The AsteRx EB offers high-accuracy positioning and GNSS heading for industrial robots, port logistics, marine and scalable automation applications. Its IP67 enclosure protects the receiver from harsh weather conditions, while built-in advanced GNSS+ algorithms ensure reliable operation in environments challenging for GNSS, such as areas with foliage or near GNSS interference sources. The RAIM+ integrity monitoring system ensures truthful positioning — essential for autonomous navigation. The compact enclosure of AsteRx EB enables easy installation, reducing time-to-market. In a dual-antenna configuration, AsteRx EB delivers sub-degree GNSS heading for systems that require orientation in addition to RTK positioning. The built-in AIM+ anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology protects the receiver from intentional or unintentional GNSS interference.
The Facet FP is a high-precision GNSS receiver designed to deliver centimeter-level accuracy with a focus on long-term flexibility, ease of use and open-source innovation. It combines multi-band, multi-constellation GNSS support with fully open-source firmware — the platform can adapt as technologies advance. Built to last, all models are contained in a robust waterproof cast-aluminum housing, with an internal structure designed for compatibility with the company’s Flex system of GNSS modules. This gives users the choice between three different modules, plus the choice of having tilt-compensation, offering six different options with a range of price points, securities and accuracies for various needs and applications.
The A65 GNSS antenna delivers exceptional accuracy, interference protection and robust GNSS tracking performance. Designed as a drop-in replacement for the widely deployed A45 antenna, the A65 offers users a seamless upgrade path to the latest precision technology. The industry collaboration reflects a shared focus on combining advanced RF design with real-world application insight to address increasingly complex GNSS operating environments, with both teams working closely from the earliest stages of development to meet demanding original equipment manufacturer (OEM) performance requirements. The antenna architecture, including the stacked patch quad feed element and RF front end, provides Calian’s XF Filtering. Hemisphere GNSS contributed application expertise, system integration requirements and performance validation within real-world machine control, agriculture, marine and survey environments.
Airborne Lidar
Long-range for UAV mapping and aerial surveillance
AlphaAir 6 is mounted on the X500 UAV during an urban mapping mission. (Credit: CHC Navgation)
The AlphaAir 6 airborne lidar system is designed for UAV-based laser scanning, drone lidar mapping and aerial surveying in high-relief and complex terrain. Combining prism scanning technology with a high-grade inertial navigation system (INS), the AlphaAir 6 delivers a maximum ranging capability of up to 2,100 m and supports efficient data capture at typical flight altitudes of 400 m to 600 m above ground level. It integrates an upgraded laser engine and a high-grade IMU with 0.3°/h bias stability to improve trajectory accuracy and point cloud quality. This design removes the need for pre-mission IMU calibration and supports stable, efficient data collection for topographic mapping, corridor mapping, and wide-area aerial survey workflows. It is available in single-camera and dual-camera configurations.
The FastXY mapping application for iOS and Android enables standard mobile devices to serve as professional-grade data-collection tools for geospatial information system (GIS) and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) professionals. FastXY allows users to collect point, line and polygon data with devices they already own. It delivers advanced capabilities including 3D basemaps, construction staking, topographic surveying, on-the-fly datum transformations, and survey-grade elevations. A built-in Bluetooth data parser allows users to configure the app to collect data from any instrument supporting BLE Bluetooth or RS-232 — echosounders, radiation sensors, laser rangefinders, barcode scanners — and marry that data with precise GNSS coordinates.
GNSS RTK 4 Click is a compact add-on board from Mikroe that provides high-precision GNSS positioning with real-time kinematics (RTK). The board features the LG290P a quad-band GNSS module from Quectel capable of receiving signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS and NavIC while using SBAS for enhanced accuracy.
“This new Click board allows designers to simply and quickly develop systems with sub-metre positioning accuracy,” comments Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE. “Autonomous navigation, UAVs, intelligent robotics, surveying, and precision agriculture are just some of the applications that will benefit.”
GNSS RTK 4 Click supports multi-mode RTK algorithms with fast convergence times and high accuracy, interference detection, and integrity monitoring, ensuring sub-meter positioning in demanding environments. It features UART and L2C interfaces, a USB Type-C port for standalone configuration, and a backup battery option for continuous operation.
GNSS RTK 4 Click also features the ClickID function which enables automatic identification by the host system, simplifying use. It is fully compatible with the mikroBUS socket and can be used on any host system supporting the mikroBUS standard. It comes with the mikroSDK open-source libraries, offering excellent flexibility for evaluation and customization.
