DIRECTIONS

UPDATE ON
QZSS

THE INDUSTRY’S MOST TRUSTED TECHNICAL RESOURCE SINCE 1990

GNSS
IN THE FIELDS
Precision ag increases yields
and reduces inputs

+
MAPPING THE
SEA FLOOR

JANUARY 2024 | Vol 35 | No 1

GPSWORLD.COM
VO L . 35 N O. 1 G P SWO R LD.CO M
JANUARY 2019
2024

Trimble
COVER STORY

18 GNSS IN THE FIELDS

Precision Agriculture Increases Yields and Reduces Inputs
by Matteo Luccio
Precision agriculture is a prime use case for GNSS. While the typical open sky
conditions in the fields minimize concerns about signal occultation and multipath,
the accuracy requirements for this practice, particularly for certain crops and
planting techniques, can be very high. Challenges for receivers often include severe
roll and pitch due to bumpy terrain, the requirement to maintain exact heading at
very low speeds, and the need to receive corrections over very large areas.
Precision agriculture began more than 30 years ago and now all tractors
from major manufacturers come equipped with a GNSS-based guidance
system. Adoption has increased hand-in-hand with improvements in enabling
technologies. In addition to GNSS receivers, these include satellite-based and
ground-based sensors, UAVs, geographic information systems (GIS), and a
plethora of GNSS corrections services.
In this month’s cover story, we present three recent developments in precision
agriculture:
■ Trimble and AGCO launching a joint venture.
■ Seirrowon using hardware and services products from u-blox.
■ CHC Navigation’s NX510 SE GNSS RTK auto-steering system.

19 Trimble 20 CHC Navigation 22 Seirrowon Labs

Joint Venture Promises to Auto-steering Helps to Installing a GNSS
Better Serve Farmers Plant Corn, Soybeans, Receiver Without an
and Rice Engineering Degree

50TH ANNIVERSARY SECONDARY FEATURE

12 GPS FUNDAMENTALS 24 Charting Uncharted Waters:
UNCHANGED IN 50 YEARS Bathymetry in Action
Brad Parkinson Recalls the
Program’s Origins Advanced Navigation • CHC Navigation • SBG Systems
by Matteo Luccio by Jesse Khalil

ON THE COVER
An autonomous tractor guided by Trimble’s GNSS guidance and corrections technology carries a HORSCH autonomous sprayer across an optimized path on a field. This is an example
of how precision agriculture reduces inputs by minimizing overlaps and adjusting the amounts sprayed depending on variations in soil conditions. (Credit: Trimble)

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM GPS WORLD 3
 JANUARY 2024
LAUNCHPAD
DIRECTIONS 2024 13 SURVEYING &
MAPPING
31 The Status of QZSS 14 OEM
by Motohisa Kishimoto 16 UAV

OPINIONS AND DEPARTMENTS

6 FIRST FIX 17 GUEST COLUMN

16
TheRearviewCameraandtheHead-upDisplay Questions that Urgently Need Answers
by Matteo Luccio by Lisa Dyer

8 EAB PNT Q&A 28 INSIDE THE BOX

Understanding GNSS Correction Methods
What are the key challenges and promising
trends for GNSS/PNT over the next three to by Aaron Nathan MARKETWATCH
five years?
39 AD INDEX 35 MAPPING
with Bernard Gruber,
Jules McNeff, Jean-Marie 41 MAPPING MARVEL 37 MACHINE CONTROL
Sleewaegen and Micheal Swiek Modeling Pompeii: A New Era of 37 OEM
Tech-Driven Collaboration in Archaeology
10 SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS 38 SURVEYING
EU, SpaceX finalizing plan to launch Galileo 42 SEEN & HEARD
satellites • China’s BeiDou recognized Mapping the Melting Arctic • Crabs on the 38 TRANSPORTATION
by ICAO as a global standard • SpaceX Move • GNSS Enhances Landslide Monitoring
successfully launches Ireland’s first satellite in China • India’s War on Drugs
39 DEFENSE

NEWS STORY

Time is Running Out to Submit GNSS or Leveling Data

for Initial NSRS Modernization
BY David B. Zilkoski, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, SURVEY SCENE

T
he National Geodetic Survey (NGS) has announced
that users have until February 29, 2024, to submit
data for the initial National Spatial Reference Sys-
tem (NSRS) modernization rollout. This means time is
running out to submit GNSS or leveling data for initial
NSRS Modernization. It is anticipated that NGS will re-
lease the new, modernized NSRS in 2025, once new data is
incorporated into the database. The following newsletter
will provide some advice on strategically selecting marks
to improve the local accuracy of the NAVD 88-to-NAPGD
2022 transformation tool.
As the announcement stated, NGS is in the process
of compiling, organizing, and cleaning all the relevant
GNSS and leveling data contained within the NGS
Integrated Database and the OPUS shared solutions
database for preparation of the new, modernized
NSRS. The data will be used in national scale survey
adjustments using NGS’ new software package
called LASER (Least-squares Adjustments: Statistics,
Estimates, and Residuals). The adjustments will
compute the initial sets of geometric and orthometric
reference epoch coordinates (RECs) on many existing
survey control marks and CORS around the country.
Continue reading at https://www.gpsworld.com/time-is-running-out-to-
submit-gnss-or-leveling-data-for-initial-nsrs-modernization/.

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4 GPS WORLD WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
FIRST FIX
The Rearview Camera and
the Head-up Display
O
n December 5, in Houston,
at a reception hosted by the
Resilient Navigation and
Timing Foundation to celebrate GPS’
50th anniversary, I had the honor of
publicly interviewing Dr. Bradford
Parkinson for 45 minutes. (See the
photo on p. 12.) When I asked him
how GPS today differs from the design
that emerged from the Lonely Halls
meeting he chaired 50 years ago this
past September, he replied, proudly, that
“there is no fundamental difference.”
Recently, he recalled, he pulled out for
the first time in 20 years a handheld
Trimble EnsignGPS — “It was one of
those little devices that got shipped to
the Iraq War,” he noted —, cleaned its
contacts, changed its batteries, turned it
on, and was immediately able to navigate.
“The point of the story,” Parkinson said,
“is that evidently it still works.”
When I asked him what he considered
to be the most significant impact of GPS
on society, he said it was “also probably
the most perilous: kids today just take it
for granted. They know where they are.”
Taking GPS for granted, however,
is not limited to kids today. It is a
pervasive attitude throughout our
society, including sectors of the federal
government that ought to know
better. That is why a recurrent theme
throughout the 29th meeting of the
National Space-Based Positioning,
Navigation, and Timing Advisory
Board, on December 6 and 7, which I
attended, was raising the alarm about
the fact that GPS is falling behind
Galileo and BeiDou.
“We must attack this mindset
[that GPS is] the Gold Standard
and everything is OK. It is not OK,”
said Admiral Thad Allan, a former
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard,
who chairs the PNT Advisory Board.
6 GPS WORLD WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
Perhaps, he suggested, it is time to
declare that GPS is only meeting “the
Pewter Standard” for GNSS. “That will
get the attention of somebody who
does not understand this.”
Parkinson, in emphasizing the
urgency of the problem, said that
he currently counts eight areas in
which GPS is falling behind its GNSS
counterparts, including:
■ L5, the go-to signal particularly
for civilian aviation, is not yet
activated and will not be until the
next three satellites are activated,
which will likely not happen for at
least another year.
■ The Next Generation Operational
Control System (OCX), the future
version of the GPS control segment,
is not yet operational.
■ GPS does not have a satellite-based
high-accuracy service (HAS). On
this, he said, “Everyone is moving
out except us.”
■ GPS lacks anti-spoofing
authentication, which Galileo has.
Additionally, “every one of these
things has an enormous lead time,”
Parkinson warned.
“As an advisory group, we are only
as effective as the willingness of the
system that we are advising to act
on what we say,” Allan pointed out.
The Advisory Board spent the final
portion of its meeting discussing how
to structure the agenda and products
of its next couple of meetings to get
these issues with GPS the attention
they deserve and require. Stay tuned.
Matteo Luccio | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
mluccio@northcoastmedia.net
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JANUARY 2024
WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
EDITORIAL
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Published monthly
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 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Tony Agresta
“ In 2023, the GPS program
celebrated its 50th
Nearmap
Miguel Amor
anniversary. It has Hexagon Positioning Intelligence
What are the key had untold positive
impacts on the Thibault Bonnevie
SBG Systems
challenges and world. I strongly believe this
trend will continue through Alison Brown
promising trends GNSS and complementary
NAVSYS Corporation

for GNSS/PNT over PNT systems for the next 50

years! That said, continuing
Ismael Colomina
GeoNumerics
the next three to challenges faced in the era Clem Driscoll
of great power competition — C.J. Driscoll & Associates
five years? specifically, to disrupt, deny, and
John Fischer
destroy PNT capabilities — pose a clear Safran
and present danger. Ingenuity, competition,
and strong coalitions will drive how we think and how we utilize our incredible
Bernard Gruber
Northrop Grumman
resources – human and system – to persevere.
Unfortunately, challenges will always exist. Since the beginning, the GNSS Ellen Hall
Imminent Federal
community has had to deal with jamming threats, such as pervasive black market
‘cigarette lighter’ jammers, militarily sophisticated ones, or brute force high Jules McNeff
powered systems. This challenge will not go away. The burgeoning of artificial Overlook Systems Technologies
intelligence and machine-to-machine computations offers an opportunity Terry Moore
and poses a threat: as commercial and government entities embrace these University of Nottingham
technologies, they exponentially increase the need to adapt. Mitch Narins
Several promising trends will continue. Through the hard work of countless Strategic Synergies
governmental organizations supporting the National Coordination Office,
Bradford W. Parkinson
periodicals such as GPS World, academic papers, conferences and symposiums, Stanford Center for Position, Navigation and Time
marketing and communications, the public is now aware of how vital GNSS
and PNT systems are. Second, buyers, operators, and users will demand that Stuart Riley
Trimble
robustness be built into systems by anticipating needs such as increased
cybersecurity, assured access, and tiered defense schema. Jean-Marie Sleewaegen
Septentrio
Third, innovative technical trends will drive increased processing power,
cybersecurity/encryption toughness, signal diversity, adaptive antennas, and Michael Swiek
network augmentations, while an ever-increasing focus on model-based GPS Alliance
engineering and digital twins will allow us to field and learn faster. Additionally, Julian Thomas
as signal diversity grows, the opportunity for software-defined radios that utilize Racelogic Ltd.
authenticated and available signals while ignoring others automatically will
Greg Turetzky
mature; programs such as the NTS-3 demonstration will at minimum force the Consultant
discission of how we adapt.”
Rob Van Brunt
Spirent Federal Systems

