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Harxon has introduced its TS112 family of smart antennas for demanding applications such as agricultural machine autosteering systems that require high positioning-accuracy. Harxon made the introduction in a virtual meeting on Jan. 13 from Shenzhen.

The TS112 family features Harxon’s latest GNSS positioning technology and offers scalable positioning solutions with increased GNSS availability, reliability and accuracy.

Each of the three models embed Harxon X-Survey four-in-one technology. The high-gain and wide beamwidth multi-constellation GNSS antenna integrates 4G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in one compact unit. They feature multi-point feeding technology, ensuring high phase-center stability and real-time kinematic (RTK) centimeter-level positioning accuracy.

The TS112SE, as the most affordable solution of the three, provides flexible positioning solutions via standalone positioning or dual-frequency precise point positioning (PPP) with accuracy from sub-meter to centimeter level while using Sapcorda’s SAPA (Safe and Precise Augmentation Service). Its comprehensive support and L-band augmentation service ensure solid satellite tracking without signal outage even in difficult terrains or problematic environmental conditions.

SAPA works as a reliable alternative economical positioning option with wide service coverage in the application environment that has poor LTE network coverage.

The TS112 integrates a high-precision GNSS module with multi-band GNSS receiver and Harxon’s four-in-one multifunctional GNSS antenna in a compact housing. It supports dual-frequency multi-constellations for consistent and robust satellite signal tracking and delivers RTK-level positioning accuracy for precision agriculture equipment and machine control. It offers a 4G and UHF radio modem for flexible correction transmission as well as wireless Bluetooth technology for easy connectivity in the field.

The TS112 PRO employs a future-ready NovAtel OEM GNSS module, offering precise positioning and advanced interference mitigation for space constrained applications and challenging environments.

With centimeter-level positioning utilizing TerraStar satellite-delivered correction services, Harxon’s TS112 PRO ensures globally available, high performance positioning without the need for network infrastructure. Harxon’s TS112 PRO also support NTRIP service, so in application environments where using a base station is not feasible, the NTRIP differential corrections could be transmitted to a rover using 4G networks and enable users reaching ultimate centimeter level positioning accuracy.

The TS112 PRO also features NovAtel’s Glide smooth positioning that offers superior pass-to-pass accuracy down to 20 centimeters for applications where relative positioning is critical.

All models in the TS112 family support Harxon Slide technology to provide smooth positioning and exceptional linear accuracy so that the guiding system can continue to guide during satellite signal outages or in challenging environments.

The newly released family also support Harxon terrain compensation algorithm that is capable of correcting deviations that caused by vehicle’s roll and pitch while working on uneven grounds or slopes. It helps users increase operational efficiency and saving cost in the field.

Adopting ruggedized and IP67 standard housing, the TS112 family equip NMEA0183 and NMEA2000 CAN ports, RS-232 serial ports for easy connectivity.

News from the European Space Agency (ESA)

An ESA-supported project is testing autonomous vehicles on an intelligent road in Lapland, Finland.

Known as Snowbox, this 10-km stretch of forest-lined roadway on Finland’s E8 highway has been specially equipped for autonomous driving tests, ESA said. Containing cameras, “laser radar” lidar, ultra-wideband antennas and reflective panels, the road itself is underpinned by power and fibre optic lines, and embedded with pressure sensors to record road surface conditions and the speed and type of vehicles driving along it.

“If autonomous vehicles can drive well here, they can drive almost anywhere,” said Sarang Thombre of the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, who’s managing the Arctic-PNT project. “Our project aimed at ensuring in particular that the precise positioning required by autonomous systems was available here, to establish this test site is indeed somewhere that driverless vehicle manufacturers should employ for testing. We carried out experiments with a robotic car over two successive seasons to show that the necessary precise positioning, down to 20 cm, is indeed accessible.”

Snowbox is also linked to the FinnRef network of satellite navigation reference stations, to deliver corrections for precise satnav positioning. By performing positioning measurements continuously at fixed locations, these reference stations serve as a standard, allowing the identification of measurement errors to boost positioning accuracy on a localized basis, ESA added.

“The Arctic is a difficult environment for autonomous driving in general,” Thombre said. “Signal disturbance due to the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of the atmosphere, degrade satellite navigation performance. This effect is more pronounced in the Arctic region. And satnav augmentation systems also face challenges.

“Because their signals are broadcast from geostationary satellites, they are only viewable here at an elevation of up to 10 degrees above the horizon. And mobile coverage — useful for providing correction data from reference networks — is also inconsistent.

“In addition, possibility of mists and fog, snowstorms and rainfall make it difficult for cameras and lidar, while ice and snow on the road means wheel speed sensors may slip. And temperatures that can plunge down to below -30°C can impede the performance of electronics.”

The Arctic-PNT team’s testing was based around a robotic car crammed with sensors and recording equipment. Called Martti, the vehicle was supplied by Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre.

“While Martti is capable of autonomous driving, we drove it manually,” Thombre said. “We were using it to capture all the data we needed. We started off using solely satellite navigation – including Europe’s Galileo and EGNOS – progressively adding more and more augmentation data, including in-car sensors, and corrections from the FinnRef stations, to reach the all-important precise positioning threshold of 20 cm.

