GPS World

Tag: market report

  • Unmanned ground vehicle market worth $2.63B by 2021

    Unmanned ground vehicle market worth $2.63B by 2021

    The unmanned ground vehicle market (UGV) is estimated to be valued at $1.49 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $2.63 billion by 2021 with a CAGR of 12.14 percent during the forecast period, according to a new market report.

    The report, published by MarketsandMarkets, examines the unmanned ground vehicle market (UGV). The base year considered for the study is 2015, and the forecast period is 2016 to 2021.

    The title of the report is “Unmanned Ground Vehicle Market by Application (Defense-ISR, EOD, Crew Integration, Commercial-Agriculture, Field, Domestic, Transportation), Mobility (Wheeled, Tracked), Size, Component, Modes of Operation, Payload & Region — Global Forecast to 2021.” The 193-report includes an in-depth table of contents, 86 market data tables and 64 figures.

    The increasing demand for UGVs in the commercial and defense sectors and technological innovations that have created a demand for UGVs to perform complex operations with minimal human intervention and better safety are the major factors driving the UGV market, according to the company’s analysts.

    A PDF brochure about the report is available here.

    Commercial segment to dominate

    Based on application, the UGV market has been segmented into commercial and defense. The commercial segment of the UGV market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR till 2021. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for domestic and industrial UGVs.

    Based on size, the unmanned ground vehicle market has been segmented into micro UGVs, small UGVs, medium UGVs, and large UGVs. The small UGV segment of the unmanned ground vehicle market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The demand for small UGVs from both the commercial and defense sectors for their capabilities has enhanced the growth of this segment.

    Wheeled UGV and tracked UGV have been considered under the mobility segment of the unmanned ground vehicle market wherein the tracked UGV segment is projected to grow at the highest growth rate. Tracked UGVs are more versatile than wheeled UGVs as they can be operated on difficult terrains and can carry higher amounts of loads, thus leading to its higher demand.

    Autonomous mode

    In 2012, a second unmanned MTVR was built to evaluate multiple UGVs supervised by a single operator.
    In 2012, a second unmanned MTVR was built to evaluate multiple UGVs supervised by a single operator.

    The unmanned ground vehicle market is segmented into tethered, tele operated, semi- autonomous and autonomous, based on mode of operation. The autonomous segment is estimated to have the largest share with the highest CAGR in this segment during the forecast period due to their capability of operating without any human intervention.

    The software component segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period compared to the hardware segment as the customers are looking for sophisticated UGVs, which require advanced software systems.

    The UGV market Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The rapid growth of the Asia-Pacific market can be attributed to the increasing investments to develop UGVs for defense as well as commercial applications. The investments are mainly driven by the developments in China, India, Japan and South Korea, which are among the fastest-emerging economies in the world.

    Major players

    The major players in this market have been identified to be QinetiQ Group Plc. (U.K.), iRobot (U.S.), Northrop Grumman (U.S.), Oshkosh Corporation (U.S.) and Lockheed Martin (U.S.), among others.

    The report segments and analyzes the unmanned ground vehicle market on the basis of mode of operations (tethered, tele-operated, semi-autonomous and autonomous), mobility (wheeled and tracked), size (micro, small, medium and large), payload (sensors, lasers, camera, radars and others), application (defense and commercial), and component (hardware and software) and maps these segments and sub-segments across the major regions of the world, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and the rest of the world (comprising Latin America and Africa). Brief information on the research methodology for the report can be found in the report description provided on website.

    Related Reports

    “Military Robots Market by Platform (Airborne, Naval, Land-based), Application (Warfield, Pick ‘n’ Place, Firefighting, Voice-controlled Robotic Vehicle, Metal Detector Robotic Vehicle, Others), & Region — Global Forecast to 2020”

    “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market by Application, Class (Mini, Micro, Nano, Tactical, MALE, HALE, UCAV), SubSystem (GCS, Data Link, Software), Energy Source, Material Type, Payload and Region — Global Forecast to 2022”

  • Anti-drone market to reach $1.85 billion by 2024

    The global anti-drone market size is anticipated to reach $1.85 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc.

    The increase in the adoption of UAVs (drones) has resulted in the commencement of another market that focuses on a solution for rogue drones, complete with net-firing bazookas, electromagnetic shields and anti-drone death rays.

    U.S. anti-drone market, by destructive mitigation type, 2014-2024 (USD million).
    U.S. anti-drone market, by destructive mitigation type, 2014-2024 (USD million).