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8 GPS WORLD WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

“ Trends have emerged and evolved over the past three decades since GPS became operational that addressed earlier
challenges and yet have created new, and possibly more daunting, ones. Early issues with awareness and acceptance of
the need for continuous, precise PNT have been overcome, and the markets (and governments) have responded with a
proliferation of PNT services, both space-based and other.
Other nations, some unfriendly to the United States, recognize the political/economic reality and are deploying PNT services to compete
with GPS and erode international public confidence in it. The U.S. government appears complacent and naively unwilling to accept that
changes are necessary in its approach to international economic competition in PNT technology over the immediate future.
Similarly, in the public safety arena, most of U.S. critical infrastructure (CI), an area of federal government responsibility, is well-known
to be vitally dependent on GPS to function. However, the government agencies responsible for CI have been beyond reluctant to implement
needed resilience measures, specifically regarding the terrestrial enhanced Loran (eLoran) system, which would provide substantial resilience
if GPS service were lost or disrupted. This is despite multiple requests over the last decade from Congress and the National PNT Advisory
Board to recapitalize eLoran. At the same time, both friendly and hostile foreign nations are investing in their own eLoran systems to bolster
PNT resilience within their sovereign territories.
Finally, we need to get serious about how PNT positions (geoaddresses) are reported to the public — important for economic purposes
and specifically for incident/accident location and emergency response operations of all kinds. Continuing reliance on lat/lon as a default or
on unique proprietary methods is both ineffective and dangerous given the ready availability of the U.S. National Grid as a public resource,
identified in the U.S. Federal Radionavigation Plan. As with eLoran above, the public safety challenge is to save lives and livelihoods and not
allow them to remain at risk.”

“ Recent years have seen a spectacular boost in the number of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) satellites and
signals. The launch pace has now slowed down, which does not mean the end of GNSS innovation. On the contrary, now
comes the time to exploit and get the best out of all these new signals and services.
One of the first benefits of signal diversity is improved resilience: the more signals, the more fallback options in case of
jamming or spoofing. Designing the optimal blend of all the constellations and signals into a precise and resilient PNT solution is and will
remain a major innovation challenge in the industry. The recent introduction of Galileo OSNMA and the announcement of authentication
services by other systems will play a key role in this evolution.
Having many types of signals also means that there are many ways of dealing with them. This is particularly visible in the current
PPP-RTK offerings. Various service providers use different correction formats as well as protocols and this complexity is still too exposed to
users. A key challenge will be the standardization and consolidation of the correction environment in a multi-constellation and multi-signal
context. At the receiver side, this involves evolving from a vendor-specific to a correction-agnostic approach.
In the next few years, the focus will also expand beyond classical GNSS, with the announcement of the first LEO PNT constellations,
promising improved precision, resilience, and security compared to traditional medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) GNSS. The promises and
challenges of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) constellations and their interoperability with GNSS will
undoubtedly foster major innovations in the PNT industry.”

“ A basic question for the next three to five years is how will we be receiving PNT, or P, N, and/or T individually or in
combination and from where? We have become accustomed to receiving reliable PNT from government-operated MEO satellite
constellations. However, new options are appearing to provide PNT or P, N, or T from LEO constellations, terrestrial beacons, etc.,
from both government and private sector providers. These options can help address vulnerabilities in traditional GNSS services
and provide options for new applications. The question becomes one of coordination, and integration of diverse solutions. The challenge is
managing the technical, market and regulatory elements while not undermining existing stable infrastructure or future innovation.”

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM GPS WORLD 9
 SYSTEM
Policy and System
Developments
GPS GLONASS BeiDou Galileo

OF SYSTEMS
ESA

EU, SpaceX Finalizing Plan to Launch

Galileo Satellites

T
h e Eu rop e an Un i on
is in the final stages
of completing a deal
with SpaceX to launch
four Galileo navigation
satellites in 2024, reported SpaceNews.
In press briefings during the
European Space Summit in Seville,
Spain, Thierry Breton, the European
Commission’s commissioner for the
internal market, said he was “finalizing
the discussions” for a pair of Falcon 9
launches, each carrying two Galileo
satellites, tentatively scheduled for
April and July of 2024.
Breton also said the final obstacle
to completing the launch contract was
negotiating a security agreement to
protect sensitive technologies on the
Galileo satellites, which previously
had been launched from the European
spaceport in French Guiana, when
those satellites are being prepared for
launch from the United States.
The launch contract itself was
completed in July 2023, Breton noted,
and the European Commission had
approved a European Space Agency
proposal to use the Falcon 9 for
launching those satellites. He said
the European Commission would
spend $192 million on the Falcon 9
launches.

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10 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 SYSTEM
OF
SYSTEMS
China’s BeiDou Recognized
by ICAO as a Global Standard

Xinhua/Liang Xu
he International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),
a United Nations agency, has officially recognized
China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System as a
global standard, according to the Civil Aviation
Administration of China (CAAC).
BeiDou has become one of four global satellite navigation
systems (GNSS) recognized by the UN, along with the United
States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's
Galileo. It serves users in more than 200 countries and regions
worldwide.
The domestically developed system meets the
requirements for providing global civil aviation applications
and is compatible and interoperable with other navigation
systems. and other research institutions, such as the National Key
The CAAC first applied for BeiDou to be included in ICAO Laboratory of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/
standards in 2010. The administration collaborated with Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) at Beihang University, to
the China Satellite Navigation System Management Office establish a team to promote related work.

SpaceX Successfully Launches Ireland’s First Satellite

T he Educational Irish Research
Satellite, EIRSAT-1, successfully
launched from Vandenberg Space
Force Base, California on Dec. 1, 2023.
Hitching a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9
launcher, the small satellite has made
history as Ireland’s first satellite.
Over the course of six years, EIRSAT-1
ESA
was designed, built and tested by
students from University College Dublin
(UCD) in Dublin, Ireland, participating
in the European Space Agency (ESA)
Academy’s Fly Your Satellite Program.
The program is a hands-on initiative
that helps university student teams
develop their own satellites according
to professional standards. The launch
opportunity itself was provided by ESA.
Throughout the development of
the satellite, ESA experts provided
training and guidance to dozens of
UCD students, ESA said. The students'
l e a r n i n g j o u r n ey i n c l u d e d t e s t
campaigns at ESA Education's CubeSat
Support Facility in Belgium, as well as
dedicated spacecraft communications
sessions at both ESA Academy's
Training and Learning Centre and the
European Space Operations Centre in
Darmstadt, Germany. These sessions
were designed to teach the procedures
for operating Ireland’s first spacecraft.
Following EIRSAT-1’s deployment
to orbit, the student team is now
working to establish contact with the
satellite and start operations from
their dedicated ground control facility,
also entirely operated by students and
located at UCD in Dublin.

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 11
 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GPS

GPS Fundamentals Unchanged in 50 Years

Brad Parkinson Recalls the Program’s Origins

Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation

n December 5, in
Houston, Texas, at a gala
event to celebrate the
50th anniversary of GPS
hosted by the Resilient Navigation
and Timing Foundation, Matteo
Luccio, GPS World’s editor-in-chief,
interviewed Brad Parkinson. Here
are two excerpts from the interview:

How does GPS today differ from the

design that came out of the Lonely
Halls meeting 50 years ago this past
September?
Well, I’m very proud of what happened
because, to my knowledge, there is no
fundamental difference. Basically, that
fundamental design has held up. … As
a matter of fact, I still have one of the Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, (standing)
old Trimble handhelds. It’s called an introduced Brad Parkinson and Matteo Luccio, GPS World’s editor-in-chief (not pictured).

EnsignGPS. It was one of those little

devices that got shipped to the Iraq
War. The other day, I pulled it out,
batteries were kind of crummy, I got
those squared away and went out, sure
enough, and navigated. I probably
hadn’t pulled it out in at least 20 years.
The point of the story is that evidently
it still works.
Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation

What do you consider the most

significant impact of GPS on society?
Well, the most significant impact is
also probably the most perilous: kids
today just take it for granted. They
know where they are.
MORE ONLINE
Brad Parkinson (left) answered questions from Matteo Luccio (right) on GPS’ history and current challenges. To view the entire interview, go to https://bit.ly/3NR1N9j

EVENT SPONSORS
Continental Electronics Institute of Navigation Royal Institute of Navigation
GPS World Keysight Safran Trusted 4D
Hellen Systems Locata Spirent Federal Systems and Spirent
Hexagon | Antcom Microchip UrsaNav
Hexagon | NovAtel National Association of Broadcasters

|
12 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 SURVEYING & MAPPING | LAUNCHPAD
1
1. LASER SCANNING
MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
COMPATIBLE WITH SPECIALIZED KITS
The LS300 3D is a laser scanning
measurement system that utilizes
simultaneous localization and mapping
(SLAM) technology and advanced real-
time and mapping techniques. The LS300
3D operates autonomously, independent
of GNSS positioning, making it ideal
for harsh conditions in both indoor and
outdoor environments.
LS300 includes a 120-meter working
range and a sampling rate of 0.32 million
points per second. Its point cloud accuracy
is designed to perform in low reflectivity
extended-range mode. The system is
compatible with specialized kits, including
the handheld form, back kit, car-mount
and UAV kit.
By using data processing software
specifically designed and developed for the
LS series, users can handle large volumes
of point cloud data and simplify complex
tasks, including point cloud denoising,
point cloud splicing, shadow rendering,
coordinate transformation, automatic
horizontal plane fitting, automatic
point cloud data report generation,
forward photography, and point cloud
encapsulation.
During data post-processing, users
can input absolute coordinates of control
points, allowing these control points to
adjust the data and improve scanning
data accuracy. The LS300 incorporates a
redundant battery design with two hot-
swappable batteries, designed to prolong
operation without frequent charging or
interruptions.
ComNav Technology, comnavtech.com
2. ANTI-JAMMING RECEIVER
A JAMMING PROTECTOR FOR LEGACY
RECEIVERS
The KV-AJ3 tri-band anti-jamming
receiver combines a digital antenna control
unit (DACU) and a GNSS receiver. KV-AJ3
can be used as a jamming protector for
legacy receivers or as a stand-alone GNSS
receiver solution.
The tri-band solution decreases
interferences from up to three directions in
three frequency bands, including S-band.
This approach is designed to provide
significantly higher protection against
interference compared to single-frequency
devices.
The receiver has a digital port for
navigation data output. Jamming-free RF
signals can also be delivered to external
non-protected GNSS receivers to obtain
position, velocity and time.
KV-AJ3 contains a MEMS inertial
|
JANUARY 2024
3
sensor, which allows for GNSS-aided INS
solutions where coordinates and attitude
angles are required.
Kosminis Vytis, kosminis-vytis.lt
3. LIDAR SENSOR
DESIGNED FOR HIGH-SPEED AIRBORNE
MISSIONS
The VUX-180-24 offers a field of view of
75º and a pulse repetition rate of up to 2.4
MHz. These features – in combination
with an increased scan speed of up to 800
lines per second – makes the VUX-180-24
suitable for high-speed surveying missions
and applications where an optimal line and
point distribution is required.
Typical applications include mapping
and monitoring of critical infrastructure
such as power lines, railway tracks,
pipelines, and runways. The VUX-180-
24 provides mechanical and electrical
interfaces for IMU/GNSS integration and
up to five external cameras.
This sensor can be coupled with RIEGL’s
VUX-120, VU-160, and VUX-240 series
UAVs. The system is available as a stand-
alone sensor or in various fully integrated
laser scanning system configurations with
IMU/GNSS systems and optional cameras.
REIGL, reigl.com
WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 13
 LAUNCHPAD | SURVEYING & MAPPING
4. UAV DETECTION TECHNOLOGY 4
A 3D DATA FUSION ENGINE FOR COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS

SensorFusionAI (SFAI) is a sensor-agnostic, 3D data fusion engine for

complex environments. It accommodates all common UAV detection
modalities, including radiofrequency, radar, acoustics and cameras.
SFAI allows third-party C2 manufacturers to integrate SFAI into its C2
systems. This integration can be achieved through a subscription-based
software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, enhancing system performance.
Key features of SFAI include behavior analysis to track an object to
determine classification and predict trajectory; threat assessment that
determines threat level based on a range of data types; and an edge
processing device called SmartHub for reduced network load and high
scalability.
DroneShield, droneshield.com

5. THERMAL MAPPING SOLUTION

DESIGNED FOR UAVS

The PT61 camera is a thermal mapping solution for UAVs. The camera
system provides detailed thermal orthomosaic maps and accurate 3D
models. Developed in partnership with Agrowing, the PT61 is a versatile
tool designed for multispectral data collection in renewable energy and
other domains.
5
The PT61 combines a 61-megapixel camera with integrated thermal
imaging capability. It can also switch between RGB and multispectral
modes, which aims to increase its versatility and address the increasing need
for comprehensive data acquisition in various industrial and environmental
applications.
Integrated with Agrowing’s multispectral lenses, the camera offers detail
across 10 spectral bands and an infrared band, making it ideal for solar plant
inspection and dam management.
The enhanced Topodrone post processing software complements the
hardware by streamlining remote sensing tasks, ensuring surveyors and
researchers can achieve high levels of efficiency.
Topodrone, topodrone.com

LAUNCHPAD | OEM
1 1. DUAL-BAND GNSS RECEIVER
ACHIEVES 50CM POSITION ACCURACY WITHOUT CORRECTION DATA

eRideOPUS 9 is a dual-band GNSS receiver chip that achieves 50cm position

accuracy without correction data. eRideOPUS 9 is designed to provide absolute
position information and can be used as a reference for lane identification, which
is essential for services such as autonomous driving. It also serves as a reference for
determining the final self-position through cameras, lidar and HD maps.
The eRideOPUS 9 supports all navigation satellite systems currently in operation,
including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS and NavIC. It can also receive
L1 and L5 signals. The L5 band signals are transmitted at a chipping rate 10 times
higher than L1 signals, which improves positioning accuracy in environments where
radio waves are reflected or diffracted by structures, such as in urban areas — a
phenomenon known as multipath.
A dual-band GNSS module incorporating eRideOPUS 9 is being jointly developed
with Alps Alpine Co. and is scheduled for future release as the UMSZ6 series.
Furuno Electric Co., Furunousa.com

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14 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 OEM | LAUNCHPAD
2. LIDAR SCANNING
MODULE
2 accelerometer, and magnetometer with
a triple-frequency GNSS receiver.
DESIGNED FOR OEM INTEGRATION The integrated 448-channel GNSS
receiver from Septentrio adds
The VQ-680 compact airborne several capabilities, including
lidar scanner OEM is designed to L5 frequencies, moving
be integrated with large-format baseline real-time kinematic
cameras or other sensors in complex with centimeter-level accuracy,
hybrid system solutions. support for Galileo OSNMA and robust
It can be mounted inside a camera interference mitigation.
system connected to the IMU/GNSS These capabilities and high-quality hardware
system and various camera modules offer improved positioning performance in radio frequency-
through a sturdy mechanical congested and GNSS-denied environments.
interface. The VQ-680 has laser pulse The VN-310-S dual GNSS/INS leverages VectorNav’s tactical-
repetition rates of up to 2.4 MHz and grade IMU and integrates two 448-channel GNSS receivers to enable
2 million measurements per second. GNSS-compassing for accurate heading estimations in stationary
The VQ-680 is ideal for large-scale and low-dynamic operations. The VN-310-S also gains support for
applications in urban mapping, forestry, and power line surveying. OSNMA and robust interference mitigation, offering reliable position
With a field view of 60º and RIEGL’s nadir/forward/backward (NFB) data across a variety of applications and environments.
scanning, the system offers five scan directions up to ± 20º. The VN-210-S and VN-310-S are packaged in a precision milled,
REIGL, reigl.com anodized aluminum enclosure designed to MIL standards and
are IP68-rated. For ultra-low SWaP applications, VectorNav has
3. INS introduced L5 capabilities to the VN-210E (embedded) when using
A PRODUCT FOR AVIONIC APPLICATIONS
an externally integrated L5-band GNSS receiver.
Vector Nav, vectornav.com
The ADC inertial navigation
5. REAL-TIME INS
system (INS) is designed to
calculate and provide
3 USED IN LARGE FLEETS
air data parameters,
including altitude, The Atlas inertial navigation
air speed, air density,
outside air
system (INS) is designed for
autonomous vehicles, mapping,
5
temperature, and other applications. Atlas
and windspeed provides users with ground-
for avionic truth level accuracy in real-time,
applications. which can streamline engineering
ADC’s compact workflows, significantly reduce
form simplifies project costs, and improve
integration into existing operational efficiency.
UAV systems with strict size Atlas is designed to be used in
and weight requirements. The large fleets. It integrates a highly
INS calculates the air data parameters accurate, low-cost GNSS receiver
using information received from the and IMU with the Polaris RTK
integrated pitot and static pressure sensors, along with an outside air corrections network and sensor
temperature probe. fusion algorithms. The company
This compact device consumes less than one watt of power. It aims to make it easier for businesses
is designed for demanding environments, has an IP67 rating, and to equip their entire autonomous
integrates total and static pressure sensors to calculate indicated fleets with high-accuracy INS.
airspeed accurately. ADC supports aiding data from external GNSS The system features a user-
receivers and ambient air data, enhancing its precision in a variety of friendly interface, on-device data storage and both ethernet and
flight conditions. Wi-Fi connectivity. Field engineers can easily configure and operate
Inertial Labs, interiallabs.com Atlas using smartphones, tablets and in-car displays.
4 Atlas can be used in a variety of sectors, including autonomous
4. TWO TACTICAL-GRADE IMU vehicles, robotics, mapping and photogrammetry. Its real-time
WITH L5 CAPABILITIES
capabilities and affordability can enhance the widespread
deployment of ground truth-level location in fleet
The VN-210-S GNSS/INS combines a operations.
Point One Navigation, pointonenav.com
tactical-grade inertial measurement unit
(IMU) comprised of a 3-axis gyroscope,

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 15
 LAUNCHPAD | UAV
1. USV
FOR AUTONOMOUS BATHYMETRIC SURVEYS

The Apache 3 Pro is an advanced compact hydrographic unmanned surface vehicle

(USV) designed for autonomous bathymetric surveys in shallow waters. With its
lightweight carbon fiber hull, IP67 rating, and semi-recessed motor, the Apache 3 Pro
1 offers exceptional durability and maneuverability.
The Apache 3 Pro uses CHCNAV’s proprietary GNSS RTK + inertial navigation
sensor to provide consistent, high-precision positioning and heading data even when
navigating under bridges or in areas with obstructed satellite signals. The built-in
CHCNAV D270 echosounder enables reliable depth measurement from 0.2 m to 40 m.
The USV is equipped with a millimeter-wave radar system that detects obstacles
within a 110° field of view. When an obstacle is encountered, the USV autonomously
charts a new course to safely navigate around it. The vessel uses both 4G and 2.4GHz
networks to facilitate effective data transfer.
Even with a fully integrated payload, the USV can be easily deployed and controlled
by a single operator in a variety of environmental conditions.
The Apache 3 Pro ensures reliable communications through its integrated SIM and
network bridge with automatic switching. It also features seamless cloud-based remote
monitoring that offers real-time status updates to enhance control and security. Its
semi-recessed brushless internal rotor motors minimize drafts, which can improve the
USV’s maneuverability in varying water depths.
CHC Navigation, chcnav.com

2. ANTI-JAMMING RECEIVER
2 PROVIDES STABLE NAVIGATION IN THREE FREQUENCY BANDS

KV-AJ3-A provides a stable navigation signal in three frequency bands, including

S-band, even in the presence of jamming and other harsh conditions. The technology
is MIL-STD compliant and meets the EMI/EMC requirements for avionics.
The direction to interfering signals is determined using a phased array antenna,
which can then remove jamming signals from up to three directions. The original
signal is either restored and delivered to external GNSS receivers or processed by the
internal receiver to obtain position data.
The key components of this anti-jamming device are based on custom ASICs that
allow users to achieve high jamming suppression and SWaP. KV-AJ3-A can be used for
fixed installations and land, sea, and air platforms, including UAVs.
Kosminis Vytis, kosminis-vytis.lt

3. DEVELOPMENT KIT
3 WITH ANTI-JAMMING AND ANTI-SPOOFING CAPABILITIES

This eight-channel, CRPA, anti-jamming development kit is a set of instruments

designed to help users add anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities to their
receivers.
The main development tool is NT1069x8_FMC — an eight-channel receiver
board. The eight coherent channels are based on NT1069, the RF application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC) that supports a high dynamic range of input signals.
Each channel performs amplification, down-conversion of GNSS signal to
intermediate frequency (IF) and subsequent filtering and digitization by 14-bit ADC at
100 MSPS.
The board is compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC and QZSS
signals in the L1, L2, L3, L5 and S bands. Each RF channel has an individual RF input
with the option to feed power to an active antenna.
The board also has an embedded GNSS receiver and an up-converter, or modulator,
which can provide connection to an external GNSS receiver.
Kosminis Vytis, kosminis-vytis.lt

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16 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024

