in the monitoring platforms or in the OBUs); and
ensure its applicability in ITS systems and various mobility applications.
CWA 16390 was endorsed by several European stakeholders from industry, institutions, and the research sector. The Ministries of Transport in Italy and France, partners in the SCUTUM project, validated it as part of a shared vision for EGNOS adoption and exploitation. Italy’s Ministry of Transport is presently carrying out the possible evolution of CWA 16390 into an Italian standard.
Conclusions
SCUTUM represents the first step towards a larger use of EGNOS in Europe for the provision of services for road applications, and opens the market for Galileo. Its key findings are that EGNOS OS generally enhances the position measured using GPS-only in all extra-urban and urban environments. EDAS generally provides further enhancements, and also gives an indication of the quality of the position data received from the GPS.
LCS is a plug-in solution that enables easy retrofitting of existing GPS systems to use EGNOS, but optimized for road applications. By integrating it in tracking and tracing monitoring platforms and configuring the vehicle-installed OBUs, LCS enhances GPS position accuracy by approximately 4 meters and provides a level of confidence in the position information in the form of an HPL and a VPL. LCS will also improve GPS/Galileo integrated solutions when Galileo is operational. Its navigation solution will be more robust with Galileo and in general with multiple constellations, thanks to the availability of more satellites in view.
Manufacturers
A NovAtel FLEXG2-V2-L1L2 served as GPS reference with a NovAtel dual-frequency GPS-702GG antenna. An Oxford Technical Solutions RT2002 dual-frequency GPS/INS system served as rover. The two OBUs integrated a u-blox 5 GPS/EGNOS receiver. In its present configuration, LCS is connected to a dedicated GPS/EGNOS receiver, NovAtel ProPak-V3-L1 acting as EDAS back-up for robustness reasons.
Antonella Di Fazio works in the GNSS Infomobility Business Unit of Telespazio, in charge of innovative applications and services and program and technical coordinator of European R&D projects, devoted to the use of EGNOS/Galileo.
Daniele Bettinelli works in the GNSS Infomobility Business Unit of Telespazio, in charge of the specification, design and development of services based on EGNOS and EDAS, in particular for land applications.
Kyle O’Keefe is an associate professor in the Position, Location And Navigation (PLAN) group of the Department of Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will begin issuing official recommendations to members of the commercial trucking industry on the proper uses of GPS devices and incorporate GPS training into new entry-level certification programs for commercial motor vehicle operators.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, joined by Administrator Anne Ferro of the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), held two press conferences in the New York City area on March 11 to alert commercial vehicle drivers to the importance of using updated, professional-quality GPS devices to prevent routes that include height-restricted overpasses and bridges.
Administrator Ferro also announced the availability of a GPS safety visor card for truck and bus drivers, now downloadable at www.fmcsa.dot.gov (and pictured above).
Under the recommendations, commercial drivers will be trained, and reminded, to only use GPS systems designed specifically for the industry. These specialized units take into account the specifics of the truck they’re in — including the height, weight and contents — and will then route the trucks onto appropriate roads. The consumer GPS units too often being used are frequently routing trucks onto inappropriate roads, causing them to crash into low overpasses and bridges.
In September, Schumer called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to investigate the dramatic increase in low bridge strikes by commercial trucks across New York State as a result of the growing use of GPS by drivers. According to reports from local police organizations, GPS-related bridge strikes in New York represent more than 80 percent of all such accidents. The accidents, in addition to being life threatening, cause massive delays and impose significant costs on taxpayers.
In one press conference, Schumer and Administrator Ferro stood at the Eagle Avenue overpass, which spans the Southern State Parkway at exit 18. The overpass has been struck at least 27 times by trucks that are prohibited from driving on the parkway.
“These education and training campaigns for commercial truck drivers will be the first major steps to thwarting life-threatening bridge strikes that have been causing massive delays and imposing significant costs on taxpayers with increasing frequency in recent years,” said Schumer. “These steps will help to once again make GPS devices an asset to drivers, and not a dangerously misused tool. I am pleased that the DOT heeded my call for reforms and I am confident that the combination of official recommendations and GPS training will limit the number of low-bridge strikes across Long Island. Thank you to FMCSA Administrator Ferro for recognizing the importance of this serious issue and for implementing a proactive approach towards teaching the industry how to eliminate GPS-related accidents.”
“Even one truck or bus striking an overpass is one too many, which is why we’re taking action to ensure professional truck and bus drivers know the importance of selecting the right navigation system,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro.
Commercial truck traffic is prohibited on New York State Parkways such as the Southern and Northern State Parkways on Long Island, the Hutchinson and Saw Mill Parkways in the Hudson Valley, and the FDR and Bronx River Parkway in New York City. Overpasses constructed over these parkways were built, in some cases, over 50 years ago, and at low heights. Although these parkways consist of numerous warning and directional signs alerting commercial drivers of the dangers, basic GPS devices often do not show these restrictions and funnel trucks into major danger zones.
