Tag: DDK Positioning

Topcon invests in DDK Positioning

Credit: DDK Positioning

Topcon Positioning Systems has made an investment in DDK Positioning, a UK-based GNSS receiver and precise point positioning correction services company. DDK Positioning delivers services over the Iridium network to provide global precision positioning services that can augment GNSS constellations enhancing accuracy for critical industrial applications.

“With the expansion and growing success of this business, specifically in the marine sector, a closer cooperation will ensure optimal integration for the highest possible accuracies and performance in the most demanding applications,” Ian Stilgoe, vice president of Emerging Business at Topcon, said.

“This partnership provides an extraordinary opportunity for our two companies to work together in pursuit of our shared ambition — providing a robust, resilient and truly unique GNSS positioning service,” Kevin Gaffney, CEO of DDK Positioning, stated.

Terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

April 28, 2023
Topcon and DDK Positioning to provide GNSS hardware for maritime market

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DDK Positioning will provide services and Topcon hardware to Oceaneering International

Topcon Positioning Systems has entered into an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) contract with DDK Positioning Ltd. to supply GNSS hardware components.

In July, Oceaneering announced an exclusive agreement with DDK Positioning to be the new provider of products and services to the offshore maritime market, delivered through the Iridium network and with Topcon OEM GNSS products.

Image: Topcon

Topcon OEM GNSS components will be used by DDK Positioning to deliver its MAX services to Oceaneering International’s clients. These clients, primarily in the marine energy sector, can achieve accuracy to less than 5 centimeters with this new service.

Founded in 2016, DDK Positioning has combined technical ingenuity with the Iridium satellite network to create a robust, resilient and completely independent GNSS-augmenting positioning solution.

Oceaneering recently conducted an extensive review of how it delivers positioning services to its clients and evaluated the significant advances made in communications infrastructure and services over recent years.

“Our extensive research of receivers in the market, and the performance of Topcon, made the decision for our route going forward,” said Kevin Gaffney, CEO of DDK Positioning. “Topcon’s experience, their extensive support network and leadership will allow us to effectively support multiple clients, in addition to Oceaneering. We see this as a long-term partnership. Both companies worked tirelessly to bring this together.”

“With Topcon Positioning System’s extensive history in precise positioning, providing high performance and quality GNSS boards, antennas and receivers to the OEM industry for over 20 years, the company is well-positioned to supply DDK Positioning with the hardware needed to support their clients globally,” said Ian Stilgoe, vice president of Topcon emerging business. “Working closely with DDK Positioning and Iridium was key to meet the requirements of Oceaneering and the maritime market. Topcon is pleased to be part of this effort to bring the latest positioning technology to this market segment.”

August 5, 2021
Oceaneering and DDK Positioning enhance C-Nav positioning solutions’ offerings

Photo: arild lilleboe/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Oceaneering International Inc. and DDK Positioning Limited have entered into an agreement for the provision of GNSS augmentation service and all associated software and hardware supporting Oceaneering’s C-Nav Positioning Solutions group offerings.

Oceaneering provides engineered services and products primarily to the offshore energy industry. C-Nav uses precise point positioning corrections with worldwide accuracy of better than 5 cm horizontally and 15 cm vertically.

DDK Positioning’s services are delivered through the Iridium satellite communications network coupled with hardware developed by partner Topcon. This pairing will enhance the ability of Oceaneering’s customers to precisely position their assets globally. The unified solution offers several benefits to Oceaneering’s positioning customers, such as two-way communication enabling machine control and feedback, and redundancy to cover potential signal losses.

From launch, DDK Positioning will provide its MAX service to Oceaneering clients, which can achieve accuracy to less than 10 cm (2 sigma). The MAX service uses GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS constellations with further systems to be added within a year.

“Significant advances have been made in communications infrastructure and satellite positioning technology over the last several years,” said Eric Smith, director of Survey Services at Oceaneering. “With this agreement, Oceaneering will be able to offer enhanced positioning technology allowing us to build on our strong industry track record while continuing to serve the positioning needs of our clients now and into the future.”

