GPS World

Tag: UAVs

  • New rule aims to protect critical infrastructure from drone threats 

    New rule aims to protect critical infrastructure from drone threats 

    The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a proposed rule that would allow specific categories of critical infrastructure sites to apply for restrictions on drone operations around their facilities.

    The restrictions would be submitted and approved via a new FAA web portal. Approval will be based on safety or security criteria. Sixteen sectors would be eligible for restrictions including energy production, transportation systems, chemical facilities, water treatment plants, and defense industrial complexes.

    The rule would establish two types of restrictions:

    1. Standard Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restriction (UAFR): A general restriction that bars unmanned aircraft operations within a specific boundary, except for operators who have previously met rigorous safety and security standards.
    2. Special Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restriction (UAF): A much more severe restriction that bars unmanned aircraft operations within a specific boundary for all operators unless they have the express prior approval from both the FAA and the sponsoring agency (for example, the Department of Homeland Security). 

    The restricted area would have clearly defined horizontal and vertical boundaries. Violators could face civil or criminal penalties.

    The rule would also allow site operator to contact law enforcement if a drone flew in a restricted area, after which authorities can use Remote ID to locate the control station or operator. Pilots could face license suspensions, revocations, fines and criminal charges for entering these no fly zones.

    Drone operators are encouraged to check B4UFLY for the latest breakdown on where pilots can and cannot fly. 

    Additional Information:

    Restriction criteria includes impacts to aviation safety, protecting people and property on the ground, national security, or homeland security.

    The full list of eligible site categories are:

    • Chemical
    • Commercial
    • Communications
    • Critical manufacturing
    • Dams
    • Defense industrial base
    • Emergency services
    • Energy
    • Financial services
    • Food and agriculture
    • Government services and facilities
    • Healthcare and public health
    • Information technology
    • Nuclear reactors, materials, and waste
    • Transportation systems
    • Water and wastewater 

    The comment period on the proposed rule will run until July 5, 2026.

    For more information, see this fact sheet.

  • GLONASS receiver factory targeted by Ukraine

    GLONASS receiver factory targeted by Ukraine

    The Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces on Nov. 26 struck a Russian factory that produces GLONASS navigation equipment for Shahed drones and Kalibr missiles, weapons used in a strike in Kyiv that killed seven people dthe day before, The factory is 1,000 km from the border between the countries.

    The report comes from Euromaidan, along with the following video showing the strike’s location and aftermath.

    The VNIIR Progress factory in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Russia, specializes in manufacturing GNSS receivers and antennas for satellite systems, including GLONASS, GPS, and Galileo, as well as navigation modules such as Kometa, which are resistant to electronic warfare measures.

    Thes modules are used on Russian missiles, including the Kalibr, Kh-69, Iskander-M, and S-800 Banderol, as well as on UAVs such as Shahed, Orlan-10 and Forpost. The Kometa module is also part of the Unified Modules for Planning and Correction, which Russia uses to convert conventional bombs into precision-guided munitions.

  • TruePoint launches European NRTK service TruePoint.CM

    TruePoint launches European NRTK service TruePoint.CM

    BDStar Navigation subsidiary TruePoint has introduced the TruePoint.CM network real-time kinematic (NRTK) service across Europe, the latest in BDStar’s expansion into international high-precision positioning markets.

    Supporting all major GNSS and QZSS, the service is designed to improve signal reliability in complex European environments. TruePoint.CM is built on the company’s chip-cloud integration architecture and works with both BDStar’s Unicore and third-party GNSS hardware through standards-based interfaces.

    The service provides wide-area coverage throughout Europe, the company said, offering centimeter-level accuracy with fast convergence times. Before launch, TruePoint conducted extensive validation testing in more than 40 cities across 12 European countries, including more than 300,000 kilometres of dynamic field trials.

    The platform uses an adaptive data protocol to reduce bandwidth consumption by up to 70% while maintaining full positioning accuracy, a feature aimed at helping customers reduce operational data costs. Remote diagnostics and over-the-air firmware updates are incorporated to support more efficient device management in the field.

    TruePoint.CM operates on a fully redundant cloud infrastructure spanning data sources, data centers and service-delivery interfaces. The system is designed to ensure continuous uptime, backed by a stated service availability of 99.9%.