LBand RTK Click is a compact add-on board that provides access to L-band GNSS corrections. The board features the NEO-D9S-00B, a professional-grade, satellite data receiver for L-band corrections from u-blox.
Operating in a frequency range from 1,525 MHz to 1,559 MHz, the NEO-D9S-00B decodes the satellite transmission and outputs a correction stream. This enables a high-precision GNSS receiver to reach accuracies down to centimeter-level. An independent stream of correction data, delivered over L-band signals, ensures high availability of position output.
LBand RTK Click also uses several mikroBUS pins. The EIN pin routed to the AN pin of the mikroBUS socket is used as an external interrupt feature activated through a population of the R6 0Ω resistor.
In addition, LBand RTK Click contains an SMA antenna for connecting a Mikroe-brand antenna. This antenna easily allows positioning in space, supporting GNSS L-band frequencies.
LBand RTK Click implements advanced security features such as signature and anti-jamming mechanisms. It can also be integrated with other GNSS receivers from the u-blox F9 platform.
SBG Systems has released Quanta Plus, a GNSS-aided inertial navigation system (INS). Quanta Plus is a small, lightweight product, which can be easily integrated into survey systems with lidar or other third-party sensors.
The device combines a micro-electromechanical (MEMS) inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a resilient GNSS receiver to get reliable position and attitude, providing real-time kinematic (RTK) fixes.
Quanta Plus includes motion profiles, which enable users to optimize the sensor parameters to suit different use cases. The built-in precise time protocol server ensures sub-microsecond synchronization with external devices such as lidar. The device also has a built-in datalogger, Ethernet interface for easy integration, and a web configuration interface for simple setup and control.
The INS can be integrated with Qinertia, SBG System’s post-processing software. Qinertia improves the performance of acquired data during a mission using reliable RTK corrections from a wide range of continuously operating reference station networks, or by importing base-station data during the process.
Quanta Plus also improves the accuracy of the position and attitude using forward and backward processing and by integrating a tight coupling between GNSS and IMU data.
Quanta Plus is suitable for survey professionals or a navigation-dependent company seeking a robust navigation device. Specific solutions are available for integrators and OEMs who want to use Qinertia as a component in their application-specific data-processing solutions.
The average age of surveyors in the United States is nearly that of retirement. Can new technology attract a new generation to the profession?
“We do not fully understand the trend in the United States,” said Simon Peng, ComNav Technology, “but in China we find that modern survey technology — such as UAV/lidar mapping and total stations — make field work simple. New trends such as computer imaging, point clouds and building information models (BIM) attract young surveying engineers.”
Using the equipment in the field is becoming increasingly easier, said Bernhard Richter, Leica Geosystems. “Our goal is that operating the field equipment should not be more difficult than playing with your smartphone. That means that you don’t need the super expert in the field so much anymore.” However, he argued, “someone who studied surveying should now be more the data manager, have the expertise to put the data in geospatial relation, and know in which reference frame he is operating.”
For example, that person needs to know about orthometric and ellipsoidal heights, especially for engineering projects between countries that might have different height codes. “Anybody who has an interest to geolocate an object can capture the data and upload it to the cloud environment,” Richter said. “Then there are the data managers. Certainly, they need to know the physical limits of surveying technology, and they need to manage the complexity of modeling Earth. They need to become data managers to really put data to work.”
“The anticipated number of new professionals is not necessarily replacing all the surveyors who are expected to retire over the next 10 years,” said Boris Skopljak, Trimble. To tackle this challenge Trimble is using a two-pronged approach: attracting younger workers by raising awareness of surveying as a future career and modernization of the profession. For the first prong, Skopljak cited “phenomenal programs out there, such as Get Kids into Survey.” He pointed out that many Trimble employees are part of those education programs, “promoting inclusion of not just a younger generation, but also of women and minority groups that are heavily underrepresented in our industry today.”
For the second prong, “Digital data capture workflows present opportunities. A very common interview question we ask these days is ‘Do you play video games?’ Generally, those young professionals who are gamers thrive in the 3D environment. The technology aligns well with the interests of younger folks.”
Additionally, a growing number of educational institutions are evolving their curriculums to meet these needs, said Skopljak. Trimble is establishing Trimble Technology Labs in selected academic institutions around the world that are helping students access the latest technology and the best modern engineering practices. Boosting productivity also helps compensate for the declining number of surveyors, because it reduces the number of people needed to get the job done. “As the technology becomes easier to digest and operate and more focused on the workflows, it also becomes easier for companies to standardize it and attract talent,” Skopljak said.
