Effective July 2, the Brandt Group of Companies successfully acquired the assets of Ontario-based Sokkia Canada in a deal with owner Topcon Positioning Systems.
The acquisition, which directly affects the Ontario and Quebec markets, makes Brandt the exclusive dealer for Sokkia optical survey instruments, accessories and parts for the Canadian market.
The news signals Brandt’s entry into Central Canada’s geopositioning technology market and is the latest in a growing list of acquisitions and dealer agreements made by the Regina, SK-based company since its purchase of Ontario/Quebec/Newfoundland and Labrador John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer Nortrax in late 2019.
“Expanding our Sokkia offering into Ontario and Quebec has been a high priority for Brandt,” said Brandt CEO Shaun Semple. “Central Canada is an important new market for us and we are 100% committed to delivering exceptional value for the survey, engineering and construction industry here. This addition is a big step forward for us.”
The survey-focused Sokkia brand has a 100-year history and is owned and marketed by Topcon Positioning Systems, a U.S.-based division of Japanese precision equipment manufacturer Topcon Corporation.
The Sokkia product lineup will be distributed and supported through the company’s Brandt Positioning Technology division and includes total stations, GNSS receivers, data collectors, digital levels and a full complement of field accessories.
The move will consolidate Sokkia distribution for the first time under one banner and will further establish the Brandt’s position as a premier privately-held Canadian company.
The Brandt Group of Companies — headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada — is comprised of Brandt Agricultural Products, Brandt Engineered Products, Brandt Equipment Solutions, Brandt Road Rail, Brandt Positioning Technology, Brandt Truck Rigging & Trailers, Brandt Finance, Brandt Developments Ltd., Brandt Road Technology, Brandt Mineral Technology and Brandt Tractor Ltd. (the world’s largest privately owned John Deere Construction & Forestry equipment dealer.)
Brandt has more than 100 locations in Canada and the U.S., more than 3,400 employees, and a growing international customer base. It serves the construction, forestry, agriculture, rail, mining, steel and energy industries.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the June 2020 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
GPS Tester
Compact antenna testing for mobile deployments
Photo: Zonu
The ZonuSkyShot is designed for quick testing during the critical installation phase of an antenna at a new site build or small-cell integration. The compact tester is designed for integrating a Zeno GPS solution, but works as a neutral testing device. SkyShot is a compact GPS receiver that detects the presence of a GPS signal, indicated on the top-panel LED. The receiver can be accessed via the USB port on the base unit, allowing the user to see the available satellites by using the app provided with the system and available at the Optical Zonu website. The receiver can simultaneously track up to 16 satellites while searching for new ones. Because of this, a problem can be found and mitigated when a GPS antenna is installed, rather than when hardware is being integrated further down the line. Close-out of projects can be indicated with screenshots of satellite visibility via the micro-USB port to a laptop.
Seamless installation on leading 2020 police sport utility vehicles
Photo: PCTEL
The Trooper TRP-20INT antenna platform supports the high-speed requirements of complex RF communication systems used for critical communications in FirstNet public safety and intelligent transportation systems. The antennas feature two 5G elements compatible with cellular routers supporting 600-MHz to 6-GHz frequencies. PCTEL’s proprietary high-rejection multi-GNSS technology is included for high-precision tracking and asset management.
The QR-100 L1/L2 GPS anti-jamming unit mitigates RF interference or jamming signals using a spatial domain of an antenna array reception pattern. Three passive antennas of the customer’s choice can be connected to the QR-100 unit using built-in SMA connectors. The unit default configuration (no jamming signal present) has a 120-degree phase gradient between antenna elements to maximize the reception of GPS right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) signals. This feature allows the unit to be connected to either RHCP-type antennas or linearly polarized antennas. The default configuration of the unit is designed to connect to passive GPS antennas.
Inertial Labs’ TAG-200 two-axis and TAG-300 three-axis gyroscopes are developed for electro-optical systems, gimbals, line-of-sight, and pan-and-tilt platforms for stabilization and pointing applications. TAG-200 and TAG-300 use advanced-performance, tactical-grade MEMS sensitive elements to accomplish complex tasks requiring accurate stabilization of assorted platforms. The gyroscopes, designed for use in harsh environments, can withstand extreme shock and vibration in accordance with MIL-STD-810 ground mobile use. They are fully digitized, include built-in test functions and have no moving parts. The gyroscopes include low noise, low latency, wide bandwidth, high data rate, low bias drift, low VRE, high MTBF and are ITAR-free. They are factory calibrated over the operational temperature range and are quality assurance and quality compliance tested and supplied with individual calibration and acceptance test certificates.
Earthworks Grade Control Platform version 2.0 features improvements to enable faster return on investment, increase productivity and decrease training time for operators. Horizontal Steering Control for dozers automatically controls the machine to follow any horizontal alignment such as a back of a curb, breakline, roadway centerline or bottom of slope, without operator assistance. Augmented reality for excavators enables users to understand 3D models, cut/fill information, slope data and other bench points and reference points on the in-cab display in context, without the need to interpret complex 2D plans or stakes. A new mastless motor grader configuration gives operators an improved range of blade motion, allowing for machine control in applications where it previously was not possible. Integrated Trimble Loadrite Payload Management displays grade control and accurate payload data on one screen, increasing mass haul productivity and efficiency by preventing underloading, and improving safety by avoiding overloading. Trimble Earthworks is also now available for compact grading attachments with dual GNSS, single GNSS and total station guidance options. The Earthworks Assistant App provides access to Earthworks learning material and documentation, allowing for a shorter learning curve and less downtime for operators.
The addition of advanced tilt and rotation functionality allows Automatic Excavator operators to easily swivel or tilt the bucket with automatic boom control for faster and more efficient excavation. If excavator operators are in situations such as at the top of the slope, grading a long incline and not totally perpendicularly lined up, the added feature makes it easier to position the cutting edge of the bucket to the surface. Operators can excavate more quickly, moving the excavator fewer times with less wear and tear on the chassis. It is also beneficial when navigating around manholes, trenches and tight spaces.
The Horizon is a high-performance lidar sensor built for Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving. It has a long-distance detection range of up to 260 meters, high-density point clouds, and is so small it can be embedded easily into vehicles. The Tele-15 has achieved a reliable detection range of up to 500 meters, offering improved safety for high-speed autonomous vehicles. Both the Horizon and Tele-15 high-performance lidar sensors feature a new scanning method that offers improved sensing performance at a low cost.
The IMU383ZA is a high-accuracy, triple-redundant inertial measurement unit (IMU) for guidance and navigation solutions in autonomous machines and vehicles. It integrates triple-redundant, 3-axis micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. The IMU383ZA is pin-compatible with the IMU381ZA and offers high performance of 1.3 deg/hr, 0.08 deg/root-hr. The miniature module is factory-calibrated over the –40° C to +85° C industrial temperature range to provide consistent performance through extreme operating environments for a wide variety of applications.
New series of free webinars for construction, geopositioning and agriculture facilitate learning
Topcon Positioning Group is launching a free webinar program for the construction, geopositioning and agricultural sectors, exploring key topics affecting the industry and providing the latest updates and project management solutions.
The Topcon Talks series, consisting of numerous informative webinars, has been created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and aims to provide those working from home with valuable educational resources, while maintaining steady communication with Topcon customers, dealers and the wider industry.