According to a recent NYS Department of Transportation study, more than 200 bridge accidents per year have occurred in New York since 2005. Of that total, more than 25 percent of these accidents occurred in Nassau, Suffolk or Westchester counties. Major repairs on the Long Island Expressway connected to these types of accidents have cost taxpayers $4.1million in recent years, according to the NYS Department of Transportation.
The 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe is using GPS to make a smooth ride even smoother.
Unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the Wraith is the fastest, most powerful car Rolls-Royce has ever made at $320,000 ($245,000 euros). The Wraith’s eight-speed automatic transmission is linked to a GPS receiver. The car uses satellites to constantly determine what road you’re driving on and in what conditions, then uses the data to anticipate when to shift gears.
For example, it can downshift the moment a hill or curve is approached, which helps with both performance and fuel economy, Rolls said. The nav system also compiles real-time traffic data from cellphones in commercial vehicles and taxis, and uses the data to update the travel route every three minutes.
The debut of Satellite Aided Transmission technology takes the power train to a new level of effortless delivery, the automaker said, allowing the car to “see into the future.”
According to the Rolls, Satellite Aided Transmission uses GPS data and the navigation system to scan the road. It anticipates his next move based on location and current driving style, then automatically chooses the optimum gear on the eight-speed transmission. “Power is delivered effortlessly for you, so you can surge through every corner, round every roundabout and into every slip road smoothly,” Rolls-Royce said.
The high-tech doesn’t stop with GPS. The Wraith has a heads-up display, voice command support and an infotainment system with multi-touch trackpad and 10-inch screen.
Start saving your pennies. The Rolls goes on sale this fall.
A new technology to combat dozing off when driving is being developed by two universities with industry partner Ficosa. The drowsiness alerter, Somnoalert, is a smartphone application that uses inertial sensors and GPS data to detect movements that are characteristic of nodding off at the wheel, such as deviation from the driving lane or sudden corrections. A later prototype also incorporates biomedical sensors to analyze respiration data.
“One of the main causes of car accidents is drowsiness, especially on long highway trips,” explains Santiago. “Most monitoring systems developed in the last few years have been integrated systems that need to be connected to the car’s system. Our device combines our group’s expertise in sensors and biological data analysis with FICOSA’s vehicle know-how, and is completely portable.”
“Accidents related with drowsiness have a very high social and economical impact, that the key automotive industry players are facing as a whole, in order to reduce current accident statistics,” said Alan Montesi, who heads the project for FICOSA.
Huawei, a global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, unveiled a series of products heralding the company’s first foray into telematics solutions at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, being held this week in Barcelona, Spain.
Huawei showcased its vehicle-compatible 3G and LTE communication modules, MU609T and ME909T, its 3G mobile hotspot, DA6810, and its 3G onboard diagnostic (OBD) box, DA3100. Huawei’s products for vehicles provide stable wireless solutions in diverse environments regardless of weather conditions, terrain, or reliability of power supply, providing new development opportunities for the automotive industry, and unsurpassed convenience for car owners.
“Huawei is excited to welcome in an era of smart vehicles with the availability of products that integrate wireless communications and automotive electronic technologies,” said Kevin Liu, vice president, Mobile Broadband Division, Huawei Consumer Business Group. “Huawei’s telematic solutions are designed to enable cars and other transportation vehicles to exist in a seamless wireless mobile environment, so that users are truly able to enjoy the benefits brought about by ICT services.”
The MU609T and ME909T are Huawei’s first 3G and LTE communication modules for vehicles. They are both pin-to-pin compatible, and cater specifically to the working enviroment temperature and power consumption of the automotive industry. The MU609T can support up to 14.4M under the HSPA+ network, and the ME909T can support up to 100Mbps under the LTE network. Both modules are pre-installed with GPS and eCall. In addition, the FOTA remote firmwire upgrade capability makes it possible to integrate new technologies into existing MU609T and ME909T modules. The strengths of MU609T and ME909T have been recognized by leading global car manufacturers, and will be integrated into the wireless communication systems of some of the world’s top vehicles in the near future, the company said.
The DA6810 3G Wi-Fi Box creates 3G Wi-Fi hotspots in mobile environments to provide high-speed internet connectivity on-the-go. Once installed with the HUAWEI DA6810 3G Wi-Fi Box, a vehicle becomes interactive, high-tech and networked, providing owners with a high-speed internet and audio-visual entertainment experience, Huawei said.
The DA3100 is an on-board diagnistics (OBD) data transferring system that enables insurance providers and fleet management companies to retrieve information such as location, vehicle conditions and driver habits. This in-car system transfers information in real time through a 3G network to the telematics service provider (TSP) platforms of various third-party entities. It also enables vehicle owners to activate the car horn, headlights and windows remotely via smartphone apps. The DA3100 is powerful yet easy to install, is not limited by geographical region or vehicles types, and can be activated upon installation, Huawei said.