One of the biggest threats to the survey profession, according to Huff, is that it “let bits and pieces of traditional surveys fall off to the wayside.” Geographic information systems (GIS) use the same positioning technology, he pointed out. “Fifty years ago, that was more of a function of the surveyor than it was necessarily the GIS profession. In many ways, while the surveyor is aging — the licensed cadastral surveyors certainly are aging — there is a new generation of folks coming through who are leveraging the new technology, such as drones and mobile mapping systems.”
This new generation, Huff argued, will achieve the same accuracies as the previous one partly because it’s getting easier to do so. “We definitely have more of a generation of digital users that can leverage the technology to do things where even my mentors performed many calculations by hand, on the fly, from plain tables in their logbooks with sine, cosine and tangent in them. Now, I think that technology and 3D immersive technology, which hinges on GPS location, attracts a younger crowd to certain facets of the profession.”
François Freulon, Septentrio, agreed that new technologies now available “can be easily adopted by new generations in the profession,” yet added that “quality surveying requires a good formation and experience in the field.” Therefore, he argued, “surveying education systems will need to adapt their programs and incorporate newer techniques such as new positioning modes and corrections.
Surely RTK remains as the main accuracy technique, but this could change quickly in the coming years as correction services bring better performance and regional coverage.”
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the July 2022 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
RTK Receiver
Hybrid high-precision GNSS
Photo: PP Solutions
The handheld RTAP2U is a hybrid high-precision, dual-frequency GNSS receiver. It can receive and process GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS signals. Its user-friendly web interface accesses and configures signal reception, skyplot, data collection, stop-and-go surveying, map display and more. With u-blox’s ZED F9P module, RTAP2U provides 2 cm or better accuracy within a few seconds. A firmware upgrade can provide precise point positioning (PPP) and real-time kinematic (RTK) capability.
The AsteRx-U3 Marine GNSS receiver offers accurate positioning near shore and offshore via centimeter-level real-time kinematic (RTK) or the built-in Fugro precise point positioning (PPP) sub-decimeter subscription service, delivered either over NTRIP internet or L-band satellite. Corrections delivered over L-band allow dredging, bathymetry or marine construction projects even in areas where there is no internet service. The AsteRx-U3 Marine receiver, enclosed in an IP68-rated housing, offers a dedicated L-band demodulator with a separate L-band RF input, which allows for the use of dedicated antennas for excellent reception of L-band signals even at high latitudes.
The HGuide o360 is a compact single-card, all-attitude GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) that delivers accurate and robust position and attitude even in GNSS-challenged or denied environments to industrial and autonomous applications. The HGuide o360 contains a multi-frequency, multi-constellation, real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver with dual antennas, Honeywell’s i300 inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology, and a high-grade calibrated magnetometer. It is designed for platforms that require high-performance navigation data in an ultra-low size, weight and power (SWAP) package.
Offers optimal heading performance and resistance to vibration
Photo: SBG Systems
The Quanta Micro GNSS-aided inertial navigation system (INS) offers a high level of navigation performance despite its low size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C). It brings direct georeferencing to UAV and land-based surveying. Quanta Micro leverages a survey-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) for optimal heading performance in single-antenna applications, and high immunity to vibrating environments. An optional secondary antenna enables fast heading initialization in low dynamic applications.
The GridTime 3000 GNSS time server is a software-configurable solution for utilities, providing redundancy, security and resiliency to protect against surges, adverse weather and cyberattacks. It generates precise time and frequency signals to synchronize analog and digital communication systems. The resilient timing platform incorporates multiple timing inputs for protection in the event of a GNSS signal disruption caused by severe weather, environmental disturbances or signal jamming or spoofing.
The Auterion OS serves enterprises that need component and payload flexibility, alongside a centralized and streamlined software workflow. Features include availability of precise mapping data in real time, automated processing for fast decision-making, standardization across Auterion-powered vehicles, connectivity that enables automated end-to-end workflows with no need for manual data transfer, and integration with third-party data-processing software such as Esri Site Scan or Propeller.
Designed to meet the need for highly accurate data
Photo: YellowScan
The YellowScan Vx20 lidar is the most accurate, fully integrated system of YellowScan’s product range. It can fly up to 330 feet (100 meters) while maintaining high accuracy throughout the point cloud. The Vx20 series is designed for applications that require sharp, accurate descriptions. Its Applanix APX-20UAV GNSS/inertial sensor provides precision of 1 cm and accuracy of 2.5 cm. With battery, the lidar scanner weighs 6.25 pounds (2.84 kg). It can be integrated with either multirotor or helicopter drones.