    The steep rise in the adoption of drones for commercial as well as recreational purposes has increased concerns regarding aerials attack and threats. Detection and identification of these unmanned aircraft systems have become a vital factor for the maintenance of the security. Various institutions across the world are increasingly deploying counter drone measures to address the ever-growing need for safety and security.

    As UAVs become deadlier, stealthier, faster, agile, smaller, sleeker and cheaper, the nuisance and threats posed by them are expected to grow at numerous levels, ranging from personal/domestic privacy to national security. With that in mind, there is significant effort both in terms of money and technology being invested in the development of anti-drone technologies.

    Various national security agencies across the world have started to precisely understand the potential threats from drones and increasingly considering commercial as well as consumer drones as the new major threat to the world. It is only a matter of time before redundant and reliable methods of countering drones become mainstream and widely available.

    Several busy airports and hubs across the world are seeking defense measures and regulations to protect their airliners and harbored aircraft from drones straying into commercial airspace and posing innumerable threats of a collision. The detection of a range of drone types is expected to require multiple modalities, data fusion systems to effectively identify and detect target drones amongst a cluttered background.

    The full research report with a table of contents is titled “Anti-Drone Market Analysis By Mitigation Type (Destructive, Non-Destructive), By Defense Type (Detection & Disruption, Detection), By End-Use (Military & Defense, Commercial, Government), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2014 – 2024.”

  • 2016 fleet management technology report now available

    2016 fleet management technology report now available

    A new report that explores technologies for U.S. commercial fleets is now available.

    The 2016 Fleet Management Technology Report, sponsored by GPS Insight, includes results of a survey conducted by Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleet Magazine, Fleet Financials Magazine, Business Fleet Magazine, and Work Truck Magazine.

    Cover: 2016 Fleet Management Technology ReportGPS Insights asked a series of questions pertaining to fleet management and telematics to examine the current state and experiences of the marketplace.

    Commercial fleets across the U.S. are finding that telematics is providing insight they never had before which helps to reduce costs, reduce risk, and increase revenue. Most industry reports state that the adoption rate is somewhere between 30-40 percent. The findings in this report are similar, and includes additional data broken down by region, fleet size, and industry.

    “We put this report together for business owners and fleet managers to get a clear understanding of what their peers are saying about their experience with telematics,” said Ryan Driscoll, marketing director of GPS Insight. “We also want it to serve as a guide for those looking to implement a better telematics solution or for those looking for the first time.”

    Topics covered in the report include:

    • Adoption: Who is and isn’t using telematics
    • Choosing a provider: What fleets say is important to consider
    • Benefits: How it’s helping commercial businesses
    • Return on investment: What fleets should expect from the investment

    The report can be downloaded from the GPS Insight website.

  • New report covers global military GPS device market

    GPS-enabled devices render large amount of assistance to a country’s armed forces on battlefields. In the modern-day scenario of combat, the need to be technically advanced and the ability to achieve precision strike with minimum self-loss are taking center stage.

    This has resulted in greater use of GPS-guided devices and weapons by soldiers, which are considered in a new report by Research and Markets.

    In Global Military GPS Device Market 2016-2020, analysts forecast the global military GPS device market to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.69 percent between 2016 and 2020.

    The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global military GPS device market for 2016 to 2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the expenditure of each of the three regions (Americas, EMEA and APAC) to acquire these military GPS devices for enhanced performance of warfighters.

    The report has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. It covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.

    The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

    Key questions answered in the report include:

    • What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?
    • What are the key market trends?
    • What is driving this market?
    • What are the challenges to market growth?
    • Who are the key vendors in this market space?
    • What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?
    • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

    Companies mentioned include:

    • BAE Systems
    • Lockheed Martin
    • Northrop Grumman
    • Raytheon
    • Rockwell Collins
    • Garmin
    • Harris
    • Thales

    Buyers can request one free hour of the analyst’s time when purchasing thye market report. Details are provided within the report.

  • GSA releases first GNSS User Technology Report

    What lies ahead in the GNSS chipset and receiver domain, and what are the trends sure to transform the GNSS landscape of tomorrow? To answer those questions, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) has released its first GNSS User Technology Report.

    In recent years, GNSS technology has experienced a period of rapid development — both on the side of global constellations and user receivers. With this development, European systems such as EGNOS and Galileo are becoming increasingly present in GNSS receivers, providing enhanced performance to users both in Europe and worldwide. Even with the increased deployment of other positioning technologies, because it is the most widespread and cost-effective source of location information, GNSS will remain at the core of all positioning technology.