    At launch, the company reported that it has already secured commercial adoption in the European robotic lawn mower market, with additional opportunities expected in autonomous robotics, UAVs, precision agriculture, automotive and consumer IoT.

  • Hi-Target and GMV sign strategic alliance on high-precision positioning solutions

    Hi-Target and GMV sign strategic alliance on high-precision positioning solutions

    Hi-Target, a Chinese high-precision positioning enterprise and manufacturer of high-end GNSS equipment, and GMV, a global technology group specializing in advanced navigation solutions, have established a strategic alliance to jointly develop integrated differential service solutions.

    Through this partnership, Hi-Target and GMV support a wide range of automation-driven positioning applications — ADAS, robotics, UAVs, precision agriculture, smart infrastructure and intelligent mobility systems.

    As industries progressively adopt automated technologies, precise and reliable positioning has become a foundational requirement across application domains. From today’s L2 and L2+ driver assistance systems (ADAS) in vehicles to autonomous UAV operations, robotic platforms, and the emerging needs of Level 3+ mobility solutions, the demand for scalable and high-accuracy positioning continues to grow.

    The strategic alliance between the two companies leverages Hi-Target’s strengths in high-precision satellite navigation and user-grade GNSS systems, along with GMV’s extensive global expertise in precise navigation algorithms and satellite-based augmentation services. The result will be a high-availability, low-latency positioning service with global reach.

    By combining their complementary technologies, including user-grade GNSS hardware, correction services, and augmentation infrastructure, Hi-Target and GMV will facilitate the adoption of high-precision positioning across various industries and geographic regions.

    Their collaboration will support system integrators, OEMs, and solution providers in accelerating the development and deployment of automation in sectors with increasing levels of autonomy.

  • ASENSING ready to expand positioning solutions to global partners

    ASENSING ready to expand positioning solutions to global partners

    ASENSING, a Chinese positioning solutions company for autonomous vehicles, is ready to provide its navigation systems globally. The company already has more than 500,000 autonomous vehicles integrated with its navigation systems and is discussing global product expansion with major Western brands.

    ASENSING is the first in series production of an automotive solution that combines IMU and GNSS, enabling it to develop an algorithm to maintain navigation accuracy at various temperatures. Its positioning solutions are designed for autonomous driving at L2 level and above and meet functional safety requirements.

    ASENSING has received nominations from more than 20 OEMs to provide solutions for more than 70 vehicle models. Additionally, the company has partnerships with traditional brands such as SAIC, Geely, and Chery, as well as with new energy vehicle makers, including XPeng, Li Auto, and NIO.

    The company has three global branches, in the United States, Germany, and Japan with plans to launch more smart plants in east and south China to accommodate for an influx of orders. ASENSING will exhibit its mass-produced positioning solutions at the Consumer Technology Association’s Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Photo:
    Image: Karneg/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

  • Hexagon partners with ZF Group on autonomous driving systems

    Hexagon partners with ZF Group on autonomous driving systems

    Photo:

    On Dec. 20, Hexagon announced a partnership to integrate its software positioning engine and correction services with ZF Group’s ProConnect connectivity platform. This will enable vehicle communication in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving systems.

    This integration is critical to providing the necessary functional safety, lane-level positioning accuracy and automotive safety integrity level (ASIL) rating that ZF’s automotive telematics platform requires. Hexagon’s TerraStar-X precise point positioning correction service will greatly improve the accuracy and reliability of ADAS and autonomous driving systems.

    Hexagons’ dual frequency and multi-constellation GNSS receivers are tightly coupled with inertial capabilities that withstand vehicle dynamics in all driving conditions.

    Both companies are focused on the next generation of mobility, including electric vehicles and autonomous systems, and this partnership helps advance safety and automation in the automotive and transportation industry. Hexagon and ZF plan to demonstrate their ADAS at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2023.

  • Septentrio hosts webinar on the impact of spoofing on UAV autopilots

    Septentrio hosts webinar on the impact of spoofing on UAV autopilots

    Photo:
    Image: Septentrio

    As drones are becoming a popular mode of delivery, surveillance, inspection, and mapping, they need to be resilient to spoofing. On Dec. 15, Septentrio hosted a webinar about detecting, mitigating, and protecting against spoofing on UAV autopilots.