The webinars will focus on a range of topics such as improving productivity using digital construction workflows, overcoming barriers to technology adoption, and more practical how-to sessions for customers and dealers on specific Topcon solutions.
The webinars will be delivered by a range of Topcon experts, with input from several other industry specialists, and cover a multitude of topics including:
Always One Step Ahead – an overview of Topcon’s latest product developments, market focuses and acquisitions
State of the Industry series – looking at the barriers to technology adoption in construction, such as attracting talent and bridging the skills gap
Detailed technical sessions showcasing latest hardware, software and web services to get the most out of Topcon solutions
The content series is live on the site, with new sessions taking place regularly over the coming weeks. All sessions are free to attend, and those wanting to participate will first need to register on the Topcon website.
“Everyday life has changed very quickly, and businesses across the world are having to adapt. At Topcon, we are working tirelessly to help the industry weather this storm. We’re aware that at this time, the majority of people are working from home, and we want to continue to support our customers and colleagues as much as possible,” said Ron Oberlander, vice president of global professional services at Topcon Positioning Group. “That’s why we’ve developed this webinar series — to provide an opportunity for continued professional development so that professionals can remain as productive as possible during this challenging time and be in the best position possible to accelerate the industry’s recovery when we come out the other side.”
The webinars are also recorded and uploaded to the site once complete, so those who are unable to attend the session can access the content in their own time.
Topcon Positioning Group is offering a new Thermal Mapper for asphalt paving. It is designed to monitor temperature segregation to prevent future problems and measure performance, as well as provide accurate compliance reporting — all with real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning accuracy.
The mapper records temperature readings behind an asphalt paver as the paving is in progress and provides a visualization to operators in real time of whether the mix falls within a predefined temperature range, and if any segregation is limited within specifications.
“If too much segregation occurs, roads will soon develop major problems. The mapper quickly tells operators if the mix is stable or if moderate or severe temperature variation is occurring. If the readings are unacceptable, operators can adjust for more efficient and accurate project outcomes,” said Murray Lodge, senior VP of construction. “The system’s sensors also bring to the market the first thermal mapping system with RTK GPS positioning for more accurate results than conventional methods.”
The system also creates data reporting files to download for applications such as U.S. Department of Energy compliance through an interactive Pavelink module, the Topcon cloud-based logistics application for asphalt paving.
“We are excited about where Topcon is taking the paving industry with the different solutions we are bringing to market. From SmoothRide, where we scan the existing road to determine the optimal design for variable depth milling and paving to the newly released Pavelink system, we are focused on improving paving.
“Pavelink allows contractors to monitor the entire paving workflow from the batch plant, mixing plant, trucks, to the paver, to the rollers. By connecting the entire process, it allows the contractor to have full control over their projects in real time and make adjustments along the way, instead of after the fact as is so often done with conventional methods. Now, bringing in the heat sensor system into that workflow, we are giving contractors more resources to meet the specifications demanded today.
“It is part of our commitment to revolutionize the planning and management of the asphalt paving process with real-time visibility throughout the project lifecycle,” Lodge said.
While often an underestimated component of a positioning and navigation system, a GNSS antenna is critical to a receiver’s success in acquiring all available GNSS signals while rejecting unintentional interference, jamming, multipath and spoofing. GNSS antennas come in as many flavors as receivers, to address the challenges posed by different market sectors, applications, environments and threats to signal integrity.
Each solution reflects a different balance among performance, cost, size and other variables. For example, antennas for handheld devices must be small and lightweight, while those for excavators and dozers can be much larger and heavier but must be able to operate for years while subjected to severe vibrations and harsh environmental conditions. Antennas for military and safety-critical applications must be especially impervious to jamming and spoofing.
Most applications, however, require antennas, like receivers, to have the smallest possible size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C). Some applications, such as in the automotive market, must also take aesthetics into account.
We asked Javad GNSS, NovAtel, Trimble, Topcon and Harxon about their key markets and the challenges their antennas are designed to address. We also asked them to look back at the past three years and forward at the next three to discuss key innovations. Finally, they discuss technical challenges and industry trends.
See part 1 and part 2 of our GNSS receiver manufacturer overviews.
Javad GNSS
The GrAnt-G2T antenna. (Photo: Javad GNSS)
Key Markets. “The unmistakable lime-green Javad GNSS receivers and antennas are known to surveyors the world over, and we also support reference station, machine control, precise timing and any other market requiring high-performance / high-precision GNSS antennas,” said Javad Ashjaee, founder and CEO.
Specific Challenges. “A good GNSS receiver should bring in all wideband GNSS signals and reject all other unwanted signals,” Ashjaee said. “J-Shield, a robust filter in our antennas, blocks out-of-band interference — in particular, signals near the GNSS bands, such as the LightSquared signals — making the precious near-band spectrum available for other usages.”
Key Innovations. “To support our users in ever more challenging environments,” Ashjaee said, “such as denied environments where electronic warfare takes place, we have developed a new GrAnt-G2T antenna variant with even stronger J-Shield filtering: improved P1dB (the 1-dB compression point, > –30 dBm) and additional upper and lower out-of-band filtering.”
Harxon
The HX-CSX100. (Photo: Harxon)
Key Markets.Harxon is dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-precision GNSS antennas and solutions for industries such as surveying, UAVs and precision agriculture, said Wang Xiaohui, R&D manager.
Specific Challenges. “Harxon’s GNSS antennas primarily address issues related to the reliability of phase center, multi-constellation full-frequency coverage,” Xiaohui said, “tracing unstable satellite signals at low elevations, multipath signal interference, and how to integrate high-precision GNSS antennas and mobile communication antennas into a single design.”
Key Innovations. Over the past three years, Harxon has made “great breakthroughs” in GNSS antenna innovation, Xiaohui said. First, it greatly reduced the size and weight of choke ring antennas. As an example, Xiaohui cited the company’s mini choke ring antenna HX-CGX611A. Second, it optimized accuracy to the millimeter level and expanded to full frequency its quadrifilar helix antenna, such as with the D-Helix antenna. Third, Harxon upgraded the surveying industry to 4G communication by developing a four-in-one antenna that supports multi-constellation with full frequencies and integrates GNSS antennas, Bluetooth and 4G modules with high compatibility and outstanding performance, Xiaohui said, such as with the HX-CSX100. “For the next three years, Harxon will continue its research and investment in antenna technology breakthroughs, especially with regard to further miniaturization and improved performance.”
Technical Challenges. “The first interesting challenge is how to guarantee the performance of the antenna while miniaturizing it per our customers’ demands,” Xiaohui said. The second is reducing the size and weight of antennas with anti-multipath technology, “so as to boost the applications of high-precision positioning GNSS technology.”
Trimble
An external Trimble antenna helps the GeoXR handheld achieve survey-grade accuracy. (Photo: Trimble)
Key Markets. “Trimble’s core technologies in positioning, modeling, connectivity and data analytics enable customers to improve productivity, quality, safety and sustainability,” said Stuart Riley, vice president, GNSS Technology. “From purpose-built products to enterprise lifecycle solutions, Trimble software, hardware and services are transforming industries such as agriculture, construction, geospatial, transportation and logistics, rail, forestry, utilities and autonomous applications.”