Questions that Urgently Need Answers
by Lisa Dyer
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
GPS INNOVATION ALLIANCE
T
he Department of Defense
(DOD) shoulders an
enormous responsibility,
perhaps one whose
significance the world does not fully
grasp: the sheer number of military,
civil and commercial users, each with
hundreds of unique use cases, that
depend on the Global Positioning
System (GPS).
No other DOD-operated system
serves such a diverse array of users and
interests. From Special Operators to ship
and tank drivers, pilots and operators,
the military user base is expansive.
Civil users include first responders,
general aviators, and those supporting
the international flying public, whose
numbers are again setting records.
Additionally, countless average people
like you and me just “use it” in our daily
lives without considering how it works.
The ever-expanding commercial market
consists of $1.7 trillion in 2023 dollars in
economic benefits accruing to the U.S.
economy alone, millions of jobs, and
fierce global competition to produce the
“best of the best” of the 6.5 billion user
receivers in operation today.
With these users and interests in
mind, what does that mean for GPS’
future? It raises more questions than
answers — about policy, governance,
program execution and threats that
urgently need to be addressed:
■ What indicators will determine
whether the United States has met its
policy goal to be the global leader in
“service provision and the responsible
use of global satellite navigation systems,
including GPS and foreign systems?”
■ Building on this publication’s
previous articles, what constitutes a
GUEST COLUMN
Taking on a challenge
is a lot like riding a
horse, isn’t it? If you’re
comfortable while
you’re doing it, you’re
probably doing it
wrong.
— Ted Lasso
“Gold Standard” in 2024? Which users
determine this definition? How and
when do foreign global navigation
satellite systems’ capabilities factor into
this definition?
■ What funding levels ensure the
security, accuracy, availability and
resilience of GPS? In Fiscal Year 2022,
Congress provided more than $2 billion
for DOD to procure and conduct
research and development on GPS III
and IIIF satellites, procure military user
equipment, and upgrade the ground
architecture. In 2022, the Department
of Transportation received $22 million
for GPS resiliency and $92 million for
the Wide Area Augmentation System.
Is this level of funding sufficient to
bring innovative technologies to GPS?
■ Speaking of innovation, U.S. law
directs DOD to “sustain and operate”
GPS for military and civilian purposes.
How can innovative GPS technologies
|
JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
enot-poloskun / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
contribute to “sustain and operate”
missions?
■ Who should participate in decisions
regarding the timing of GPS upgrades
and satellite launches?
■ Where does the most accurate data
on cyber and other threats to GPS
satellites, ground stations, military and
civil user equipment, and commercial
receivers reside? Who evaluates that
data to determine the overall risks to
GPS? Should those risks be shared with
all users? How quickly will the most
severe risks be mitigated?
■ Do the Federal Communications
C om m iss i on , t he D e p ar t me nt
of Homeland Security, and the
Department of State have sufficient
resources to detect and prosecute
illegal and irresponsible spoofing and
jamming incidents in the United States
and overseas?
■ What is the earliest date the much-
anticipated L1C, L2C, and L5 signals
can be operational?
The GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA)
believes the U.S. government does not
have to shoulder such difficult and urgent
questions alone. GPSIA looks forward
to sharing insights while working with
government agencies and the wider user
community to answer these questions
and put in place executable plans to
address these challenges.
G P S W O R L D 17
 CHC Navigation
COVERSTORY

GNSS IN THE FIELDS

Precision Agriculture Increases Yields
and Reduces Inputs

P
recision agriculture — which enables growers to reduce inputs of water, fertilizers and pesticides by
matching them to variations in soil conditions, thereby reducing environmental impacts, increasing
yields and productivity, and reducing fuel consumption — is a prime use case for global navigation
satellite systems (GNSS). While the typical open sky conditions in the fields minimize concerns about
signal occultation and multipath, the accuracy requirements for this practice, particularly for certain
crops and planting techniques, can be very high. Challenges for receivers often include severe roll and
pitch due to bumpy terrain, the requirement to maintain exact heading at very low speeds, and the need
to receive corrections over very large areas.
Precision agriculture began more than 30 years ago — GPS World published a few issues of a special
supplement on the subject about 25 years ago — and now all tractors from major manufacturers come
equipped with a GNSS-based guidance system. Adoption has increased hand-in-hand with improvements
in enabling technologies. These include satellite-based and ground-based sensors, UAVs, geographic
information systems (GIS), and a plethora of GNSS corrections services (see “Corrections Services
Abound” in our January 2023 issue and “Understanding GNSS Correction Methods” on p. 28 of this issue).
In this month’s cover story, we present three recent developments in precision agriculture:
■ A joint venture between Trimble and AGCO.
■ Seirrowon using hardware and services products from u-blox.
■ CHC Navigation’s NX510 SE GNSS RTK auto-steering system.

— Matteo Luccio, EDITO R-I N- CH IEF

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18 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024

Trimble
Joint Venture Promises to Better Serve Farmers
n September 2023, Trimble announced an agreement to
form a joint venture (JV) with AGCO “to better serve
farmers with factory fit and aftermarket applications
in the mixed fleet precision agriculture market.” I
discussed the announcement with David Britton, vice
president of product management, Trimble Agriculture.
Your press release says “Trimble and AGCO’s shared vision
is to create a global leader in mixed fleet, smart farming,
and autonomy solutions.” What does mixed fleet mean in
this context?
That’s focused on the farmers’ ability to use any brand of
tractor or implement together. As you can imagine, there
are multiple OEMs in the market. One of the beliefs that
Trimble’s had, and that AGCO shares, and why this JV makes
sense, is that the farmers’ decisions around what technology
they use and the way that their farms operate shouldn’t be
inextricably tied to the brand of tractor that they use.
So, they could use an AGCO tractor, but with a GNSS
receiver that’s not from Trimble or vice versa?
More so that on their farm they could have equipment
from AGCO and other OEMs. In many cases, they’ll have
more than one tractor and multiple different implements.
Those machines can talk to each other and share the data.
Ideally, yes.
What will be the division of labor between Trimble and
AGCO? How will the interface work?
The JV will not be involved with any of the tractor
manufacturing, which will stay within AGCO. We’re going
to be focused on the precision ag technology that will go
into the tractor, help manage the implements, and complete
the work, as well as the data systems that underpin that.
Currently, Trimble Ag has capabilities on embedded
display software that are used to help manage activities in
the field and steer the vehicle. We also have cloud software
that allows farmers to manage their information and data
and work with other people in their ecosystem, as well as
many other things. That’s all going into the JV. Trimble will
supply GNSS technology to the JV, which is a foundation to
enable geolocating the information in the activities.
Then you have JCA Industries [which AGCO acquired
in 2022] that has been focused on implement control and
autonomy. So, the two businesses are complementary.
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
Trimble
TRIMBLE'S WeedSeeker 2 automatic spot spray system uses advanced
optics and processing power to detect and eliminate resistant weeds.
They are coming together to focus on higher technology
components and then work with both AGCO as well as
other manufacturers and the aftermarket to deliver smart
farming and autonomy solutions into the farm to help
farmers run their businesses and farms more efficiently.
Tell me more about the aftermarket.
One of the key things that we’ve seen historically, and we
expect the trend to continue, is that you’ll see innovation
happen in the aftermarket first, because it gives a chance to
rapidly iterate and learn before you go through the process
of putting it into the factory. We expect that we’ll have a
very healthy aftermarket business, as well as a portion of
the business where our technology will be factory-fit into
machines from both AGCO and other manufacturers,
because that’s been an important part of the Trimble
business. Being able to work with other OEMs to provide
important technologies will be a part of that story.
Are you still expecting the deal to close in the first half of 2024?
That’s still the target.
Will the JV sell anything or will it be totally transparent
to the user?
The JV will have its own channel to the aftermarket, as well
as people working with OEMs from a sales perspective. In
terms of branding, that’s something that’s being evaluated
right now. Ultimately, the JV will have a channel to the
See TRIMBLE, page 20. >>
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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 19
 PRECISION AGRICULTURE

TRIMBLE Who will collect, aggregate, analyze, and control the

<< Continued from page 19.
aftermarket and we also have our own relationships with
OEMs through which we will continue to sell. So, the
end customers should be aware that they’re purchasing
technology that has been built by the JV.
Under a name or branding that is still to be determined?
Yes.
Over time, the JV will become the main way for Trimble to
sell its precision ag equipment.
Correct. Trimble will go into the ag market primarily
through the JV.
Will Trimble also continue to sell to other OEMs other than
AGCO?
Trimble will sell ag equipment to other ag OEMs via the JV.
Does that mean that AGCO, through the JV, will sell
equipment to some of its competitors?
My understanding is they already have businesses that do
that currently. Their Precision Planting business works
with other OEMs as well as other businesses that they’ve
brought into the AGCO family. So, it’s not new for AGCO
to have a part of the business that is selling to OEMs in
some ways. Trimble has some experience with that as well.
We recognize that it’ll be important for our customers to
trust that their data is being managed appropriately. That
said, it’s a great way for other OEMs to have access to scale.
As we talk about what needs to happen for precision ag to
realize the opportunity that comes with technology, scale
is going to become increasingly important, which I think
is a part of why this JV is so exciting for both Trimble and
AGCO. Ultimately, it should be exciting for farmers as well
because it’s going to create a very well scaled business that
can help provide technology very effectively.
data? How will farmers access it?
We’ll continue to work with the end customers and to find
ways that we can ensure that they have the right access to and
ownership of their data, while also looking for ways that we
can use anonymized data to enhance product functionality.
Is that an opt in or an opt out?
The JV’s policy on that has not been determined yet.
For which crops or scenarios do you expect the greatest
adoption of the JV’s technology?
There are places where you see adoption of precision ag
technology more than others, in terms of larger scale farms
and high value crops. Ultimately, we take pride in being
a global business, which means that we’re thinking about
all areas of the globe, as well as multiple crop types. So,
every region has crops that are particularly important to
it. We try very much to build solutions that fit those local
markets, while also leveraging what we can from a scale
perspective. There isn’t one particular crop type or one
particular region that dominates our thinking at this point.
Trimble has its RTX correction service. Does AGCO have its
own?
Trimble will keep RTX but also make it available to the JV
and to AGCO, which does not have its own solution. So,
RTX is a very good fit. That’s one of the benefits you see
in the JV. We’ve already been working with them from
an RTX perspective on receivers that we’ve provided. So,
we’re more excited to continue that through the JV.
Will the JV come up with any new tiers for corrections?
The JV will work with Trimble to come up with what’s
right for the market. As you’ve seen RTX evolve over the
years, we’ll continue that process working with Trimble
to figure out the right tiers and the right solution for what
the farmers need.