    “In view of the changing user needs in terms of expected positioning experiences, the appearance of new and modernized GNSS signals, and advances in semiconductor technologies, we felt the need to take a closer look at the impact these changes will have on user technology and GNSS’ role in the positioning solutions of the future,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides.

    A closer look

    The outcome of this closer look is the GSA’s first GNSS User Technology Report. As a sister publication to the GNSS Market Report, the GNSS User Technology Report zeros in on the state-of-the-art GNSS receiver technology, along with analyzing the trends that are sure to change the entire GNSS landscape.

    The report provides an in-depth analysis of GNSS user technology as it pertains to:

    • mass-market solutions
    • transport safety and liability-critical solutions
    • high-precision, timing and asset management solutions.

    In addition, the report gives a general overview of the latest GNSS receiver technology, common to all application areas, along with a supplement on location technologies that looks beyond GNSS in the positioning landscape.

    Written with contributions from leading GNSS receiver and chipset manufacturers, the GNSS User Technology Report is meant to serve as a valuable tool to support planning and decision-making in regards to developing, purchasing and using GNSS user technology.

    “GNSS user technology is, now more than ever, experiencing a rapid and exciting evolution, answering the needs of ubiquity, automation and secure positioning,” said des Dorides. “This report explores in detail all of these new developments and how they will bring continuous location service, reliability and robustness to the main application domains.”

    Among the findings:

    • Nearly 65 percent of all chipsets and modules currently on the market support multiple constellations.
    • Within the next few years, it is expected that 100 percent of all new devices will be multi-constellation capable.
    • The leaders in multi-constellation capability are mass-market receivers and high-accuracy professional receivers, with nearly 30 percent already capable of using the four available global constellations.
    • Receivers targeting such safety-critical applications as aviation must wait for new technologies to be proven and new standards or regulations to become available before implementing them.
    • In terms of supported frequencies, 30% of all receivers implement more than one frequency, mostly in high precision.
    • With the increasing demand for better resilience across all applications, the need for higher accuracy and integrity that automation demands, adoption of dual-frequency solutions (E1/L1 + E5/L5) is expected to grow.
    • In the mass market, the chipset supply chain is extremely consolidated, with a few players worldwide driving innovation.
    • For liability and safety-critical transport solutions, a consolidated industry with an important European presence dominates innovation in automotive, maritime and aviation, while new players are expected to emerge in such new applications as autonomous vehicles.
    • In high precision, timing and asset management, the suppliers are specialized in various professional fields, although their products are based on a relatively low number of GNSS chipsets.

    The report is free and can be downloaded here.

  • Report delves into military GPS/GNSS device market

    A new market report focuses military GPS and GNSS devices. The “Global and Chinese Military GPS/GNSS Devices Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report” is an in-depth study on the current state of the industry, with a focus on the Chinese market.

    The report provides key statistics on the market status of device manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry, according to publisher Wise Guy Reports.

    The report provides a basic overview including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure and development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.

    The report states the global market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.

    Market analysis is provided for major regions including the United States, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.

    The report also focuses on global leading industry players with company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.

    Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.

    In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.

    For more information, email [email protected].

  • Global GNSS Market Trends & Forecasts: Highlights of the GSA GNSS Market Report 2015

    Sponsored by: NavCom
    Broadcast date: Thursday, April 16, 2015
    On-Demand Available Until: Friday, April 15, 2016
    Moderator: Tracy Cozzens, Managing Editor, GPS World and Geospatial Solutions
    Speakers: Gian Gherardo Calini, Head of Market Development, European GNSS Agency; Justyna Redelkiewicz Musial, Market Development Officer, European GNSS Agency; Peter Grognard, Director, Thales Alenia Space Belgium
    Summary: The fourth edition of the European GNSS Agency’s (GSA’s) GNSS Market Report is now available. The Report has become a key reference for organizations building their GNSS market strategies. Join us as we provide an overview of the report and its quantification of the GNSS market of today and the future. We’ll specifically look at the global GNSS market in terms of shipments, revenues and installed base of receivers, with a forecast up to 2023.

  • Report: Counter UAV market to generate $2.4 million this year

    AUDS System
    AUDS System

    A new report from business intelligence provider Visiongain offers market insight and analysis of the emerging counter UAV (C-UAV) market. In “Counter UAV (C-UAV) Technologies Market 2016-2026,” Visiongain assesses that the C-UAV market will generate revenues of $2,483 million in 2016.