Specific Challenges. Each application has different requirements, Riley said. “For applications that require the highest position accuracy, the stability of the phase center, multipath mitigation, and the unit-to-unit production consistency are critical,” he said. Some customers require high performance in challenging environments — such as the high vibration experienced on construction equipment — while others require smaller, lower-cost antennas and can tolerate a slight reduction in accuracy. “The antenna is typically a combination of a passive antenna element with an active low noise amplifier (LNA),” he said. “The LNA needs to be carefully designed to remain linear in the presence of in-band jamming while rejecting out-of-band signals. There are size and cost trade-off challenges to the filter roll-off at the band edge that need to be managed.”
Key Innovations. For high-precision applications, Trimble first released the Zephyr series of antennas in the late 1990s. “It provides excellent phase center stability and unit-to-unit production repeatability, and has exceptional multipath mitigation performance, which is enhanced in the geodetic version,” Riley said. Since first introducing the antenna, Trimble has added support for additional GNSS systems and RF bands (L1/E1, L2, L5/E5 and L6/E6), transitioned to a RoHS-compliant manufacturing process, improved the LNA performance, developed rugged versions for construction vehicle mounting, and produced a smaller version used in the Trimble R10, R12 and SPS986 GNSS receivers.
“More recently,” Riley said, “we developed a lower-cost high-performance antenna for the Trimble Catalyst software-defined GNSS receiver for Android phones and tablets, as well as an antenna in the Nav-900 guidance controller for agriculture that implements a metamaterial design. Looking forward, we expect to continue to innovate by providing antennas that meet the needs of the different markets we serve. Each application has unique requirements, which require us to balance the cost, performance and size to develop the appropriately optimized product. Enhancements will include novel antenna architectures, production technique improvements, and careful material selection.”
Technical Challenges. Trimble users have a wide variety of requirements, Riley said. “The challenges come in balancing the seemingly conflicting needs for performance, size, weight and cost. Because Trimble focuses on specific user segments, we can provide antenna solutions that are the best fit for the various applications. For example, an antenna in a handheld device must be small and lightweight; however, on a construction machine, durability takes precedence over size and weight.”
Topcon Positioning Group
The Sokkia GCX2 receiver integrates a helical antenna. (Photo: Topcon)
Key Markets.Topcon Positioning Group is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, geospatial and agricultural markets, according to Alok Srivastava, director, product management. “By integrating high-precision measurement technology, software, services and data, Topcon has a vision to improve productivity to meet global demand for sustainable infrastructure and agriculture,” Srivastava said.
Specific Challenges. The physical challenges when designing an antenna for geomatics applications have been multipath and interference mitigation, Srivastava explained. “Topcon has an advanced research and development team that focuses solely on antenna designs. The team dedicates its efforts to providing state-of-the-art antennas for all positioning needs.”
Key Innovations. “Topcon was very early in realizing the growing needs for radio spectrum and the challenges it may bring to GNSS technology,” Srivastava said. “It has innovated and used filters to mitigate interference from Japan LTE signals for a long time.”
Topcon’s antenna team is “among the most innovative in the industry,” Srivastava said, and “has brought many unique designs of antennas over the years. The antenna is a key element of an integrated receiver in dictating the design of the whole receiver.” With the release of the Sokkia GCX2 receiver, he explained, his company introduced to the industry the integration of a helical antenna into a high-performing integrated receiver.
Its infrastructure antennas, the CR-G5 and PN-A5, are available with options including cavity filter technology. “The cavity filter has the superior ability to minimize near-band interference,” Srivastava said. Topcon’s antenna farm at the Concordia test site in Italy contains an absolute calibration robot, a large format antenna (BigAnt) for a high-quality geodetic ground station, and patented technology for controlled testing of GNSS technology in artificial obstructions.
“Vibration mitigation is the key when an antenna is mounted to a piece of machinery,” Srivastava said. “Topcon antennas are an integral component of our Quartz Lock Loop (QLL) technology for robust GNSS operation in high-vibration environments.”
Technical Challenges. The importance of antennas can be underestimated, Srivastava pointed out, especially with rapidly growing interest in GNSS technology in consumer applications. “The antenna is one of the most critical technologies when it comes to reliable and robust GNSS positioning. Designers and manufacturers of antenna technology with years of experience understand the seriousness of this task, and are fully equipped to deliver results without compromising quality and performance.”
NovAtel
The VEXXIS family of GNSS antennas. (Photo: NovAtel)
Key Markets. Key antenna markets for Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division are split into three areas, according to Dean Foster, director of hardware engineering. His area includes the company’s anti-jamming antenna technology (GAJT) and robust SWAP-C antennas. The other two are precision and SMART antennas for agriculture, mining, survey and autonomous vehicles (Vexxis, SMART7, and GNSS 1500), and reference GNSS antennas (GNSS750 and ANT-C2GA).
Specific Challenges.NovAtel’s antennas address three main challenges. First, jamming and interference, whether intentional or unintentional, are becoming increasingly commonplace and seriously impact GNSS reception. “These issues are addressed by our GAJT product line of high-precision anti-jamming antennas, which can mitigate multiple jammers simultaneously,” Foster said. Second, “the stability and precision of the antenna’s phase center is critical to deliver robust and precise GNSS position even in challenging environments, which is addressed by our Vexxis GNSS-800 antennas.” Finally, more frequent use of GNSS in environments with reflection issues is making multipath rejection critical. “The entire line of NovAtel antennas, including Vexxis, SMART and GAJT, ensures use of the most direct signals.”
Key Innovations. Driverless vehicles require sub-meter-level positioning for lane-level resolution. “Multi-constellation/multi-frequency GNSS with protection limits and correction services are necessary to move forward safely,” Foster said. “This technology does not work with the smallest size, single-frequency, narrow-band antennas that cars currently utilize, so we’re building on our deep experience and knowledge to develop production-grade automotive antenna technologies.” An emerging requirement is reducing size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C). “In the defense market, we first offered jamming and interference mitigation with the GAJT-710, which progressed to the GAJT-AE, and most recently we launched the GAJT-410.”
Technical Challenges. All markets want the smallest, most robust and cost-effective antenna to meet their needs, Foster said, adding that NovAtel is helping customers work through how to select, place and integrate antennas into their platforms to address real-world problems.
The prevalence of intentional and unintentional GNSS interference has sparked quick evolution in antenna technology, including the emergence of breakthrough technology in 2019 and new advancements in development, said Imtiaz Bahadur, product line manager.
Specifically, the drive to advance antenna technology is due to “an increased demand for broader coverage, stringent industry compliance, and a need for robust capabilities.”
Key Innovations. Among recent innovations in antenna technology, Bahadur cited GPS antennas with support for dual-frequency multi-constellation compliance with Global Aircraft Traffic Management (GATM) mandates to enable military aircraft to operate in controlled airspace, and antennas that offer broader band coverage.
In 2019, Cobham introduced the 20-2041 Fixed Reception Pattern Array (FRPA) GPS antenna, which addresses all three of these priorities, said Darren Windust, product manager – air. The L1/L2 dual-frequency GPS antenna is certified to both ETSO-C190 and MSO-C144. “In conjunction with a certified receiver, the 20-2041 offers a single solution to comply with GATM regulations to access controlled airspace and undertake GPS precision approach and landings, in a standard 3.5-inch form factor.”
Technical Challenges. “It’s clear that moving from one GPS signal to eight signals from four constellations in support of performance-based navigation is going to be the next major disruptor because of the significantly expanded signal power and highly efficient design,” Bahadur said. The quest to make antennas smaller also continues. “Today, there are physical limitations on how far one can miniaturize the antenna while ensuring sufficient gain is received. Research and development efforts are underway to build ‘smart antenna’ concepts for the future. Moving into the next few years, robust antenna capabilities will arrive in smaller, more efficient form factors.”