CHC Navigation
Auto-steering Helps to Plant Corn, Soybeans, and Rice

C
HC Navigation’s NX510 SE
GNSS RTK auto-steering
system helps growers
around the world achieve
the precision required for specialized
planting operations.
Intercropping. Growing two or more
crops together in the same field, known
as intercropping, is a sustainable and
effective agricultural practice that is
being adopted worldwide to increase
yields. It is a bit counter-intuitive
because it forces the different crops
to compete for water, light, and
nutrients. However, if the plants
are carefully selected, their seeds are
correctly spaced, and their growth is
properly managed, it can be a recipe

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20 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024

for success. For example, legumes,
such as soybeans, which are good at
nitrogen-fixing, can provide nitrogen
to corn, thereby reducing the need for
additional nitrogen fertilizer and the
concomitant risk of chemical runoff.
Mixing these two plant species also
increases biodiversity and ecological
stability. However, if the seeding is
not planned carefully and executed
precisely, the corn’s tall stalks will shade
the soybeans’ short stems and reduce
their yields.
Mr. Chen, a farmer and president
of Agricultural Machinery in Anhui,
China, co-crops corn and soybeans in
the same field. To seed them precisely,
he relies on CHCNAV’s NX510, which
has a pass-to-pass accuracy of ±2.5 cm.
Prior to using an automated steering
system, his yields suffered because
his seed rows were not straight. The
system makes planting a simple task:
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
CHC Navigation
CHCNAV'S NX510 SE GNSS RTK auto-steering
system helps growers achieve the precision
required for specialized planting operations.
|
JANUARY 2024
the operator sets the row spacing for
crops and the tractor automatically
maintains it. Operators can also share
those patterns among multiple farm
machines, greatly increasing efficiency.
Growing rice. About half of the
world’s population — especially in
Asia, South America, and sub-Saharan
Africa — relies on rice as its staple food.
China is consistently ranked among
the top 10 rice-producing countries
due to its ability to cultivate it during
two to three rice-growing seasons per
year. Rice farmers around the world
share challenges, including resource
depletion due to soil degradation,
urbanization, the effects of climate
change, and a shrinking labor force,
especially skilled labor.
Every rice planting season is a race
against time and requires optimizing
efficiency, including executing precise,
See CHC NAVIGATION, page 22. >>
WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 21
 PRECISION AGRICULTURE

CHC NAVIGATION planted at consistent depths and in

<< Continued from page 21.
straight-line planting operations to
accurately align the new rice crop
with previously established rows of
seedlings. Any inaccuracy can sharply
reduce rice yields. This is a key concern
in China, which has only 0.02 hectares
of rice land per capita. It is also vital
to achieve sustainability and minimize
environmental impact.
In a recent application, the NX510
has been successfully integrated into
rice transplanters used to plant rice
seedlings in swampy soils in China.
It ensured that rice seedlings were
the correct vertical and horizontal
positions, promoting adequate
ventilation and optimal light exposure
for their subsequent growth.
NX510 SE. The NX510 SE utilizes
five satellite constellations — GPS,
GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS
— and multiple correction sources,
including 4G RTK networks and
UHF RTK stations. Its built-in 4G and
UHF modem connects to all industry-
standard DGPS and RTK corrections
and its terrain compensation
technology maintains high accuracy
even in challenging environments
and terrain. The receiver’s 10.1-inch
industrial display, operating on the
AgNav multilingual software, supports
multiple guidelines patterns, including
AB line, A+ line, circle line, irregular
curve and headland turn, to handle all
common farming operations.
The NX510 autosteering system
delivers significant productivity gains
at a cost accessible to nearly every farm,
making it suitable for retrofitting old
and new farm vehicles. An additional
advantage of autosteering is that it
enables growers to maintain the same
high level of accuracy when operating
at night, which is often required to
escape the oppressive daytime heat or
to meet tight schedules.

Seirrowon Labs
Installing a GNSS Receiver Without an Engineering Degree

I
asked Jason O’Flanagan, co-founder and CEO of
Seirrowon Labs — which specializes in robotic
vehicle control, electronics hardware and firmware
development — about the company’s collaboration
with u-blox on precision agriculture. Here are a few
excerpts from our conversation. For the full version,
go to https://www.gpsworld.com/seirrowon-full-
interview/.
I know you’re working with u-blox.
We’re using both hardware and services products from
u-blox. We’re using both their normal RTK receiver and
their sensor fusion GNSS receiver. We started looking
at u-blox, NovAtel, Trimble and Septentrio. However,
we settled on u-blox as its mix of services and hardware
were best suited to our business model. They provide a
fully unlocked, fully functional receiver out of the gate.
In the fixed crop, orchard situation, having as many
satellites as possible really helps with your position. So,
from a hardware standpoint, it was a perfect solution
for us. It allowed us to track up to 85 satellites at a time
(two channels each) in adverse conditions. Their sensor
fusion version, which is their ZED-F9R, allowed us to
fill in the gaps when the GNSS became unusable under
the tree foliage. The SL LITE is a generic RTK receiver,
the SL LITE-R includes sensor fusion, and the SL Pro
uses their L band receiver with the sensor fusion module.
What value do you add to u-blox’s modules?
All they give us is the raw GNSS. We add some IP
functionality and support. U-blox outputs its data in a
certain format, which is not applicable to the ag industry.
So, we map out the data to get it in the right format
that will work for a lot of the equipment that’s in the
marketplace.
Second, we added a support server to it so that it
backs up its settings to a remote server. So, if customers
go down, we can flash their replacement receivers and
overnight them back to them. The customers are also able
to turn on remote support where we can see the data from
the receiver and diagnose issues remotely. Our dealers
have the same access.
We’ve added a support mechanism into our hardware
that allows for better remote support without having to
wait hours for someone to get to the field or diagnose
an issue. We’ve also added remote updating for support
and software. So, the customer can update and add new
features remotely without us having to send someone
out to do that.
What is involved in installing your equipment on tractors,
combines, sprayers and so forth? What kind of support do you
provide? I assume you’re brand-agnostic.
We designed our receiver so that anyone can install it.
We took a lot of the complications out of it. We use

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22 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 PRECISION AGRICULTURE

industry standard Deutsch connectors and our device’s

Seirrowon
user interface is HTML. So, you can use any smartphone
or a laptop or any device that has WiFi in it to set up the
device. There’s no special software required, there are no
special cables; you just connect to it as if it were a hotspot.
You can set it up completely from there.
We’ve simplified everything to make sure that users
don’t need a degree in GNSS or in engineering to install
the receiver. It’s very straightforward. It has several
pre-configured profiles within it that allow you to take a
generic setup and say, “Hey, I’m putting you here,” so it
will default to all the correct settings. We really want to
make it as simple and straightforward as possible.

What is the typical use case for your technology?

We have a generalized solution that would be equivalent
to, say, a SMART7 from NovAtel. It’s designed for row
crop work out in the field and functionality within the
standard operations that you get for GNSS receivers
within agriculture. Our offering includes the LITE, which
is a generic RTK receiver and the LITE-R and PRO, which
use active sensor fusion to allow us to function better in
orchards and fixed crops that have obstructions to the sky.
SEIRROWON concentrates on the orchards and fixed crop market using
u-blox RTK and sensor fusion receivers.
I’m concentrating on the orchards and fixed crop
market because none of the main OEMs that are out
there doing GNSS are taking any time with that market,
so that’s where we see our niche.
 BATHYMETRY

Charting Uncharted Waters:

Bathymetry in Action
by Jesse Khalil, DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIS T

F
or centuries before sonar,
lidar and unmanned surface
vehicles (USVs), sailors would
measure depths by throwing a
line overboard with a lead weight at the
end — called a leadline — and record
its length to the seafloor. Mapping large
areas of the seafloor, therefore, required
thousands of these measurements.
However, even after extensive
measurement efforts, the acquired data
was often inaccurate or incomplete,
which forced navigators and surveyors
to estimate the seafloor’s bathymetry
until remote sensing was introduced
in the 1970s.
Since then, the growing need for
increasingly accurate and rapidly
available data has led to a worldwide
effort to develop sensors and alternative
techniques for measuring depths.
In the ongoing Florida Seafloor
Mapping Initiative (FSMI), the
Florida Department of Environmental
Protection tasked Woolpert Geospatial
Program with acquiring bathymetric
survey data using lidar technologies
to produce a comprehensive, publicly
available, high-resolution seafloor
surface model of Florida’s coastal
waters by 2026.
Similar initiatives across the
globe have kick-started innovations
in underwater data collection and
interpretation. In this feature, SBG
Systems, CHC Navigation (CHCNAV)
and Advanced Navigation describe
how they used modern hydrographic
surveying to aid defense departments,
produce 3D topographic maps, and
analyze the depth of The Great Blue
Hole in Belize.

SBG SYSTEMS
Exploring challenging waters miniature inertial
navigation
al

Advancements in hydrographic surveys can lead to the system (INS).

exploration of depths previously unknown. The Great The Ellipse
Blue Hole, located off the coast of Belize, is the largest was used to

marine sinkhole in the world, with a diameter of 300 m
and a depth of 125 m. This major scuba hotspot is part of
the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
Aquatica Submarines conducted an expedition survey
of the Blue Hole. For two weeks, a team of scientists,
explorers, and filmmakers collected survey data and
captured photos and videos of this geological wonder. It
is the first time in history that an expedition of this scale
was attempted at the Blue Hole.
The challenge: Finding submersibles
to equip with sonar
The expedition team chose two submarines to carry out
the survey: its Stingray 500 and the Roatan Institute of
Deepsea Exploration’s IDABEL. Both vessels can carry up
to three persons for a maximum of 12 hours.
Norwegian technology group Kongsberg’s dual-axis
sonar technology was used to create a 3D representation of
the sinkhole. The surface and submarine-mounted sonar
equipment were also equipped with SBG Systems’ Ellipse
SBG Systems
mark the Blue
Hole perimeterr
and scientists then
hen
processed the recorded AQUATICA SUBMARINES’ Stingray
d a t a u s i n g M S 1 0 0 0 500 submarine.
processing software.
Additional steps and results: Analyzing 3D sonar maps
A key outcome of the expedition is the creation of a
complete 3D sonar map of the Blue Hole using point-cloud
data collected by Kongsberg’s dual-axis sonar to create a
3D map of the site. The sonar was pole-mounted on the
survey vessel with the GPS receiver and motion reference
unit directly over the scanner’s head.
Sonar expert Mark Atherton from Kongsberg’s Canadian
subsidiary, Kongsberg Mesotech, was a key member of the
science-based sonar and data collection team. Atherton
operated the sonars aboard the Research Vessel Brooks
McCall, contributing to an invaluable high-resolution
map of the entire sinkhole.
“By understanding the geological history and geometric