    In May 2016, Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics and Electronic Control Systems had their AUDS C-UAV system selected by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for evaluation at U.S. airports as part of its Pathfinder Program.

    Visiongain’s report provides an objective analysis of how the AUDS selection will impact companies and the industry more broadly. It provides clear detailed insight into the global C-UAV market and reveals the key drivers and challenges affecting the market.

    The 205-page report includes 249 in-depth tables, charts and graphs, plus an exclusive interview with Mark Radford, CEO of Blighter Surveillance Systems.

    To see a report overview, email Sara Peerun at [email protected].

  • Lidar drone market will be worth US$144.6 million by 2022

    According to a new market research report published by MarketsandMarkets, the Lidar drone market was valued US$16.1 million in 2015 and is estimated to reach US$144.6 million by 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.2% between 2016 and 2022.

    The full report is titled “Lidar Drone Market by Product (Rotary Wing, and Fixed Wing), Component, Application (Corridor Mapping, Archaeology, Construction, Environment, Entertainment, and Precision Agriculture), Geography — Global Forecast to 2022,” and is available through the MarketsandMarkets website.

    The 125-page report includes and 66 market data tables and 42 figures.

    Factors such as technological superiority, encouragement from governments and institutes for adoption of lidar drones, and its use in emerging applications such as precision farming are the key drivers for the growth of the lidar drone market. The use of lidar drones for delivering products generates further opportunities for lidar drone manufacturers.

    Rotary-wing. The rotary-wing lidar drone market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The ability of rotary-wing lidar drones to take off without runways and its high degree of maneuverability are the reasons for the high growth of this market.

    Corridor mapping. The corridor mapping application held the largest share of the market in 2015. Highway corridors are built after proper planning and designing to ensure that they can withstand the pressure exerted by vehicles on a regular basis.

    As highway projects are constructed from a long-term perspective, it is necessary to conduct a thorough feasibility study of the terrain on which the highway is to be constructed. Lidar drones provide this information by building three-dimensional (3D) elevation models of the surveyed area.

    Infrastructure development is further expected to increase in coming years, which would, in turn, lead to increased usage of lidar drones for inspecting the growth of the infrastructure project. These benefits drive the market in the corridor mapping application.

    North America. The North American market held the largest share of the global lidar drone market in 2015. The increasing awareness about the benefits of lidar drones such as high accuracy and low cost is one of the reasons for the large market share of the North American lidar drone market. The use of lidar drones in precision farming is driving the lidar drone market in North America.

    Major players. The major players operating in this market are Velodyne Lidar (U.S.), Phoenix Aerial Systems (U.S), Riegl Laser Measurement Systems GmbH (Austria), SICK AG (Germany), and YellowScan (France), 3D Robotics, Inc. (U.S.), DJI (China), FARO Technology (U.S.), Leica Geosystems AG (Switzerland), Optech, Inc. (Canada) and Trimble Navigation Limited (U.S.).

    The research report categorizes the global lidar drone market on the basis of components, products, applications and geography. It describes the drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges in the lidar drone market. The Porter’s five forces analysis has been included in the report with a description of each of its forces and its respective impact on the market.

    Related Reports

    Lidar Market by Product (Aerial, Ground-based, and UAV LiDAR), Component, Application (Corridor Mapping, Engineering, Environment, ADAS, Urban Planning, Exploration, and Metrology), Services and Geography – Global Forecast to 2022

    UAV Drones Market by Type (Fixed Wing, Rotary Blade, Nano, Hybrid), Application (Law Enforcement, Precision Agriculture, Media and Entertainment, Retail), & Geography (Americas, Europe, APAC, RoW) – Analysis & Forecast to 2020

  • Commercial drone market to grow at CAGR 27 percent to 2021

    According to a new TechSci Research report, the commercial drone market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 27 percent until 2021, with North America anticipated to continue its dominance as the largest commercial drone market through 2021.

    The report, “Global Commercial Drone Market By Drone Type, By Application, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2021” considers use and growth of rotary-blade and fixed-wing drone types.

    According to the report, the rotary-blade drone segment dominated the global commercial drone market in 2015 because of its various technical features and benefits that enable these drones to perform intensely in photography, mapping, oil and gas sector and mining industry.

    Moreover, continuing growth of the global mining market, which was valued at around $1.5 trillion in 2015 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 7 percent during 2016-2021, is expected to further boost the prospects of commercial use of drones in the mining sector over the next five years. Rotary blade drones are designed to fly in all directions as well as hover at a fixed position.