The WingXpand seven-foot expandable-wing drone folds to fit in a backpack. Its U.S.-made patented design combines the small size of a quadcopter with the horsepower of an airplane. The drone expands in less than 2 minutes and weighs less than 10 pounds. It can carry high-resolution cameras and other modular payloads such as a real-time pattern analysis system. More than 10 WingXpand UAS can fit in a public safety vehicle, more than 30 in a pickup, and 250 on a standard airlift pallet. WingXpand maximizes capability, efficiency and safety for the military and public safety officials. It also can be used by farmers, surveyors and inspectors.
The E300 drone package includes the E300 real-time kinematic (RTK) drone, flight-control software and an optional camera. It is suitable for topographic survey, urban construction, forestry investigation, emergency rescue, 3D modeling, mining and surveying. The drone is embedded with a high-precision K8 GNSS module that supports GPS L1/L2/L5, BeiDou B1/B2/B3/B1C/B2a, GLONASS L1/L2, Galileo E1/E5-a/E5-b/AltBOC/E6 and QZSS L1/L2/L5. With its intelligent recognition algorithms, the E300 can capture high-resolution images consistently even in complex environments.
The AR3 unmanned aerial system (UAS) now has a “hot-swappable” vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) capability, able to switch from horizontal launch to vertical. It also now has integrated synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The AR3 is a shipborne UAS that supports multiple types of maritime and land-based missions up to 16 hours. With the upgrade, the AR3 becomes more operationally flexible. The newly added SAR provides the AR3 with a vastly greater operational range, and the ability to effectively detect, recognize and identify targets under any weather condition. Covering more than 20,000 square nautical miles per mission, the new AR3 is suitable for wide-area surveillance missions.
The P300 is a high-precision, in-cab Android tablet designed for precision agriculture, autonomous driving and machine control. Embedded with the K8 OEM module, the P300 tracks GPS, BeiDou, BeiDou-3, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS signals to achieve centimeter-level accuracy. It provides enhanced heading and positioning performance for everyday field use. The P300 series is available as the P300 Plus (10.1-inch) and P300 Mini (8-inch).
Intergraph G/Technology, an advanced utility geographic information system (GIS), enables utility companies to plan, design and document networks. It acts as a definitive source of reliable, location-based information that can be shared with users and systems across an organization. Available on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace, G/Technology provides utility operators with a scalable, secure and highly available GIS solution with reduced start-up costs and needed infrastructure. Running G/Technology on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure eases initial system deployment, enhances performance and automates scalability, availability and cybersecurity protection, ensuring the system is always up to date with the latest features and enhancements.
The Mosaic X mobile mapping camera captures extremely accurate photos and 360° videos, while simultaneously creating photorealistic 3D photogrammetry models, without the use of lidar. It can achieve 1-cm accuracy on road surfaces. The built-in CPU and GPU allow users to operate the camera and capture data without the need for a computer within the vehicle. Meticulous mechanical engineering and design ensure reliable and dependable use in harsh conditions such as moisture, mechanical shock and extreme temperatures. It can create high-quality 3D models, 3D reconstructions, and dense point clouds without the use of lidar. It comes with an AUX port to connect with external GNSS devices or lidar.
Automated steering systems have been widely deployed in advanced industrial countries and on large farms to improve agricultural productivity. However, technological and price barriers have constrained their wider adoption. Reliable RTK positioning and the expected accuracy of automated steering systems enable farmers to optimize their work efforts while reducing input costs and fuel consumption.
CHCNAV customer Niva LLC in Voronezh, Russia, was particularly interested in acquiring an automated steering system able to provide consistent high accuracy, even in scattered fields over long distances and with unstable coverage for GSM (the Global System for Mobile communication, a cell phone standard used in most of the world). Some systems Niva tested would lose GNSS RTK network correction signal reception while working in difficult terrain with gullies. A dual GNSS RTK correction source was therefore a key technical feature to ensure uninterrupted auto-steering operation in all terrain configurations.
The CHCNAV NX510 SE’s built-in connectivity modules include a 4G modem and an additional UHF radio module to allow farmers to work with RTK correction sources from local RTK networks or GNSS RTK base stations for no additional cost. As a result, the NX510 SE can receive GNSS RTK corrections from various GNSS network operators as well as from a local radio modem input to compensate for possible poor GSM coverage. The system’s combined GNSS+INS terrain-compensation technology ensures automated steering accuracy of 2.5 centimeters and offers excellent performance in ditching, seeding and harvesting applications.