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24 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024

structure at the Blue Hole, we can contribute new data to
the global scientific community studying sinkholes and
cenotes,” Atherton said.
The team was able to conduct more than 20 dives into
the large sinkhole, taking videos and 3D images during
each trip. They also completed a two-hour live broadcast
CHC NAVIGATION
Producing 3D Hydrodynamic Models flood model
Flood control structures — such as dikes, dams, spurs,
drainage channels, and floodways — are designed to
protect coastal and riverine areas of cities and farms and,
above all, the people who live there.
To prevent flooding in low-lying regions and support
national ecological protection and development strategies
in the Yellow River Basin in China, the Ministry of Water
Resources launched the “Digital Twin Yellow River
Construction Plan (2022-2025)” project. The Chinese
Bureau of Hydrology and Water Resources was tasked
with building a digital twin flood model based on part of
the country’s Yellow River, targeting the 28-km section
of the river basin.
Next Generation GNSS Technology
   
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JANUARY 2024
BATHYMETRY
featured on The Discovery Channel.
“What [the Great Blue Hole] tells us is that sea level rise
is not [always] a gradual process,” said Erika Bergman,
Aquatica’s chief pilot and oceanographer. “We carefully
measured the terraces and layers built up in the hole and
we can see that sea level rise can happen dramatically.”
The challenge: Building and designing a digital twin
The first step was to acquire 3D data underwater, on land,
and from the air. CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) provided its
Apache 6 and Apache 4 USVs to collect underwater data using
multi-beam and single-beam echo sounders. The AlphaUni
lidar system mounted on the BB4 UAV was used to gather the
land data. Finally, the team obtained aerial data using an oblique
photographic system from CHCNAV mounted on a UAV.
As a result, researchers obtained large-scale remote
sensing images, laser point clouds, terrain data, oblique
photography, CAD drawings, and BIM models.
CoPre software, a 3D laser scanning pre-processing
software that can process captured raw data, including POS
See CHC NAVIGATION, next page. >>
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WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 25
 BATHYMETRY

CHCNAV
CHC NAVIGATION
<< Continued from previous page.
trajectories, lidar data, and RGB images,
was used for the Tilt and DOM modeling.
CoProcess software, designed for reality
capture post-processing tasks and DEM/DTM
generation, generated high-precision DEM
models, a 3D representation of a ground surface
created from elevation data, with a point cloud
density of more than 50 points/m2 for the areas
above and below the water.

Additional steps THE SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS of the historical flood events on the third party software;
The remotely operated vehicles and based on the data collected by CHCNAV’s USV and UAV.
generated models obtained site data such
as climate records, flood maps, flow records,
hydrologic summaries, groundwater level records, water models for water bodies, particularly the Yellow River
quality, and resource data to use as the basis of the analysis. in China,” said Taxiya Wang, Business Development
The team also used historical flood information during Manager of Marine Survey at CHC Navigation. “This
the scoping phase to develop a conceptual model of the bathymetric surveying effort has laid the foundation for
flood mechanisms. Based on the actual flood records, a hydraulic models, flood maps, and customized applications,
third-party flood simulation platform was used to produce emphasizing the importance of up-to-date, high-quality
the entire flood process for the different years. data in watershed engineering and construction projects.”
The real-time flood extrapolation was processed on the
third-party software, which simulated steady and unsteady flow The result
patterns using hydrodynamic modeling algorithms. Based on the developed digital flood model, the next step
“Advancements in bathymetric surveying, incorporating for the digital watershed twin project is to collaborate with
cutting-edge technologies such as UAVs with lidar, USVs technical staff, experts, and users to create customized
with echo sounders, and high-precision positioning applications for watershed engineering and construction.
systems, have transformed the creation of digital twin The project is ongoing and will end in 2025.

ADVANCED NAVIGATION The challenge: Building a USV to assist defense forces

Surveying Wet Gaps
Defense departments are continuously looking to
improve the safety of military personnel and equipment
in conflict regions. With this aim, the UK Defense
Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) launched
its “Map the Gap” competition. It invited engineering
firms to design and build an unmanned surface vessel
(USV) capable of quickly, reliably, and safely surveying
wet gaps — including rivers, streams, canals, and
waterways — without putting engineers and other
personnel at risk. Commanders can then view the survey
data to determine the safest crossing points for troops
and equipment.
DSTL relied on Advanced Navigation’s Spatial FOG
Dual fiber optic gyroscope to conduct the hydrographic
surveying project.
Challenges in the project included measuring water depths
and flow rates, crossing lengths, river-bed topography, and
riverbank heights, as well as shape profiling and assessing
ground load handling capabilities. The vehicles also had
to be either remotely operated or fully autonomous and
deliver the collected data in a way that could be easily
interpreted for quick decision-making.
The survey required multiple sensor technologies
for simultaneous above- and below-water 3D surveys.
For above-water use, dual lidar sensors produce high-
resolution point clouds of the surrounding environment.
For below-water mapping, a sensor suite consisting
of a multibeam sonar, an Acoustic Doppler Current
Profiler/Doppler Velocity Log (ADCP/DVL), and a cone
penetrometer were used to measure current and water
flow as well as to test substrate density.
Ultrabeam Hydrographic won the DSTL competion. Its
team integrated multiple sensors into a single housing and

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26 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 BATHYMETRY

Advanced Navigation
selected the four-wheeled Axolotl vehicle for the second
phase of the project.

Additional steps
The team was in search of a GNSS/INS device capable of
dead-reckoning and maintaining accurate heading for
extended periods of time, which led them to Advanced
Navigation’s Spatial FOG Dual GNSS/INS.
Ultrabeam Hydrographic had previously been using
a MEMS-based solution that could maintain a suitably
accurate heading without GNSS for up to approximately
60 seconds. However, tests with the Spatial FOG Dual
showed that it could maintain an accurate heading for
more than 15 minutes.
“The MEMS can hold onto heading for maybe 30
seconds to a minute, accurately. After that, it’s not reliable,”
Gabriel Walton, Ultrabeam Hydrographic’s technical
director said. “We have used the Spatial FOG Dual in
certain circumstances where we went 10 to 15 minutes
without GNSS. I do believe it will go on for longer.”
The team integrated the Advanced Navigation solution
into their survey management and mission control
software. This allowed the Spatial FOG Dual to be used for
survey purposes and to provide motion data to the robot’s
AN EXAMPLE OF the highly detailed single-pass 3D survey output from
the Axolotl, showing features both above and below the water.
artificial intelligence (AI) for autonomous mission control
and object detection and avoidance.
The result
“Map the Gap” Phase 2 demonstrated that the Axolotl’s
mechanical design, sensor suite integration, extensive
use of AI for autonomous mission control, decision-
making and precise navigation can serve as a significant
advancement for bathymetric surveying.
Since “Map the Gap,” Ultrabeam Hydrographic has
deployed the Axolotl on commercial waterway survey
missions, such as surveying bridge sites and attaining a
clear understanding of riverbed and water conditions.