    Topics discussed included how GPS/GNSS technology fit into the autopilot ecosystem, signs of GPS spoofing and UAV vulnerabilities, realistic demonstrations of spoofing, how to mitigate spoofing, and autopilot compatibility with resilient GPS modules.

    Wim De Wilde, R&D Team Leader at Septentrio, facilitated a presentation on vulnerabilities of UAVs. It included detecting signal anomalies and inconsistencies in GPS receivers to flag spoofing, technology used to spoof or hijack drones, and recommendations to prepare autopilots before take-off.

    The next presentation, by Ramon Roche, General Manager at DroneCode Foundation and PX4 Autopilot, explained PX4 products that have built-in resilient GPS receivers. Greg Lopes, Hardware Design Engineer at Zipline, further elaborated about the importance of having robust, resilient GPS receivers to mitigate spoofing as it relates to Zipline’s delivery drones.

    Photo:
    Figure 1

    One of the final presentations was a case study of an in-field simulation and spoofing test by Jack Ackermann, Director of Product Line Management at Spirent. The case study preparation and test results that were discussed in the webinar can be seen in Figures 1 and 2.

    Septentrio holds frequent webinars, with knowledgeable guest speakers, regarding topics related to GPS/GNSS technology. Find previous webinars and learn about upcoming ones here.

    Photo:
    Figure 2

  • AEVEX Aerospace: Taming the Wild West

    AEVEX Aerospace: Taming the Wild West

    Lidar point clouds can reveal very fine features, such as electric power lines. Photo: AEVEX Aerospace
    Lidar point clouds can reveal very fine features, such as electric power lines. Photo: AEVEX Aerospace

    We discussed UAV lidar mapping with Bob Stadel, vice president of Geodetics, AEVEX Aerospace.

    What are the key remaining technical challenges in UAV lidar mapping?

    With continuing improvements in UAVs, lidars, GNSS receivers and other sensors, the key to unlocking more efficiency and profitability in this market will be improving and simplifying workflows and processing. The next frontier is integrating AI and machine learning with digital twin models to create forecasting tools.

    UAVs are much cheaper to operate than manned aircraft per hour, but not necessarily per square mile. UAVs can cover ground that cannot be mapped from a land vehicle; however, the latter have a much greater range.

    You are correct. Each type of vehicle has its area of best utilization. Once we know what the customer wants from the data being collected, we can determine the size, weight and power (SWAP) of the payload needed, and then it’s a matter of analyzing cost versus capability and working with the customer to pick the right payload for the right vehicle at the right price.

    What positional accuracy do you achieve for your point clouds?

    With our GNSS-receiver-based navigation unit, which also includes an IMU and key IP [intellectual property] from our company, and the right combination of tools, we achieve an accuracy of 2 cm to 3 cm.

    What are your key markets for UAV lidar mapping?

    I believe it is still the Wild West in this market space. Really smart people are figuring out new ways to use these systems every day. We sell systems to teams doing high-end inspections of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, corridors and power lines, as well as for land surveying and mining.

    What was a recent application of one of your mapping systems?

    One of our most recent success stories has been the launch of our Geo-ECTO-1 system. It features dual lidar sensors combined with a 360-degree FOV [field of view] camera and high-end GNSS receiver. It is ruggedized from the ground up and is meant for high-end survey and infrastructure inspection work. The payload is designed to quickly transition to a UAV-based system. Our two launch customers/partners are California-based survey companies Guida Survey and LACO Survey. It has been a great experience getting these systems up and running with our partners.

    Our next adventure will be to work with UC San Diego’s Scripps Oceanographic Institute. We are proposing and demonstrating one of these systems to be used for analyzing cliff erosion on the beaches here in California, where several collapses have led to the loss of life. We want to support figuring out how to use the analyses to create a system that would give early warning of trouble spots. With these tools we can make our beaches much safer.