“To access the FinnRef corrections from the car systems we tested out various mobile sim cards. Adding to the challenge, we crossed an international border, because part of the E8 highway is instrumented on the Norwegian side as well — called Borealis.”

The Snowbox infrastructure was established along the E8 because, while it is a remote roadway it is also economically important, with trucks heading south from Arctic fisheries.

The Arctic-PNT test campaigns, starting from 2018, gave a positive bill of health to the Snowbox, which is available for experiment campaigns. The campaigns were supported through ESA’s strategic initiatives for the Arctic region.

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Feature image: The Arctic-PNT team’s testing was based around a robotic car crammed with sensors and recording equipment. Called Martti, the vehicle was supplied by Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre. (Photo: ESA)

Trimble has introduced the Trimble AX940 and AX940i high-precision GNSS smart antennas, designed for a broad range of high-precision applications such as precision agriculture, milling machines in construction, forestry harvesting equipment, autonomous vehicles, port automation and mobile mapping.

With multi-frequency, multi-constellation support for GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS and NavIC, the smart antennas can deliver reliable centimeter-level accuracy in a variety of environments. In addition, the Trimble AX940 and AX940i provide reliable, high-accuracy positioning without the constraints of a local base station or cell modem by using Trimble RTX correction services.

Built-in inertial sensors on the AX940i allow a tight integration with GNSS observations in the RTK/RTX positioning and orientation engine, providing continuous high-rate low-latency output to guidance and control systems.

“The new AX family of smart antennas delivers the latest GNSS and inertial technology in an easy-to-integrate and rugged form factor,” said Thomas Utzmeier, general manager for Trimble OEM GNSS. “Reliable, robust and compact, the smart antennas are an ideal option for OEMs and system integrators to easily and quickly add high-accuracy positioning to their applications.”

The Trimble AX940 and AX940i provide flexible interfaces with high-speed data transfer and configuration; simplified integrations reduce development times; and an intuitive 3D graphical web page allows easy input of the lever arm for easier set up.

The full-featured smart antennas are equipped with 336 channels for multi-constellation support; Trimble RTX and OmniSTAR support; flexible RS232, USB, CAN and Ethernet interfaces; and advanced RF spectrum monitoring. The AX940i also includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for wireless interface and control.

Using the latest Trimble Maxwell 7 Technology, the AX940 and AX940i are designed with flexible signal management that enables the use of all available GNSS constellations and signals.

The Trimble AX940 and AX940i smart antennas are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2021 through Trimble’s OEM GNSS Sales Channel.

After years of testing and hype, not a lot of companies can say there are real applications for autonomous technology. However, at this year’s virtual CES 2021 trade show, both Caterpillar and John Deere, two companies known for their tractors and heavy equipment, showcased autonomous machines that are being used worldwide in farming and mining projects.

Deerfield, Ill.-based Caterpillar, a first-time exhibitor at CES this year, said it has been involved in autonomy and use of GPS for more than two decades. “We were an early adopter of GPS when there were few satellites in the sky,” said Denise Johnson, company group president, resource industries. “We have 350 autonomous trucks operating 24-7 on three continents.”

The company’s autonomous vehicles, in addition to other technology, are being used around the clock in the Kearl Oil Sands project in Alberta, Canada.

“We are using autonomy primarily in mining operations in harsh environments. These [vehicles] are operating 24-7, with no loss time incidents,” said Bill Dears, Caterpillar worldwide sales and marketing manager. “We also track people underground with cameras and radar.”

In addition to production enhancement, safety is a factor in mining operations because of operator fatigue — something that is precluded by autonomous mining equipment, Dears said.

Agriculture uses variety of sensors, including GNSS

To Moline, Ill.-based John Deere, exhibiting at the trade show for the third time, agriculture is a high-tech industry that uses GPS, self-driving tractors, artificial intelligence and a multitude of sensors. The company rolled out its first self-driving tractors nearly 20 years ago, said Jahmy Hindman, John Deere CTO.

The company won the CES Innovation Award for one of its tractor and combine product lines. “Both our planter and tractor have GPS and antennas to know where to drive and where exactly fertilizer [is to be placed],” Hindman said. “These tractors are self-propelled, with accuracy augmented with [real-time kinematic] sub-inch accuracy for the planters in a field.”

Among other requirements, Hindman said that tractors have to drive in a straight line, plant the required amount seeds and position them at the right depth. “When a tractor drives in a very straight line, the burden is off of the farmer. The yields increase—this is the way we see the progression of automation,” he said. “We are excited about 5G and its lower latency and high bandwidth. It opens up a lot of opportunity.”

Organizers roll out Indy Autonomous Challenge race car

At the virtual CES, representatives from the Indy Autonomous Challenge unveiled the Dallara IL-15 race car that will be used in a head-to-head race around the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 23.

The Indy Autonomous Challenge, organized by Energy Systems Network and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, pits 500 university students, developing autonomous vehicle technology, against each other for a $1.5 million prize.