    In 2015, these drone types accounted for a market share of more than 75 percent in the global commercial drone market because of their versatility and increasing application areas.

    Fixed-wing drones are the other major drone type, and these drones are being widely used in precision agriculture and aerial mapping. Precision farming utilizes several technological advancements such as geo location tracking, data management, and crop health analysis in order to ensure better productivity as compared to conventional farming methodology.

    Higher profitability and productivity, coupled with expanding global demand for crop yield are few of the factors poised to drive the global precision agriculture market at a CAGR of over 11 percent during 2016-2021, thereby propelling demand for drones used in the precision agriculture industry.

    A sample report is available.

  • GSA: 40 percent of GNSS receivers are Galileo-ready

    GSA: 40 percent of GNSS receivers are Galileo-ready

    60 percent support two or more constellations

    Chipset and receiver manufacturers are already equipping their devices with multi-constellation capabilities, including Galileo, and taking advantage of available services, according to a new analysis by the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

    The study examines the global top 31 companies and reviews publicly available technical documentation on their product portfolios, for more than 300 receivers, chipsets and modules available on the market. The parameters researched included such technical specifications as GNSS core constellation capabilities, space-based augmentation system (SBAS) capabilities and the market segments to which the manufacturers sell their products.

    Each device is given equal weight in the results displayed here, regardless of whether it is a chipset or a receiver and no matter what its sales volume. The results should therefore be interpreted not as the distribution of constellations utilized by end-users, but rather the distribution of constellations available in a manufacturer’s offerings. Because some receiver models are used in more than one market segment, it is impossible to have a direct match between general analysis charts and segment charts.

    Figure 1 shows the percentage of available receivers capable of tracking the various constellations. GPS is naturally present in all devices, followed by GLONASS. Galileo and BeiDou are progressively adopted by leading manufacturers.

    Figure 1. Capability of GNSS receivers, all Segments.
    Figure 1. Capability of GNSS receivers, all Segments.

    Figure 2 shows the percentage of available receivers capable of tracking signals from one GNSS (that is, GPS only), two GNSS (in various combinations), three GNSS, or tracking signals from all constellations at the same time. The percentages add up to 100.

    Figure 2. Supported constellation by receivers, all segments.
    Figure 2. Supported constellation by receivers, all segments.

    From this information, the GSA concludes that almost 60 percent of all available receivers, chipset and modules support a minimum of two constellations. Of these, nearly 40 percent are Galileo compatible. Furthermore, knowing that the top three providers of smartphone chips are on track to be Galileo compatible by the time Initial Services are declared later this year, the actual market share — this time taking into account the number of devices — is likely to be much higher than the 40 percent of Galileo-compatible models. The GSA states that this shows a multi-constellation capability including Galileo is becoming a standard feature across all market segments.

    Market segments

    Breaking down this level of Galileo compatibility further, the GSA found variations across different market sectors. In the high-precision market, used primarily for surveying and agriculture applications, all the leading brands have integrated Galileo into their products.

    For example, in 2008 Septentrio launched a fully integrated industrial Galileo-capable GNSS receiver, followed 1.5 years later by a multi-frequency multi-constellation OEM platform for machine control and survey applications built on a new, Galileo-capable application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) tracking all Galileo signals and frequencies, called AsteRx3. Likewise, Javad GNSS‘ Triumph receivers track all satellite systems, including Galileo. Other companies in the high-precision market who have integrated Galileo into their products include NovAtel, Furuno, Leica Geosystems, ComNav, Trimble and Topcon.

    Looking toward automotive and mass-market products in general, the integration of Galileo within the hardware is complete, although activation tends to remain pending, depending on the request of customer. Most companies serving this sector — including u-blox, STMicroelectronics, Broadcom, Qualcomm, Intel and Mediatek — have announced products that are Galileo-capable.

    In regulated transport systems where safety and liability critical applications are key (for example, aviation, maritime and rail), the integration of Galileo signals tends to be slower. This is the result of integration being dependent on the updating of necessary standards and regulations, on top of the very long lifespan of these devices.

    Supporting integration

    To further increase the level of Galileo integration in all three of these market sectors, the GSA continues to work directly with chipset and receiver manufacturers, through technology workshops, sharing Galileo updates, co-marketing efforts, and dedicated funding for receiver development projects and studies.