Top receiver manufacturers discuss what’s on the horizon for GNSS receivers. The companies reveal recent and upcoming innovations, how to combat spoofing and jamming, fusing GNSS with other sensors, and the impact of increasing accuracy both for professional surveyors and consumers.
With regard to jamming and spoofing, the preferred approach is a combination of monitoring, detection and filtering. However, shielding, the use of IMUs and other third-party sensors, and advances in processing algorithms also help mitigate interference. In a few years, hopefully, encrypted or “watermarked” signals will substantially reduce this problem.
IMUs and other sensors are now routinely integrated with GNSS receivers, with their outputs fused. This trend is largely propelled on the demand side by the needs of the emerging market for autonomous vehicles and on the supply side by smaller, cheaper and more accurate IMUs and lidar scanners. Meanwhile, developments in algorithms have improved the modeling of errors to correct for the inherent tendency of IMUs to drift. Additionally, digital cameras, lidar and other industry-specific sensors are increasingly common, especially for collision avoidance in human-machine interactions.
In surveying, the use of all constellations and frequencies, as they become available, is an industry trend. Costs will continue to drop as the growth in the adoption of GNSS solutions enables manufacturers to take greater advantage of economies of scale. Precise point positioning (PPP), which benefits greatly from the growth in GNSS constellations, is now giving real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning a run for its money. Available applications enable Android mobile devices to achieve centimeter accuracy, while innovations continue in core positioning algorithms.
In the world of mobile consumer devices, dual-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS chipsets are increasingly prevalent. As increased accuracy fuels expectations for even higher accuracy, precision positioning may become the norm in the consumer space, and new applications for these devices may emerge. Already, crowdsourcing the monitoring of both GNSS signals and interference helps improve accuracy for everyone, in a positive feedback loop.
Other notable trends include the introduction and expansion of 5G data networks, the increased use of satellite-based correction services, and continued efforts to develop precise positioning for indoor areas. (See part 2 of this feature here.)
Topcon
Jamming and Spoofing. “We continue to develop and deploy patented technology to detect spoofing,” said Alok Srivastava, director, product management. “We already have cutting edge GNSS antenna technology to provide stellar support for interference rejection and filtering.” All Topcon end products have this advanced antenna and filtering technology.
Sensor Fusion. “Topcon has been using inertial systems for decades for a variety of positioning applications — such as machine control, mobile mapping, and agriculture,” said Srivastava. “In recent years, advancements in IMU technology have progressed to where the size and cost of these sensors are at levels to be utilized at a larger scale. For example, the recently released Topcon HiPer VR takes advantage of inertial technology to improve productivity in real time with our Topcon Integrated Leveling Technology (TILT), which compensates for mis-leveled field measurements out of plumb by as much as 15 degrees.”
Surveying. Topcon continues to invest in its core positioning algorithms to innovate such features as quartz lock loop, advanced multi-engine platform, and VHD heading technology into its positioning engines, Srivastava said. “We also produce solutions such as our Millimeter GPS and Hybrid Positioning innovations, which are designed around improving accuracy, higher reliability, and greater flexibility by converging positioning technologies.”
Consumer Devices. “GNSS in consumer devices and other commercial systems is used to aid other positioning sensors,” Srivastava said. “So, it may not be in the best of interest to offer that level of accuracy from GNSS alone.”
Other Challenges. Precise indoor positioning is a requirement of the vertical construction industry. “Topcon’s combined optical instrument takes a unique approach to solve that problem by integrating a compact laser scanner with a fully featured robotic total station,” Srivastava said.
Photo: CHC Navigation
CHC Navigation
Jamming and Spoofing.CHCNav is currently taking a twofold approach to GNSS interference, said François Martin, vice general manager, International Division. “As a GNSS system integrator, we focus our design around strong electromagnetic shielding and sealed isolation chambers.” Additionally, he pointed out, the advanced filtering of GNSS signals and an antenna patch produce optimal interference mitigation.
Sensor Fusion. Integrating interference-free, high-dynamic IMUs instead of MEMS has brought the full benefits of tilt compensation to users, Martin said. The latest development in algorithms dramatically obviated the need for the annoying process of initializing GNSS IMU receivers and boosted the availability of GNSS RTK in demanding environments.
Surveying. The fast adoption of GNSS solutions by large user segments has reduced costs by enabling a sizable manufacturing economy of scale, Martin pointed out. “Tighter combination of embedded technologies such as GNSS and connectivity modules are sustaining that cost reduction process.”
Consumer Devices. “The emergence of dual frequency multi-constellation GNSS chipsets supports the development of untapped user segments, but the position accuracy repeatability remains an issue,” Martin said. “The integration of GNSS chipset and high-performance helical antennas, as precision add-on modules, onto rugged Android cell phone and tablets is creating a prosumer-grade centimeter to decimeter accuracy answering to a wide range of mobile workforce applications.”
Other Challenges. A growing number of positioning and navigation applications require the fusion of technologies to increase productivity, Martin said. “The integration of advanced tightly integrated positioning algorithms, scanners, IMUs, HDR cameras, IoT and cloud-based connected solutions are a clear trend.” However, their adoption by a large user base remains limited by their current price point.
Photo: Septentrio
Septentrio
Jamming and Spoofing. “Recent developments in receiver-antenna combinations maximize the benefits of anti-jamming techniques,” said Gustavo Lopez, market access manager. Third party sensors, such as IMUs, also help mitigate interference, he pointed out. “Septentrio’s advanced receiver technology such as AIM+, a standard feature on all the company’s products, bring not only real time monitoring but also jamming/spoofing mitigation. Galileo and GPS have clear roadmaps bringing signal authentication in order to avoid spoofing.”
Sensor Fusion. Smaller IMUs with higher grade performance now on the market are enabling new use cases in autonomous applications, said Lopez. Other important elements are a new generation of compact high-performance sensors and the growing importance of multi-sensor technology “to provide even higher levels of positioning integrity.” He cited Septentrio’s AsteRx-i family of products as an example of GNSS/INS integrated solutions.
Surveying. As an example of Septentrio’s survey-specific products, which “continuously benefit from advanced developments being rolled out in our platform,” Lopez cited the Altus NR3.
Consumer Devices. The increasing positioning accuracy of cell phones, Lopez pointed out, “has spurred innovations such as PPP and the use of mobile phone measurements,” as well as “other purposes, such as interference detection and crowdsourcing.”
Other Challenges. “Sensor fusion is a key element in positioning and orientation,” Lopez said. “Easy integration is a key element in this trend. Also, integrity in error reporting and positioning will be required as well as reliable raw measurements which can be integrated with other sensors. This drives the requirement for receivers capable of running customer proprietary software. Another important element will also be the possibility of running positioning algorithms on a third-party processor.”
Photo: Hemisphere GNSS
Hemisphere GNSS
Jamming and Spoofing. “Hemisphere’s new Lyra II ASIC platform used in our Phantom and Vega series positioning and heading boards,” said Miles Ware, director of marketing, “introduces new technology and filtering methods to identify and mitigate known and unknown interference sources that typically have an adverse effect on GNSS performance.”