Organizers say the speeds are estimated to be as much as 200 mph around the 2.5-mile track, for 20 laps, which enables researchers to evaluate how autonomous vehicle technology works in extreme conditions. They say that the goal of the race is to advance the implementation of autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), much like the 2005 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge.

The race track has been the scene of much innovation throughout the years, said Doug Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “Firestone tests tire technology there and that data transfers to our cars. One of the first conversations we had with Roger Penske [after Penske Entertainment bought the speedway] was about the autonomous challenge,” he said.

IAC sponsors include ADLINK, Ansys, Aptiv, AutonomouStuff, Bridgestone, CU-ICAR, Dallara, Indiana Economic Development Corp., Microsoft, New Eagle, PWR, RTI, Schaeffler and Valvoline.

Mobileye plans to test autonomous fleets in four cities

Intel subsidiary Mobileye plans to launch autonomous vehicle fleet testing in Detroit, Paris, Shanghai and Toyko. The announcement, made at CES by CEO Amnon Shashua, said that the company also plans to test in New York City, pending regulatory approval.

The company also plans to use in-house-built lidar sensors, while continuing to champion its camera-based testing. “We are using crowd-sourced data through the Cloud to build high-definition maps at scale,” Shashua said. “Thousands of product vehicles are sending us data.”

Shashua addressed a moderator’s question that cameras alone cannot be the technology of choice for autonomous vehicles. “The camera first is crucial from a technology and business point of view. We have to find out what is acceptable failure for Level 4 autonomy. Camera-only is ideal, but pushing the envelope for driver-assistance systems,” he said. “Consumer AV will take place in the 2025 timeframe. [Eventually], we can build lidar and radar to the same performance levels as camera systems. Lidar and radar can be added later for redundancy, but only for Level 4.”

Shashua said getting to Level 4 could take a decade, but that would be unsustainable unless there are government-funded projects to keep companies afloat. “By 2025, a subsystem will be good enough for consumers. Regulation is critical and sometimes it’s difficult to leap to a consumer level,” he said.

Not everyone believes what Mobileye is testing constitutes “driverless” status. To Alain Kornhauser Princeton University professor and transportation program director, who was head of the university’s team during the 2005 DARPA Challenge, not many companies are capable of full driverless capability.

“Unfortunately, I still see all of this as simply ‘eye candy’ to sell something that actually has no intention of delivering what it is implying. I still claim that the business case is zero, doesn’t exist, for personally-owned autonomous vehicles,” Kornhauser said in his Smart Driving Cars weekly newsletter. “Mobileye is nowhere close to being able to operate safely on most roads, let alone all roads. Thus, the consumer market has zero opportunity to scale.”

Kornhauser said that driverless testing is being conducted only in one place, Phoenix, by Waymo. “Neither Tesla nor Mobileye are driverless anywhere. They both require on-board human driver supervision,” he said. “That’s why they are only self-driving [tests].”

In other CES news:

• GM CEO Mary Barra unveiled a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) concept aircraft. The aircraft will be developed for future use as an air taxi. Barra briefly mentioned that the company’s Super Cruise self-driving technology will be integrated into 22 car models in a few years. The company also rolled out an electric vehicle for deliveries that can travel 250 miles on a charge and a motorized pallet for deliveries that can be tracked.
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  Photo: Mercedes-Benz

  The Mercedes-Benz’ MBUX Hyperscreen, rolled out at CES, evaluates map data, surroundings and provides information about landmarks along a route, said Sajjad Khan, company CTO and member of the board of management. The new map feature, called Mercedes Travel Knowledge, allows a passenger or driver to ask a question as they drive by a landmark (“hey, Mercedes, what can you tell me about this building?”). The MBUX Hyperscreen is available in the new S-Class cars.

• HERE Technologies introduced a mapping-as-a-service platform at CES. The platform is targeted to businesses wanting to create custom map datasets for advanced analytics and services, the company said. Some use cases include industrial yard mapping, leveraging probe data from private vehicle fleets in order to create or update a map.• A virtual CES is hard to get used to. After more than 20 years of covering the massive trade show in person, covering press conferences and conducting interviews online was sometimes a challenge. Sometimes the press conferences did not have question-and-answer sessions, or canned answers given to executives by public relations people. This doesn’t happen much during an in-person interview. In addition, trying to chat with “booth” personnel online was cumbersome and often those requests for information were ignored.

In a report issued on Jan. 14, the Department of Transportation (DOT) outlined the results of its GPS Backup Technology Demonstration project. As officials had previously projected, it called for a system-of-systems approach using multiple complementary technologies.

The report called for an architecture that included signals from space in the L-band, terrestrial broadcasts in the ultra high frequency (UHF) and low frequency (LF) spectra, and a fiber backbone to synchronize and feed precise time to terrestrial transmitters.

The demonstration project and report were mandated by Congress in legislation passed in late 2017 and funded in early 2018. Delays within the administration resulted in the project beginning in early 2019.