    The GSA also coordinated a comprehensive testing program in cooperation with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the European Space Agency (ESA). Over the past year, hundreds of tests and live in-field testing hours were conducted, verifying how different models integrate Galileo signals. This information allows manufacturers to update their technology and get the most out of the system’s increased accuracy and reliability within a multi-constellation environment.

    The GSA also launched its Fundamental Elements program, a research and development funding mechanism supporting the development of chipsets and receivers. The program will run through 2020 and has a projected budget of 111.5 million euros. Its main objective is to facilitate the development of applications across different sectors of the economy and promote the development of such fundamental elements as Galileo-enabled chipsets and receivers.

    The European Union’s Horizon 2020 research program, which aims to foster adoption of Galileo via content and application development, focuses on the integration of services provided by Galileo into devices and their commercialization. The Horizon 2020 third call for applications in satellite navigation-Galileo will open in November 2016, with a March 2017 deadline.

    With a budget of approximately 100 million euros for the 2014–2020 period dedicated to Europoean GNSS applications, the program provides excellent opportunities for their development. The third call addresses concrete solutions and applications in the GNSS market and aims to support innovative applications, products, feasibility studies and market tests that have a substantial impact on European innovation, know-how and economy.

    New ICD. The European Commission has published a new release of the Galileo Open Service Signal in Space Interface Control Document (OS SIS ICD v1.2). This document provides the information needed by receiver and chipset manufacturers, application developers and service providers to process and make use of the open signals generated by the Galileo satellites. In particular, the document specifies:

    • Galileo signal characteristics
    • characteristics of Galileo spreading codes
    • Galileo message structure
    • message data contents.

    This latest version of the ICD is based on direct feedback from receiver manufacturers and other stakeholders.

    The GSA is well advanced in developing the European GNSS Service Centre (GSC), which provides the single interface for information and help to users of the Galileo OS. Once fully developed, the GSC will operate on a 24/7 basis and offer a range of services, including hosting the Galileo User Helpdesk, providing the interfaces between the Galileo System and OS users, and hosting a center of expertise for OS service aspects.

    “The analysis, testing, funding and knowledge sharing are all geared towards promoting the development of receiver technology — the key enabler for translating Galileo signals into useful services,” said Carlo des Dorides, GSA executive director. “As a result of this work, the GSA has paved the way for Galileo to be fully integrated into a new generation of receivers, and ensured its signals provide a wide array of innovative applications and services that directly benefit the end-user.”

    Galileo Services, an industry consortium, offered this further perspective on the study. “We see that there is a strong interest from European industry to provide solutions for European GNSS applications globally,” said Gard Ueland, chairman. “An increased focus from European institutions leaves us optimistic for an increased presence of European players in the future. Notably, we see members of Galileo Services and OREGIN that already have or are developing receivers for a broad range of applications, in particular building on Galileo differentiators.”

  • Commercial drone services could reach $8.7 billion annually by 2025

    According to a new report from Tractica, by the end of the next decade, annual revenue from drone-enabled services will be more than double the revenue from sales of commercial drone hardware units themselves.

    The market intelligence firm forecasts that global commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) services revenue will grow from $170 million in 2015 to $8.7 billion by 2025.

    UAVs are gaining significant traction in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, insurance, public safety, film and media, and agriculture. While the number of drones being shipped for commercial markets is often the most visible trend, the largest revenue opportunity in the sector lies in the various services that these drones will enable.

    The largest service applications will be mapping, aerial assessment and prospecting, but smaller opportunities for drone services will also include disaster relief, early warning systems, data collection and analytics, environmental monitoring, package delivery, and filming and entertainment.

    “Commercial drone operators around the world are quickly realizing the potential for UAVs to be harnessed for a variety of services in a more efficient manner than can be achieved using conventional means such as satellites or aircraft,” said managing director Clint Wheelock. “Most commercial applications for drones are related to aerial imaging or data analysis, taking advantage of low-cost components and ever-increasing sensor capabilities.”

    Wheelock added that, while regulatory and business barriers remain to the more widespread use of drones for commercial purposes, the path ahead is becoming steadily clearer as business models and policy frameworks continue to be refined in countries around the world.

    Tractica’s report, “Drones for Commercial Applications,” examines the market trends and technology issues surrounding the commercial drone industry and presents a comprehensive analysis of the drivers and inhibitors of market development, the regulatory landscape, business models and supply chain considerations.

    The report includes a 10-year forecast for drone hardware unit shipments and revenue, segmented by industry, airframe type and world region, in addition to drone-enabled services by application area. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.