Niva also wanted an auto-steering system that could be quickly and easily mounted on a variety of tractors and other farm vehicles at a price that would allow for rapid return on investment. The NX510 SE can be moved from one tractor to another in less than 40 minutes, as farming operations change. The software’s user interface for controlling field operations is designed for both experienced and casual users to allow even greater flexibility.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the January 2022 issue of GPS World magazine.
Surveying
Base Station
Receives all available GNSS signals
Photo: Trimble
The Trimble R750 GNSS modular receiver is a connected base station for use in civil construction, geospatial and agricultural applications. The R750 provides high-accuracy base-station performance, giving contractors, surveyors and farmers more reliable and precise positioning in the field. The R750 also can be used to broadcast real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections for a wide range of applications, including seismic surveying, monitoring, civil construction, precision agriculture and more. Access to all available satellite signals provides improved performance and reliability when used with a Trimble ProPoint GNSS rover. ProPoint gives users improved performance in challenging GNSS conditions, with improved signal management.
Trimble, trimble.com
Flight Planning
Updated for safer UAV surveying
Photo: Microdrones
The mdCockpit app was designed for professional drone users to make it easy to plan, monitor, change and control flights from an Android tablet. The updates in version 2021.3 include features that improve flight safety and give more options for surveying with an aim to deliver a premier solution for planning, monitoring, adjusting, analyzing and controlling professional drone flight missions from a tablet. Updates include an improved flight editor, flight data collection and drone configuration. Drone pilots can download mdCockpit through the Google Play store.
Microdrones, microdrones.com
OEM
LTE Module
With 2G fallback for Latin America
Photo: Telit
The LE910S1-ELG LTE Cat 1 module is designed for internet of things (IoT) applications in Latin America that need a combination of performance, affordability and voice support in a compact form factor. It provides 2G fallback, making it suitable for areas that have not upgraded to 4G. With an embedded GNSS receiver, the cost-optimized LE910S1-ELG is suitable for tracking applications such as fleet management, stolen-vehicle tracking and recovery, and other mobile IoT applications that need to maintain a reliable connection when moving around in a country, region or multiple regions. The power-saving embedded GNSS receiver enables the use of GNSS positioning even when the cellular modem is switched off.
Telit, telit.com
Flex Power
Capability now on constellation simulator
Photo: Spirent
A new positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) test capability commonly referred to as programmable power — or flex power — is available on the Spirent GSS9000 constellation simulator and can be applied to existing scenarios. Flex power is the reallocation of transmit power among individual signals in GPS satellites, providing a countermeasure against GPS jamming. Spirent simulators fully support programmable power for M-code, Y-code and C/A (coarse acquisition) code.
Spirent, spirent.com
GNSS Module
Automotive qualified with INS and dead reckoning
Photo: STMicroelectronics
The Teseo-VIC3DA is the latest member of the Teseo module family, designed for vehicle positioning. It combines the Teseo III GNSS integrated circuit with the 6-axis MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU) and dead-reckoning software to provide super-high-resolution motion tracking for advanced vehicle navigation and telematics applications. Teseo III offers robust positioning capabilities by simultaneously receiving signals from GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and QZSS constellations. The module enables competitively priced in-car navigation, fleet management and insurance-monitoring applications.
STMicroelectronics, st.com
PNT Platform
Protects critical infrastructure from GNSS vulnerabilities
Photo: ADVA
The scalable aPNT+ platform meets the latest guidelines for resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), providing end-to-end control and timing network visibility for robust protection against the catastrophic risks that PNT disruption poses to national security and essential assets such as power grids. Even without GPS or GNSS timing, the solution provides an intelligent, end-to-end self-recovery system designed around a three-fold framework, integrating multi-layer detection, multi-source backup and multi-level fault-tolerant mitigation.
ADVA, adva.com
Timing Antennas
IP67-compliant for outdoor and marine environments
Photo: RadioWaves
A new series of GPS/GNSS timing antennas cover the L1 and L5 GPS bands, providing axial ratio and higher accuracy for the reception of satellite timing signals and reference frequencies for enhanced phase synchronization in precision network deployments. Their high gain, low noise figure of 2-dB and high out-of-band rejection allows for use of longer and cost-effective cables for easy and flexible installations. Built-in surge protection supports a wide range of GNSS including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo, as well as Iridium.
RadioWaves, radiowaves.com
Mapping
Imaging System
Designed for utility and infrastructure mapping
Photo: Geocue
True View 435 is an economical platform for utility-grade mapping, with superior ground-capturing capabilities for lightly vegetated areas. The next-generation compact 3D imaging system has the sensitivity needed for infrastructure mapping. Its position and orientation system is the Applanix APX-15, achieving accuracy of better than 5 cm RMSE and precision of better than 5 cm at 1 sigma.