  • Building with precision: Surveying for architecture, engineering & construction

    Building with precision: Surveying for architecture, engineering & construction

    In recent years, the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry has benefited greatly from growing GNSS accuracy, smaller laser scanners, UAVs, and more efficient management, collaboration and visualization software. We asked five companies operating in this space to address three questions:

    • What are the key challenges of surveying for the AEC industry today, compared with traditional boundary surveying and other types of surveying?
    • Which of your products are particularly relevant for this kind of surveying?
    • What was a recent AEC surveying success story?

    In the following articles, five companies briefly describe their experience with the AEC industry:

    JAVAD GNSS: A surveyor’s perspective by Shawn Billings

    Nearmap North America: AEC firms use aerial mapping to share in infrastructure funding by Tony Agresta

    Leica Geosystems: The surveyor as a data manager by Richard Ostridge & Shane O’Regan

    CHC Navigation: The rise of digital-twin models Francois Martin

    ComNav Technology: Surveying in urban conditions by Jania Zhu

    Featured Photo: CHCNav

  • Engaging data for scooters, cars and trains

    Engaging data for scooters, cars and trains

    Swift Navigation designs, manufactures and integrates GNSS receivers, as well as providing the Skylark wide-area GNSS corrections service. Its markets are automotive, transportation (last mile delivery, commercial trucking, rail), robotics/machine control (construction, mining, precision agriculture, landscaping), UAVs, micromobility and mobile devices and applications.

    The company’s technology is compatible and interoperable with most major GNSS receivers for multiple markets. Its Starling positioning engine and Skylark corrections “are scalable to bring precision to legacy low-cost single-frequency receivers, all the way to the most sophisticated state-of-the-art triple-frequency multi-constellation systems,” said Joel Gibson, Swift’s executive vice president of Automotive. “By working with a multitude of receiver vendors for different applications, Swift leverages all constellations and all signals and maximizes the performance required for the application.”

    The most accurate and reliable navigation system for every application would take advantage of all available GNSS signals, as well as all available corrections, dead reckoning and fused data from other sensors, such as cameras, lidar and radar. However, of course, that is not possible due to cost, size, weight and power considerations. Swift’s approach to the trade-offs required depends on each use case.

    Micromobility

    In the area of micromobility (such as scooters), the main constraints for implementing a positioning solution are cost and power, coupled with the challenge of satellite signal outages and multipath in dense urban environments where these vehicles primarily operate, Gibson explained. “Cost-effective dual-frequency GNSS receivers are now showing up in micromobility architectures. Pairing them with our Starling positioning engine, which integrates inertial sensor data and wheel ticks, and augmenting them with Skylark corrections data, makes it possible to meet such compliance requirements as geofencing and limiting sidewalk use.”

    Additionally, by achieving decimeter-level positioning, Swift’s micromobility solution makes it easier for both users and service staff to find scooters, which increases the scooter companies’ revenues.

    Photo: Swift Navigation
    Photo: Swift Navigation

    Automotive

    In the automotive industry, inertial sensors and wheel odometry are ubiquitous and pair naturally with GNSS to mitigate satellite signal outages, Gibson pointed out. Likewise, cameras and radar — cornerstones of ADAS — are very complementary to GNSS for safety applications, and lidar further complements GNSS in feature-rich environments such as dense urban areas.

    Rail

    Rail applications, such as Positive Train Control, have traditionally needed an accuracy of one or two meters, coupled with ruggedized hardware. “Swift’s precise positioning solution is deployed across continental rail systems today, and we are now engaging rail OEM and operator programs requiring sub-meter accuracy to ensure track-to-track accuracy and safety requirements in support of the transition to more autonomous rail operations,” said Gibson. “Leading rail companies are also looking for operational efficiencies by transitioning away from the high operational costs of maintaining reference base stations along track routes, instead moving to the more cost effective, reliable and seamless Skylark corrections coverage.”

  • UAV company AgEagle to acquire senseFly from Parrot

    UAV company AgEagle to acquire senseFly from Parrot

    AgEagle will acquire senseFly, a Parrot Group subsidiary, for US$23 million.

    AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. is a a provider of drones, sensors and software, and Parrot is a European drone company. Founded in 2009, senseFly develops and produces a proprietary line of eBee-branded, high performance, fixed wing drones for professional use.