“We are absolutely delighted to have signed an agreement with Oceaneering to provide our precise and reliable GNSS positioning solution to Oceaneering’s customers in the maritime energy industry,” said Kevin Gaffney, CEO at DDK Positioning. “This agreement demonstrates the need for an alternative GNSS augmentation service that increases the reach of services from pole to pole, with the added benefit of Iridium’s resilience and reliability.”

July 27, 2021
Iridium invests in DDK Positioning, a GNSS solution provider

DDK Positioning solutions use the Iridium satellite constellation to deliver 5-cm GNSS accuracy to industrial users of the internet of things (IoT).

Iridium Communications Inc. has made a strategic investment in DDK Positioning, an Aberdeen, Scotland-based provider of enhanced GNSS accuracy solutions.

DDK uses the Iridium network to provide global precision-positioning services that can augment GNSS constellations, including GPS and Galileo, to significantly enhance their accuracy for critical industrial applications.

DDK is developing similar services for other GNSS constellations, such as GLONASS and Beidou. Terms of the investment are not being disclosed.

Standard positioning accuracy through a system like GPS is typically within 10 meters; however, by using the Iridium network, DDK’s enhanced GPS accuracy service brings incredibly precise positioning of 5 cm or less. This advanced level of accuracy is suitable for autonomous vehicles such as UAVs, precision agriculture applications, offshore infrastructure projects such as wind-farm construction, automotive applications like driverless cars, as well as a host of construction, mining, surveying and IoT use cases.

Historically, there have been limited geostationary satellite provider options for this type of service, but they suffer from line-of-sight blockage issues and coverage limitations in and around Arctic and Antarctic regions.

“We are delighted to have embarked on this journey with such a strong and well-respected company as Iridium,” said Kevin Gaffney, CEO of DDK Positioning. “This partnership is a perfect fit for DDK Positioning. With Iridium’s satellite communications network and our GNSS solution, we are in a position to deliver a truly unique service which is robust, resilient and secure. The investment made by Iridium will also allow us to grow the company even further whilst expanding our service offering globally.”

According to a report published by the European GNSS Agency, augmentation services like those offered by DDK will account for $76.5 billion (€65 billion) in global GNSS market revenue by 2029, while the global GNSS downstream market, including services delivered and hardware devices, is estimated to reach $382 billion (€325 billion).

“We are impressed with the team that DDK has put together and see great potential for this technology and how it takes advantage of the Iridium network,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch. “DDK’s enhanced positioning is a unique capability that adds a high-value solution on top of our existing portfolio of custom network services. Solutions from Iridium and DDK partners that are focused on precision agriculture, autonomous systems, maritime and infrastructure projects can now experience incredibly precise GNSS accuracy from anywhere on the planet.”

May 24, 2021
NSSLGlobal and DDK Positioning offer enhanced GNSS positioning for maritime

DDK Positioning’s precise GNSS positioning solution provides an accuracy of less than 5 cm

NSSLGlobal has entered a strategic alliance with DDK Positioning, to incorporate enhanced GNSS positioning navigation and timing solutions into NSSLGlobal’s maritime portfolio.

NSSLGlobal will now provide, install and service DDK’s GNSS precise point positioning (PPP) solution which enhances the ability of NSSLGlobal’s customers to precisely locate and track their assets.

DDK’s independent GNSS technology is provided exclusively through Iridium’s global satellite constellation, and creates a robust, resilient and completely independent GNSS solution that has an enhanced accuracy of less than 5 cm, compared to the standard GPS accuracy of 10 m.

“This partnership is a fantastic fit for DDK Positioning,” said Kevin Gaffney, DDK Positioning CEO. “We are now in a place to provide our clients with our precise positioning solutions globally and we are delighted to formalize our working relationship with NSSLGlobal with the signing of this new strategic alliance.

Photo: DDK Positioning

“To continue the journey with such a strong and well-respected company such as NSSLGlobal, and with their reach in the market, makes great sense and we are looking forward to the journey that we will have together.”

“DDK Positioning is leading the field in advanced GNSS positioning,” said Paul Rutherford, service director, NSSLGlobal. “We’re pleased to partner with such an innovative company and to be able to add this technology offering on top of the already extensive navigation and communication portfolio we offer our customers. The system will provide greater location accuracy, along with the ability to help detect and mitigate spoofing.”

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May 12, 2021