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 27
INSIDE THE BOX
Understanding GNSS
Correction Methods
A summary of the strengths and weaknesses of RTK, PPP, & SSR
signal correction methods, and when to use each
by Aaron Nathan
CEO AND FOUNDER
POINT ONE NAVIGATION
I
GNSS has transformed the way
both individuals and machines
n av i g at e a c ro s s t h e g l o b e ,
leading to a growing number of
organizations utilizing positioning
data in the development of products
and applications. GNSS technology
plays a crucial role in enabling
autonomous vehicles, robots, logistics
fleets, and emergency response systems
to accurately determine the precise
locations of places, people, and things
on Earth’s surface. As a result, routes are
not only more accurate and efficient,
but also safer.
As a satellite-dependent navigation
system, various atmospheric and
technological factors can impact
the accuracy and precision of GNSS
signals. These signals often need to be
corrected by receivers before they can
be used for positioning, and various
correction methods exist today to
achieve this. Each method has its own
advantages and disadvantages, catering
to diverse accuracy requirements and
application scenarios.
Five causes of GNSS signal
inaccuracies
When choosing the best GNSS
correction method for a specific
project, it is important to comprehend
signal errors and their underlying
causes. GNSS errors result from a
combination of elements, such as
ephemeris inaccuracies, disparities
28 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
in satellite clocks, conditions in the
ionosphere and troposphere, and
inconsistencies between various
s at e l l it e s y s te ms . E a ch s i g n a l
correction method addresses these
elements differently, resulting in pros
and cons that must be weighed before
selecting and implementing a solution.
1. Inaccurate ephemeris data
To calculate their position on Earth,
GNSS receivers need to know the
exact position in space of the satellites
they use. Satellite positioning and
orbital parameters are represented
in ephemeris data, but sometimes
this data is incorrect. Ephemeris
inaccuracies cause the receiver to not
know the satellites’ exact positions,
thereby degrading the accuracy of their
position calculation.
2. Differences in satellite clocks
Even the highly accurate atomic clocks
on GNSS satellites can introduce errors
in the timestamps receivers use to
calculate positions. The exceptionally
high speed at which GNSS satellites
|
JANUARY 2024
All images provided by the author
travel in space (approximately 7,000
mph) adds another layer of complexity
for these calculations, because even a
nanosecond of difference can lead to
substantial positioning errors.
3. Conditions in the ionosphere
The ionosphere, the outermost layer of
Earth’s atmosphere, consists of charged
particles that can affect the speed of light
and radio signals as they pass through
it. Fluctuations in solar radiation and
other ionospheric conditions can result
in delays or distortions in GNSS signals,
introducing measurement errors
that require correction for precise
positioning. Although the influence of
the ionosphere can result in significant
signal interpretation errors, correction
methods can effectively model and
account for them.
4. Conditions in the troposphere
We at he r, w h ich o cc u rs in t he
troposphere, the innermost layer
of Earth’s atmosphere, also impacts
GNSS signals as they travel from
satellites in space to receivers.
Temperature, humidity, and pressure
can affect the speed of light and
radio signals much like the charged
particles of the ionosphere, leading
to even more delays and distortion
in GNSS calculations. However,
because weather is highly localized,
tropospheric errors must be modeled
and corrected from a relatively close
distance to achieve the level of accuracy
needed for precise positioning.
5. Group delay (code bias)
GNSS satellites are operated by
different countries and organizations
around the world. While they are
generally aligned, minor discrepancies
in time references and frequencies exist
that can impact the accuracy of GNSS
positioning. This is known as group
delay or code bias and must also be
corrected to ensure that signals are
interpreted correctly.
Types of GNSS corrections
Understanding the origin of errors
is critical when selecting the optimal
GNSS signal correction method for
a particular product or application.
Each method has advantages and
disadvantages ranging in importance
depending on the application of GNSS
positioning.
Real-time kinematic positioning (RTK)
REAL-TIME KINEMATIC POSITIONING (RTK)
RTK YIELDS EFFICIENT and highly precise GNSS corrections but requires an extensive network
of base stations to support receivers across a large geographic area.
PRECISE POINT POSITIONING (PPP)
PPP PRODUCES ACCURATE signal corrections, but at a much slower speed than other solutions.
correction is widely regarded as the
best method for achieving precise
GNSS signal correction. It requires
setting up a base station with a GNSS
receiver at a very well surveyed location
near the target area (usually within
30-50 kilometers), which transmits
corrections to the end user’s GNSS
receiver (called the rover). The
proximity between the base station
and the rover mitigates the impacts of
signal errors. Any signal disparities that
do exist can be analyzed to measure
positional difference between the base
and the rover, enabling the latter to
|
JANUARY 2024
calculate its position very precisely.
However, classical RTK solutions
have a notable limitation: to achieve
corrections over wide areas they
require an extensive infrastructure of
base stations, which can significantly
escalate costs.
Therefore, RTK is best for autonomous
vehicles and consumer navigation and
sub-optimal for positioning applications
in remote areas.
Precise point positioning (PPP) utilizes
a limited number of highly precise
and accurate stations to correct GNSS
signals. The PPP algorithm divides the
responsibility for correction between
these stations and GNSS receivers. As
a first step, the PPP stations model
various known sources of error within
GNSS, such as ephemeris inaccuracies,
clock discrepancies, and group delay.
They then transmit this information
to GNSS receivers to conduct further
calculations based on local conditions
and refine the error estimation. By
combining the accumulated signal
data with the known error sources
provided by the PPP stations, GNSS
receivers gauge both global and
localized errors (including ionospheric
and tropospheric effects), ultimately
calculating the necessary signal
corrections for accurate positioning.
See UNDERSTANDING GNSS, page 30. >>
WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 29
INSIDE THE BOX
UNDERSTANDING GNSS
<< Continued from page 29.
STATE SPACE REPRESENTATION (SSR)
SSR IS THE BLEEDING EDGE of signal correction, resulting in precise corrections at a relatively
high speed.
Despite its high accuracy, the limited
number of existing PPP stations results
in a longer time for signal correction.
Using the PPP method, signal
correction may take approximately
20-25 minutes. Particularly challenging
conditions can further prolong the time
needed to correct the signal, as the
receiver independently calculates both
ionospheric and tropospheric effects.
PPP is best for heavy equipment
operating in open water or remote
locations and sub-optimal for consumer
GNSS receivers and autonomous vehicles.
The forefront of GNSS signal
correction technology today is state
space representation (SSR). In addition
to providing ephemeris, clock, and
code bias discrepancy data like PPP,
SSR offers valuable insights into other
signal accuracy factors, even the highly
localized interferences caused by the
ionosphere and troposphere.
Nonetheless, many GNSS receivers
lack the capability to effectively
process and convert this extensive
data into meaningful positions. To
address this challenge, SSR data can
be transformed into a virtual base
station (VBS), effectively simulating an
RTK base station for legacy receivers.
This bleeding edge method enables
the utilization of SSR data even
with conventional GNSS receivers,
expanding access to high-precision
30 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
positioning capabilities to more users.
SSR is best for the automotive and robotics
industries and sub-optimal for teams using
generic receivers.
Choosing a GNSS correction
method
Like all technology, GNSS correction
methods are constantly evolving,
making high-precision positioning
more accessible and reliable across a
wide range of applications. However,
to serve the increasing demands
o f o r g a n i z at i on s u s i n g G N S S
for applications requiring precise
positioning, correction methods must
be scalable, efficient and accurate.
Different methods for correcting
GNSS signals offer varying levels of
accuracy and suitability for specific
applications. As they select which is
best suited to their use case, users
Positioning
Method
accuracy
RTK Centimeter-level
PPP 5-10 cm
SSR 5-10 cm
TEAMS MUST THOROUGHLY EVALUATE each correction method and understand how speed, accuracy,
and required hardware may impact their use case.
|
JANUARY 2024
must prioritize their needs, as well
as the benefits and trade-offs of each
correction method. RTK produces
fast, hyp er-accurate results in
developed areas but can be expensive
to deploy in areas without the proper
infrastructure. PPP methodology
enables users in remote locations to
access precise positioning information
but can take a substantial amount
of time. SSR is powering some of
the most innovative applications
in technology today, but is not as
accessible as other methods due to the
limitations of legacy receivers.
Once they have assessed cost, speed
and accessibility, developers can select
the GNSS correction method that is
best for their product or application.
As this continued innovation in
the GNSS space increasingly helps
organizations overcome challenges
in signal correction, it will be
interesting to see what new cutting-
edge technology develops to shape
the future of our world.
AARON NATHAN, the founder and CEO of Point
One Navigation, is an entrepreneur and technical
leader with more than a decade of experience
in cutting edge robotics and critical software/
hardware development. He has led multi-
disciplinary teams building complex systems in
financial, defense, and enterprise markets and
has founded two venture-backed startups. He
has deep domain experience in sensor fusion,
computer vision, navigation and embedded
systems, specifically in the context of self-
driving vehicles and other robotic applications.
Correction time Hardware required
Dense base station
5 seconds
network
20-25 minutes Sparse base station
network
Virtual base station
10-30 seconds or specifically-
designed receiver
 QZSS | DIRECTIONS 2024
The Status of QZSS
by Motohisa Kishimoto
SENIOR COORDINATOR, QZSS STRATEGY OFFICE, NATIONAL SPACE POLICY SECRETARIAT, CABINET OFFICE, GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN

All images provided by the author

FIGURE 1. System expansion of QZSS.

Space Policy and QZSS Plan
The Cabinet Office (CAO), which
has been developing a seven-satellite
constellation (7SV-const.) for QZSS,
revised its new basic space policy plan
in June. It decided that the number of
QZSS satellites should be increased
from seven to 11 to improve the
stability and reliability of this social
infrastructure by securing a backup
function for its coming full-scale use,
increasing the convenience of high-
precision positioning services, and
decreasing the dilution of precision
(DOP).
a four-satellite constellation (4SV-
const.) with the goal of building a
7SV-const. in the future. The budget
was approved in JFY2012 to promote
this as a national project.
In 2017, QZS-2, 3, and 4 were
successfully launched and a four-
satellite constellation was established.
On Nov. 1, 2018, QZSS officially began
service. On Oct. 26, 2021, the successor
to the first MICHIBIKI was launched.
Development is under way to
sequentially launch three additional
satellites for the 7SV-const. from
JFY2023 to JFY2024, depending on the
development status of the H3 launch
vehicle.
To improve resilience for more stable

Brief History of QZSS

S i n c e 2 0 0 6 , M E X T • JA X A ,
MIC, METI, and MLIT have
collaborated to develop the world’s
first centimeter-level positioning
satellite. In September 2010, the
first QZS satellite, MICHIBIKI, was
launched. In September 2011, the
cabinet approved a plan to build FIGURE 2. QZSS services.

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 31
DIRECTIONS 2024 | QZSS
positioning and reduced DOP, CAO
has started to study of the expansion of
the constellation from seven satellites
to 11 (see Figure 1).
Service Overview
The 4SV-const. is operating to provide
a GPS complementary service, a GNSS
augmentation service, a sub-meter
level augmentation service (SLAS), a
centimeter level augmentation service
(CLAS), MADOCA-PPP, SBAS and a
messaging service (see Figure 2).
System Overview
The QZSS constellation consists of one
GEO satellite, QZS-3, and three QZO
satellites in inclined geostationary
synchronous orbit (IGSO).
In the performance of its PNT
service, QZSS’ signal-in-space user
range error (SIS-URE) far exceeded
its specification. Evaluation results
are shown in the table below. The
evaluation period was Aug. 1, 2022 –
July 31, 2023. The specification is less
than 2.6 m (95%).
Performance of QZSS PNT service.
To w a r d S e v e n -S a t e l l i t e
Constellation
The three additional satellites will
be placed on an IGSO, a GEO at a
longitude of 90.5° east and a quasi-
geostationary orbit at a longitude of
175° west. This constellation aims to
make more than one satellite at a high
elevation angle visible, to make more
than four satellites visible for a long
time, and to get a better DOP.
Table 1 shows the positioning signals
of a 7SV-const. QZS 5-7 transmit on
L1C/B. (After QZS-5 service starts, the
signal of QZS1R will be switched from
32 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
L1C/A to L1C/B.)
QZS5-7 development is underway,
with system-level tests, including
vibration tests, currently in progress.
QZS-1R was successfully launched
in October 2021 and started service
in March 2022. It replaced the first
MICHIBIKI satellite, QZS-1, which
was retired and re-orbited.
QZSS antenna patterns for SSV
users were published in August,
i n a c c o r d a n c e t o I C G WG - B
recommendation, “Release of GNSS
Transmit Antenna Patterns including
side Lobes,” submitted on Dec. 11,
2019 (qzss.go.jp/en/technical/antenna-
patterns.html).
QZSS Satellite Information for POD
users was also updated here: qzss.go.jp/
en/technical/qzssinfo/index.html.
At the end of August, a QZSS ground
system, capable of operating 7SV, was
completed. It has two master control
stations — Hitachi-Ota and Kobe; 10
satellite tracking and control stations,
mainly located in the south-western
islands; and more than 30 monitoring
stations around the world with the
cooperation of each host country.
The following additional services
will start around 2024:
(a) PNT Service: users will obtain a
TABLE 1. QZSS’ positioning signals.
|
JANUARY 2024
position, velocity, and timing solution
by using ranging signals provided by
7SV-const. The navigation message
authentication will be added to LNAV,
CNAV (L2C), and CNAV2 message
from JFY 2024 (April 2024).
(b) MADOCA-PPP Service: MADOCA-
PPP will cover a major part of the
eastern hemisphere and provide PPP
error corrections on the L6 signal. A
trial service started in September 2022
and operational service will start in
April 2024.
(c) Expanded DC Report, Early/Emergency
Warning Satellite Service (EWSS): In
addition to the current DC report service
generated by the Japan Meteorological
Agency, another disaster-related
information source called L-alert and
J-alert such as evacuation orders will
be delivered for only domestic users
after JFY2024. Similar information
for the Asia-Oceania region may be
broadcast after JFY2024 as EWSS as
demonstrations in cooperation with
partners in the region.
MADOCA-PPP
MADOCA-PPP is a multi-GNSS
advanced orbit and clock augmentation