Sensor Fusion. “Advancements in IMU integration and sensor fusion,” Ware said, “will continue to be a key focus for Hemisphere to support the growth and adoption of the expanding autonomous vehicle and application marketplace. The positioning and heading technology offered in our Vega 28 will be a core component for autonomous marine, machine control, and agriculture solutions for new and emerging markets.”
Surveying. “Access to modern and future signals like BeiDou Phase III, ALTBOC and BS-ACEBOC significantly enhance GNSS accuracy, especially in challenging environments where satellite visibility is compromised by the topography and or the structures present,” Ware pointed out. “Survey solutions that can not only track but also use all the available GNSS measurements in their RTK solution will have a substantial advantage in the market.”
Consumer Devices. “As mobile phones and consumer devices continue to adopt hardware designs that can access the latest GNSS signals,” Ware said, “the opportunities for solutions where high precision measurement engines can be hosted within mobile devices opens up a new realm of solutions that can leverage the high accuracy positioning performance found in Hemisphere technology and products. We see this as a very exciting and emerging area.”
Other Challenges. Ware pointed to “leveraging GNSS technology to further support environmentally friendly transportation solutions and sustainable agriculture,” for which GNSS continues to be an integral component.
Photo: Unicore
Unicore Communications
Sensor Fusion. “We are implementing GNSS with different level IMUs, including low-cost and high-end, targeting automotive, intelligent driving, and robot application scenarios,” said Gao Jingbo, marketing director. “The algorithm can also integrate with the already-existing sensors on the platform, such as IMUs, cameras and odometers. The solution can be done on the GNSS side, with high information synchronization accuracy, or processed on the platform.”
Surveying. Products with Unicore boards inside can provide centimeter- to millimeter-level positioning accuracy, said Jingbo. “Unicore’s high-precision boards and modules can track all frequencies of all satellite systems. The UGypsophila RTK technology can make the most of the observation data of all frequencies in all systems even without the observations of the base station in the RTK solution, thus greatly improving the usability, reliability and accuracy of RTK.” The company is now also working to reduce the dimensions and cost of its products, Jingbo pointed out. “With Unicore’s single GNSS SoC on board, the UB4B0M and UM4B0 modules are making affordable high-end high precision surveying possible.”
Consumer Devices. Algorithms and hardware are ready now to implement PPP+RTK in cell phones, Jingbo said, and this increase in positioning accuracy will enable many more applications. “We have rich experience in high precision GNSS, but the antenna might be a challenge. Our new generation 22 nm GNSS SoC features low power consumption and support of sensor fusion. Additionally, true point technology by Rx-Networks (also a BDStar company) can provide sub-meter data service, which also enables users to access centimeter-level accuracy location data through their mobile phones and wearable technologies, without increasing the demand for processing power.”
Photo: Trimble
Trimble
Jamming and Spoofing. “Trimble’s latest GNSS receivers leverage our seventh-generation Maxwell technology, which implements hardware- and software-based techniques to detect and mitigate spoofing,” said Stuart Riley, vice president, GNSS Technology. “In addition, Trimble continues to improve the robustness of our GNSS receivers with advances in processing algorithms and hardware enhancements such as the integration of inertial technology.”
Sensor Fusion. “For many years, IMUs have been widely used in Trimble agriculture and Applanix products,” Riley said. “Over the past few years, we’ve created a new line of lower-cost inertially integrated board-level GNSS receivers. We have also integrated inertial components into survey and construction products, including tilt compensation in the Trimble R10, R12 and SPS986 receivers. Trimble also combines its GNSS solutions with optical, laser, lidar and other sensors.”
Surveying. Trimble’s GNSS products, Riley pointed out, range from GIS handhelds to high-performance mobile mapping systems.
Consumer Devices. “The Trimble Catalyst system uses Android-based smartphones or tablets to run an application that includes a software-defined GNSS receiver,” Riley said. “The recently introduced SiteVision system builds on this ecosystem and integrates Google’s ARCore platform with precision GNSS to provide an augmented reality solution for a variety of professional applications.”
Other Challenges. To address signal masking and multipath, Trimble has “continued to improve performance in difficult environments with products such as the Trimble R12 receiver, which provides sophisticated multipath mitigation and an advanced precision processing engine.” Riley said, “Trimble’s RTX Correction Services, delivered via satellite, enable users to achieve RTK speed and accuracy nearly anywhere on the planet without the need for local reference stations.”
Photo: NovAtel
NovAtel
Jamming and Spoofing. “The RF environment is at best crowded and at worst hostile,” said Sandy Kennedy, vice president of innovation, Hexagon’s Positioning Intelligence division. “The NovAtel OEM7 generation of receivers was launched in 2016, with interference detection and mitigation as key features on every variant. Protecting authenticity, availability, and precision for multifrequency measurements is the challenge going forward — in all segments of the system: constellation management and SIS, antenna, receiver design and processing in FW/SW.”
Sensor Fusion. In the last three years, Kennedy pointed out, IMU manufacturers have made significant improvements in the performance offered in smaller, cheaper IMUs. “At the same time, new methods to improve error modelling (to control positioning errors) have been added to the NovAtel SPAN product line, especially in SPAN Land profile. Extended GNSS outages are easily handled now.”
Surveying. “PPP has become a strong competitor to RTK, as convergence times have decreased, and this will continue in service offerings like Terrastar-X from NovAtel,” Kennedy said.
Consumer Devices. The devices, Kennedy said, offer “the tantalizing promise of quality measurements from a common utility device with huge computing horsepower and data connectivity built in! It’s fun to watch, and we shall see if accuracy is truly addictive enough to fuel development for general use of precision positioning.”
Other Challenges. “In the past 20 years, users have moved from awe and wonder that centimeter-level positioning is possible — to utter contempt when it is not,” Kennedy said. “This will continue, with an added requirement of integrity and functional safety. Continuously available positioning within a usable protection level is a requirement for autonomous vehicles.”
Topcon Positioning Group released a new strategy through its Topcon Solutions Store retail channel. Together with Autodesk, and as an Autodesk Platinum Tier Partner, the Topcon Solutions Stores retail channel plans to expand top-tier service to civil-construction and BIM professionals through acquiring and adopting automation into its workflows.
The plan calls for a shift from traditional retail “box moving” sales approach, to a complete solution offering that combines hardware, software, and services. In order to deliver best-in-class service, training, and support, the plan includes renovation for 11 Topcon Solutions Store facilities in preparation to obtain their Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC) designation — joining two more store locations that are already approved Autodesk Training Centers.
The Autodesk Platinum Tier partner designation indicates the highest level of reseller status, and will allow TSS to continue to grow with significant investment in training, consulting and development services.
Mark Contino, Topcon VP, North American Retail Distribution, said, “By combining Topcon’s precision measuring and positioning hardware with Autodesk’s world-class software portfolio, the Topcon Solutions Stores seamlessly provide complete end-to-end workflows that greatly improve productivity and efficiency. Soon, all 13 locations across the U.S. will be repositioned to deliver the highest level of training, support, and workflow consulting services in the civil construction and BIM space. Not only will Topcon Solutions Stores be able to help customers analyze operations, every location will also help all the way through implementation and on-going support with local, professional training programs.
“The renovation of our facilities across the U.S. is part of our dedication to offer the modern solutions centers that the industry demands to provide this service,” Contino said.