Demonstrations

Of 21 firms that offered to demonstrate their wares, 11 were selected. They were:

• Echo Ridge LLC and Satelles Inc. Satellite-based PNT technologies using the S and L bands, respectively.
• OPNT B.V. and Seven Solutions S.L. Fiber-optic time transfer using the White Rabbit Precision Time Protocol technology.
• TRX Systems Inc. Dead reckoning technology with inertial measurement units and localized map matching supplemented with ultra-wideband beacons.
• Hellen Systems LLC and UrsaNav. eLoran that uses LF transmissions.
• Serco Inc. Medium frequency R-mode.
• NextNav LLC. Metropolitan beacon system using UHF frequencies.
• PhasorLab Inc. and Skyhook Wireless Inc. Both use Wi-Fi frequencies. Phasorlab uses a dedicated network of transmitters. Skyhook leverages existing Wi-Fi access points.

Five of the demonstrations were conducted at Joint Base Cape Cod, with the remainder at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

Timing demonstrations were assessed for system:

• coverage (service availability) within an “appropriate area” (wireless systems only)
• accuracy and stability across an appropriate area
• long-term accuracy and stability of time transfer to a fixed location
• time transfer availability and accuracy to a fixed location under challenged GPS signal conditions.

Positioning was evaluated for:

• coverage within a defined region
• 2D and 3D dynamic positioning service availability and accuracy
• availability and accuracy of static positioning
• long-term availability and accuracy of static positioning
• long-term availability and accuracy of static positioning under challenged GPS signal conditions

DHS work referenced

The report also mentions an earlier set of demonstrations done by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

In December 2018, DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate performed the work through the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute. The project “demonstrated a combination of position and timing use cases for dynamic vs. static and indoor vs. outdoor applications, along with a time-transfer use case for critical infrastructure applications.” Systems from Locata Corp, NextNav, and Satelles were evaluated.

The DoT report says that eLoran was not part of the DHS effort because of the lack of transmitters in the area. However, “DHS had previously studied eLoran performance under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Harris Corporation and UrsaNav and had an understanding of its capabilities.”

A report of DHS’ December 2018 work is not publicly available, though DOT says it was used to inform their efforts.

The only publicly available information from DHS about the eLoran CRADA seems to be a 2016 press release. A presentation and other information  is available on the UrsaNav website.

Findings

The 437-page DOT report is filled to the brim with detailed information about the project, individual technologies, and demonstration results.

The Executive Summary says that, in addition to the findings from the DHS December 2018 effort (which were not listed), the DOT demonstration had four key findings:

1. All TRL-qualified vendors offered showed PNT “performance of value” and one showed value in all scenarios.
2. Neither eLoran company succeeded in the Static Basement Timing scenario.
3. R-mode ranging did not meet the minimum technical readiness level (TRL) of 6.
4. Deployment effort and coverage (infrastructure per unit area) are significant cost factors.

Addressing the needs of critical infrastructure owners and operators, the report concluded the needed “technologies are LF and UHF terrestrial and L-band satellite broadcasts for PNT functions with supporting fiber optic time services to transmitters/control segments.”

Reactions and way forward

Government officials and industry observers alike have welcomed the report, though it does leave some questions on the table.

One is about other national PNT needs. The congressional tasking was to report on GPS backup technologies for critical infrastructure and national security. The Jan. 14 report focuses on critical infrastructure needs. Information on national security requirements, some of which is classified, was provided to Congress separately by DHS and the Department of Defense.

“Economic and homeland security are sometimes considered by agencies and Congress as subsets of national security, sometimes not,” according to one analyst. “So, we don’t know if the needs of first responders, delivery services, civil government agencies, and other essential users were ever formally considered. The good news is that the combination of systems identified, if implemented and made available to all, would likely meet the needs of most.”

Other open issues are about implementing the report’s recommendations.

Some have been quick to point out that the demonstrations were to inform the government, not part of a procurement.

“If this was for an acquisition, it would have been done differently,” said one government retiree.  “Rather than having vendors set up and operate the equipment, government evaluators would have been much more hands on. And they would have made every effort to do all the trials at the same location.”

Going forward, cost will also an important factor, as mentioned in the report’s key findings. “Depending on who you want to serve and where, the costs of different technologies vary by orders of magnitude,” said one provider.

Reaction from those involved with the demonstration project has been generally upbeat with praise for DOT’s effort and anticipation of more progress.

Typical were comments from Ganesh Pattabiraman, CEO at NextNav, who appreciated the real-world scenarios DOT used in the project. Regarding next steps he said, “We look forward to working with Congress on implementing the report’s recommendations.”

NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program is developing capabilities that will allow missions at high altitudes to take advantage of GNSS signals for timing and navigation, including the Artemis missions to the Moon.

Interoperability of the GNSS constellations will be key for spacecraft at higher altitudes where GNSS signals are less plentiful. The program will rely on the four global constellations (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou) and the two regional systems operated by India and Japan.

SCaN is supporting flight experiments that will help develop multi-GNSS capabilities for spacecraft, such as Bobcat-1, developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Ohio University.

Bobcat on the Prowl

Bobcat-1 was selected by the CubeSat Launch Initiative in 2018 to study GNSS signals from 250 miles overhead. The small satellite launched to the International Space Station aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on Oct. 2, 2020.

On Nov. 5, the space station released the CubeSat to begin its mission. The spacecraft will orbit for about nine months, measuring signals from different GNSS constellations. Engineers will use these measurements to better understand GNSS performance, specifically focusing on timekeeping variations between the constellations.