GeoCue, geocue.com
Long-Range Scanner
Includes integrated GNSS receiver
Photo: Riegl
The VZ-2000i long-range 3D laser scanning system combines user friendliness with fast, accurate data acquisition. The flexible system includes an integrated GNSS unit for a high-accuracy real-time kinematic (RTK) solution. Other peripherals and accessories include a SIM card slot for 3G/4G LTE, WLAN, LAN, USB and other ports. A new processing architecture enables execution of different background tasks onboard in parallel to the simultaneous acquisition of scan data and image data, such as point-cloud registration, georeferencing and orientation via an integrated inertial measurement unit.
RIEGL, riegl.com
Transportation
Vehicle Antennas
Designed for Intelligent connected cars and trucks
Photo: Harxon
Two new GNSS antennas are designed for vehicles equipped with advanced sensors, controllers, actuators and other devices. They are enabled for intelligent information exchanges between the vehicle and everything (V2X), connecting autos with GNSS, 5G, Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband and more. The integrated antennas support dedicated short-range (DSRC) and cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication, embedding a premium GNSS antenna with high gain for consistent and reliable precise positioning service. They also allow for multiple input and output of data to achieve swift internet download speed in 5G networks.
Harxon, harxon.com
NVIDIA AV Support
Receiver now supported on autonomous platform
Photo: NovAtel
The PwrPak7-E1 GNSS receiver is now supported on the NVIDIA Drive Hyperion autonomous vehicle (AV) development platform. Selected for its robustness and precise position output, the PwrPak7-E1 will be offered with NVIDIA’s autonomous driving test fleets worldwide. Drive Hyperion is a fully operational, production-validated and open AV platform that reduces the time and cost required to outfit vehicles with autonomous driving and artificial intelligence (AI) features. The PwrPak7-E1 also is now compatible with NVIDIA’s DriveWorks v4 software release.
Hexagon | NovAtel, novatel.com
Splitter
Provides signals to two GNSS receivers
Photo: Tallysman
The TW162A automotive-grade smart power GNSS signal splitter supports the full GNSS spectrum: GPS/QZSS-L1/L2/L5, QZSS-L6, GLONASS-G1/G2/G3, Galileo-E1/E5a/E5b/E6, BeiDou-B1/B2/B2a/B3 and L-band correction service frequency band. It offers fail-over and fault-identification features. The splitter accepts power from all attached GNSS receivers; if one receiver fails, the next attached receiver automatically provides power to the splitter and antenna. If the antenna fails and does not draw current, all connected receivers will sense a current draw lower than 1 mA, indicating an antenna fault. The TW162A offers high performance in terms of noise figure, isolation and linearity.
Tallysman, tallysman.com
ADS-B Receiver
Enhances airport situational awareness
Photo: uAvionix
The pingStation 3 integrates 978 MHz and 1090 MHz ADS-B receivers, a GPS receiver, an antenna and a power-over-Ethernet (POE) interface into an easy-to-install, rugged weatherproof enclosure. With a selection of non-proprietary and industry-standard data interfaces, such as JSON and ASTERIX CAT 021, pingStation 3 is designed to integrate into a multitude of end-user applications, including airport displays, UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS), Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) Solutions, and Flight Information Displays (FID). When paired with the VTU-20 airport vehicle ADS-B transmitter, pingStation 3 improves the situational awareness of ATCs and the safety of airport operations by reducing the risk of runway incursions.
uAvionix, uavionix.com
UAV
Defense UAS
Flexible UAV and control software combined
Photo: Ascent AeroSystems
Ascent AeroSystems’ Spirit coaxial unmanned aerial system (UAS) offers a versatile and durable system for mission-critical operations. With a modular, plug-and-play payload design, the Spirit’s open architecture allows operators to add or upgrade software to unlock new operating capabilities without the need to design or develop a new aircraft. Autonodyne’s additive software solution allows the Spirit to perform autonomous tasks either individually or as a team with multiple vehicles, from a single operator and control station.
Ascent AeroSystems, ascentaerosystems.com
Autonodyne, autonodyne.com
Evaluation Kits
Now include mosaic Septentrio modules
Photo: ArduSimple
Two Septentrio modules are being integrated into ArduSimple’s new evaluation kits — the mosaic-X5 GNSS module and the mosaic-H heading module. The new kits make resilient centimeter-level positioning easily accessible for testing and prototyping. ArduSimple’s kits provide triple-band real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS/GNSS as a plug-and-play solution for the most popular development platforms such as Arduino, STM Nucleo, Raspberry Pi, Ardupilot and Nvidia Jetson. It enables developers of robotics, UAVs and autonomous systems to try out mosaic, a unique module offering the latest high-performance GNSS positioning technology.
