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Innovation eLoran at Your Service

WWW.GPSWORLD.COM

GEOREFERENCING

UAV DATA for SURVEY REAL-TIME POSITION AND ATTITUDE DETERMINATION

FOUR POINT-CLOUD IMAGES from four UAV flights

BEIDOU’S NEW TMBOC SIGNAL PNT ROUNDUP: STOIC SUB FOR GPS OEM MARKET WATCH

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NOVEMBER

G P SWO R LD.CO M

2015

Four Point-Cloud Images from four UAV flights

FEATURE 58 INNOVATION

ENHANCED LORAN A Wide-Area Multi-Application PNT Resiliency Solution BY Stephen Bartlett, Gerard Offermans and Charles Schue Enhanced Loran could furnish the wide-area complementary solution to GPS that is urgently needed for critical infrastructure components. This article highlights the state of current eLoran technology and discusses future potential.

COVER STORY 44

UAV REAL-TIME

Data Use in a Lightweight Direct Georeferencing System BY Christian Eling, Lasse Klingbeil, Markus Wieland, Erik Heinz and Heiner Kuhlmann Direct georeferencing with onboard sensors is less time-consuming for data processing than indirect georeferencing using ground control points, and can supply real-time navigation capability to a UAV. This is very useful for surveying, precision farming or infrastructure inspection. An onboard system for position and attitude determination of lightweight UAVs weighs 240 grams and produces position accuracies better than 5 centimeters and attitude accuracies better than 1 degree.

MARKET WATCH APPLICATIONS, TRENDS AND NEWS

OPINIONS AND DEPARTMENTS

19 OEM 22 SURVEY 36 MAPPING 40 UAV

SECTOR UPDATES 50 MOBILE 52 TRANSPORTATION 54 DEFENSE 56 MACHINE CONTROL NOVEMBER 2015

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GPS WORLD 3

ONLINENOW NEWSLETTER EXCERPT

Progress Toward Flying UAVs Commercially?

BY Tony Murfin

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, PROFESSIONAL OEM

F

inland just published what are being called “the most liberal aviation regulations in the world” for the operation of unmanned aircraft. Trafi — the Finish Transport Safety Agency — issued a Regulation for the “Use Of Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Model Aircraft” that puts an onus on operators to observe quite broad safety rules. If you, the operator, share details of the UAV and what you intend to do with it,

and then observe some commonsense rules of operation, you are free to fly. If you keep a small UAV (less than 15 pounds) at a safe “escape” altitude, you are allowed under certain conditions to operate over populated areas and open-area crowds, and to use either Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS); these are really hotpotato issues in the U.S. and not currently generally allowed. The Federal Aviation Administraion has permitted some exceptions for trial news gathering, but otherwise flights over people and densely populated areas are strictly verboten.

Read Tony’s complete column at www.gpsworld.com/opinions.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY WILL WIN THE INDOOR NAVIGATION BATTLE? Assisted GNSS A-GNSS plus any one of below A-GNSS plus more than one of below Cell-tower triangulation Beacons (BlueTooth or IMES) Radio frequency pattern-matching Sensor-based dead reckoning Terrestrial ranging system Two or more of above not incl. A-GNSS Wi-Fi

9% 4% 9% 4% 9% 24% 4% 2% 11% 24%

Results from reader poll conducted August 2015.

Next Question: What is the biggest challenge facing surveyors using GNSS in the field? GO TO WWW.GPSWORLD.COM/DECPOLL Complete the survey by November 23. See Results in our December issue.

HOTTEST PAGES @ GPSWORLD.COM SEPT. 26 – OCT. 25, 2015

MARKET INSIGHTS

1

China Launches 20th BeiDou Satellite with Hydrogen Clock

2

Galileo: Are We There Yet? (EAGER newsletter)

WEBINAR

DECEMBER WEBINAR

ENEWS INSIGHTS

Introduction to Using UAVs for Mapping

3

SkyTraq Launches RTK Receiver for UAVs, Mobile

ENEWS

4

GPS III Launch Services RFP Released by Air Force

ENEWS

Thursday, December 17 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT

5

Establishing Orthometric Heights Using GNSS — Part 3 (Survey Scene newsletter)

INSIGHTS

Speakers: Two private operators and two commercial UAV/mapping service providers will cover the basics of UAV operation for mapping, showing results of their work and giving tips for successful project completion. Sponsored by

NEWEST VIDEOS @ GPSWORLD.COM 1

INTERGEO 2015: Using the JAVAD TRIUMPH-LS Camera Offset Survey Feature

2

INTERGEO 2015: NVS Technologies AG Showcases OEM Receivers

3

ION GNSS+ 2015: NovAtel Debuts New Antennas

4

ION GNSS+ 2015: Harris Corp. Presents GPS Navigation Payload Technology

REGISTER AT W W W.GPSWORLD.COM/WEBINAR 4 GPS WORLD

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NOVEMBER 2015

Gain perspective in real-world GNSS simulation The GNSS simulator in the ¸SMBV100A vector signal generator Expensive, inflexible simulation of GNSS scenarios is a thing of the past. Now you can easily and cost-effectively test your satellite receivers under realistic conditions. ❙ Comes with a variety of predefined environment models such as “rural area”, “urban canyon”, “bridge” and “highway” ❙ Allows flexible configuration of realistic user environments including atmospheric modeling, obscuration, multipath, antenna characteristics and vehicle attitude The ¸SMBV100A generates all relevant communications and broadcasting standards such as LTE, HSPA+, WLAN, HD Radio™ and FM stereo. To find out more, go to www.rohde-schwarz.com/ad/smbv-gnss

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OUT IN FRONT Readers, Marketing Partners Co-engineer GPS World Redesign This issue marks the launch of GPS World’s new logo and expanded GPS/GNSS and PNT technical coverage.

BY Alan Cameron

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND GROUP PUBLISHER

G

PS to the power of PNT. Or, as I like to think of it, GPSPNT. We are rapidly entering — or we have already entered — the era in which we say “GPS” but we really mean so much more. ◾ We mean GNSS: GPS + GLONASS + Galileo + BeiDou. ◾ We mean all of the above plus satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS), now encompassing WAAS, EGNOS, SDCM, QZSS, IRNSS, and I don’t think we’re done yet. ◾ We mean all the above plus several private-sector corrections services, including but not limited to OmniStar, StarFire, Veripos, Fugro, Terrastar, Atlas, and surely more to come. ◾ We mean all of the above plus backups in the event of jamming or other interference: eLoran is a prime candidate, and there are others. ◾ We mean all of the above plus many technologies that can be integrated — are being integrated — with GPS/GNSS to achieve a seamless position, navigation and timing (PNT) solution: inertial and other MEMS, cell ID, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DSRC, FM and UHF, and many more. Think of a band of the RF spectrum (or even non-RF technology as the mentioned inertial/MEMS); it’s probably on that list or soon will be. ◾ We mean all of the above plus many

6 GPS WORLD

forms of software that go into making up a geographic information systems (GIS) backbone, a map-matching system, a building information model (BIM) or other application and extension of the GPS data. They all work together. They all need each other. But they all begin with GPS. Sometime tomorrow, they will all begin with GNSS. Today, GPS is the game in town. Saying “we mean,” I denote “we” in the loose or editorial sense: this magazine. We treat all of the technologies as ways to get to the solution: the ubiquitous, seamless PNT solution. We’ve been wondering recently if the umbrella has grown too wide for “GPS” to continue to be its label. No matter how professionally and technically correct both you and we aim to be by employing the terms GNSS, PNT and integrated positioning technologies as appropriate, the world at large probably will continue to call all of the above “GPS.” And the label remains the easiest shorthand for all of the above. That is one of the reasons we have decided to continue calling this great magazine GPS World. But we really mean so much more, and the pages that follow this one, and will follow in months to come, bring you so much more — fulfilling the promise of the “kicker” in our new name: GNSS, Position, Navigation, and Timing.

WWW.GPSWORLD.COM

WWW.GPSWORLD.COM EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief & Group Publisher Alan Cameron [email protected] | 541-984-5312 Managing Editor Tracy Cozzens [email protected] | 541-255-3334 Senior Digital Editor Joelle Harms [email protected] | 216-706-3780 Digital Editor Allison Barwacz [email protected] | 216-706-3796 Art Director Charles Park EDITORIAL & PRODUCITON OFFICES 1360 East 9th St, Suite 1070 Cleveland, OH 44114, USA 847-763-4942 | Fax 847-763-9694 www.gpsworld.com | [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Innovation Richard Langley | [email protected] Defense PNT Don Jewell | [email protected] European GNSS Tim Reynolds | [email protected] Professional OEM Tony Murfin | [email protected] Geospatial Eric Gakstatter | [email protected] GeoIntelligence Art Kalinski | [email protected] Survey Tim Burch and Dave Zilkoski Wireless LBS Insider Kevin Dennehy | [email protected] Janice Partyka | [email protected] BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Michelle Mitchell [email protected] | 216-363-7922 DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Bethany Chambers [email protected] | 216-706-3771 WEB DEVELOPER Jesse Malcmacher [email protected] | 216-363-7925 MARKETING MANAGER Scott Gebler [email protected] | 216-363-7932 PUBLISHING SERVICES Manager, Production Services Chris Anderson [email protected] | 216-978-5341 Senior Audience Development Manager Antoinette Sanchez-Perkins [email protected] | 216-706-3750 Reprints & Permissions Brett Petillo [email protected] | 877-652-5295 Circulation/Subscriber Services [email protected] | USA: 847-763-4942 NORTH COAST MEDIA, LLC. President & CEO Kevin Stoltman [email protected] | 216-706-3740 Vice President of Finance & Operations Steve Galperin [email protected] | 216-706-3705 Editorial Directors Marisa Palmieri | [email protected] | 216-706-3764 Marty Whitford | [email protected] | 216-706-3766 VP Graphic Design & Production Pete Seltzer | [email protected] | 216-706-3737 MANUSCRIPTS: GPS World welcomes unsolicited articles but cannot be held responsible for their safekeeping or return. Send to: 1360 East 9th St, Suite 1070, IMG Center, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA. Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy, but publishers cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information supplied herein or for any opinion expressed. REPRINTS: Reprints of all articles are available (500 minimum). Contact 877-652-5295, Nick Iademarco. Wright’s Media, 2407 Timberloch Place, The Woodlands, TX 77380. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, change your address, and all other services, e-mail [email protected] or call 847-763-4942. PERMISSIONS: Contact 877-652-5295, Nick Iademarco. Wright’s Media, 2407 Timberloch Place, The Woodlands, TX 77380. INTERNATIONAL LICENSING: Contact e-mail [email protected]. ACCOUNTING OFFICE AND OFFICE OF PUBLICATION: 1360 East 9th St, Suite 1070, IMG Center, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA. GPS WORLD does not verify any claims or other information appearing in any of the advertisements contained in the publication and cannot take any responsibility for any losses or other damages incurred by readers in reliance on such content.

Published monthly

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NOVEMBER 2015

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u-blox M8 concurrent-GNSS modules Scalable range of multi GNSS positioning modules • Multi-constellation support: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, SBAS • Optimum GNSS performance and features for UAVs • Unmatched position accuracy, reliability and update rate • Product variants to meet performance and cost requirements • Available in u-blox’ popular NEO, MAX and LEA form factors

www.u-blox.com

TAKING POSITION

Solving PNT Problems on Mars In the novel The Martian, an astronaut must navigate around a duststorm using his wits

BY Tracy Cozzens

M A N AG I NG EDITO R

L

ast year, on my way home f rom ION GNSS+, I spotted a bright orange book in the San Francisco airport. The Martian, by Andy Weir, is now a major motion picture — a wonderful movie, but one that left out a unique PNT adventure. The Martian explores how a lone astronaut struggles to survive long enough to be rescued from the Red Planet. Weir sets his story in

the near future, and grounds it in real-world science. How can a man survive in a hostile environment far longer than the supplies left for him will hold out? What life-support systems can he engineer with the resources on hand? From page one, I plunged into a gripping adventure — sometimes on the edge of my seat, sometimes thinking about engineering and science in new ways. I found myself re-reading explanations for astronaut Mark Watney’s resourceful solutions (shades of MacGyver) to make sure I understood what he was attempting and how it might actually work. But Weir also infuses the story with humor, so it’s never dry.