“GNSS users at high altitudes see fewer satellites,” said Bobcat Co-Principal Investigator Frank Van Grass of Ohio University. “Time offsets between the constellations can be measured by the CubeSat and provided to these users to improve their positioning performance,”

SCaN Testbed

Bobcat-1 builds on the legacy of the SCaN Testbed, which demonstrated multi-GNSS capabilities on the space station from 2012 to 2019. The GPS and Galileo Receiver for the International Space Station (GARISS) — an instrument developed in collaboration between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) — received signals from both GPS and Galileo, the GNSS constellation operated by the European Union.

The SCaN TestBed also laid the foundation for the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), a Commercial Lunar Payload Services payload being developed in partnership with the Italian Space Agency. The payload will receive signals from both GPS and Galileo and is expected to obtain the first-ever GNSS fix on the lunar surface.

GNSS PNT Policy and Advocacy

While NASA engineers develop the technologies necessary for multi-GNSS navigation at ever-higher altitudes, the SCaN team works with stakeholders in the U.S. government and internationally to advance GNSS interoperability in the policy sphere. They consult on the United Nations International Committee on GNSS, helping develop additional capabilities in the Space Service Volume and beyond.

NASA recently worked to publish GPS antenna patterns from GPS satellites that launched between 1997 and 2000, collaborating with the U.S. Space Force, the U.S. Coast Guard and Lockheed Martin, who built the satellites. The PNT team is also working to facilitate publication of antenna patterns for more recent GPS satellites.

With this data, mission planners can better assess the performance of GNSS in high-Earth orbit and lunar space. This forthrightness also encourages other GNSS providers to be similarly transparent.

“GNSS capabilities continue to revolutionize the ways spacecraft navigate in near-Earth space and beyond,” said NASA navigation engineer Joel Parker. “NASA’s longstanding relationships with the GNSS providers have advanced these capabilities to new heights and support the Artemis missions on and around the Moon.”

Those attending Intergeo 2021 will have the option to attend either virtual or in person. The show will be taking place Sept. 21-23 in Hanover, Germany.

According to show organizers, their most important concerns are a guarantee of implementation, the best possible planning and security for exhibitors, their employees and their customers.

“A clearly defined hybrid concept ensures from the outset that you will be able to reach your customers and markets with the Intergeo platform under all conceivable conditions without taking any risks,” show organizers said in a press release. “According to much feedback from Intergeo partners, enabling personal exchange live and digitally scalable offers the greatest possible acceptance.”

Show organizers also said the event will feature a generous, hygienic and modularized layout.

“Both a well thought-out hygiene-compliant and modularized hall plan in the spacious exhibition center in Hanover and a targeted further development of the digital platform will provide the geo-community with a valuable and future-oriented opportunity for dialog,” they said.

The main topics covered at Intergeo 2021 will include drones (imperial solutions), smart city solutions and BIM for infrastructure.

Topcon Positioning Group has released Topcon Point Manager, a point creation software that’s available as a plug-in for Autodesk AutoCAD and Autodesk Revit users in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Topcon, the solution is designed to automate point creation and easily import and export layout files to and from a robotic total station. It’ll also simplify the BIM-to-field process with a faster, more seamless point creation experience from within the design platform, reducing the time and cost of layout, Topcon added.

“Unlike standalone point creation software, which requires the user to leave their particular design environment, users of these two widely used Autodesk technologies will be able to access the solution as a plug-in component to their design package,” said Ray Kerwin, director of Topcon global product planning. “Users will benefit from the ability to automatically create multiple points on BIM objects and 2D/3D drawings from within the Autodesk environments. Just as importantly, however, they will see an increase in their quality assurance and control efforts through easily generated point and deviation reports; a likely reduction in on-site personnel (key during these challenging times), and, with the simplified processes, avoid costly construction errors and rework — the goal of most any operation working in today’s highly competitive construction environment.”

In addition, Topcon MAGNET users can wirelessly send points to the field for layout and completed layout files can be sent back to the office to update the model to match as-built conditions.

“With the cloud-connected MAGNET workflow, BIM personnel or CAD teams can immediately share information to and from the field crew using a layout device. Doing so can prove invaluable, as any conflicts in point data can be quickly identified, keeping production levels up and eliminating costly rework,” Kerwin added.

Topcon Positioning Group designs, manufactures and distributes precision precision measurement and workflow solutions for the global construction, geospatial and agriculture markets.

NovAtel’s GPS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT) product lines achieved a milestone of thousands of units shipped worldwide in 2020. Despite COVID-19, 2020 has proven to be one of NovAtel’s most successful years in protecting positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) from cyber electromagnetic activities (CEMA) for military and civil organizations, the company stated in a press release.

Jamming and interference are growing threats, from a crowded RF spectrum to malicious jamming attempts. However, the GNSS market is responding with anti-jam technologies. Across the world — on land, in the air and at sea — NovAtel customers use GAJT to protect their GNSS navigation and precise timing receivers from intentional jamming and unintentional interference.