    Photo: SenseFly
    The eBee Geo drone was introduced in March. (Photo: SenseFly)

    The development positions AgEagle to provide a full-stack fixed-wing drone solution for agriculture, government, engineering and construction, among other industry verticals. SenseFly also brings to AgEagle solid engineering talent focused on advanced research and development, a well-established global reseller network, and a strong portfolio of intellectual property, AgEagle stated in a press release.

    The eBee drones are designed to be safe, ultra-light and easy to use. They are in use by thousands of customers around the world in agriculture, government, engineering and construction to collect aerial data. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, senseFly employs 90 people, generating total annual revenues of US$12.5 million in 2020.

    “Recognized as the producer of the world’s most widely used fixed wing drones, senseFly is an ideal strategic fit for AgEagle,” said Brandon Torres Declet, chief executive officer of AgEagle.

    Moving forward, Parrot will focus its expertise and resources on the growth of its professional quadcopter drone equipment and drone data analysis software activities, according to Parrot founder and CEO Henri Seydoux. “The transaction will provide additional cash and lower operational expends to drive Parrot’s growth and industry standing,” Seydoux said. “With the capabilities of the ANAFI line of professional drones and of the Pix4D software suites, Parrot will continue to address its core market segments: 3D mapping, surveying and inspection, agriculture, and defense and security.”

    In tandem with the closing of the acquisition, which is expected shortly, Labossiere will resign as CEO of senseFly. Michael O’Sullivan, who previously served as the company’s head of global marketing, will be appointed managing director of the new AgEagle subsidiary. All other senseFly employees will retain their current responsibilities.

    For details relating to the terms and conditions of the acquisition, refer to the Form 8-K to be filed by AgEagle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission upon closing of the transaction and accessible at www.sec.gov.

  • Septentrio partners with ArduSimple for emerging GPS/GNSS applications

    Septentrio partners with ArduSimple for emerging GPS/GNSS applications

    The mosaic-X5 and mosaic-H modules are being integrated into ArduSimple’s new evaluation kits, making resilient cm-level positioning easily accessible for testing and prototyping

    Photo: Septentrio
    Photo: Septentrio

    Septentrio’s compact GNSS module mosaic-X5 and heading module mosaic-H are being integrated into evaluation kits developed by ArduSimple.

    With these new kits, ArduSimple brings to market triple-band real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS/GNSS as a plug-and-play solution for the most popular development platforms such as Arduino, STM Nucleo, Raspberry Pi, Ardupilot and Nvidia Jetson.

    ArduSimple enables developers of robotics, UAVs and autonomous systems to easily try out mosaic, a unique module offering the latest high-performance GNSS positioning technology.

    “The mosaic module complements the ArduSimple RTK product portfolio with a higher-end solution for the most demanding applications,” said Marc Castillo, senior consultant at ArduSimple. “Triple-band GNSS brings extra reliability to the RTK solution and removes the headache of transitioning from L2 to L5 band. This, combined with its feature-rich software, will allow our customers to accelerate even more their time-to-market.”

    In addition to triple-band GNSS, mosaic module offers unmatched resilience to radio interference. This is especially important in robotic devices where electronic components, such as cameras and servos, are located close to the GPS/GNSS receiver, often interfering with GPS signals, which are weak, and causing positioning degradation. High-accuracy positioning is delivered at a uniquely high update-rate by mosaic-X5 in single antenna mode. Meanwhile, the board which mounts mosaic-H offers all-in functionality with dual-antenna mode for accurate GNSS heading.

    “By partnering with ArduSimple we are bringing mosaic to emerging markets where its outstanding performance makes a difference. Mosaic makes accurate positioning so much easier to integrate and use, while giving a competitive edge to new products,” said Gustavo Lopez, market access manager at Septentrio. “ArduSimple is a great partner because they are known in the industry for offering user-friendly and affordable evaluation kits for RTK positioning, complemented by software tools, making integration and rapid prototyping easy.”

    The SimpleRTK3B board, which allows evaluation of the mosaic GNSS module, is now available for purchase via the ArduSimple web shop. For more information about mosaic or other Septentrio products visit septentrio.com or contact Septentrio.