It moves quickly, jumping between Watney’s situation on Mars and mission control on Earth. One sequence in the book describes Watney’s ingenuity in solving a navigation problem in a truly GPS-denied environment, with only the

limited supplies he has on hand. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that the solution includes oldschool triangulation, with a few twists. With a fierce dust storm bearing down on him, Watney employs his knowledge of position, navigation and timing to aid in his own rescue. I was reminded of this as we at GPS World embark on our own adventure, reimagining our scope to include PNT and other location technologies. GPS, while still in our name, is far from the only solution. While the movie is excellent, I suggest anyone who’s fascinated by the science in fiction pick up a copy of the novel that inspired it.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Q: Where do you see your efforts and those of your

organization focusing primarily over the next 5–10 years? VIDAL ASHKENAZI

JULES MCNEFF

TERENCE MCGURN

CEO NOTTTINGHAM S C I E N T I F I C LT D.

VICE PRESIDENT OV E R L O O K TECHNOLOGIES

C O N S U LTA N T U . S . G OV E R N M E N T

GPS, and GNSS generally, will continue to be a big part of our work and remain at the core of our activities. We are not tied to a single technology, though. We are driven more by applications — and so we do not rule out the use of other sensors. As GNSS becomes more widely used and people expect more from it, we will make greater use of additional sensors to fulfil application requirements in more demanding environments.

A:

8 GPS WORLD

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GPS was the catalyst for a revolution in the application of precise position and time (that is, “Positime”). But it’s now 20 years old, and the developed world has become dependent on access to Positime, still mostly from GPS but with many likely complements/backups going forward. It is time to get serious and construct a layered PNT architecture to bolster GPS with regional and local/autonomous PNT sources for resiliency and precision.

A:

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NOVEMBER 2015

That we need alternatives to GNSS is now a given. But I see little discussion of the strategy for deploying those alternatives. Currently, we seem to emphasize detection and mitigation of the cause of a GNSS outage. To use a medical analogy, the cause of the patient’s accident is a “nice to know”, but the real issue is to keep the patient/service alive. So I’d like to see more focus on how — and how quickly — we activate the alternatives.

A:

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SYSTEM OF

Policy and System Developments GPS

Galileo

GLONASS

BeiDou

SYSTEMS

New BeiDou TMBOC Signal Tracked Similar Structure to Future GPS L1C

C

hina’s new third-generation BeiDou satellites are broadcasting some new signals in space. The newest signal, which just began broadcasting from a satellite launched on Sept. 30, is similar to the future GPS L1C signal with time-division BOC(1,1) and BOC(6,1) signals. Such a type of modulation is called time-multiplexed binary offset carrier (TMBOC). Researchers at JAVAD GNSS have been tracking the new signals, particularly those from BeiDou-3 I2S, an inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) spacecraft, NORAD number 40938. I2S is transmitting on three frequency bands. The JAVAD researchers used the decoding approach described in their February 2013 GPS World article, “Signal Decoding with Conventional Receiver and Antenna: A Case History Using the New Galileo E6-B/C Signal” by Sergei Yudanov. As a result, the signal’s structure was decoded and L1C TMBOC tracking has been successfully tested on the JAVAD GNSS TRE-3 receiver. In addition, new signals on 1575.42+1.023*14 MHz (B1-2), 1176.45 MHz (E5A) and 1207.14 (E5B) frequencies for three satellites (PRN 32, 33, 34) also have been decoded and tested. FIGURES 1–4 illustrate the experiment. Researchers Steffen Thoelert and Michael Meurer from the Deutsches Zentrum für Luf t- und Raumfahrt (DLR, German Aerospace Center) have also been busy tracking the newest BeiDou IGSO satellite. FIGURE 5 shows a spectral measurement of the complete GNSS L-band frequency range, which shows the signal transmissions on B1, B2 and B3 band. The signal was captured with DLR’s high-

figure 1: BeiDou TMBOC: correlation intensity (l) of BOC(1,1) (red), BOC(6,1) (green) and their sum (blue) versus code chips.

figure 2: BeiDou TMBOC: Output of “early-late” correlator (dI or derivative of I) of BOC(1,1) (red), BOC(6,1) (green) and their sum (blue) versus code chips.

figure 3 (left) and figure 4 (right): BeiDou TMBOC Signal: Horizontal axis: 0 – minus one chip shift; 327 – zero shift; 655 – plus one chip shift. C/NO and iono-free “range minus phase.” Slot – BeiDou signal: C/A – B1; P1 – B1-2; P2 – E5B; L2C – B3; L5 – E5A; L1C – L1C. 10 G P S W O R L D

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SYSTEM OF

SYSTEMS

figure 5: BeiDou Signal: Complete GNSS L-band frequency range, which shows the signal transmissions on B1, B2 and B3 band.

gain antenna in Weilheim, operated by the DLR German Space Operations Center in Oberpfaffenhofen. In comparison to the two latest BeiDou-3 MEO satellites, launched on July 25, the IGSO has an additional signal on the B3 band. The MEO satellites transmit only the QPSK(10) while the new IGSO also transmits an additional BOC(15,2.5) signal. FIGURE 6 shows the B3 frequency band separately including a combined theoretical signal (QPSK(10)+BOC(15,2.5)).

figure 6: BeiDou Signal: the B3 frequency band separately include a combined theoretical signal PSK(10)+BOC(15,2.5)).

IIF-11 Up

Galileos Chirp

Penultimate GPS Block IIF Satellite

S

A

United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 launched the GPS IIF-11 mission for the U.S. Air Force on Oct. 31. GPS IIF-11 is the second to last of the Block IIF satellites, delivering a second civil signal (L2C) for dualfrequency equipment, and a new third civil signal (L5) to support commercial aviation and safety-of-life applications. The next generation of GPS satellites is GPS III. GPS IIF-11 is the third GPS mission to rise this year. GPS IIF-9 launched in March, and GPS IIF-10 in July. The next satellite, GPS-IIF-12, the last of

its generation, is destined for space in early February 2016. NOVEMBER 2015

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hortly after the Galileo satellite using the E24 PRN code started transmitting on Oct. 10, its sibling began transmitting using code E30. Several stations participating in the International GNSS Service Multi-GNSS Experiment are tracking the new satellites; first among those reporting was the University of Liege, Belgium, using its Septentrio PolaRx4 and PolaRxS receivers to download signals. The two satellites were launched on Sept. 11. A team of engineers from ESA and France’s CNES space agency are preparing for the next launch, scheduled for December.

WWW.GPSWORLD.COM

G P S W O R L D 11

Inertial

Ranging & eLoran

Wi-Fi

Bluetooth

RANGING

STOIC Technology to Augment or Substitute for GPS

T

he Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected Rockwell Collins to develop technologies that could serve as a backup to GPS. The research, being conducted as part of DARPA’s Spatial, Temporal and Orientation Information in Contested Environments (STOIC) program, aims to reduce warfighter dependence on GPS for modern military operations. Rockwell Collins will develop new architectures and techniques to enable communication systems that will support time transfer and positioning between moving platforms independent of GPS, with no impact on primary communications functionality. “STOIC technology could augment GPS, or it may act as a substitute for GPS in contested environments where GPS is degraded or denied,” said John Borghese, vice president of the Rockwell Collins Advanced Technology Center. “The time-transfer and ranging capabilities we are developing seek to enable distributed platforms to cooperatively locate targets, employ jamming in a surgical fashion, and serve as a backup to GPS for relative navigation.” Borghese added that the goal of the STOIC program is to develop positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems that provide GPSindependent PNT, achieving timing that

The X-47B unmanned combat aircraft receives fuel from an Omega K-707 tanker on April 22 while operating in the Atlantic Test Ranges over the Chesapeake Bay. This test marked the first time an unmanned aircraft refueled in flight. The X-47B is a tailless, jet-powered, blended-wing-body aircraft capable of semi-autonomous operation and aerial refueling.

surpasses GPS levels of performance. The program is comprised of three primary elements that, when integrated, have the potential to provide global PNT independent of GPS, including long-range robust reference signals, ultra-stable tactical clocks, and multifunctional systems that provide PNT information among cooperative users in contested environments. For this third technical element, Rockwell Collins is tasked with developing multifunction communication system solutions that yield DARPA

STOIC objective picosecond-accurate time transfer and enable GPS levels of relative positioning accuracy in contested environments. “Future applications of STOIC technology could include a variety of precision relative navigation operations, such as autonomous aerial refueling and cooperative navigation and collision avoidance within unmanned aerial vehicle swarms,” Borghese said. “It also could support precise time transfer for networking operations in contested environments.”

Future STOIC applications could include precision relative navigation operations such as autonomous aerial refueling, and cooperative navigation and collision avoidance within unmanned aerial vehicle swarms. 12 G P S W O R L D

WWW.GPSWORLD.COM

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NOVEMBER 2015

Spirent Federal GPS/GNSS Regional Training Seminars

Come hear the latest in GNSS simulation at a Spirent Federal training seminar. See and have hands on experience while discussing simulation developments, test fundamentals, interference testing, and more! Choose from six locations:

Orlando Feb 9 Los Angeles Feb 11 Dallas/Ft Worth Mar 8 Denver Mar 10 Boston Apr 5 DC Apr 7 Contact us to learn more or visit www.spirentfederal.com/GPS/Training. Spirent Federal Systems Inc., 1402 W. State Rd., Pleasant Grove, UT 84062 801-785-1448 [email protected] www.spirentfederal.com

ELORAN

Wildwood eLoran Tests Continue

T

he Wildwood, N.J., eLoran 100-kHz transmitter continuously broadcast a signal from 0900 (EDT) on Oct. 20 through 1800 on Oct. 22, with plans to transmit further eLoran test signals from 0900 (EST) on Nov. 3 until 1200 on Nov. 6, and again from 0900 on Nov. 9 until 1500 on Nov. 13. The purpose of these tests is to gather data on differential Loran performance in the Boston Metro and D.C. Metro areas. “Besides fixed eLoran

receivers at our N. Billerica, Mass., and Leesburg, Va., offices, we also have additional fixed eLoran receivers located at the USNO and at the Harris Corporation offices in Herndon, Va.,” stated UrsaNav. The company also plans to gather temporal and spatial decorrelation data in both Metro areas. Note that these signals are for test purposes only and should not be used for any other purpose. In May, Exelis, UrsaNav, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate

(DHS S&T) and the U.S. Coast Guard entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) for testing and demonstration at former Loran-C sites, including Wildwood. The team will evaluate eLoran as a potential complementary system to GPS. The sites are the legacy ground-based radio navigation infrastructure of the decommissioned Loran-C service that could be retained and upgraded to provide eLoran low-frequency service.The broadcasts will provide a usable signal at a range up to 1,000 miles.

INERTIAL

MEMS Perspective on SatNav Gathering BY Alissa M. Fitzgerald

I

n September, I attended the Institute of Navigation GNSS+ 2015 conference, where I chaired a technical session on commercial micro-electro-mechanical sensors (MEMS). As the founder of a MEMS product development firm, I was eager to gain perspective from the world’s largest technical meeting and showcase of satnav technology, products and services. Overall, the navigation community is enthusiastic about integrating MEMS into navigation systems. They like the idea of getting more data from small, relatively lowcost sensors. Recently, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton

14 G P S W O R L D

Carter declared his wish that we move to MEMS-based position, navigation and timing (PNT) information. What navigators want from MEMS depends on who they are. The “high integrity” navigators — the people whose systems land airplanes or steer self-driving cars — would like MEMS sensors with enough performance to enable accurate inertial navigation without GPS for at least 10 minutes. If a GPS receiver can’t see at least four satellites in the sky, it can’t produce accurate navigation data. High integrity navigators are the original developers of sensor fusion systems; they know that no

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one sensor is perfect, so they design systems to detect loss of a reliable signal, and then adeptly switch between sensor data streams as needed to maintain accurate navigation information. Ten minutes of GPS-independent inertial navigation buys you enough time to get to higher altitudes, out of a tunnel or around a skyscraper, to a position that improves your view of the sky. The “consumer” navigators — the people who want you to help them find the nearest Starbucks in downtown San Francisco — would like better low-cost MEMS gyroscopes and magnetometers, specifically with improved stability, to improve pedestrian inertial navigation. Although pedestrians are relatively slow-moving compared to vehicles, a key

NOVEMBER 2015

challenge to their accurate navigation is maintaining inertial position fixes while their smartphones unexpectedly change orientation: waving about in a person’s hand or sliding around in a purse or pants pocket. It’s clear we MEMS people need to spend more time with these end-users, to first understand how MEMS will integrate with their other sensors and GNSS, and then to derive the essential MEMS sensor specifications for each specific navigation system and use case. The quest for seamless navigation has been and will continue to be an exercise in sensor fusion. ALISSA FITZGERALD is managing member, A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates, a MEMS consulting firm serving diverse industries.