Septentrio, septentrio.com; ArduSimple, ardusimple.com
Geospatial Data
Drones as a service
Photo: Beagle
A drone network solution offers on-demand imagery to customers in Germany at resolutions up to 50 times higher than available from commercial satellite data providers. The Beagle M drone and sensors can deliver image data at 1-cm per pixel many times faster than satellites and regardless of cloud coverage. The company’s charging hangars enable quick flights. After completing an autonomous inspection flight (up to 200 km on a single charge), the drone returns to its hangar where it charges for its next mission. The drone takes just 90 minutes to become fully charged, and can then advance to its next mission without any physical contact between operator and aircraft.
Beagle Systems, beaglesystems.com
Aceinna Inc. has announced the INS401 INS and GNSS/RTK, a turnkey solution for autonomous vehicle precise positioning. Aceinna made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place this week in Las Vegas.
The INS401 is part of Aceinna’s new product portfolio that provides high accuracy and high integrity localization for developers and manufacturers of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomy solutions for vehicles of all types.
The INS401 is a high-performance inertial navigation system (INS) with a dual-frequency GNSS receiver enabled with real-time kinematic (RTK). It also features triple-redundant inertial sensors and a positioning engine. It is designed for use in Level 2 and higher ADAS and other high-volume applications requiring precise position information.
The INS401 provides centimeter-level accuracy, enhanced reliability and superior performance during GNSS outages. The dead-reckoning solution delivers strong performance in GNSS-challenged urban environments.
The INS401 is specifically developed for automotive applications using automotive-qualified components and is certified to ASIL-B level according to ISO26262.
INS401 is small, compact and turnkey with a rugged aluminum housing. It includes everything needed for design and development of a robust navigation system with a flexible platform enabling easy customization for fast time to market. The included integrity engine guarantees zero performance failure.
“Based on a decade-long history in ADAS and safety applications, Aceinna is ready for today’s and future autonomous mobility applications,” said Wade Appelman, president and COO of Aceinna. “The INS401 is our next step forward, delivering complex INS/RTK technology to mass markets with turnkey products.”
Hi-Target has introduced a new GNSS receiver, the V200. The V200 is a GNSS RTK receiver with an integrated nine-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). The receiver is designed to provide superior performance and high-efficiency to support fieldwork with reliable solutions.
The advanced RTK engine and new-generation nine-axis IMU guarantees a 25% performance improvement over the company’s previous V100 model, even in demanding environments. It is designed to be easy to use and carry.
A smart Hi-Fix function supports the receiver to increase stability. Hi-Fix enables continuous connectivity and quality results even if the signal is lost while using an RTK base station or VRS network under extreme circumstances.
Advanced RTK Technology features
Full constellation support (receives GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS, SBAS, IRNSS)
800+ channels
9-axis IMU for better tilt survey performance
Increases productivity by 25%
Convenient Features
Lightweight at 820 grams
Can work continuously for more than 12 hours
Supported by the latest Hi-Survey Road software and smart Hi-Fix function
The V200 nine-axis IMU GNSS RTK receiver represents a step forward in the development of GNSS receivers towards miniaturization, according to maker Hi-Target.
A test of Racelogic’s parking assistance system. (Photo: Racelogic)
Racelogic helps vehicle manufacturers develop autonomous vehicle technology and test them on indoor test tracks and the open road.
Racelogic helps vehicle manufacturers develop autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and testing houses test them. Over time, regulatory and consumer testing has evolved from indoor test tracks to outdoor open-road tests, and then to indoor controlled test environments.
“Due to their application, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) originated and are still mainly developed and assessed on open-sky, controlled test tracks, tackling the most common killed and seriously injured (KSI) accident types,” said Wesley Hulshof, principal engineer – ADAS Testing at Racelogic. “These assessments usually make use of sophisticated driving robots for closed loop, centimeter-accurate path following and precise speed-controlled test-track assessments. The robots can only attain this accuracy by being fed the speed and positional data by GNSS sensors, such as the Racelogic VBOX.”
Accuracy is key to conducting assessments for the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Using GNSS in conjunction with RTK base stations provides centimeter-level accuracy in position, said Hulshof, as well as accurate speed and heading information to measure ADAS data to both static and moving targets. Additionally, combining a GNSS receiver with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) allows for low-drift, high-accuracy speed and positioning information within areas of high GNSS multipath or temporary occlusions, such as gantries, bridges, forests or built-up areas.