Kirk C. Givens, senior manager, Autodesk Americas Channel Sales, said, “Topcon’s strategy to deliver a complete end-to-end solution in the civil-construction and BIM space is exciting. It’s truly game changing to be able to deliver a complete workflow combining two world class solutions – Autodesk software and Topcon hardware. Supporting that through 13 brick-and-mortar locations with professional training and support facilities will provide tremendous value to customers in the construction market.”
GNSS and inertial navigation sensors are meeting the challenges of extreme conditions, from freezing Arctic ice to the edges of steaming volcanoes, from high-speed aircraft over cities to the subways under them. Even beyond, into deep space.
IN THE ARCTIC
Wave Buoys Help Study Arctic Climate Change
Where the edge of Arctic ice transitions to open water, towering seas are smashing sea ice into melting pieces, with far-flung effects on climate and nature. Over recent decades, the Arctic has warmed more than any other region, leading to a significant reduction in sea ice volume. The combination of increased ice-free area and more mobile ice cover has led to the emergence of a seasonal marginal ice zone (MIZ) in the Beaufort Sea, north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
The United States Office of Naval Research conducted a five-year study of the MIZ, which included intense field work in the freezing Arctic sea. Here, the ice is vulnerable to ocean surface waves that form in the open water, resulting from strong winds and frequent storms. Also studied were in-ice waves, where ice and water clash. The goal was to understand how both factors impact the ice floe melting.
The MIZ lies in the subarctic seas in winter and transitions into the interior of the Arctic Basin in summer. To investigate the MIZ’s dynamics, ONR engaged an international program of observations and simulations using several autonomous systems, including wave buoys. The wave buoys — officially designated the autonomous ocean flux buoys — integrate SBG Systems’ miniature inertial sensors.
The MIZ study comprised an international team of scientists from more than a dozen organizations.
Buoys for All Seasons. The program included 20 buoys deployed in the summer, and five in the winter, to quantify open ocean and in-ice wave characteristics and evolution. “We needed a very rapid and cost-effective solution to measuring directional wave spectra in the ocean,” said Martin Doble, oceanographer at the French UPMC School and member of the research program. “Time to deployment was very short, so an integrated solution, giving us good heave numbers straight out of the box, was essential. Delivery time of the units was also critical.”
Drilled into the ice, the summer buoys were powered with solar panels and equipped with SBG Systems’ IG-500A miniature attitude and heading reference system to detect both distant and near-wave effects on the local ice floe. Once the ice melted, the summer buoys continued to measure open ocean characteristics.
Five winter buoys were installed on the ice. These buoys were made of aluminum for better resistance and contained enough battery power to keep them going through the dark winter months. Every buoy also contained processing and control electronics, an SD card, a GPS receiver and an Iridium satellite modem and antennas to transmit the recorded data to its base station. Both summer and winter data from the buoys were used to quantify the wave attenuation rate.
Winter buoy installed on an ice floe. (Photo: SBG Systems)
By measuring the waves and ice, the buoys help scientists understand how waves are approaching and breaking up the sea ice. When winter approaches and ice begins to refreeze, the buoys help show how the waves interact with the ice as the temperatures change.
Calibration. The IG-500A inertial sensors were used for wave height and direction. IG-500A measures in real time the roll, pitch, heading (accurate to 0.35°) and heave (accurate to 10 centimeters). Every sensor is calibrated for bias, linearity, gain, misalignment, cross-axis and gyro-g from –40° to +85°C. The calibration is key to enabling the sensors to provide reliable data in the harsh environment.
Doble said the units were reliable, with no failures in the harsh Arctic conditions. They ran continuously for more than a year without requiring power cycling, and “the numbers look good, giving clear results.”
The data is helping researchers understand the physics that control sea ice breakup and melt in and around the ice edge. “We have this amazing picture of the ocean, atmosphere, and ice going from the fully frozen period in March to meltdown and breakup right through to freeze-up,” said Craig Lee of the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory.
The IG-500A sensors also delivered heave measurement, important for instrumented ocean buoys. During the project, SBG Systems released the Ellipse Series, and the new line replaced the IG-500 series. More accurate in attitude and more reliable (with an IP68 rating) for the same budget, the new miniature inertial sensors now provide a heave measurement that automatically adjusts to the wave period, resulting in higher performance.
Clear differences were measured between surface wave activity outside of the ice, and then moving into the ice, with huge attenuation as the waves enter the ice and die back quickly.
Current Arctic Program. Following the close of the MIZ project in 2015, the ONR launched a new project for 2016–2020, the Stratified Ocean Dynamics in the Arctic (SODA). SODA is also taking place in the Beaufort Sea, and is using the autonomous ocean flux buoys. The buoys are now equipped with SBG’s Ellipse-A sensors.
Why the Arctic Matters
“There’s no question that the Arctic sea ice extent is decreasing,” said Martin Jeffries, program officer for the ONR Arctic and Global Prediction Program. “Multiple sources of data — autonomous underwater gliders, ice-measuring buoys and satellite images of the marginal ice zone — were used to help understand why the ice is retreating.”
The implications for the U.S. Navy, and the world, are significant. If there were no sea ice in the Arctic at the end of summer, that would mean that the Arctic Ocean would, until the winter ice came in, be completely open — something unprecedented in living memory, Jeffries noted.
Naval leaders have made it clear that understanding a changing Arctic is essential for the Navy to be prepared to respond effectively to future needs.
“[T]he opening of the Arctic Ocean has important national security implications as well as significant impacts on the U.S. Navy’s required future capabilities,” said then Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert, in his introduction to the U.S. Navy Arctic Roadmap, 2014–2030, published in 2014. “The United States has a history of maritime homeland security and homeland defense concerns in the Arctic Region […] .”
In the period between 2007 and 2014, satellites recorded the eight lowest sea ice levels ever. A key goal of the MIZ and SODA programs is to use the new data collected to make better predictive computer models — ensuring safer operations for not only naval vessels, but also anticipated increased sea traffic by shipping and fishing industries; oil, gas and mining companies; and tourism operations.
Much of the data coming in to Arctic scientists is now from improved sensors, with greater ability to survive the harsh weather and ocean conditions.
Inside the Ellipse
Alexis Guinamard, chief technology officer of SBG Systems, described to GPS World the company’s most advanced sensor for extreme environments.
“Of course we have more precise sensors like Ekinox, Apogee or even Horizon, for ‘extreme’ precision. But for extreme environments, the more appropriate sensor line is the Ellipse series,” Guinamard said. “There are several key parameters that make them better for this kind of environment.”
Those features include a high-temperature calibration range, from –40°C to +85°C, which enables the sensors to operate at the same performance level in the most extreme temperature environments.
“While typical entry-level or industrial-grade sensors only provide a room temperature or basic temperature calibration, we have developed a calibration procedure used for both survey-grade and industrial-grade sensors using a precision two-axis rotary table with temperature chamber,” Guinamard said. “An advanced thermal modeling minimizes the calibration error over the full temperature range.”
Ellipse-D dual-antenna mini INS/GNSS. (Photo: SBG Systems)
The sensors work in highly dynamic and vibrating environments because their gyros operate well, changing position up to 900° per second. Similarly, their accelerometers can reach up to 40 g, with excellent behavior in vibrating environments. “We can typically install our sensors directly on the chassis of the vehicle, while lower grade sensors may require specific dampers that are complex to design and make it difficult to precisely align the sensor,” Guinamard said.
A GNSS interference-mitigation capability enables the sensors to perform in challenging GNSS environments.