LAUNCHPAD | OEM 1

2

3

4 1. INTERNET OF THINGS CHIP CHIP SIMPLIFIES INTEGRATION OF GNSS INTO LOW-COST PRODUCTS

The Broadcom BCM47748 chip for the Internet of Things and wearables enables devices such as fitness bands to deliver pinpoint location while consuming minimal power and in some cases can eliminate the need for a separate microcontroller. The BCM47748 removes a bulk of the signal processing from the device MCU by calculating position, velocity and time onchip, delivering significant system power savings. The chip uses intelligent firmware to extend battery life while maintaining accuracy in speed, distance and position. By absorbing location computations onchip, Broadcom not only reduces power consumption but can also dramatically lower costs for OEMs by replacing the device MCU and reducing board space. Firmware inside the BCM47748 automatically adapts to user activity and context, whether biking, walking or running, to provide precise location results to the user, enabling performance that is not sacrificed for power savings. Broadcom, www.broadcom.com

2. MULTI-FREQUENCY RF SIMULATOR SIMULATION THROUGH REAL-TIME GENERATION OF GNSS SIGNALS

The upgraded ReGen DIF simulator is a high-end, low-cost 24-channel GNSS

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multi-frequency RF simulation solution for academia and research and development. The Replicator provides users with GNSS simulation through real-time generation of GNSS signals; the recording and playback of dual-frequency GNSS RF signals; and GNSS RF signal analysis with the JAXA COSMODE ionospheric scintillation monitor. Features of the replicator support various combinations of GPS L1, L2; GLONASS L1,L2,L3; BeiDou B1, B2; and Galileo E1 signals, and include ANSI C API for user access to customizable signal propagation, orbital, multipath, spatially correlated, scintillation and other error models. iP-Solutions, www.ip-solutions.jp

3. SINGLE-FREQUENCY RECEIVER DESIGNED FOR UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS AND MOBILE PLATFORMS

The S2525F8-BD-RTK is a low-power, single-frequency RTK receiver with centimeter-level position accuracy. It supports GPS, BDS, QZSS and SBAS, simultaneously tracking up to 28 satellites. With its 25 x 25 millimeter form factor, 300-mW power consumption and 3 gram weight, it is designed for any outdoor applications requiring high-precision RTK positioning. S2525F8-BD-RTK supports both base station and rover modes. As a rover, it receives RTCM 3.0 or 3.1 data from a base station, or raw measurements

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from another S2525F8-BD-RTK receiver serving as base station, and performs carrier phase RTK processing to achieve relative positioning with 1 cm + 1 ppm position accuracy within 10-Km baseline. SkyTraq Technology, www.skytraq.com.tw

4. THREAT DETECTOR SPIRENT ROBUST FRAMEWORK EVALUATES THREATS TO GNSS

The GSS100D Detector is key to a robust PNT test framework to evaluate GPS and GNSS security vulnerabilities for position, navigation and timing systems. The framework will be used by technology, system and application developers where PNT is critical. The framework enables threats to be detected in the field, taken into the lab, and re-synthesized along with GPS and other GNSS signals. Spirent’s threat intelligence library of actual and typical threats provides a wide range of GNSS segment errors and spoofing attacks, as well as space weather and other vulnerabilities for preventive troubleshooting. Developed in collaboration with Nottingham Scientific Ltd., the GSS100D Detector enables detection, characterization and analysis of real GNSS threats. Spirent, www.spirent.com

SURVEY & MAPPING | LAUNCHPAD 1 1. RADIO DATA MODEM PRIVATE RADIO DATA SYSTEM FOR MEASUREMENT APPLICATIONS

Compact-Proof is a UHF radio modem for wireless data transfer with a rechargeable battery, providing a compact and flexible solution for a wide range of applications, including land surveying under varying weather conditions. It supports the radio protocols of Pacific Crest, Trimble and other GNSS providers. It has a temperature range of -30°C to +65°C and frequency ranges of 330 MHz…420 MHz and 403 MHz…473 MHz. Its casing and connectors are rated IP67, making it waterproof and secured against dust. With transmitting power of 1,000 mW, it can be operated fully autonomously for more than 15 hours as a repeater station in the field. Satel, www.satel.com

2. MULTI-GNSS RECEIVER BASE STATION OR ROVER SURVEY RECEIVER WITH 864 CHANNELS

The all-in-one TRIUMPH-LS combines a high-performance 864-channel GNSS receiver, all-frequency GNSS antenna, and a modern featured handheld. The 864 allin-view channels include Galileo E1/E5A/ E5B, GPS L1/L2/L5, GLONASS L1/L2/L3, QZSS L1/L2/L5, BeiDou B1/B2 and SBAS L1/L5. The TRIUMPH-LS offers GUIDE data collection, Visual Stake Out (VSO), navigation, six parallel RTK engines, more than 3,000 coordinate conversions, advanced CoGo features, and rich attribute tagging on a high-resolution, bright, 800 x 460 bright display. Two 3-megapixel cameras enable recording of images along with GNSS data.More than 100 channels are dedicated to continuous interference monitoring. The Triumph-LS monitors and reports interference graphically and numerically with patent-pending interference protection. Interference awareness allows safe GNSS operation in city, airport and military environments. The unit can serve as base or rover. It has a GSM modem, UHF transmit and receive, and an internal high-performance geodetic antenna. The TRIUMPH-LS automatically updates all firmware when connected to a Wi-Fi Internet connection. Learn about Beast Mode RTK with the TRIUMPH-LS on page 23. JAVAD GNSS, www.javad.com

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3. INDOOR MAPPER TIMMS 2 MORE MANEUVERABLE THAN PREDECESSOR

The Trimble Indoor Mobile Mapping Solution (TIMMS) produces fast and accurate maps of difficult-to-navigate indoor spaces and translates them directly into 2D and 3D models of structured interiors. TIMMS 2 is a fusion of technologies for capturing spatial data of indoor and other GNSS denied areas, providing both lidar and spherical video and enabling the creation of accurate, real-life representations of interior spaces and all of their contents. The maps are geo-located; the real world positions of each area of the building and its contents are known and can be easily placed and oriented in a wide area model. Small and lightweight, TIMMS 2 can negotiate tight corners, closets and catwalks, and can be carried up and down staircases where no elevator is available for travel between building levels.

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Applanix, www.applanix.com

4. WEARABLE REALITY CAPTURE PORTABLE BACKPACK ALLOWS MAPPING WHILE WALKING

The Leica Pegasus:Backpack is a wearable reality-capture technology that combines five high-dynamic cameras and two LiDAR profilers within an ultra-light and ergonomic carbon-fiber chassis. The ergonomic mobile mapper creates a 3D view indoors or outdoors for engineering or professional documentation while using SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) to determine position in GNSSdenied areas. With its fast and efficient capture, calibrated images and point clouds are quickly generated for applications as diverse as BIM 6D to industrial training and disaster analysis.

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Leica Geosystems, www.leica-geosystems.com

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LAUNCHPAD | UAV 2

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4 3 1. UAV-READY LIDAR LIGHTWEIGHT LIDAR WITH GPS AND INERTIAL FOR UAVS

The YellowScan is a lightweight lidar designed for fixed or rotary-wing UAVs. It has an embedded Ellipse-E, a miniature inertial navigation system from SBG Systems, which helps obtaining a clear and accurate point cloud. YellowScan is operational at up to 75 meters and delivers a highly dense point cloud. It includes a lidar with a ±50 degree angle that measures 40,000 points per second, an Ellipse-E inertial navigation system coupled with a centimeter-level RTK GPS, an on-board computer and an integrated battery. LED lights provide useful information, such as whether the GPS is receiving RTK corrections. YellowScan, www.yellowscan.fr

2. AERIAL PHOTO SHARING APP ADDS SHARING, EDITING AND DISCOVERY TOOLS

The DJI GO app is an upgrade to the previous DJI Pilot app with a redesigned user interface to make it easier to capture and share images with DJI’s Phantom 3, Inspire 1 and Matrice 100 UAVs. The app includes expanded in-app editing tools to

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make it easier to adjust photos and videos before uploading to social networks. DJI Director, which automatically edits the best moments from flights into short videos, has also been upgraded to include video speed control, additional templates and background music options. DJI, dji.com

3. CAMERAS FOR UAVS LIGHTWEIGHT WITH THE RESOLUTION OF A MEDIUM FORMAT SYSTEM

The iXU-R camera series for UAVs is available in 80 MP, 60 MP and 60 MP achromatic versions. The cameras feature dedicated interchangeable 40-mm, 50-mm and 70-mm Phase One Rodenstock lenses equipped with central leaf shutters that can be quickly changed in the field, offering flexibility in aerial applications. The Phase One iXU-R systems have been designed to address the aerial data acquisition market’s needs with highperformance optics, flexibility to fit into small places and Phase One’s fastest 80 MP platform. Phase One aerial cameras offer direct communication with GPS/IMU systems and the ability to write data to the image files. Phase One Industrial, industrial.phaseone.com

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4. MILITARY UAV VTOL UAS DESIGNED FOR INTELLIGENCE GATHERING

The Aeryon SkyRanger introduces a new airframe and integrated system design to its Aeryon sUAS (small UAS) platform, based on thousands of hours of flight time and successful customer exercises and missions around the world. The SkyRanger is suited for both land and maritime applications, and is designed to military and government specifications for immediate aerial intelligence gathering. Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) enables continuous eyeson-target, operations in confined or hardto-reach environments, and low-risk launch and retrieval without peripheral equipment. Features include up to 50-minute flight time, single operator transport and deployment with no launch or recovery equipment, reliable flight performance in demanding environments such as high winds, and an intuitive touchscreen interface. Microsoft has chosen the SkyRanger to demonstrate aerial image and data capture for its new Microsoft Advanced Patrol Platform (MAPP) vehicle. Aeryon Labs, aeryon.com

MARKET WATCH

Segment Snapshot: Applications, Trends & News

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STMicroelectronics Provides Enhanced Support for 3D Apps

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TMicroelectronics has lau nched enha nced, always-available, alwaysaccurate 3D positioning on its TESEO III automotive-navigation integrated circuits. The new TESEO DRAW firmware for ST’s multi-constellation positioning chips enables navigation devices to provide continuous, accurate location and turn-by-turn instructions even when satellite signals are poor or unavailable, such as in tunnels, covered car parks, or multi-level highways, according to the company. TESEO DRAW also enhances performance in built-up areas, such as in urban canyons, where conventional navigation systems can lose accuracy. TESEO DRAW merges the satellite information with data from vehicle sensors, such as the gyroscope, accel-

TESEO DRAW HIGHLIGHTS • Flexible firmware solution, supporting different configurations: - Classic - CAN (controller area network) gyro - Mixed - Differential wheel pulse (DWP) • Sensors over universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter • Automatic free mount • Automatic sensors and temperature compensation • 3D dead reckoning • Map-matching feedback

erometer and wheel-speed sensors, to calculate location accurately in three dimensions, including elevation. If the satellite signal is poor, TESEO DRAW compensates for the loss of accuracy, and if the signal becomes unavailable, navigation continues uninterrupted based on calculated location (dead reckoning).

URBAN CANYON TESTS Road tests carried out by ST in difficult undercover and urban environments have demonstrated continuous tracking from entry to exit in complex multi-level car parks, and at street level between tall buildings, where conventional systems have been unable to track the vehicle. By enabling high-accuracy 3D dead reckoning, TESEO DRAW expands the opportunities for developers to NOVEMBER 2015

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commercialize new applications by strengthening GNSS performance and eliminating barriers to continuity, STMicroelectronics said in a statement. Existing services such as fleet tracking, eCall or ERA-GLONASS emergency response, usage-based insurance, road tolling and anti-theft systems should also see improvements, the company said. TESEO DRAW firmware has multiple modes and is capable of referring to sensors on the vehicle’s CAN bus or discrete sensors such as the odometer, reverse sensor, micro-electromechanical (MEMS) accelerometer and gyroscope, or MEMS inertial module connected to the TESEO III IC. TESEO III ICs with the new TESEO DRAW firmware are sampling now, and will enter mass production in the first quarter of 2016.

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Unicore Announces High-End Board nicore has released a new high-end GNSS board, the UB380. The multi-GNSS receiver is designed for high-precision positioning, navigation and GBAS applications. With 384 channels, UB380 supports GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou Satellite System (BDS), based on Unicore’s multi-GNSS system on a chip. The UB380 features Unicore’s latest real-time kinematic (RTK) engine, which can process triplefrequency BDS and GPS and dual-frequency GLONASS

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FEATURES OF UB380 • 384 channels • Supports BDS B1/B2/B3, GPS L1/L2/L5 and GLONASS L1/L2 • Better than 1 mm carrier phase precision • Centimeter-level high-precision RTK positioning • Better than 0.2° heading accuracy • Compatible with industry-standard GNSS boards

UB380 on display at ION GNSS. observation data.This can significantly reduce initialization time, improve position accuracy and enhance

reliability in difficult environments such as city canyon and canopy, as well as make the long baseline RTK possible. The receiver board can support GPS L1, L2, and L5; GLONASS L1, L2; and BDS B1, B2 and B3. The sup-

port of GPS L2P and L2C can satisfy the high-precision requirements of GBAS reference station equipment. The UB380 is compatible with industry-standard GNSS boards in size, interfaces and electrical standards.