The GAJT portfolio includes commercial off-the-shelf solutions with short order lead times for rapid deployment. The range of products can be readily integrated into new platforms or retrofitted into legacy fleets.

The GAJT-710, its smaller counterpart GAJT-410 and the GAJT-AE variants are used worldwide to protect PNT against jamming and interference no matter the environment.

Beyond defense, GAJT enables users to be proactive against cyber electromagnetic activities using situation awareness technology to indicate the presence and direction of jamming signals.

“Jamming and interference are growing threats worldwide. GAJT protects our customers no matter where they operate,” said Steve Duncombe, executive VP of Aerospace and Defense at NovAtel. “We’re proud to achieve this milestone during a challenging 2020 and will continue delivering assured positioning in our customers’ critical applications with extremely short delivery times.”

This is part one of a two-part series.

As in January 2020, we are starting the year by providing insights from manufacturers of GNSS receivers. We asked these industry leaders to look back at the past two years and forward at the next two, and discuss key innovations in the following areas:

• utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
• dealing with jamming and spoofing
• integration with inertial measurement units (IMUs) and other sensors
• positioning using cell phones and other consumer devices
• any other areas or challenges they find particularly significant

The single most important trend that emerges from manufacturers’ responses is the improvement in receiver performance due to the increase in the number of satellites (now 150) and signals (now more than 100). With four usable constellations, GNSS is now a reality. Multi-constellation receivers are quickly becoming the norm, even in consumer devices, and new user segments are benefiting from satellite-based PNT. Already, some smartphones and tablets are achieving decimeter-level or even centimeter-level accuracy. Over the next two years, new GNSS services will become available and, as the GNSS constellations continue to develop, the availability, reliability and repeatability of their signals will improve further.

A second important trend is the growth in satellite-delivered correction data, which substantially lowers the entry barrier for high accuracy applications by obviating the need for costly local infrastructure. This is starting to change the traditional cost-benefit calculation regarding real-time kinematic (RTK) vs. precise point positioning (PPP) corrections (see also our Editorial Advisory Board PNT Q&A).

A third and continuing trend is the increasing threat from intentional and unintentional jamming and interference across the globe, paralleling the increasing ubiquity of GNSS and potentially impacting most users. Therefore, receiver manufacturers continue to improve hardware and software techniques to defeat, or at least mitigate, this threat, greatly assisted by the increase in the number of available signals.

Finally, as automakers and high technology companies continue their efforts to develop autonomous vehicles (aka “self-driving cars”), the concept of GNSS integrity is getting renewed attention. Here, too, the increase in the number of available signals is extremely helpful.

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CHC Navigation

With François Martin, Vice General Manager, International Division

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
The addition of Galileo and BeiDou to GPS and GLONASS not only extends GNSS positioning to more obstructed environments, but also allows the use of new survey methods, such as the hybrid IMU-GNSS pole-tilt compensated surveying and stakeout with survey-grade accuracy. Further expansion of GNSS navigation systems will result in even greater availability, reliability and repeatability.

Dealing with jamming and spoofing
As an integrator and developer of GNSS systems, we focus our design on strong electromagnetic shielding and sealed isolation chambers. From a technology standpoint, the combination of advanced GNSS signal processing, optimized antenna design, and advanced filtering ensures minimal interference.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors
The integration of interference-free, high-dynamic IMU fused with GNSS technology brings an obvious benefit to surveying and autonomous navigation applications. The latest algorithm developments make it possible to get rid of tedious initialization processes, increase the productivity of typical survey tasks, bring extra safety to operators, and compensate for transient GNSS outages.

Positioning with consumer devices
Multi-constellation GNSS chips are accelerating the development of untapped user segments, but the repeatability of position accuracy remains an issue. The integration of high-performance GNSS chips and helical antennas as high-precision add-on modules on smartphones and tablets enables centimeter- or decimeter-level accuracy. This democratization of technology is increasing earlier adoption of GNSS technologies by a broader user base.

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Eos Positioning Systems

With Jean-Yves Lauture, Chief Technology Officer

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
The past two years have seen considerable maturation of the Galileo and BeiDou constellations. Considering the now four usable GNSS constellations and the aggressive launches of Galileo and BeiDou, the number of available satellites and the list of frequencies they use have considerably increased. Accuracy itself is slightly improving with the availability of BeiDou phase 3 signals, whereas performance and productivity experience a significant boost under tougher conditions with more satellites and stronger signal availability. It is not uncommon for our customers to use 30 to 35 satellites out of 40+ in view using an Arrow Series GNSS receiver. We are waiting for the availability of the High Accuracy Service (HAS) (PPP) on the Galileo E6 frequency, hopefully in a couple of years.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors
Eos has put a lot of effort recently in supporting external sensors and accessories to facilitate mapping of certain types of assets or mapping in certain types of conditions. For instance, this past year Eos released our underground mapping solution called Eos Locate for ArcGIS (see cover photo), which integrates with external utility locate devices to allow a user to precisely map buried assets. Eos Laser for ArcGIS interfaces with laser rangefinders to map assets in GNSS-impaired environments.