However, “people do not just drive on closed test tracks with accurately positioned targets and infrastructure,” Hulshof said. “They do not drive at a constant throttle position and maintain an exact time-to-collision to the vehicle in front of them, like robots do. In fact, people often drive erratically.”
For these reasons, testing houses are conducting supplementary assessments on the open road, under real-world conditions. In these conditions it is still important to know vehicles’ positions and speeds to localize them and validate the system’s sensors, networks and algorithms.
Testing Stages
Stage I: Controlled
ADAS was developed for outdoor use because this is where car crashes occurred. For this, an open-sky GPS signal was essential for positioning. The types of tests and level of scientific rigor meant that the tests could be performed on closed test tracks.
Stage II: Randomized
Tests were brought to the open road to add elements not found within a closed environment such as traffic and higher speeds of the vehicle under test. For this, extra sensors were employed to add robustness in areas of obscured GNSS coverage.
Stage III: Controlled
Testing is brought back indoors for climate control and to assess L3/L4 AD functionalities such as valet parking.
Because open-road testing does not permit being constantly within range of a static base station, Racelogic developed a moving base solution for open-road testing that gives accurate relative positioning between two or more vehicles.
The increased demand for real-world testing of ADAS has generated demand for reliable ground truth data. “For example, if you consider a car driving on the winding roads of the Italian Alps and the position is out by 2m,” Hulshof said, “that is the difference between lovely scenery and falling off the side of a cliff. So, you need centimeter-level accuracy in the positional algorithms of the self-driving car, but also in the assessment tools, while we are testing it. For that reason, we still need GNSS and would ideally need RTK.”
To meet this demand, Hulshof said, Racelogic produced its own networked transport of RTCM via Internet protocol (NTRIP) solution, consisting of a modem and associated service provider. It allows for global coverage of high-accuracy, absolute positioning of a test vehicle in open-road conditions. Both the NTRIP and the moving base solutions allow ADAS testing to centimeter-level accuracy on the open road without the need to be in radio range of an RTK base station, thereby greatly expanding the testing possibilities.
“Whilst both the NTRIP and the moving base options allow for high-accuracy positioning,” Hulshof said, “they are still reliant on having an open sky for good GNSS coverage. IMU integration allows for improved accuracy over short periods of occlusion, but to truly give as accurate a signal as possible we need to be open to accept information from multiple satellite sources. That is why highest longevity accuracy is only achieved by using the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou constellations to provide the best RTK positioning performance in areas where that was not previously possible.”
To control the environment and allow for year-round testing, test laboratories such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) facility in Arizona and Asta Zero in Sweden have purpose-built covered test facilities, giving shelter from extreme heat or cold. Testing inside both set-ups, however, still relies greatly on the test vehicle positioning. Standard positioning techniques via GNSS in these situations is simply not possible. Therefore, Hulshof said, Racelogic designed the VBOX Indoor Positioning System (VIPS), which allows for seamless testing indoors or outdoors. “Because this system works as an alternative to satellites, with the in-vehicle VBOX allowing RTK-level performance without GNSS, the test vehicle can travel from open-sky outdoor testing to a closed environment seamlessly, with no drop in data during the transition or afterward.”
Finally, Hulshof said, ADAS and AD systems have moved on from straight-line highway scenarios to low speed turning scenarios often performed away from the open sky previously required for accurate GNSS coverage. Examples include multi-story parking garages and valet parking. “Scenarios such as self-parking and park-assist assessments, as well as indoor L1 ADAS, are becoming increasingly common requests by manufacturers on test facilities.”
These environmentally controlled facilities can simulate real-life conditions that affect specific sensors — such as sensor flare, fog, mist and water films. These types of facilities use VIPS to give outdoor GNSS accuracy in an indoor controlled environment. “There is a trend toward bringing the testing from closed test track to randomized real world back into a highly contained, climate-controlled area,” Hulshof said. “We then have an option for anything.”
Precision-mapping company ProStar Holdings Inc. has integrated its PointMan software into the Vivax Metrotech vLoc3 with a GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) receiver to create a utility-locate device.
Using the RTK-Pro internal cellular module with 4G LTE capabilities, the operator can connect to the NTRIP RTK caster that provides RTCM 3 corrections.
With the integration of PointMan with the vLoc3 RTK-Pro, critical buried infrastructure can be captured, recorded and displayed at survey-grade without additional external equipment or post-processing. The integration provides centimeter accuracy of the precise location of buried utilities in real time.
Data collected includes the type of utility, the depth of cover and the utility’s precise location.