NVS Technologies Releases L1 RTK Receiver

Tallysman Introduces High-Gain Timing Antennas

NVS Technologies AG has launched an L1 RTK+Heading GNSS receiver. The NV08C-RTK-A is fully integrated multi-constellation satellite navigation receiver with embedded RTK functionality and compatibility with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. NV08C-RTK-A is specifically designed for use in high-accuracy applications, demanding low-cost, low-power consumption, small form factor and high performance, such as construction, mining and industrial;

A n t e n n a m a k e r Ta l l y s m a n h a s introduced a family of high-gain (50dB) and high-rejection timing antennas. The TW3150/52 antennas are designed for timing applications in highdensity cell/telecommunications tower applications where high levels of nearout-of-band interfering signals can be expected. They feature a 50-dB lownoise amplifier gain to handle long cable runs often associated with installation on telecommunications towers. The antennas cover the GPS L1 and SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS) frequency band, and employ Tallysman’s Accutenna technology to provide excellent cross-polarization rejection and multipath rejection.

MORE FEATURES • L1 GPS, GLONASS and SBAS • Centimeter-level positioning in RTK mode • Enhanced RAIM for 3D and RTK modes

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environmental and structural monitoring; machine control and automation; parallel driving systems; precision agriculture; UAVs; and robotics and intelligent machines. • Three-stage filtration for high outof-band interference immunity • Industrial operating temperature range -40°C to +85°C • Low power consumption • Integrated MEMS-sensors (INS)

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UNAVCO Chooses Septentrio for GNSS Reference Stations

networks operated by UNAVCO. UNAVCO is a non-profit universitygoverned consortium that facilitates geosciences research and education

using geodesy. UNAVCO’s GAGE Facility includes more than 2,000 continuously operating GPS/GNSS reference stations around the world.

UNAVCO has selected Septentrio to be the preferred vendor of next-generation GNSS reference stations for the Geodesy Advancing Geosciences and EarthScope (GAGE) Facility. The preferred vendor status is valid through the duration of the GAGE Facility Cooperative Agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF). The selection of Septentrio was made following a rigorous competitive selection process. Under the agreement, Septentrio will supply GNSS reference stations to upgrade and expand the continuous GNSS reference station

PCTEL Launches HighRejection Antennas PCTEL Inc. has launched a GNSS multisatellite antenna portfolio for mobile and base-station timing applications. PCTEL’s new SkyLink antenna technology features out-of-band rejection characteristics that provide exceptional GPS/Galileo and GLONASS L1 support and performance in heavy RF traffic environments for fixed and mobile timing and asset tracking applications. SkyCompass for fleet management and asset tracking applications comprises six new configurable antenna platforms, including single-band or multiband GNSS options that address the majority of fleet management installation needs. SkyStamp base-station antennas are for timing and synchronization of 4G LTE cellular networks, and offer two timing reference and synchronization antenna models that provide maximum mitigation of the effects from nearby LTE interference sources. NOVEMBER 2015

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GNSS Monitoring Scrapes the Sky High-Rises in South Korea, Manhattan Built Straight

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he supertall skyscraper Lotte World Tower — so far built to the 103rd of 123 total floors in Seoul, South Korea — is using GNSS to measure the impact of lateral forces on its vertical alignment. Lotte World Tower will be Seoul’s first supertall skyscraper, the tallest building on the Korean Peninsula and the sixth-tallest building in the world at 1,821 feet (555 meters). “Lotte World Tower is the nation’s first building to use both a GNSS and structural behavior monitoring system by inclinometer at the same time,” said Park Hong-ki of Gachon University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. The GNSS technology serves a dual purpose: it allows the builders to manage the building’s straightness and allows the builders to shorten the construction period, Park said.

LONG-TERM MONITORING Moreover, the GNSS system enables stable maintenance and management of the building through steady longterm monitoring. GNSS measurements showing how much the building tilts will be monitored to ensure the overall vertical geometry of the structure. Based on these measurements, the Korean tower will be constructed with the highest accuracy possible, reflecting the movement of the building, according to a statement from Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. “After reviewing the measurement data of Lotte World Tower’s structural verticality, we have found out that it is within acceptable standards. Through advanced measurement technologies like GNSS, the straightness of the skyscraper is being strictly controlled.” 22 G P S W O R L D

A GNSS receiver on the top of Lotte World Tower, now under construction in Seoul.

Similar GNSS technology is also being used to monitor the supertall Burj Khalifa of Dubai (163 floors and the tallest building in the world) and One World Trade Center in New York (104 floors and fifth-tallest). In another project, the Extell luxury high-rise being constructed in Midtown Manhattan, concrete contractor Pinnacle Industries invested in a corewall alignment system that consists of advanced GNSS and robotic total station solutions. The Vertical Alignment System from Leica Geosystems will be used as each floor is constructed to ensure the overall vertical geometry of the structure. With an overall roof height of 1,479 feet (1,775 feet to top of spire), the Extell building will be the tallest residential building in the world. Once completed, Lotte World Tower will become the fifth-tallest building in the world, with retail space, offices, residences, a luxury hotel and, at the top, a public-access observation deck.

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Beast Mode RTK: 5-Hz Corrections BY Matt Sibole

JAVAD GNSS J-TEAM MEMBER

e are all looking for ways to become more productive and more efficient in the course of our fieldwork. Here is one such way. Beast Mode RTK from JAVAD GNSS supplies 5-Hz corrections from the base station. With typical RTK GPS receivers, an epoch is counted at 1 second, which means 1 Hz corrections. With Beast Mode, an epoch is 0.2 seconds, producing 5-Hz corrections. So, for surveyors who typically measure your control and your property corners for 180 epochs, which is typically three minutes, now it will only take 36 seconds with no discernible loss in accuracy or precision. This means that a surveyor can spend more time on quality control and less time just sitting there waiting to get a fix. For instance: With the combination of Beast Mode and Cluster Average feature, you can shoot in all of the property corners on a proj-

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Figure 2 Cluster average

Figure 1 TRIUMPH-LS screen running Beast Mode ect, then shoot the property corners again on the way back. Once you have located all of the property corners (two times in this scenario), you can use Cluster Average and average all shots that are within a user-defined tolerance, giving increased relative precision for each individual point. All of this is being done in less time than a typical RTK survey, with increased relative precision and having redundancy to verify that all property corners are exactly

where we say they are. FIGURE 1 is a screenshot of the TRIUMPH-LS running Beast Mode. You can see that the epoch count on this shot is 130 epochs. Right beside the epoch count, you will notice that it only took 39 seconds to get all 130 epochs. The 0.110 and 0.161 at the bottom of the screen is the peak-to-peak error over the 130 epochs for this one shot. The horizontal root mean square (HRMS) value of this shot is 0.02’.

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FIGURE 2 is a screenshot after using cluster average. I located this same mag nail four times over the time span of two days. You can see in this screenshot that the overall spread or peak-to-peak error among all four points is 0.10 in the north and 0.05 in the east. FIGURE 3 is a detailed statistics screenshot of the averaged point. It gives a total number of epochs recorded with the overall RMS value. All of this information and more can all be exported in HTML format for documentation. The redundancy of this point was completed in a relatively short time. With all of this said, the bottom line is efficiency and redundancy. For more on J-Field software and TRIUMPH-LS, visit www.javad.com.

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Carlson SurveyGNSS 2016 Out Now arlson SurveyGNSS, Carlson Software’s data post-processing s of t w ar e , i s now available in a 2016 version. It debuted at INTERGEO in Stuttgart, Germany, held Sept. 15–17. Designed for surveyors and positioning professionals, Carlson SurveyGNSS post-processing software achieves high-accuracy results for computing quality vectors and resultant positions. SurveyGNSS works with Carlson SurvCE and SurvPC data collection software, and with Carlson’s office design software.

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New features include a second-generation postprocessing engine, which now accepts data in enhanced RINEX 3.x formats. Users will also determine candidate vectors for simultaneous calculation. Previously, vectors were calculated individually. Other processes have been sped up or enhanced. With “detached processing,” users will be able to start another task while SurveyGNSS is still working on a computation. New constellation and more reference networks are another enhancement.

Observations from the Chinese BeiDou and European Union Galileo join GPS and GLONASS, with future constellations in the works. For supported “Active” (Online) Reference Networks, the International GNSS Ser-

vice (IGS) and the governments of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Spain, European Union, France, Great Britain, Mexico and the Netherlands join the supported networks in addition to the U.S. CORS system.

SP80 Under Cover in Chile’s Rainforests

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n the temperate rainforest of the Los Lagos region of Southern Chile, where rainfall annually exceeds 1,500 millimeters and two-thirds of the days are rainy, the dense forest canopy poses a huge challenge for GNSS receivers. Motivazion, a survey firm based in Puerto Montt, just below the rainforests, makes its living surveying in the rugged terrain under the densely canopied forest. Motivazion works primarily for hydropower development companies, surveying contours, cross sections and longitudinal profiles, as well as staking out proposed facilities. To ensure it was using the best GNSS receivers for the conditions, Motivazion conducted field tests of several sets of equipment this summer. Motivazion owner Jorge Mesias said he typically uses a combination of total stations and GNSS receivers for his work. “If understory performance could be improved, efficiency would increase dramatically and reduce the need for using the more time-consuming total station,” Mesias said. A light rain fell at all times during the two-day test. The test routine consisted of surveying a total of 21 points in two days. Results were compared to points established by a total station. 24 G P S W O R L D

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Base stations were set up in a small area cleared for the purpose, and the rovers moved from point to point under the canopy. Spectra Precision’s SP80 achieved fixed solutions in less than three minutes 95 percent of the time. “The SP80 achieved remarkable results,” concluded Mesias. Geocom S.A., Spectra Precision’s dealer in Chile, provided the SP80 and technical support.

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Applanix Offers POS AVX 210 for Airborne Mapping

flight operations. Aircraft equipped with the POS AVX 210 and NanoTrack will be able to fly missions with reduced sidelap between flightlines, reducing the require-

ment for ground control points, which lowers costs and improves the efficiency of both data collection and the production of finished data sets for end users.

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he POS AVX 210 is the latest addition to the Applanix airborne position and orientation portfolio for direct georeferencing of airborne mapping sensors. Using Applanix’ GNSS and inertial technology, the POS AVX 210 enables airborne surveyors to achieve gains in accuracy, efficiency and productivity for low-altitude or small form-factor sensors, when compared to GNSS-only point-matching or aerial triangulation techniques.

The POS-AVX 210 by Applanix.

For photogrammetric applications, the POS AVX 210 delivers highly accurate exterior orientation solutions — reducing the requirement for ground control in assisted aerial triangulation of digital single lens reflex (DSLR) or medium-format photogrammetric imagery, the company said. For lowaltitude lidar applications, the POS AVX 210 provides the required precision and accuracy of direct georeferencing to enable users to generate point clouds for further refinement in adjustment software. The POS AVX 210 is compatible with POSPac MMS, Applanix’ post-mission software for direct georeferencing of airborne mapping sensors. It also integrates seamlessly with the NanoTrack system from Track’Air, a commercial flight management system for survey NOVEMBER 2015

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Rail Maintenance System Makes 3D Point Clouds without GNSS eica Geosystems has released SiTrack:One, a rail track maintenance and refurbishment system incorporating the Leica ScanStation P40 to generate 3D point clouds. SiTrack:One ensures complete coverage of an entire rail infrastructure surface without the need to receive GNSS signals for position information, the company said. With a new mounting design, the total solution for rail maintenance and refurbishment produces synchronized engineer-

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ing, survey-grade 3D point clouds for accurate as-built drawings. The Leica ScanStation P40 can be mounted ver-

tically in the center of the rails or inverted directly over the rail track. Rail bridge sleeper replacements can be measured quickly, gen-

erating a numbered as-built replacement plan for each individual sleeper on a rail bridge. The system is equipped with two distance measurement instruments that provide accurate positioning in GNSS-denied areas, such as underground railway tunnels or underground subway networks. The on-site calibration process guarantees permanent alignment of the relative position between the sensors and its onboard inertial measurement unit, ensuring accuracy.

Falcon 8 Gets FAA Exemption Topcon Positioning Group has received a Section 333 exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that allows for operation of its Falcon 8 rotary-wing UAS in the United States. The Topcon Falcon 8, powered by Ascending Technologies, is designed for inspection and monitoring, as well as survey and mapping applications. Topcon’s Sirius fixed-wing UAV received an exemption in April. The exemption allows Topcon to provide demonstrations and training as well as aerial data collection for survey, construction, agricultural, and emerging inspection applications.