Positioning using consumer devices
With our bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach on the market to support high-accuracy data collection for GIS, we have made it possible to override the consumer devices’ locations with accuracies down to the centimeter from our Arrow receivers. Customers can use any of their cell phones or tablets and immediately start mapping with submeter or centimeter accuracy.

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Hemisphere GNSS

With Kirk Burnell, Senior Product Manager

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
The Galileo and BeiDou phase 3 systems introduce modern signal structures that allow more accurate measurements to be made than GPS first introduced. The new signals and increased satellite count are significantly improving receiver performance. Our Phantom and Vega product lines harness these new signals.

Dealing with jamming and spoofing
The increasing number of incidents of intentional and unintentional jamming and interference across the globe has impacted nearly every type of GNSS user. Our Cygnus interference mitigation technology automatically detects and mitigates the interference in real time, as well as providing spectrum analysis of the GNSS signal bands.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors
Today’s autonomous-focused environment increases the need to share data across platforms. Both Vector and Vega provide robust GNSS heading, position and velocity to marine, machine control, UAV and internet of things (IoT) integrators, helping augment their sensor data.

Positioning with consumer devices
Positioning in consumer products will continue to drive innovation, while chasing accuracy and precision requires a strong understanding of geodesy fundamentals. As design requirements push well beyond the limits of what consumer GNSS delivers, and with the help of our knowledgeable staff, our precision receivers are delivering reliable performance in some very impressive applications.

Other significant challenges and opportunities
New GNSS signals and new surrounding technologies continue to come online, and the RF environment continues to see increased activities. Our underlying Lyra II ASIC technology and Cygnus enable our Phantom and Vega integrators and users to reliably coexist with these changes.

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Hexagon | Novatel

With Sandy Kennedy, Vice President Innovation, Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
GNSS is now reality, not just inclusive phrasing to replace GPS. We are well into the era of multi-constellation receivers, and users will notice distinct improvements in solution availability with the addition of Galileo and BeiDou measurements. Over the next two years, we expect users in a variety of applications to start exploiting our globally available, fast-converging RTK From the Sky technology, which is enabled by the addition of quad-frequency signals supplied by Galileo and BeiDou (see page 29).

Dealing with jamming and spoofing
The RF spectrum is crowded and will only become more crowded over time. In 2020, we introduced our GNSS Resilience and Integrity Technology (GRIT), a suite of firmware options for the OEM7 receiver family. In addition to interference detection and mitigation, GRIT adds spoofing detection and time-tagged digitized samples for advanced situational awareness of the RF spectrum. With GRIT’s spoofing detection, opponents can try to spoof us. But fool us? Not a chance.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors
IMUs have become more accessible to more applications due to size, weight, power and cost reductions. At the same time, our algorithmic capability has significantly advanced to use lower quality inertial measurements for greater benefit. Originally reserved for truth systems, high-end mapping, and aerospace and defense applications, GNSS+INS solutions are now available in products like our SMART7 line of smart antennas for precision agriculture applications. Closer integration of the inertial and GNSS processing will bring further benefits in hostile RF or just plain difficult positioning environments. There is no perfect single sensor, but you can get more accurate by combining a set of sensors that offset each other’s vulnerabilities and limitations.

Positioning with consumer devices
The general population is accustomed to looking at their smartphone to see not only their location, but also the size of the “blue dot” of positioning uncertainty that accompanies it. We have always said accuracy is addictive, and we will no doubt start to see consumer demands for smaller blue dots with increasingly accurate positions. Making the digital reality match our real world demands continuously available and reliable positioning. Being lost is a terrifying feeling, especially for those who have been staring at their phone for the past 30 minutes and have no recollection of the physical world through which they have passed.

Other challenges and opportunities
The transition to autonomous vehicles, for both on-road consumer and off-road industrial applications, is inevitable. It is becoming increasingly necessary to prioritize the development of functional safety and integrity requirements to achieve the safe operations of autonomous systems. These requirements are necessary and entirely non-trivial to develop.

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Javad GNSS

With the Javad GNSS Team

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
Simultaneous RTK and PPK processing of all available GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou signals in receivers powered by our 874-channel TRIUMPH chip has resulted in significant productivity gains. User Darren Clemons told us “These Plus units are at least 40%–50% faster… The combination of the four super engines and the RTPK is unbeatable. You can get an accurate shot just about anywhere.”

Dealing with jamming and spoofing
Usually, more than 100 signals are available at any given time, and we need only a small number to compute a position. By tracking and verifying all these constellations and their signals, it is extremely unlikely that we can be spoofed without our knowledge. Javad GNSS receivers will immediately recognize spoofing and take corrective actions. Spoofing protection is available on all Javad GNSS receivers and OEM boards.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors
The Javad GNSS engineering team relentlessly works to identify and integrate the latest sensor technologies that can boost productivity. Our TRIUMPH-LS’s integrated camera sensor has for years supported onboard photogrammetry, and now our TRIUMPH-3 receiver’s integrated IMU provides high-precision tilt compensation.

Other challenges and opportunities
Our innovative RTPK feature is improving GNSS surveying and monitoring. Our Triumph-LS and Triumph-3 RTK rover systems combine the strengths of RTK and PPK into a system that can post-process RTK data and verify its results in parallel and real time. Users get the best of both worlds. If RTK fails, RTPK comes to the rescue in a fraction of a second.