A new system developed by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) researchers uses sensors to improve the ability of GPS to determine a vehicle’s position compared to use of conventional GPS devices by up to 90 percent.
The prototype can guarantee the position of the vehicle to within 1 or 2 meters in urban settings, the researchers said.
Sensor Fusion. The prototype system incorporates a conventional GPS signal with those of other sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) to reduce the margin of error in establishing a location. “We have managed to improve the determination of a vehicle’s position in critical cases by between 50 and 90 percent, depending on the degree of the signals’ degradation and the time that is affecting the degradation on the GPS receiver,” said David Martín, a researcher at the Systems Intelligence Laboratory (LSI – Laboratorio de Sistemas Inteligentes) at UC3M. The system was jointly designed and developed by LSI and the Applied Artificial Intelligence Group (GIAA – Grupo de Inteligencia Aplicada Artificial).
The margin of error of a commercial GPS, such as those that are used in cars, is about 15 meters in an open field, where the receiver has wide visibility from the satellites. However, in an urban setting, the determination of a vehicle’s position can be off by more than 50 meters, due to the signals bouncing off of obstacles like buildings, trees, or narrow streets. In certain cases, such as in tunnels, communication is lost, hindering the GPS applications reaching Intelligent Transport Systems, which require a high level of security.
“Future applications that will benefit from the technology that we are currently working on will include cooperative driving, automatic maneuvers for the safety of pedestrians, autonomous vehicles or cooperative collision warning systems,” the scientists comment.
Integration of GNSS antenna of rover receiver and IMU in a platform over the roof of the vehicle.
The greatest problem presented by a commercial GPS in an urban setting is the loss of all satellite signals. “This occurs continually, but commercial receivers partially solve the problem by making use of the urban maps that attempt to position the vehicle in an approximate point,” Martín said. “These devices can indicate to the driver approximately where he is, but they cannot be used as a source of information in an Intelligent Transport System like those we have cited.”
The basic elements that make up this system are a GPS and a low-cost inertial measurement unit (IMU). The latter device integrates three accelerometers and three gyroscopes to measure changes in velocity and maneuvers performed by the vehicle. Then, everything is connected to a computer that has an application that merges the data and corrects the errors in the geographic coordinates. Enrique Martí of UC3M’s GIAA explains, “This software is based on an architecture that uses context information and a powerful algorithm (an unscented Kalman filter) that eliminates the instantaneous deviations caused by the degradation of the signals received by the GPS receiver or the total or partial loss of the satellites.”
The current prototype can be installed in any type of vehicle. It is already working on board the IVVI (Intelligent Vehicle based on Visual Information, pictured above), a car that has become a platform for research and experimentation for professors and students at the university.
The LSI and UC3M researchers working on this “intelligent car” can capture and interpret all of the information available on the road, and that drivers use. To do this, the team is using optical cameras, infrareds and lasers to detect whether drivers are crossing the lines on the road, or whether there are pedestrians in the vehicle’s path, as well as to adapt the speed to the traffic signals and analyze the driver’s level of sleepiness in real time.
Next Steps. The researchers will analyze the possibility of developing a system that makes use of the sensors that are built into smartphones, because intelligent telephones are equipped with more than ten sensors, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, GPS and cameras, in addition to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GSM communications.
“We are now starting to work on the integration of this data fusion system into a mobile telephone,” said Enrique Martí, “so that it can integrate all of the measurements that come from its sensors in order to obtain the same result that we have now, but at an even much lower cost, since it is something that almost everyone can carry around in his pocket.”
Telematics Detroit — scheduled for June 5-6, in Novi, Michigan — is a conference and exhibition focused on the entire telematics ecosystem. In 2012, 1800+ executives attended along with 100+ industry speakers.
Key topics this year include:
The Ultimate End-to-End Telematics Platform: Dispel the “killer app” myth to adopt an approach to connectivity that eschews the next big thing in favor of a holistic suite of connected services that encompasses CRM, HMI and content.
Turn the Car into a Money-Making Machine: Subscription-only models have failed to ignite mass adoption of connected vehicle services. Discover how to create a flexible micro-transactional platform that aligns with the service and payment demands of consumers.
Make Big Data Useful Data: Tackle the proliferation of vehicle generated information to debate the granularity of data collection required to provide OEMs with data sets relevant to optimizing the driving and vehicle ownership experience.
The Telematics Trojan Horse: Debate whether strategic partnerships with the titans of CE, including Apple, Google and Microsoft, will result in diminished OEM influence or translate into the ability to attract tech. loyal consumers and close the automotive innovation gap.
The Infotainment Ecosystem Reinvented: BMW, Ford and GM announce their connected car visions to gain cross-industry buy-in. Analyze whether opening up APIs and SDKs will attract third party developers by creating higher volumes to support a truly auto-centric business case.