CHC Launches iOS-Ready L1 Receiver The X20i L1 GPS receiver by CHC Navigation is powered by a high-precision L1 GPS engine. Its integrated Bluetooth chip enables it to wirelessly collect submeter positions in real time or centimeter post-processed on an iPhone or iPad. All location-aware apps on the iPhone and iPad are compatible with the X20i. Immediately after pairing and answering the security question allowing the X20i to take control of location services on the iOS device, 1 million iOS applications are capable of utilizing the high-accuracy data of the X20i, and become accurate to either 1 foot or 1 centimeter. Apps that can make use of the high accuracy include TerraGo Edge, ESRI’s ArcView Connector, and those by CarteGraph Systems.

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Figure 11 Code Phase multipath removed (cm)

Figure 12 Carrier Phase multipath remove (mm)

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SURVEY

2 Fourth Edition of GPS Surveying Book Published

Mapping with Bluetooth BlueStarGPS offers both GPS and GNSS options in a rugged, lightweight package. The BlueStarGPS device was designed to meet submeter mapping and data collection needs in the pipeline and utility industries. It provides sub-meter precision without postprocessing, and maintains accurate positioning when the SBAS signal is obstructed. This means it can function under trees, around buildings and in rugged terrain where other receivers can fail. The BlueStarGPS is designed specifically for use with Android mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets or notebook computers, as well as cable and pipe “locating” tools with a connectivity range of up to 1 kilometer.

fourth edition of GPS Satellite and Surveying (ISBN-13: 978-1118675571; 840 pages) by Leick, Rapoport and Tatarnikov, is available through NavtechGPS (www.navtechgps.com), offering a comprehensive guide on GPS technology for surveying. Updated and expanded to reflect the newest developments in the field, the fourth edition features information on GNSS antennas, precise point positioning, real-time relative positioning, lattice reduction and more. The authors examine tools and applications, covering the options for geodetic surveying using satellite technologies.

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MAPPING

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Storm Surge Maps Saving More Lives During Hurricane Season BY JoAnne Castagna

U. S . A RM Y CO RP S O F ENG I N EER S

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urricane Sandy led to one of the largest-scale U.S. evacuations in recent history, according to Edward Schneyer, director of Emergency Preparedness, Suffolk County (N.Y.) Office of Emergency Management. “During Sandy, we rescued 250 people from their flooded homes, evacuated two major hospitals and several adult care homes,” Schneyer said. Schneyer was able to do this effectively because his agency uses storm surge maps created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. Storm surge is when a significant amount of water is pushed from the sea onto the land caused by a hurricane.

The maps provide emergency managers in hurricane-prone states with an understanding of storm surge potential that could occur for worst-case Category 1 to 4 storms, identifying areas from which people should evacuate if faced with the threat of storm surge. The Army Corps is updating these maps with higher resolution modeling and topography performed by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center’s Storm Surge Unit, so agencies will have more accurate information to educate the public — reducing risk to themselves and their property.

HAZARD ANALYSIS “Historically, 49 percent of human causalities from hurricanes are due to storm surge,” said Donald E. Cresitello, the Corps’ Hurricane Evacuation Study

program manager for the New York District. “Other impacts like riverine flooding due to rainfall, falling trees due to high winds, and indirect impacts like carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution can cause deaths. The development of these maps is the first step in the hazard analysis for the hurricane evacuation study process.” The “New York Hurricane Evacuation Study Hurricane Surge Inundation Maps” are being produced in collaboration with the Army Corps’ New England and Baltimore Districts and provided to emergency managers. The Army Corps also guides emergency managers on using the maps in the decision-making software HURREVAC (Hurricane Evacuation), developed by Sea Island Software for the National Hurricane Program. “Agency officials can use these maps

USING GIS TO CREATE HIGHER RESOLUTION MAPS Geographic information systems (GIS), which capture, store, analyze and display location information, are being used to create higher resolution storm surge maps. To create the maps, the Corps of Engineers uses the SLOSH model (Sea, Lake, Overland Surges from Hurricanes) provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The SLOSH data is layered over lidar-based topography in Esri ArcGIS software. “To come up with the actual depth of water through GIS, we are overlaying the data out of NOAA’s SLOSH model and subtracting out the ground elevations using digital elevation models and coming up with an actual depth of water in feet,” said Donald E. Cresitello, USACE Hurricane Evacuation Study program manager for the State of New York, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District.

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Connecticut shoreline: This example of a storm surge map shows the extent of surge that can be expected as a result of a worst-case scenrio that combines hurricane landfall location, forward speed and direction for each hurricane category. (Credit: USACE)

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prior to impact from a storm.” The new maps will not only show the extent of inland storm surge, but also the depth of the water — in ranges of feet — during different categories of storms, enabling emergency managers to better focus limited resources. Storm Surge in downtown New York City in the aftermath “In the initial stages of of Hurricane Sandy. (Photo: USACE) a response, our recovery to help reduce risk to the public,” resources are limited, especially for an Cresitello said. “They can use them for event the size of Sandy. If resources evacuation planning, to redefine their are dispatched to areas that were hurricane evacuation zones, identify not impacted, valuable time is lost where shelters should be located and mobilizing and reassigning those identify where assets should be staged resources,” Schneyer said.

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At press time, Schneyer’s agency is entering information from the maps into an interactive program viewable on its county’s website, so the public can see whether their home is in a storm surge zone and which designated shelter is nearby. During Sandy, people who should have evacuated were stranded and faced dangers such as electrocution from downed power lines and fires from gas leaks. “This very valuable resource is an excellent tool for public education, emergency management planning, and emergency preparedness in general,” Schneyer said. JOANNE CASTAGNA is a public affairs specialist and writer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District.

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Katrina, 10 Years Later n August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the city of New Orleans, causing devastating damage and loss of life. A new Esri story map, “Katrina +10: A Decade of Change in New Orleans,” analyzes the damage from the storm. “The story map is a new Esri m e dium f o r s har ing no t o nly data, photos, videos, sounds and maps, but for telling a specific and compelling story by way of that content,” wrote Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright in a blog.

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“This is all done with sophisticated cartographic functionality that does not require advanced training in cartography or GIS.” According to Wright, story maps are applications built from web maps, which in turn are built from web-accessible data. The below map shows the physical damage in terms of buildings marked for demolition. In all, 10,317 buildings were tagged for demolition by the city of New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina, all properties within the city were reviewed for

damage under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The heat map shows the density of houses deemed eligible for federally funded demolition through the Federal Emergency Management Agenc y (FEMA). Although not all properties on this map were demolished, the points illustrate Katrina’s extensive and pervasive physical toll on the city of New Orleans. For this and other story maps, visit http://storymaps.arcgis.com/.

KATRINA AFFECTED THE ENTIRE CITY, with the Lower Ninth Ward enduring the most intense damage. A shipping channel built in the 1950s destroyed protective coastal wetlands that once acted as a storm surge buffer for the community. USERS OF THE STORY MAP can zoom in and click on the points to see specific data about each tagged site. 

A BARGE WAS SWEPT through a breach near Claiborne Avenue, leveling homes beneath it.

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Books Explore Lidar, Earth Imaging

Hexagon Offers Early Access to Cloud Apps

new book published by Esri teaches how to use GIS software to analyze and visualize lidar data. Making Spatial Decisions Using GIS and Lidar: A Workbook (ISBN: 9781589484290; 264 pages), by Kathryn Keranen and Robert Kolvoord, presents problems that need to be solved using lidar data and the geospatial analysis tools in Esri’s ArcGIS for Desktop. In addition, Essential Earth Imaging for GIS (ISBN: 9781589483453, 128 pages), by Lawrence Fox III, is a field guide to advanced earth-imaging technologies, providing guidance to efficiently and effectively display, manipulate, enhance and interpret features from an image. It provides hands-on experience working with imagery in Esri’s ArcGIS for Desktop and ArcGIS Online. Both books are available through esri.com/esripress.

Hexagon Geospatial has introduced an early-access program for technologies associated with the Hexagon Smart M.App experience. M.App Chest provides a simple means to quickly upload, organize, and share imagery and point cloud data in the cloud. It also provides compression capabilities along with streaming and delivery via web services. GeoApp.UAS was built by Hexagon Geospatial’s partner, Geosystems GmbH, and enables rapid processing of UAS data at the speed it is captured. With an intuitive workflow, GeoApp.UAS enables robust photogrammetric processing of UAS data on the cloud. Interested individuals can register to participate in the early-access program at www.hexagongeospatial. com/smartmapp.

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Programmed Multicopter Flies Through the Arctic Autonomously

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ow do you successfully pi l ot a UAV i n t he remote expanses of the Arctic Ocean when the compass can’t provide reliable positioning data? Engineers on board the Alfred Wegener Institute’s (AWI’s) research icebreaker Polarstern specially programmed a multicopter, allowing it to navigate despite the deviations produced by the Earth’s magnetic field near the North Pole. The researchers recently celebrated the copter’s first successful autonomous flight and landing on an ice floe. “At high latitudes, autonomous navigation is a major challenge,” said Sascha Lehmenhecker, an engineer at AWI. “Navigation systems normally use magnetic sensors. But near the poles, the lines of the Earth’s magnetic field are nearly perpendicular to the ground, making precise navigation extremely difficult. That’s why commercial multicopter control systems aren’t well suited for use in polar regions.”

ICE FLOE LANDINGS Lehmenhecker’s team refined the control systems for multicopters to land on ice floes and fly back to their “mother ship” autonomously several hours later. The particular task: both the ice floe and the ship are in motion. The ship has to continue on its scheduled course to conduct other research, while wind, waves and currents cause the ice floe to drift. It’s precisely the direction and speed with which it drifts that the multicopter needs to determine.  The team pursued two approaches. “In the first approach, the multicopter remains in constant contact with a receiving station, which uses the 40 G P S W O R L D

Researchers conducted an autonomous multicopter flight in the Arctic with its own test UAV platform that used a u-blox LEA-M8T GPS receiver. (Photo: Alfred-Wegener Institute)

copter’s GPS data to calculate the discrepancies. In other words, the multicopter transmits its GPS position to the station, which in turn transmits back the corresponding, adjusted coordinates,” explained Lehmenhecker. “The second option: We use two onboard GPS receivers to calculate the actual change in the copter’s position. Though this is the better method, it’s also much more complex, and we’re still just starting to develop it.” The system passed its first test, conducted on an ice floe in the arctic Fram Strait (79° N parallel). In the test, the team and copter were left on a floe, clear of magnetic interference produced by electric motors on board the Polarstern. The team manually flew the copter 3 kilometers out, to the edge of visual range, then activated the autonomous return program. The multicopter flew to the

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preset coordinates and safely landed on its own.

UNDERWATER ASSIST Lehmenhecker’s team came up with the idea for this development in connection with the use of sensitive devices under the ice, such as the torpedo-shaped autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Paul, which explores the ocean beneath the sea ice. “To optimally plan its dives, it’s important to have precise information on the movement of the sea ice,” Lehmenhecker said. Conventionally, this was achieved by deploying ice trackers on floes with the help of a Zodiac boat or helicopter  — a difficult and time-consuming method. Further, the researchers generally try to avoid leaving the safety of the Polarstern wherever possible — jagged ice floes See ARTCIC, page 42

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RIEGL Launches BathyCopter ollowing RIEGL’s debut of the RiCOPTER at INTERGEO 2014, a fully integrated UAV-based lidar surveying solution, the company used INTERGEO 2015 in September to launch its new BathyCopter. The BathyCopter is a small-UAV-based surveying system capable of measuring through the water surface. It’s suitable for generating profiles of rivers or water reservoirs. The platform design integrates a topo-bathymetric green

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CEO Johannes Riegl unveils the new RIEGL BathyCopter at the RIEGL INTERGEO booth in Stuttgart. laser depth-meter, an IMU/ GNSS unit with antenna, a control unit and a digital camera. Applications include

generation of river profiles, survey of reservoirs and canals, landscaping, support of construction projects, and

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surveys for planning and carrying out hydraulic engineering work. Laser Scanner. RIEGL also offers the VQ-480-U laser scanner for UAVs, which provides high-speed data acquisition using a narrow infrared laser beam and a fast line scanning mechanism. High-accuracy laser ranging is based on RIEGL´s echo digitization and online waveform processing, which provides measurement results even under adverse atmospheric conditions, the company said.

