GPS World

Tag: Miguel Amor

  • Editorial Advisory Board Q&A: The benefits of 5G for GPS

    Editorial Advisory Board Q&A: The benefits of 5G for GPS

    How will widespread deployment of 5G most benefit GNSS?

    Greg Turetsky, oneNav Inc.
    Greg Turetsky

    “The connectivity options that widespread 5G offer will accelerate multiple GNSS benefits. The high bandwidth is starting to encourage many into the RTK domain, but I think the bigger opportunity may come from the low power versions that enable IoT applications. The combination of the ubiquity of cellular connectivity with the low power of NB-IoT could truly accelerate the real time asset management sector all the way down to the package/pallet level.”
    — Greg Turetzky

    Allison Brown
    Allison Brown

    “Widespread deployment and adoption of 5G is likely to continue to increase the demand for spectrum as broadband access continues to expand. The recent FCC decision allowing Ligado to operate terrestrial networks in bands near GPS is likely not the last decision that will result from this increasing demand. It is not clear to me that 5G deployment will ‘benefit’ GNSS and chipset vendors may need to prioritize developing products that have improved robustness in the presence of nearby interference.”
    — Alison Brown

    Headshot: Miguel Amor
    Miguel Amor

    “The benefit of 5G will be seen in the long term, when 5G ranging capability is available. Hybrid positioning algorithms using both 5G and GNSS observations will provide significant positioning benefits in challenging urban environments and seamless navigation between indoor and outdoor environments. Applications across markets will see the benefits of hybrid 5G and GNSS navigation, but the real advantage lies in how this hybrid will enable the future of autonomous mobility. We will see both technologies working closer together to deliver a seamless and ubiquitous positioning solution.”
    — Miguel Amor

    Photo: Mitch Narins headshot
    Mitch Narins

    “Like communications, the ability to precisely and securely position and navigate is an essential part of 21st century life. Together they must support both critical and non-critical operations. This requires finding a common understanding of spectrum needs and how to have the best of both. In the long run, end runs by either side may achieve myopic goals but will damage society. The problem is crying out for an enterprise-level systems engineering leadership that can plot our future spectrum course. Else, the push for spectrum will continue, fueled by ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ and often a lack of understanding of the importance of other spectrum uses.”
    — Mitch Narins

    Image: KENGKAT/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
    Image:
    KENGKAT/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
  • Editorial Advisory Board PNT Q&A: Advancing bathymetry

    Editorial Advisory Board PNT Q&A: Advancing bathymetry

    Which recent GNSS/INS innovations have been most helpful in advancing bathymetry? Which upcoming ones will be?

    Headshot: Miguel Amor
    Miguel Amor

    “Development of PPP removed reliance on shore-based RTK base stations, allowing operation almost anywhere on the oceans. Continued performance improvement in FOG and MEMS INS, along with bathymetric sensors, provide cost-effective solutions while also providing more accurate seabed maps. The future will see increased PPP accuracy with faster convergence and continued improvement in INS, coupled with increased resolution of bathymetric sensors, leading to more of the oceans mapped using autonomous platforms.”
    Miguel Amor, 
    Hexagon Positioning

    Bernard Gruber
    Bernard Gruber

    “While GNSS has been a clear contributor to Earth mapping, it is an altogether different dilemma to solve ‘submarine topography’ mapping. Given recent developments in the IMU and lidar markets, one can readily utilize these sensors to correct for roll, pitch, and yaw, and produce digital maps, respectively. Combining these sensors with GNSS receivers, mounted on a drone for example, can allow for precise measurements in areas of tidal shifts or dynamic variations of water depth.”
    Bernard Gruber,
    Northrop Grumman

  • Four decades of leadership

    Four decades of leadership

    Headshot: Miguel Amor
    Miguel Amor, chief marketing officer, Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning Division

    GPS World celebrates its 30th anniversary, and together we’ve seen huge leaps of innovation over the years. Reflecting on these developments, I wanted to share some of the contributions Hexagon | NovAtel made to support the evolution of the GNSS industry.

    We began in 1978 in Alberta, Canada, in the telecommunications industry. In the 1990s, we shifted our focus to satellite receivers, choosing to forge ahead in GPS/GNSS technology. This decision would see NovAtel become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-precision GNSS components and systems developing multiple new patents and innovative solutions.

    Our engineers have seen first-hand the growth of GPS and other satellite positioning systems worldwide, GNSS adoption across industries from aerospace to agriculture, and the present-day developments of precise positioning in autonomous applications. A rising tide raises all boats, and we helped foster the evolution of the industry through our goals of assured autonomy and positioning.

    GAJT-710ML anti-jam antenna. (Photo: Hexagon)
    GAJT-710ML anti-jam antenna. (Photo: Hexagon)

    Assured positioning means a reliable and robust solution you can trust. Technologies we’ve contributed to the broader industry include our GPS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT) protecting users’ positioning, time and navigation, and SPAN technology, which expertly combines GNSS and inertial navigation systems (INS) measurements for seamless motion observations and a robust positioning solution. The capabilities of these technologies have been major contributors to the evolution of the GNSS industry.

    Hexagon acquired NovAtel in 2007, and we’ve continued to grow and develop exciting new opportunities around the world where GNSS can grow, strengthen and improve applications in agriculture, automotive, defense, marine and many other industries. Our mission of assured autonomy and positioning encourages us to continue providing assured positioning in the most demanding environments and begin bringing autonomy to these markets.

    GPS World has been a key player in covering these technological advancements for the past three decades. Together as an industry, we’ll continue innovating positioning and autonomy, and I’m excited to see how the industry will evolve over the next 30 years.