With the Ellipse-D, high latitude operation is possible because it provides a dual-antenna heading that is insensitive to higher latitudes, Guinamard explained.
Saltwater-Proof. SBG Systems sensors typically have waterproof (IP68) enclosures that can deal with harsh conditions and sustain exposure to saltwater for a limited period of time. For long exposure to salt water, the company offers specific titanium enclosures. For instance, its Navsight series has a saltwater-proof inertial measurement unit.
Navsight marine solution. (Photo: SBG Systems)
The Navsight Marine Solution is a motion and navigation solution for hydrographers available as a motion reference unit (MRU), as an inertial navigation solution (INS) with embedded GNSS, and as an INS using a third-party GNSS receiver.
Navsight can be outfitted for demanding shallow- or deep-water environments to survey highly dense areas (bridges and buildings), as well as applications where only a single antenna can be used.
With the addition of the Horizon inertial measurement unit (IMU) to the Navsight line in January, which joined the Ekinox and Apogee IMUs, the line is suitable for large hydrographic vessels surveying harsh environments. The Horizon IMU is based on a closed-loop fiber-optic gyro (FOG) technology that enables ultra-low bias and noise levels, allowing robust and consistent performance.
Dust, noxious gas and loose rock near the summit makes volcanic surveying especially challenging. (Photo: Trimble)
AT VOLCANO’S EDGE
GNSS Tracks Magma on Mount Etna
Scientists seeking to better understand volcanoes are using GNSS to investigate one of the most active in the world.
Mount Etna, in eastern Sicily, Italy, has been erupting for hundreds of thousands of years. The constant activity makes it a popular tourist attraction — smoke often billows from the mountain and fiery lava spews down its sides.
Researchers flock to Mount Etna, too, to study the movement of magma — the hot fluid beneath the Earth’s surface from which rocks are formed when cooled.
To measure the vertical gradients of gravity on Mount Etna’s slopes and summit craters, geophysicists from Slovakia and Italy teamed up on a field campaign during which they used high-accuracy GNSS positioning with emphasis on accurate height measurements to collect gravimetry and topographic information.
The extreme environment and spotty cellular coverage on Mount Etna made using GNSS with real-time kinematic (RTK) or virtual reference station (VRS) a challenge. The geophysicists used the Trimble CenterPoint RTX correction service and Trimble R10 GNSS receivers to ensure reliable GNSS performance.
“On many points, especially the higher part of the volcano, Internet signals were poor or [there were] none at all,” said Juraj Papčo, a geodesist with the Earth Science Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. “Only by using RTX were we able to collect real-time data. It performed well in higher elevations and difficult conditions.”
The project teams also used Trimble RTX to navigate to locations where they needed measurements. At each station, they collected static and real-time positions and later compared post-processed results with the real-time positions.
Dust, noxious gas and loose rock made approaching the summit especially challenging. Trimble RTX helped the Slovak-Italian team of geophysicists better understand volcanoes and anticipate volcanic events.
Researchers used high-accuracy GNSS positioning to collect gravimetry and topographic information. (Photo: Trimble)Prisms affixed to the track enable measurement of change and structural movement. (Photo: Topcon)
UNDER A METROPOLIS
Harsh Construction Environment Monitored
Deep beneath Paris, work is underway to expand the Metro, the city’s rapid transit system. The Grand Paris Express project encompasses a 200-kilometer-long network of railway lines — mostly underground — that will link the suburbs to the city.
The contractor responsible for monitoring construction of the first stage of the project’s infrastructure, Cementys, is using more than 100 instruments from Topcon’s MS series of robotic total stations because they can withstand the harsh construction environment.
Monitoring structural movement across the network is critical; the goal is to protect the surrounding Parisian structures and the people who live and work in them. Use of the monitors also ensures that the expensive equipment used on the project is not stolen.
Topcon’s MS Series robotic total stations continuously measure the angles and distances of prisms fixed to structures. As a result, site engineers know immediately when measurement change and structural movement occurs. The technology also includes Matrix Detection software to help increase the measurement system’s speed and accuracy. The company’s TSshield integrated security software, standard on all its total stations, provides remote locking and location positioning data to within 100 meters, depending on GPS and cellular coverage.
“We have been able to integrate this open technology perfectly into our global data management system, which also includes optical fibers sensors, vibrating wire sensors, and others,” said Cementys CEO Vincent Lamour.
Construction of the Grand Paris Express project is taking places in stages and is expected to be complete in 2030.
Photo:Position tracks from two laps of the race show that when the plane inverts and starts to track the reflected signal, the VN-300 GNSS/INS (blue trace) reverts to free inertial navigation and propagates the position based on inertial data. The trace follows a smooth trajectory through the next air gate until the GNSS data converges with the INS position. (Image: Google Earth with VectorNav Data)
ABOVE THE SEA
Flying High with Augmented Reality
The 2018 Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Cannes, France, made it easier for fans to follow along. Though pilots race one at a time, the new “Ghost Plane” augmented reality imagery provided fans with a real-time representation of each pilot’s flight, which challenges their speed, precision and skill maneuvering lightweight racing planes.
The Ghost Plane is driven by onboard telemetry data gathered during flight. For a pilot’s run to be accurately represented, the onboard telemetry system has to track position, velocity and attitude (yaw, pitch and roll) through high-dynamic maneuvers and in challenging environmental conditions.
While every Red Bull Air Race track layout is different, they all include a difficult vertical turning maneuver (VTM), where pilots pass through a gate and turn 180 degrees to reverse course quickly without exceeding the g limit.
Each plane is fitted with several GNSS receivers to track the plane, but dynamic maneuvers made during the race rapidly changes which satellites the GNSS receiver can track, which typically results in a loss of position fix.
To further increase the challenge for the telemetry systems, races are commonly held over water, which can reflect GNSS signals and create significant multipath errors at low altitudes. During the VTM, the plane can experience 300°/second angular rates and 12-g accelerations, during which GNSS tracking is typically lost because the antennas no longer point to the sky.
To make the Ghost Planes possible, a VectorNav VN-300 dual-antenna GNSS/INS (inertial navigation system) couples gyroscope and accelerometer data to propagate position and velocity estimates during loss of GNSS measurements through maneuvers such as the VTM.
The VN-300 combines two GNSS receivers with a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). It couples acceleration and angular rates from the IMU with position and velocity data from the receiver using a quaternion based Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). VectorNav algorithms work in conjunction with the state estimation filter, making the VN-300 more robust and intelligent, and enabling it to reject poor GNSS data and perform accurately in high-dynamic maneuvers and challenging operating conditions.
NEW EQUIPMENT
Antenna Designed for Challenging Environments
CHC Navigation’s latest GNSS antenna is an example of a product designed specifically for harsh environments.
AT311T antenna. (Photo: CHC Navigation)
The heavy-duty CHCNAV AT311T is designed for demanding applications subject to shocks and vibrations. With advanced filtering and robust signal tracking, it provides survey-grade GNSS signals to enhance position reliability for marine applications, machine control, precision agriculture and industrial automation.
Features include multi-constellation GNSS tracking using GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, IRNSS and SBAS. Its IP68 water-resistant design makes it safe to use in extreme conditions with a wide temperature range (–40°C to +85°C). Its internal stacked structure enhances performance in high-interference environments, and the 40-dB signal gains, advanced signal filtering and multipath rejection design provide superior and robust GNSS signal tracking in challenging surroundings.