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Maiden Flight Pushes Boundaries

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outescene has jointly developed with Hanseatic Aviation Solutions an integrated fixed-wing UAV and LidarPod solution for

surveying. Following in-depth customer research, Routescene identified a gap in the market for an unmanned aerial 3D mapping solution capable of flying long distances, particularly for use in large countries with great expanses of remote land such as Australia, the United States, Canada and Eastern Europe. The integrated solution would be used for long-distance surveys, such as powerline inspections in the utilities sector, biomass mapping of forests and geophysical surveys. The successful maiden flight of the integrated Hanseatic S360 and Routescene LidarPod took place in July in Bremen, Germany, and demonstrated its capability by collecting sample data. German aviation authorities were so confident in the product, they gave

The Hanseatic S360 has a wingspan of 3.6 meters and can carry a 6-kg payload.

Routescene permission to fly in the same circuit as manned aircraft.

BENEFITS The LidarPod is integrated internally within the S360 itself, rather than being wing-mounted, reducing drag and enabling longer flight and survey times. Integration of the LidarPod into the nose

A 3D point cloud of the runway at Bremerhaven Airport.

Arctic Continued from page 40 >>

and polar bears present additional risks. During 2012, the group first used a UAV to assist Paul. The UAV landed on the ice via remote control, then used GPS to determine its position and 42 G P S W O R L D

transmit the data back to the research ship, which was monitoring Paul’s dive. In this way, the multicopter took on an important role, offering navigational support for the AUV. Once each dive was complete, the ship had to return close to the multicopter’s position so

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cone minimizes noise and vibration traveling from the rear-mounted engine, ensuring the GNSS/INS is not adversely affected. It also enables more accurate positioning. The S360 is fixed-wing and built for long-distance flights, with four-hour endurance in the standard configuration, along with long-range telemetry, an autopilot system and a mission planning tool. It works in up to Force 7 winds, extending the operational window in which surveys can be performed. Its significant payload capacity enables the integration of additional survey and geophysical sensors as well as the LidarPod. Because this is an internally integrated solution, it can be set up rapidly and is easy to deploy in the field, Routescene said. Michael Schmidt, managing director of Hanseatic Aviation Solutions, and Gert Riemersma, CEO of Routescene, met for the first time at INTERGEO 2014. They immediately understood the potential power of a collaboration. Routescene launched the LidarPod at that trade show. It quickly attracted wide interest and is now generating business across four continents, Routescene said. After exploratory discussions with clients, the companies started development of the system in earnest at the start of 2015. “We have already seen significant interest from the forestry and geophysical exploration community,” Riemersma said.

the pilot could remotely guide it back to the ship, which was only possible in visual range. Now, the new developments “will expand the service radius of our copters from visual range to as much as 10 kilometers,” Lehmenhecker said.

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UAV 2 POSEIDRON Wins at ESNC

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multicopter built to support maritime search-andrescue services took top honors in the 2015 European Satellite Navigation Competition. POSEIDRON is designed to reduce the number of fatalities at sea when people fall overboard or are involved in shipwrecks that occur during illegal immigration. The project consists of one large drone that is designed to increase the survival possibilities of those stranded at sea by providing a faster response and better service. The multicopter weighs 80 kg, can operate for more than 180 minutes, and has a diameter of 4 meters. It is capable of lifting up to 70 kg and is designed to take off from a mid-size boat. With thermal cameras and GNSS, the multicopter can locate people in the water, where it will launch an inflatable dinghy. Depending on the weather conditions, it will tow the dinghy to a rescue boat or maintain its position to facilitate rescue. The drone will have the ability to fly safely, maintain its position accurately, and alert emergency authorities.

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U.S. Will Require Registration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In October, the federal government announced plans to require anyone buying a drone to register the device with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), enabling authorities to track a drone back to its owner if used in a dangerous manner. Under the plan, the DOT would work with the drone industry to set up a structure for registering the drones. The government has been concerned about the rise in close calls between unmanned drones and aircraft flying into and out of some of the nation’s biggest airports. Private drones were also blamed for hampering aerial firefighting efforts over a California fire in July.

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COVERSTORY /

UAV REAL-TIME Data Use in a Lightweight Direct Georeferencing System DIRECT GEOREFERENCING WITH ONBOARD SENSORS is less time-consuming for data processing than indirect georeferencing using ground control points, and can supply real-time navigation capability to a UAV. This is very useful for surveying, precision farming or infrastructure inspection. An onboard system for position and attitude determination of lightweight UAVs weighs 240 grams and produces position accuracies better than 5 centimeters and attitude accuracies better than 1 degree. BY Christian Eling, Lasse Klingbeil, Markus Wieland,

Erik Heinz and Heiner Kuhlmann

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ata acquisition from mobile platforms has become established in many applications recently, particularly using unmanned aerial systems (UASs). Unlike other mobile platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can overfly inaccessible and also dangerous areas. Furthermore, they can get very close to objects to collect high-resolution

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data with low-resolution sensors, and they enable approach from all viewing directions without physical contact. UAVs now see use in precision farming for phenotyping or plant monitoring, and in infrastructure inspection and surveying. This article addresses lightweight UAV use for mobile mapping and uses the term micro aerial vehicle (MAV) throughout. MAVs can generally be characterized as having a weight

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limit of 5 kilograms and a size limit of 1.5 meters. We focus on the development of a real-time capable, direct georeferencing system for MAVs, since spatial and time restrictions often exclude the possibility of deploying ground control points for an indirect georeferencing. The demand for the real-time capability results from the aim to also use the georeferencing for autonomous

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FOUR POINT CLOUDS, nonregistered, of georeferenced images from four UAV flights.

navigation of the MAV and to enable a precise time synchronization of the onboard sensors. Furthermore, a realtime direct georeferencing also offers the opportunity to process collected mapping data during flight. MAPPING ON DEMAND. The goal of this research project, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), is to develop an MAV that can identify and measure inaccessible three-dimensional objects by use of visual information. A major challenge within this project comes with the term “on demand.” This means that apart from the classical mapping part, where 3D information is extracted from aerial

images, the MAV is intended to fly fully autonomously on the basis of a high-level user inquiry. During the flight, obstacles must be detected and avoided. To extract semantic information that can be used to refine the trajectory planning, the mapping data has to be processed in real time. When the georeferencing information is used as initial values for the bundle adjustment, the image processing can be significantly accelerated. FIGURE 1 shows the current MAV platform developed in this project. We customized an MAV kit to a coaxial rotor configuration, replaced the centerplates with more stable carbonfibre plates to stabilize the system, and installed the direct georeferencing and the mapping sensors. The two stereo camera pairs, pointing forward and backward, act as an additional sensory input for the position and attitude determination; the 5M-pixel industrial camera with global shutter is the actual mapping sensor. The PC board is used for onboard image processing, flight planning and machine control; the Wi-Fi module enables a connection to a ground station.

Although the direct georeferencing system must be small and lightweight, accuracy requirements for its position and attitude determination are high. Generally, these accuracy requirements are different for the machine control, navigation and mapping purposes. In our project, the MAV is intended to maintain a safety distance of about 0.5 meter to obstacles. Hence, a position accuracy of 0.1 meter is sufficient for the navigation. The absolute attitude accuracy should be in the range of 1 to 5 degrees. For machine control, relative information is more important, and for this the accuracies should be slightly higher. For mapping purposes, the positions and attitudes have to be known better, since the absolute georeference of the final product (for example, a highresolution 3D model of a building) is based on the positions and attitudes from the direct georeferencing system. Therefore, the position accuracy should be in the range of 1–3 cm and the attitude accuracy should be better than 1 degree. The relative accuracy of the exterior camera orientation can be improved by a photogrammetric

FIGURE 1 The MAV with mapping and georeferencing sensors, developed for the research project Mapping on Demand.

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FIGURE 2 The direct georeferencing system.

bundle adjustment, but systematic georeferencing errors should be avoided. To summarize: ▪ The weight of the system has to be less than 500 grams (g), to be applicable on MAVs. ▪ Especially for the control and navigation, the system has to be real-time capable. ▪ All sensors have to be synchronized and outages of single sensors should be bridgeable by other sensors. ▪ The system is intended to provide accurate positions (σpos < 5 cm) and attitudes (σatt < 1 deg) during flights. ▪ The integration of data from additional sensors, such as cameras, should be possible. The ability to include additional sensors to the system was, apart from the size and the weight constraint, the main reason for developing a proprietary system instead of using a commercial unit with similar capabilities.

Direct Georefencing The current version of the system weighs 240 g without GPS antennas (see FIGURE 2). To reduce weight, the an-

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tennas were dismantled, reducing their weight from 350 g to 100 g. However, since the antenna reference point got lost in this process, the antennas had to be recalibrated in an anechoic chamber for further use. By comparison to the original antennas, the dismantling led to significant changes in the phase center offsets (circa 4 cm in the Up, < 1 mm in the North and East component) and in the phase center variations (<  5 mm) of the antennas. FIGURE 3 shows a flow chart of the direct georeferencing system with the sensors and the main calculation steps. The system consists of a dual-frequency GPS receiver, a single-frequency GPS receiver, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a magnetometer. The dual-frequency receiver is the main positioning device. Together with the GPS raw data from the master station (carrier phases ϕ M, pseudoranges PM), which is transmitted via a radio module, the data of the dual-frequency receiver (ϕR, PR) is used for an RTK positioning, leading to centimeter position accuracies. In collaboration with the data of the single-frequency receiver (ϕB, PB), the data of the dual-frequency receiver is also used for GPS attitude

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determination. The corresponding GPS antennas of these two receivers form a short baseline (baseline length = 92 cm) on the MAV. The determination of the baseline vector in an e-frame (Earth-fixed) enables yaw and the pitch-angle determination. The tactical-grade micro-electromechanical (MEMS) IMU, which includes three-axes gyroscopes, accelerometers and magnetometers, provides angular rates (ω), accelerations (a) and magnetic field observations (h) with high rates (100 Hz) for position and attitude determination. To be unaffected by the electric currents as much as possible, an additional magnetometer is placed on the outer end of one of the rotor-free MAV arms. The direct georeferencing system further consists of a processing unit, which is a reconfigurable IO board, including a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a 400-MHz processor. In this combination, the FPGA is used for fast parallel communication with the sensors. Afterwards, the preprocessed sensor data are provided to the 400-MHz processor via direct memory accesses, avoiding delays and supporting the system’s real-time capabilities. Finally, the actual position and attitude determination is carried out on the 400-MHz processor.

Methodologies All position and attitude determination algorithms running on the system were developed in-house. Generally, the integration of these steps could be realized in one tightly coupled approach. Nevertheless, in the current implementation, we decided to separate the different raw data calculation steps, and we only use interactions at the level of parameters. This approach has the advantage that the integration is more reliable and more practical in the real-time programming.

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FIGURE 3 Flowchart of the direct georeferencing system. GPS/IMU INTEGRATION. In this calculation step, all available sensory input is fused to determine the best position and attitude of the system that is currently available. The GPS and the IMU measurements complement each other well, since the IMU provides short-term stable high-rate (100 Hz) data, and the GPS provides long-term stable low-rate (10 Hz) data. The GPS/IMU integration can be separated into the strapdown algorithm (SDA) and the Kalman filter update. In the SDA, the high-dynamic movement of the system is determined integrating the angular rates and the accelerations of the MEMS IMU in real time. Because the SDA drifts over time, the long-term stable measurements of the magnetometer and the GPS receivers are needed to correct and bound the drift of the inertial sensor integration, which is realized in an error state Kalman filter. In the GPS/IMU integration algorithms, the navigation equations of the body frame (b-frame) are expressed in an e-frame. Therefore, the full state vector x includes the position x ep and the velocity v ep, represented in the e-frame. For the attitude representation a quaternion q is used. Finally, the accelerometer bias bba and the gyro bias bbω are also estimated:

The observations in the measurement model are: ▪ the RTK GPS position xea of the dual-frequency RTK GPS antenna reference point, expressed in the e-frame, ▪ the GPS attitude baseline vector Δxeb, expressed in the e-frame, ▪ the magnetic field vector h b , expressed in the b-frame. Because the reference point of the RTK GPS antenna is not identical to the system reference point, a lever arm between the system and the antenna reference point must be regarded in the measurement model of the RTK GPS positions. From calibration measurements, the coordinates of the lever arm are precisely known in the b-frame. In the SDA, a coupling between the accelerations, measured by the IMU, and the positions, measured by the RTK GPS, exists. Due to this coupling the yaw angle can be observed, but only in the presence of horizontal accelerations. To determine an accurate and reliable yaw angle for every motion behavior, the short GPS baseline is realized on the MAV. A significant challenge in processing this baseline is the ambiguity resolution, because only single-frequency GPS observations can be used. Empirical tests have shown that the ambiguity resolution of a single-frequency GPS baseline generally takes several minutes. Among other strategies, we use the additional

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information from a magnetometer to improve the ambiguity resolution and to actually enable an instantaneous ambiguity fixing during kinematic applications. Ferromagnetic material on the UAV and high electric currents of the rotors create significant disturbances of the magnetometer during flight. While the influence of the material can be compensated by calibration procedures, the influence of the dynamically changing electric currents are more challenging. To minimize them, the magnetometer is placed at the outer end of a rotor-free arm of the MAV. Also, the measurement model is arranged so that magnetic field observations only have an impact on the yaw determination in our algorithms. RTK GPS POSITIONING. RTK GPS positions are calculated in real time with a rate of 10 Hz. These RTK algorithms are in-house developed, although commercial and opensource solutions are available. The main reasons for developing custom software are the following: ▪ Integration of other sensors and/ or solutions is possible, to improve ambiguity resolution and cycle-slip detection. ▪ In commercial software, there is generally no access to the source code. ▪ In the development of a real-time capable system, the software must meet the requirements of the operating system running on the real-time processing unit. Generally, the RTK GPS algorithm complies with a single baseline determination (one master, one rover), where the master station remains ground-stationary and the rover is onboard the MAV. To resolve the ambiguities and finally to determine the RTK GPS positions, the parameter estimation is

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FIGURE 4 Task scheduling of the RTK GPS algorithms.