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Septentrio

With Gustavo Lopez (pictured) and Stef van der Loo, Market Access Managers

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou [GL]
With 150 GNSS satellites in space, multi-constellation has been a natural transition for improved GNSS availability. We see this in rover applications and in upgraded reference networks modernizing correction services. The next two years will be transcendent as constellations finally start delivering new services. We see our products soon integrating
GAL-OSNMA for anti-spoofing and then moving to new high-accuracy services.

Dealing with jamming and spoofing [GL]
We have witnessed a large increase in jamming and spoofing events as GNSS ubiquity increases. Users are becoming conscious of this, yet many integrations are still using vulnerable receivers, and we see manufacturers falsely claiming to have proper resilience. Septentrio’s AIM+ technology uniquely mitigates all these risks, and users come to us for expert advice on this area. In the coming years, we expect further receiver innovations and developments in adjacent technologies.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors [SVL]
Integration of sensors and sensor fusion moved from the research stage to the major production and adoption phase as an element in autonomous systems. Using a GNSS/INS (see our AsteRx-i products) is crucial for various applications — for example, being able to work in difficult environments — and for vehicle orientation. The development of lower cost IMUs while keeping high performance will enable a shift in focus from hardware to software. This will result in multi-sensor technology that is better scalable, easier to use, and more stable to integrate in relation to a full system with various sensors.

Positioning with consumer devices [GL]
We see further integration of dual-frequency GNSS chipsets in mobile technology for increased accuracy, which is key for future consumer applications. Septentrio has also witnessed the important involvement of telecom operators in GNSS correction services. Septentrio products (such as the PolaRx5 or AsteRx-SB) are deployed on new generation networks as operators prepare for the new generation of positioning in cell technology.

Other significant challenges and opportunities [GL]
Two areas are emerging thanks to the autonomy era and due to further regulations in the market. The first is the concept of GNSS integrity, which has a strong link to the reliability of autonomous solutions. The second is security, which, beyond anti-spoofing, is linked to the cybersecurity of GNSS systems as the demand increases for the protection of electronics and software.

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Trimble

With Stuart Riley, Vice President of GNSS Technology

Utilizing Galileo and BeiDou
Most Trimble precision receivers can utilize any combination of GNSS satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS) to deliver centimeter accuracy and optimize performance, even in degraded conditions. Users can select the constellations they want the receiver to use.

Dealing with jamming and spoofing
Spoofing is rare and low risk in locations in which Trimble’s precision GNSS agriculture, construction and geospatial customers operate. However, to protect users, modern Trimble Maxwell-based GNSS receivers implement hardware- and software-based techniques to detect and mitigate spoofing. Jamming sometimes impacts customers, but is not their primary challenge. The same issues are still present today as they were in the early days of precision GNSS. The main productivity concerns remain related to multipath and problems around obstructions and trees. Trimble continues to improve our GNSS systems’ robustness with advances in processing algorithms and hardware enhancements such as integrating inertial technology.

Integration with IMUs and other sensors
The Trimble R12i and SPS986 represent Trimble’s third-generation receivers (preceded by the R10 and the R12) capable of integrating inertial measurements into 3D GNSS positioning. In addition to speed and convenience for the user, integration with IMU provides immunity to magnetic interference and real-time integrity monitoring.

With the introduction of the Trimble R12 with the ProPoint GNSS positioning engine, we significantly improved the performance in challenging environments. This was further enhanced with the addition of an IMU for tilt compensation in the R12i. The new solution provides a system that delivers more accurate results in more places and in less time.

Positioning with consumer devices
The Trimble SiteVision augmented reality solution and Trimble Catalyst GNSS receiver operate on Android devices. Trimble Catalyst technology provides a software-defined GNSS receiver capable of survey-grade accuracy. Catalyst is the ideal solution for third-party applications that benefit from precise real-time positioning. Trimble SiteVision combines Catalyst positioning with augmented reality to deliver real-time, on-site visualization of proposed structures and existing underground assets.

Other significant challenges and opportunities
An ongoing challenge in GNSS positioning is the ability to obtain positions with suitable accuracy when and where they are needed. Solutions such as RTK and VRS provide solid performance at local and regional levels. Today, these technologies are complemented by subscription-based Trimble RTX positioning services, a global approach that uses a network of GNSS tracking stations and satellite-delivered correction data to achieve required accuracies. In 2020, coverage for Trimble CenterPoint RTX Fast, which enables users to achieve two-centimeter or better accuracy with initialization time of less than one minute, was expanded to cover the continental United States as well as much of Canada and Western Europe. The CenterPoint RTX Fast network now covers more than 5 million square miles worldwide. Trimble RTX coverage enables global users such as farmers, land surveyors and GIS professionals using RTX-capable receivers, to untether from the cost and complexities of GNSS base stations. In addition, the service offers a single, continuous corrections network ideal for enabling a broad range of safety-critical autonomous applications in markets such as automotive, agriculture and construction.

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Feature photo: Emma Hardy/Eos Positioning Systems