One of the two solar arrays on the InSight lander dominates this view of the plain of Elysium Planum, taken Dec. 4, 2018. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
IN OUTER SPACE
Exploring Beyond Earth
While GNSS isn’t useful on the surface of Mars, inertial navigation is a key technology for exploration of the red planet. For instance, the Northrop Grumman LN-200S sensor guided the Mars Opportunity rover, which explored Mars for 15 years until a storm struck in June 2018.
The LN 200S sensed acceleration and angular motion, with its data output used by the rover’s control systems for guidance.
The hermetically sealed unit, suitable for planetary and asteroid probes, helped position the rover’s antennae to relay photos and data to satellites. Opportunity beamed back 187,000 raw images, according to NASA.
Because IMUs don’t depend on satellites, they work well for deep space missions, Honeywell explained in a press release.
In November 2018, NASA’s InSight spacecraft landed on Mars to study the interior with a heat probe and listen for marsquakes with a seismometer. Aboard was Honeywell’s Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU), an IMU that has been a part of Lockheed Martin’s Mars satellites and landers since 1998.
The MIMU is a three-axis strapdown device specifically designed for the satellite and deep-space-probe market (more than 500 MIMUs have been deployed throughout the solar system). It uses ring laser gyros to help control and stabilize a spacecraft during entry, descent and landing, as well as maintain orbit and payload orientation. The radiation-hardened design supports 15-year missions.
Bentley is a global provider of comprehensive software and digital twin cloud services for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure, and Topcon is a leader in positioning technology for the survey and construction industries.
The companies made the announcement at The Year in Infrastructure Conference, held Oct. 21 in Singapore.
Digital Construction Works has a global staff of digital construction experts and provides digital automation, integration and “twinning” services around a portfolio of fit-for-purpose software and cloud services from Topcon, Bentley, and other software vendors. The venture was created to realize the “breakthrough potential of constructioneering” for industrializing construction, according to a press release.
Bentley Systems and Topcon joined forces in 2016 to jointly develop enhanced integration between their respective MAGNET and ProjectWise cloud services so that engineering and construction workflows could be integrated for improved project quality and performance.
Since then, Bentley and Topcon have continuously introduced innovations in surveying, reality modeling, scheduling and logistics, work packaging, machine control, and progressive assurance for construction.
In 2017, they opened Constructioneering Academies, including at Topcon’s “sandbox” facilities, for construction professionals to experience new digital best practices, first-hand. During 2018, the companies assimilated Bentley’s SYNCHRO and Topcon’s ClearEdge3D acquisitions into constructioneering offerings.
Digital Construction Works is chartered to embed its experts within constructors’ major project teams to advance and optimize constructioneering processes for delivering better design-build outcomes.
Through its digital integration services, to connect and automate constructors’ existing processes with constructioneering, Digital Construction Works can make the best projects better while also helping to institutionalize these digital workflows throughout a constructor’s full project portfolio, the companies said.
At the same time, experiences gained by Digital Construction Works will help guide Bentley Systems and Topcon in prioritizing their constructioneering software development investments.
Digital Construction Works is led by CEO Ted Lamboo, previously senior vice president of strategic partnerships for Bentley Systems, and COO Jason Hallett, formerly vice president of digital construction and business development for Topcon.
Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, said, “When we and Topcon recognized the opportunity for constructioneering to finally industrialize capital project delivery, we committed respectively to completing its software requirements. Indeed, our new software capabilities make possible construction digital twins—converging digital context, digital components, and digital chronology. What remains, in going digital for infrastructure construction, is for constructors’ people and processes to take advantage of the technology. We and Topcon have now in turn committed many of our best resources, professionals experienced in both construction and software, to serve shoulder-to-shoulder, in virtual hardhats, to innovatively advance the required digital integration. The Digital Construction Works joint venture has the full management and capital commitments of both our companies, multiplying its unique strengths for helping to realize constructioneering’s potential to close the world’s infrastructure gap.”
Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems, said, “What Topcon and Bentley Systems initiated in recent years was done in the spirit of changing mindsets and processes on how we approach construction, and that collaboration has led to the development of this joint venture. The creation of Digital Construction Works perfectly aligns with our focus of helping the industry succeed in meeting infrastructure demands through technological innovations. Through the new organization, companies will have the opportunity to integrate hardware and software capabilities to more quickly and efficiently adopt new technology for more rapid productivity improvements. With customized services to address the individual needs of an organization, widespread adoption and technology improvements can be more readily realized. We are excited to take this journey with Bentley Systems in moving the industry forward.”
The Topcon GTL-1000 transforms construction layout and as-built verification from infrequent spot checking to a digital real-time reality capture solution enabling layout, scanning and verification with daily frequency. A scanner integrated with a fully featured robotic total station, it provides quick layout and scanning with a single instrument and only one operator that drives increased productivity and cost savings.
Topcon Positioning Group displayed its GTL-1000 scanner at Intergeo 2019, which took place Sept. 17-19 in Stuttgart, Germany. According to the company, the GTL-1000 is a compact scanner integrated with a fully featured robotic total station, enabling a site engineer to complete a layout and scan on a single setup.
An electric cooperative that serves more than 33,000 member customers in Lakeside, Arizona — including the White Mountain Apache Tribe — is using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to enhance the utility’s GIS effort, working with UAS specialist Skynetwest. Noah Ruiz started Skynetwest in 2015 to provide aerial photographic and videographic services, but seeing the potential of UAS he began making the pivot to high-value data retrieval.
Initial work for the Navopache Electric Cooperative (NEC) included an inspection of an area’s substations. Conducted on a day in which the winds were blowing at 20+ mph, with most other aircraft, the flight would have been extremely risky if not scrapped.
Skynetwest used an Intel Falcon 8+ Drone, Topcon Edition. Windspeed limits for the Falcon 8+ in GPS mode are set at 26 mph; in height mode that threshold is extended to windspeeds as high as 35 mph.
The Falcon 8+ has triple-redundancy inertial measurement units (IMUs), double-redundant compasses, dual-constellation GPS, eight propellers and two batteries. Built into the aircraft’s software is an algorithm that detects the electromagnetic frequencies coming off of power lines and tells the IMUs which one it wants to switch from, which GPS it wants to use, and which compass it wants to use.
The aircraft’s stability is key not only for power line work but also for items like inspection of oil and gas components. For inspection applications — close-up inspections to detect millimeter-sized damage, fine hairline cracks, leaks or heat power losses, for example — the Falcon 8+ payload consists of a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 camera for true-color RGB images and the FLIRTau 2 640 thermal imaging camera for infrared imaging. The hybrid RGB + 14-Bit RAW data inspection payload combines a near-infrared camera with a high-resolution digital camera mounted in parallel.
The mapping package Skynetwest uses includes a 36-megapixel RGB camera (Sony Alpha 7R) and delivers both orthophotos and 3D models in Topcon ContextCapture software, powered by Bentley Systems.
Upon completion of the substation project, using ContextCapture and Agisoft PhotoScan software, Skynetwest stitched together all of the images it had gathered to create a georeferenced 3D model of that substation. NEC is looking into building more 3D representations of the entire grid and ultimately hoping to build a complete 3D spatial record down to nuts and bolts — all with survey grade data.
Effective July 2, the Brandt Group of Companies successfully acquired the assets of Ontario-based Sokkia Canada in a deal with owner Topcon Positioning Systems.