FIGURE 5 Orthophoto of a wheat field (left) and the difference of the vegetation height, determined from the results of two MAV flights at an interval of two weeks (right).

performed in three steps: float solution, integer ambiguity estimation and fixed solution. The float solution is realized in an extended Kalman filter (EKF). Beside the rover position, represented in the e-frame, the EKF state vector xSD also contains single-difference (SD) ambiguities N j on the GPS L1 and the GPS L2 frequencies. The reason for estimating SD instead of doubledifference (DD) ambiguities is to avoid the hand-over problem that would arise for DD ambiguities, when the reference satellite changes. To allow for an instantaneous ambiguity resolution, the observation vector l consists of DD carrier phases Φjkrm and DD pseudoranges Pjkrm on the GPS L1 and the GPS L2 frequencies. In the current implementation, a random walk model is assumed as a dynamic model of the MAV in the EKF. Even if this is a simple model, it complies with the movement of the vehicle, when the process noise is chosen appropriately. The float solution procedure

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provides real-valued ambiguities and their covariance matrix. These ambiguities now must be fixed to correct integer values, to fully exploit the high accuracy of the carrier phase observables. We applied the MLAMBDA method for integer ambiguity estimation. Finally, a decision must be made whether or not the result of the integer ambiguity estimation can be accepted. This is done by the simple ratio test. With the ambiguities fixed, the final rover position xae is estimated with cm accuracies. Usually, the time to fix the ambiguities with the algorithm takes a few epochs, but often the ambiguities can be fixed instantaneously. Once ambiguity resolution has been successful, the ambiguities can be held fixed, as long as no cycle slip or loss of lock of GPS signals occur. Due to the GPS/IMU integration, we have a precise prediction of the RTK GPS positions between two epochs. Thus, the integration of the inertial sensor readings enables us to

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detect and also repair cycle slips very reliably. The observations of the master receiver must be transmitted via radio to the direct georeferencing system. In practice, this data transmission can only be realized with a rate of 1 Hz. To be less dependent on this potentially unreliable master data transmission and the lower sampling rate, simulated master observations are used for RTK GPS position determination. Hence, in the actual processing, the true master observations are only used to update the simulation errors in the master task (FIGURE 4), which have to be applied to correct the simulation results in the rover task. GPS ATTITUDE DETERMINATION. The GPS baseline is determined at 1 Hz. In contrast to the RTK GPS positioning, both antennas of the attitude baseline are mounted on the MAV, so that the complete baseline is moving. Furthermore, the baseline length is constant and known from calibration measurements. The GPS attitude determination also consists of the three steps: float solution, integer ambiguity estimation and fixed solution. The float solution is also based on an EKF where the single-frequency SD ambiguities N j of the attitude baseline are estimated. Further parameters in the state vector are the baseline parameters and the first deviation of the baseline parameters. As observations DD carrier phases ΦjkAB and DD pseudoranges PjkAB on the GPS L1 frequency are used. To improve the ambiguity resolution, the attitude from the GPS/IMU integration is added to the observation vector, by transforming the known b-frame baseline parameters into the e-frame. Finally, also the known baseline length can be added as a constraint to the observation vector. In the integer ambiguity estimation, we apply the MLAMBDA method

/ again. Due to the prior information about the attitude of the baseline, the float ambiguities can already be estimated with high accuracies in the float solution. If the ambiguities could not be fixed with the MLAMBDA method, we consider the 10 best solutions for further processing. Unreliable ambiguity parameters are eliminated in a random order, and the MLAMBDA method is applied again. Afterwards we use the ambiguity function method and the known baseline length to exclude false candidates of the 10 best solutions. If only one solution remains, the ambiguities can be fixed to integer values. Tests have shown that this approach leads to an instantaneous ambiguity resolution success rate of about 95 percent. Similar to the RTK GPS positioning, the IMU readings are also used to detect cycle slips for the attitude baseline determination, when the ambiguities have been fixed successfully. With ambiguities fixed, the baseline parameters can be determined with millimeter to centimeter accuracies. This leads to yaw angle accuracies in the range of 0.2–0.5 degrees, when the attitude baseline has a length of 92 cm.

Applications and Results As mentioned, one goal of Mapping on Demand is 3D reconstruction from visual information. The OPENING IMAGE shows such results. During four flights. images were collected with a sampling rate of 1 Hz, and the position and the attitude of the camera was determined in real time using the direct georeferencing system. A bundle adjustment was processed using these positions and attitudes as initial values. Afterwards, dense point clouds could be generated from the oriented images using an open-source software package (PMVS). Due to georeferencing of the collected images, the point clouds are

FIGURE 6 A directly georeferenced portable laser scanning system for kinematic 3D mapping.

FIGURE 7 Difference between the results of the directly georeferenced portable laser scanning system and the results of a terrestrial laser scan, which act as reference solution here.

also georeferenced. The image shows results of four flights in one scene, to demonstrate consistency of the georeferencing. AGRICULTURE. In figure 5, georeferenced images were taken during a flight over a wheat field. The same process was repeated after two weeks. The difference of the respective point clouds, which were determined using the software Photoscan by the company Agisoft, reveals the plant growth at an interval of two weeks. These results show that the determination of plant growth rates, which usually result from time-consuming field work, can be done easily and with high resolution using MAVs. With the use of a direct georeferencing system, this process

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becomes even more efficient because the deployment of ground control points can be omitted. PORTABLE LASER SCANNING SYSTEM. The small and lightweight design of the direct georeferencing system offers several other opportunities for various applications. One example is the use of the direct georeferencing system in combination with a small, lightweight and low-cost laser scanner. Terrestrial laser scanning has become an established technology for 3D data acquisition in surveying and mapping because laser scanners provide highresolution data with high accuracies at high speed. However, for measurement of a complex scene, the laser scanner See UAV, page 55

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MOBILEUPDATE

Azuga Founder Rani Brings Gamification to Fleet Drivers BY Bethany Chambers

DIG ITA L EDITO R

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hen Ananth Rani began work in 2012 on the Fleet Driver Rewards app that has made connected vehicle providerAzuga a CTIA up-and-comer, he wasn’t sure he was making the right decision. “Frankly, it was a bit of an experience to see if there was still room in the market for another vendor,” he said when he took time to sit down at a coffee shop during CTIA Super Mobility 2015. “I thought, ‘What the hell am I getting myself into?’” The gamble paid off. Azuga’s app took second place in the Mobile Cloud division in the CTIA E-Tech Awards. Azuga's app is innovative because it appeals to a unique user: the fleet driver. A Silicon Valley veteran, Rani used a principal more likely to be seen in apps marketed to consumers: gamification. Fleet drivers earn points based on things like hard-braking, acceleration, sustained high speeds and driving in adverse weather conditions, among other metrics determined by a Ph.D. in statistics that Azuga has on staff. “The expectation was that a driver will naturally move toward a safer

Azuga’s OBD-II connector is manufactured by parent company Danlaw Inc.

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Ananth Rani founded Azuga, a "social telematics" company, in 2013.

fleet by competing with the rest of the drivers, and that as the risk goes down, the miles per gallon goes up,” Rani said, “and that’s your ROI [return on investment].”

MOBILE REWARDS APP The reward for winning is no simple badge. Drivers’ profiles are pulled from LinkedIn, and their rankings are visible among the “Azuga Awesome Drivers” group on the social network. Cash is also on the line. The company gives out quarterly prizes to the Top 10 drivers and Top 10 fleet managers of the 50,000 nationwide users, and the 1,000+ corporate customers can then also choose to award their drivers based on their own goals through an electronic gift card program that is tied to 14 national brands, or donations to three charities. Safety and savings aside, employee retention is an additional challenge.

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“This is a blue collar world where the employee takes the truck home at night," Rani said. "Feeling engaged is the key to employee retention in a world where they may never see the boss and where they only see their manager for a meeting every few weeks.” Azuga Fleet costs 69 cents per day per vehicle. Growth plans for the app include functions to help drivers find parking, locate a parked truck and easily message clients that they are on their way. The app is also being reviewed by state governments as a tool to determine whose cars need to be emissions tested and to track hours required for state graduated driver licensing. It’s being tested by the Oregon Department of Transportation as a way to assign a road usage charge that funds highway repairs. “It’s all about benefiting drivers,” Rani said.

MOBILEUPDATE

NEWTECH

NEWSBRIEFS TRACKER DESIGNED FOR POWER SPORTS

CANAL+ BROADCASTS RACE WITH GPS GEORACING SYSTEM Canal+, a French cable television channel, used Trimaran's GeoRacing GPS tracking and visualization system to improve live television coverage of the Tour de Corse 2015, the FIA World Rally Championship held on the island of Corsica in October. Through a combination of GPS data and advanced technologies like virtual timing and ghost visualization, Trimaran’s GeoRacing solution allowed Canal+ to track the motorsport race in real time and better visualize its progression, enhancing the television viewer’s experience. The system dramatically improves the broadcaster’s ability to deliver live audio commentary about the race, giving viewers a race-time comparison of the drivers along with other important stats. During the Tour de Corse race, Canal+ used multiple cameras with GPS trackers in cars and helicopters, and at the starting, mid-point and finish lines. The GPS tracking system situated on the cameras was provided by AMPVisual TV, a technology partner of Canal+ and Trimaran. Throughout the race, GPS positioning from each of the cars was sent to the GeoRacing system. Using Trimaran's solution, Canal+ instantly delivered detailed sports information and statistics, such as speed, timing (retiming for staggered starts) and ranking. This enabled viewers to better understand the progression of the live race. With the virtual timing capability, Canal+ was able to demonstrate the virtual differences between cars at a precision of 1/10th of a second. Trimaran's ghost visualization feature provides a 3D representation of the rival positions in real time, creating the feeling that the cars all left the starting line simultaneously.

THE AL3RT ASSET protection unit by Kika Enterprises will be available as an accessory for Polaris electric bikes worldwide beginning January 2016. Powered by AT&T, AL3RT is a stand-alone customizable asset locator and fleetmanagement tool designed for theft protection of on- and off-road vehicles, motorcycles, snowmobiles and personal watercraft. Supported by GPS, GSM, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies, users can use their AL3RT smartphone app to locate their asset, as well as arm and disarm sensors and configure geofences virtually anywhere in the world.

GPS SOURCE RELEASES GPS SPLITTER GPS SOURCE HAS RELEASED a GPS/GNSS rackmount splitter with dual antenna inputs and antenna health monitoring. Developed for the wireless industry, the dual-input splitter provides a GPS timing signal to up to 32 GPS/GNSS receivers or timing synchronization modules at one time. Its design ensures the GPS timing signal is always available, even in the event of an antenna or cable failure. The splitter amplifies and splits the GPS/GNSS signal and includes dual GPS antenna input ports, a health monitor and a sensor switch. Antenna redundancy is acquired through the use of primary and backup antennas. The sensor monitors the health of the primary antenna connected to the splitter. Based on the information provided by the sensor, the splitter will automatically switch antennas, allowing connected GPS devices to remain fully functional in the event of an antenna failure.

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TRANSPORTATIONUPDATE

Tesla Rolls Out Autopilot NEWSBRIEFS MAGELLAN JOINS WITH POSITION LOGIC

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n October 2014, Tesla started equipping its Model S with hardware to allow for the incremental introduction of self-driving technology: a forward radar, a forward-looking camera, 12 long-range ultrasonic sensors positioned to sense 16 feet around the car in every direction at all speeds, and a high-precision digitally controlled electric assist braking system. This October, version 7.0 of Tesla’s software was released with Autopilot, which allows those tools to deliver a range of new features designed to work in conjunction with the automated driving capabilities already offered in the Model S. Tesla calls Autopilot a major step toward autonomous driving. “Tesla Autopilot relieves drivers of the most tedious and potentially dangerous aspects of road travel,” according to a Tesla blog. “While truly driverless cars are still a few years away, Tesla Autopilot functions like the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear. The driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car. What's more, you always have intuitive access to the information your car is using to inform its actions.” The combined suite of features represents an integrated autopilot system involving four different feedback modules: camera, radar, ultrasonics and

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GPS. “These mutually reinforcing systems offer real-time data feedback from the Tesla fleet, ensuring that the system is continually learning and improving upon itself,” the Tesla blog said. Autopilot allows Model S to steer within a lane, change lanes with the tap of a turn signal, and manage speed by using active, traffic-aware cruise control. Digital control of motors, brakes and steering helps avoid collisions from the front and sides, as well as prevent the car from wandering off the road. “Your car can also scan for a parking space, alert you when one is available, and parallel park on command,” Tesla said. Release of version 7.0 also features a significant visual refresh of the digital display. The instrument panel is focused on the driver and includes more functional apps to help monitor the ride. Tesla founder Elon Musk said during a press conference that drivers should exercise caution in the initial months of the rollout, and consider Version 7.0 a beta release. "We're advising drivers to keep their hands on the wheel at this early stage," Musk said. The car's dash alerts drivers when they need to take the wheel. Just days after the launch, videos began appearing on the Internet showing near misses and other errors.

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MAGELLAN is integrating its RoadMate RC9496TLMB fleet navigation device with Position Logic’s advanced GPS tracking software solution. The integration delivers an end-to-end communication and navigation solution for fleets, and includes the RC9496T-LMB, an active mobile terminal, allowing real-time two-way communication between driver and dispatch when paired with Position Logic’s GPS tracking software.

KEEPING YOUR WHEELS SAFE

PROJECT OVERLORD has launched RimTech, a wheel theft prevention system. RimTech has a built-in GPS receiver, motion sensor and camera, which attach to the tire and act as a security guard for automobile wheels. The vehicle owner controls the device through the accompanying iPhone and Android app, providing total control and surveillance at all times.

COBHAM LAUNCHES MARINE RECEIVERS COBHAM SATCOM has launched two new Sailor satellite navigation receivers. Both the Sailor 656X GNSS and new Sailor 657X DGNSS work with the touchscreen Sailor 6004 Control Panel, which provides access to set-up, functions and diagnostics.

TRANSPORTATIONUPDATE

NEWTECH NOVATEL TO DEVELOP WAAS G-III—GALILEO RECEIVER FOR FAA The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NovAtel have exercised a bilateral option to produce a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) G-III—Galileo prototype receiver. Maintaining core NovAtel WAAS G-III functionality for GPS and SBAS signal processing, the new receiver will operate in the WAAS reference station test environment to facilitate research on multiple GNSS constellation utilization. The prototype receiver will also add functionality to support tracking and demodulating associated navigation data for Galileo satellites including:

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▪ Galileo E1 and E5a tracking ▪ Ephemeris and almanac reporting/ processing from E1 or E5a ▪ Automatic channel assignments ▪ Time solution computed from Galileo ▪ Correlator information for signal deformation on Galileo signals The WAAS G-III—Galileo prototype receiver will be developed on

NovAtel’s existing WAAS G-III receiver hardware and application software, and delivered as a field-loadable firmware package. The WAAS G-III—Galileo receiver will not be qualified to DO-178B Level D as part of this contract. NovAtel’s WAAS G-III reference receiver platform was designed with expandability and multi-GNSS SBAS evolution in mind, and can be customized to meet the needs of individual satellite networks. NovAtel has already delivered G-III based reference receivers to several programs worldwide, including the WAAS G-III receiver.

POWER AND PRECISION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

EZSURV POST-PROCESSING SOFTWARE ®

PROVIDES YOU WITH: Access to more than 8,000 CORS stations data all around the world Support multiple receiver native data format State-of-the-art processing engine Easy-to-use application Flexible licensing mechanism White Label version available for manufacturers

Compatible with

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DEFENSEUPDATE

Survey System Designed NEWSBRIEFS to Meet Military Needs ARMY SEEKS SOURCES FOR GPS-DENIED UAS TECH

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echnology Advancement Group (TAG) has designed a GNSS survey system to meet the rigorous demands of military geodetic, construction, and field artillery and airfield surveying. TAG’s Precise Positioning Service Global Positioning System Survey (PPS GPS-S) system gives military survey teams access to centimeter-level GPS accuracy with the benefits of a fully certified Selective Availability Antispoofing Module (SAASM) GPS receiver supplemented with a GNSS receiver for real-time kinematic surveying with multi-constellation operations. “PPS GPS-S is the first military Program of Record that we are aware of to supplement a SAASM receiver with data from a civilian GNSS receiver,” said John Borden, vice president of Programs and Technologies at TAG. TAG was able to meet the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) mandate for use of a SAASM receiver for military support operations while also providing the capabilities of a multiGNSS receiver needed by the modern warfighter. Borden credits the company’s PNT integrity engine, which “ensures that suspect data will not be used in our position solution,” he said. The PPS GPS-S system gives the military surveyor the tools needed to complete missions with minimum time on station, even in the face of GPS signal interference, attempted spoofing or electronic warfare. TAG was recently awarded a $24 million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, making PPS GPS-S the Army’s Program of Record military survey system, designated AN/GSN-16. Core components of the PPS GPS-S system include a base station and two

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THE U.S. ARMY’S Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) in October issued a sources sought notice for autonomous technologies for its Autonomous Unmanned Systems Teaming and Collaboration In GPS Denied Environments program (AUSTC). The notice says that technologies developed for AUSTC could be used for a variety of unmanned systems, including small UAS, underwater vehicles and ground vehicles. The center plans to to “identify, invest, mature and transition revolutionary/ game-changing autonomous unmanned sensing technologies.” rovers, each integrated with a highprecision GNSS antenna, a rugged tablet with a 7-inch sunlight-readable touchscreen, an internal RF radio with a 20-kilometer range, a SAASM receiver to provide protection against jamming or spoofing, and GPS-S accessories for additional functionality. The system, designed for continuous operation, includes multiple power options such as dual hot-swappable Li-Ion batteries, 12V battery, DC/DC converter, NATO adapter and four-slot Li-Ion charging station. It is designed to meet the most rigorous environmental and electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC) conditions. Powered by Carlson SurvPC software, TAG’s PPS GPS-S system is tailored for military environments that require tactical computer-aided design (CAD) operations. With an intuitive graphical user interface, surveying operations can be conducted in the field allowing for work to be completed in real time. Accurate geospatial information system (GIS) data capture and a full suite of CAD functions allow survey teams to remain in the field to complete drawings.

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BULLRAY UAS FOR DEFENSE THE BULLRAY UAS is a fully autonomous, amphibious, man-portable tricopter/ quadcopter that makes vertical take-offs and landings. Rated IP-67, the rugged design is capable of performing in all weather conditions and doesn’t require a transit case. It can carry a significant sensor payload: GPS, FLIR cameras, lidar, metal detection systems and more. Rapid Composites — builder of high-end UAVs for the military and first responders — custom manufactures the units. The company won the UAV category in the 2015 JEC Innovation Awards.

DEFENSEUPDATE

NEWTECH LOCKHEED UNVEILS ICARUS TO COUNTER UAS THREATS At this year’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting, Lockheed Martin unveiled a new capability that will allow users to detect and counter emerging threats from unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The solution, ICARUS, was designed to operate defensively in various threat environments. The AUSA meeting was held Oct. 12–14 in Washington, D.C. “The U.S. government is seeing an increase in the use of commercially available UAS platforms for surveillance and weaponization,” said Deon Viergutz, vice president of Cyber Solutions for Lockheed Martin. “What Lockheed Martin has developed in ICARUS is a

UAV Continued from page 49 >>

generally has to be moved to different viewpoints, and all measured scenes have to be registered and georeferenced, a significant increased effort. In contrast, with a directly georeferenced kinematic laser scanning system, complex scenes can be measured with little effort. FIGURE 6 shows a portable laser scanning system we developed for kinematic laser scanning. It combines the direct georeferencing system with a low-cost, lightweight 2D time-of-flight laser scanner. Time synchronization and the point cloud calculation are directly realized on this unit. FIGURE 7 shows differences between a directly georeferenced point cloud, measured by the portable laser scanning system, and a terrestrial

ICARUS identifies and intercepts commercial UAS.

system that can detect, recognize and counteract these systems with pinpoint accuracy.” Lockheed Martin’s Counter-UAS

laser scanning point cloud, which was indirectly georeferenced using ground control points. Although there are some systematic errors visible, the differences are mostly less than 7.5 cm. The larger differences in the foreground (red) are a result of growing vegetation in the period between both scans. The systematic errors result from the system calibration between the laser scanner and the direct georeferencing system. We are working to improve these calibration methods.

Manufacturers The MAV is based on a MikroKopter OktoXL assembly kit of HiSystems GmbH. It uses NavXperience 3G+C GPS antennas. The system consists of a dual-frequency NovAtel OEM 615 GPS receiver, a single-frequency u-blox LEA6T receiver, an Analog Devices ADIS 16488 IMU, a Honeywell

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system has been field tested and demonstrated to several domestic and international customers over the past year. Those tests demonstrated the ability of ICARUS to identify and intercept commercially available unmanned aerial systems. The development of the ICARUS software system draws on Lockheed Martin’s history of innovations in electronic warfare, cybersecurity and countermeasures associated with sophisticated threats. It was developed through Lockheed Martin internal investment and combines advanced cyber and cyber electromagnetic activity experience with sensor technology and nonkinetic techniques.

HMC5883L magnetometer, an XBee Pro 868 radio module, a National Instruments sbRIO 9606 processing unit and a Hokuyo UTM30LXEW 2D time-of-flight laser scanner. CHRISTIAN ELING holds an MSc degree in geodesy and is a scientific assistant at the Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation (IGG) of the University of Bonn. LASSE KLINGBEIL received his Ph.D. in experimental physics in 2006. He heads the GNSS and mobile multi-sensor systems group in the IGG. MARKUS WIELAND is a graduade mechanical engineer responsible for the mechanical and electrical design and for the control and readout of various sensor systems at the IGG. ERIK HEINZ received his MSc in geodesy and geoinformation from the University of Bonn. He is a Ph.D. student at the IGG. HEINER KUHLMAN is a full professor at the IGG. He has worked extensively in engineering surveying, measurement techniques and calibration of geodetic instruments.

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MACHINECONTROLUPDATE

Dredging Replenishes Australia’s Sorrento Beach

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hifting sands in Australia’s Port Phillip Bay left a popular beach without enough sand this past holiday season. As summer approached, the Mornington Peninsula Shire and Australian Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) decided to replenish Sorrento beach by dredging a nearby sandbank. DEPI awarded the contract to Sandpiper Dredging because of its history of minimizing environmental impact. Sandpiper has a decade of dredging experience and builds its own precision dredgers in Tweed Heads, New South Wales. The contract specified the dredge ground extent and the minimum Australian Height Datum (AHD) height Sandpiper could dredge. To obtain precise 3D positions from the GPS receiver, GPS corrections were streamed in via cellular Internet from the Victorian government’s

Machine-control positioning enabled Sandpiper to precisely place in 3D the cutter suction head on the dredge frame in real time.

Continually Operating Reference System (CORS). Position and heading from the SPS461 receiver were interfaced into construction software to display dredge position. The inclinometer mounted on the dredge frame also interfaced with the software and allowed the AHD height of the cutter head to be displayed. The dredge position displayed in the software allowed operators to stay within the dredge grounds and ensure no over-dredging occurred. The software was the central hub in the wheelhouse displaying and logging dredge positions See DREDGING, next page.

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HYDROGRAPHIC TECH To achieve the job specifications and efficient operation of their dredge, Sandpiper needed hydrographic survey technology on board. SITECH Construction Systems, a Trimble distributor, provided the company with: • Trimble SPS461 GPS heading and positioning receiver • Inclinometer to measure the angle of the cutter head frame • Trimble HYDROpro dredge software to display and log seabed levels. The software can be configured for a wide range of dredgers. “After speaking about the challenges we had been facing, SITECH came back with the solution of the Trimble HYDROpro system, which meant we could dredge in exactly the right place and maintain coverage, all the while protecting the environment of the beach,” said Daniel Fristch, owner of Sandpiper.

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MACHINECONTROLUPDATE

NEWTECH

DREDGING