FIGURE 3. MADOCA-PPP will cover a major part of the eastern hemisphere and provide PPP error corrections on the L6 signal.
PPP that enables high precis e
positioning by correcting some GNSS
errors. MADOCA-PPP provides two
levels of service: global PPP and fast
PPP with ionospheric correction.
(a) Global PPP
G l o b a l P P P i s h i g h l y p re c i s e
positioning service where QZSS L6E
signals can be received.
Global PPP ser vice provides
corrections of satellite-dependent
errors (orbit, clock, code/phase bias)
by QZSS L6E signals.
(b) Fast PPP with Ionospheric Correction
This service provides faster PPP
using observation data from regional/
nationwide continuously operating
reference st at ions (C ORS). In
addition to global PPP, regional error
corrections (ionospheric corrections)
FIGURE 4. MADOCA-PPP trial service results.
DIRECTIONS
2024
will be provided by QZSS L6D (QZS-6 December 2022 using IGS monitoring
and 7) signals. station.
MADOCA-PPP trial service has Better initial convergence time
been in operation since September than the defined specification and
2022, for the Asia Pacific region approximately 10 cm of accuracy are
(see Figure 3). The operational service confirmed.
will start no later than JFY2024.
For MADOCA’s stable operation, QZNMA
MIRAI, a GNSS monitoring station The QZSS Navigation Message
network, was released in April 2022. Authentication service (QZNMA) will
As f u r t he r f u nc t i on , t he
ionospheric correction data
will be broadcast to reduce
initial convergence time from
JFY2024 as an experiment.
MADOCA-PPP service was
defined and described on PS-
QZSS 003, published on March
17, 2022: qzss.go.jp/en/technical/
ps-is-qzss/ps-is-qzss.html.
Figure 4 shows MADOCA-
PPP performance results in
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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 33
 DIRECTIONS
2024
FIGURE 5. QZNMA system architecture.
FIGURE 6. QZSS applications.
launch in JFY2024 to enhance resilience
against spoofing attacks (see Figure 5).
Nav i g at i on me ss age s i n t he
following signals are authenticated by
using an elliptic curve digital signature
algorithm (ECDSA P256).
(a) QZSS signals (L1C/A(C/B), L1C,
L5) are directly protected by self-
authentication.
34 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM
(b) GNSS signals (GPS: L1C/A, L1C,
L5, Galileo: E1b, E5a) are protected by
cross-authentication (L6E).
The interface specification (IS-
QZSS-SAS-001) (draft-002) is now
available here: qzss.go.jp/en/technical/
ps-is-qzss/is_qzss_sas_agree.html. Test
transmission of QZNMA using L6E
started at the end of July.
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JANUARY 2024
QZSS Applications
Finally, current QZSS applications are
shown in Figure 6. As of September,
approximately 425 products are
compatible with QZSS. It can be used for
new applications such as autonomous
driving, UAV operations and buoys
for real-time ocean tide monitoring.
The CAO expects that additional
applications and devices using QZSS
will be developed in the future.
 MARKET
MAPPING WATCH 2
CAPSIZED BOATS and damaged buildings in Suzu City, Japan after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on
Jan. 1, 2024.
Massive Earthquake Shifts
Land in Japan
A
series of powerful earthquakes
hit western Japan on Jan. 1,
killing at least 55 people and
damaging thousands of buildings,
vehicles, and boats, reported CNN. As
of Jan. 2, Japanese officials warn more
Hexagon and Pitkin County Update Dispatch, Emergency
H
exagon’s Safety, Infrastructure
& Geospatial division has
partnered with Pitkin County
Regional Emergency Dispatch Center
to upgrade its digital mapping and
response for 911 calls in Colorado’s
mountain tourist destination.
By using HxGN Connect software,
Pitkin County can bring modern
mapping capabilities to its computer-
aided dispatch (CAD) system, as well as
incorporate Smart Advisor, Hexagon’s
assistive artificial intelligence solution.
Pitkin County, home of Aspen and
its four major ski areas, hosts 1.5
Segment Snapshot:
Applications, Trends & News
earthquakes could lie ahead.
Aftershocks continued to shake
Ishikawa Prefecture and nearby areas
after the initial magnitude 7.6 temblor
struck the area.
According to Japan’s Geospatial
million tourists per year. The upgrades
will improve emergency response
capabilities for major events such as
the X Games and the JAS Aspen music
festival, the company says.
The cloud-based solution, hosted
in Microsoft Azure, is designed to
map 911 calls and conduct long-term
resource planning. Smart Advisor
will work in the background to help
dispatchers and first responders
connect related incidents and provide
geofencing to concentrate resources
on large events. Officials plan to
expand the system to take advantage
|
JANUARY 2024
Information Authority (GSI), the
Maxar Technologies
earthquake may have shifted land in the
Noto region near the peninsula, where
the ocean floor shifted and generated
tsunami waves of about 80 cm in height.
GSI said preliminary figures indicate that
an observation point in Wajima City in
Ishikawa Prefecture, which moved about
1.3 meters west, saw the biggest shift.
Land appears to have shifted about 20
cm to the northwest in the prefectures of
Toyama and Niigata. Several centimeters
of land shifts were also observed in the
Kanto-Koshin region.
Scientists have also been keeping an
eye on Japan from space, comparing
satellite images taken before and after
the earthquake.
On its latest pass, the ALOS-2
spacecraft reported the distance between
itself and the ground had shortened as
Earth’s surface had risen up under the
force of the tremor.
Fortunately, the uplift may have
lessened the impact of the waves when
they arrived at the shoreline, said GSI.
GSI plans to continue analyzing the
data for other movements.
rodehi / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
of its cross-organization collaboration
capabilities by potentially linking the
county’s CAD system with the fire
department’s network of mountaintop
smoke detectors and the Department
of Public Works’ snowplows.
WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 35
 MARKET WATCH

valio84sl / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

MAPPING 2
savvy navvy,
ProtectedSeas Enhance
Marine Navigation
s avvy navvy has partnered with ProtectedSeas to bring
ProtectedSeas Navigator data to boaters through the
savvy navvy app.
After eight years of research and development, boaters
and watersport users worldwide can now have access to
comprehensive data and resources of ocean regulatory
information, including marine protection areas, through
the savvy navvy app.
ProtectedSeas Navigator provides boaters with 22,000
marine protected and managed areas around the world.
These areas include speed-limit zones to protect marine
mammals, fisheries management areas, and more.
ProtectedSeas compiles marine protection information
into the Navigator database of marine protected areas
(MPAs). It collects both large and small amounts of data and
created the first public digital maps for more than 2,400 areas.
Savvy navvy – which the company refers to as “Google
Maps for boats”– is an award-winning boat navigation app.
It integrates multiple sustainable data sources from different
conservation agencies and bodies.
Since launching its first global view of marine life
protections, ProtectedSeas has been complemented by
several industry-renowned leaders and bodies, including
the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA); Dr. Sylvia Earle, American marine biologist and
oceanographer; and Gavin Newsom, governor of California.
Some ProtectedSeas data is already available in the savvy
navvy app, with more to follow in 2024.

Trimble Partners with HALO Trust for Landmine Clearance

in Ukraine Dispatch, Emergency Communications

T
rimble has partnered with HALO
Trust, a landmine-clearing non-
profit organization, to help
expand its demining operations across
Ukraine.
T h e g r a n t f r o m t h e Tr i m b l e
Fo u n d a t i o n Fu n d w i l l fo c u s o n
strengthening HALO Trust’s ability
to locate and remove landmines,
unexploded ordnance, and other
explosive hazards from civilian areas
to create safer communities. In
addition, it will allow HALO to support
the Ukrainian national authorities in
Trimble
planning and coordinating landmine
clearance activities by streamlining
the mapping and data flow from the
operational teams in the field to the
national database.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has
left areas of the country contaminated
with landmines, unexploded ordnance
and improvised explosive devices.
T h e s e h a z a rd s b l o c k a cce s s t o
farmland, impede reconstruction
efforts, prevent displaced persons
from returning to their homes and
continue to hinder the safety of
Ukrainian civilians. The Ukrainian
government estimates that 174,000
km 2 of the country’s land may be
contaminated.
More than a thousand HALO staff
members are active daily, both to clear
explosives in critical priority areas
and to recruit and train hundreds
communities safe from dangerous
weapons left behind.
Surveying and mapping technology
has played a significant role in the
success of HALO’s operations around
the world, including in Ukraine. Over
the past six years, Trimble R1 and
Trimble R2 GNSS receivers along with
Esri ArcGIS Survey123 software have
been used by HALO to identify and
clear landmines.
Tr i m b l e ’ s G e o s p a t i a l a n d
Positioning Services businesses
provided HALO with a new deployment
of 255 high-precision Trimble DA2
GNSS receivers with Trimble Catalyst
corrections service, allowing HALO to
modernize and transform its landmine
clearance operations by providing
improved accuracy for more detailed
maps, streamlined data flows and
increased operational efficiency and

of new staff members to help keep safety.

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36 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 MARKET WATCH

MACHINE CONTROL 2

metamorworks / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

Trimble, Sabanto
Enhance Autonomous
Tractor Performance
T
rimble and Sabanto have partnered to integrate
Trimble’s BX992 dual antenna with Trimble
CenterPoint RTX into Sabanto’s autonomous
solutions. By using Trimble’s BX992 GNSS receiver and GEODNET, DST
Enhance Precision
satellite-delivered Trimble CenterPoint RTX corrections
service, Sabanto’s autonomous solutions can now
receive centimeter-level L-Band corrections across the
globe. The integration aims to provide users with precise Agriculture in Rural
positioning, which can result in greater productivity,
minimize downtime and alleviate workforce shortages North America

D
through autonomous vehicles.
In addition to RTX corrections, Trimble will offer eep Sand Technology (DST), an autosteering
correction stream-switching, which allows farmers to and precision agriculture company, and the
automatically switch from IP to satellite seamlessly to GEODNET Foundation have partnered to
provide the best signal in a variety of environments. bring precision agriculture real-time kinematic
(RTK) services to rural North America.
roman023 / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

GEODNET-compatible RTK bases will be immediately

available, which support centimeter-accurate operations
without the need to install an ultra-high frequency (UHF)
radio link.
The partnership between DST and GEODNET aims
to offer affordable high-accuracy RTK-based GPS access
into key U.S. agricultural and rural areas for precision
agriculture, advanced cruise control systems, automated
highway trucking operations and eco-friendly robotic
lawnmowers.

OEM 2
Qualcomm Organization (ISRO), said the for location, faster time-to-first fix
Chipsets Support collaboration will accelerate the position collection and location-
NavIC L1 Signals adoption of NavIC and enhance
geolocation capabilities for use
based services, the company said.
Additional support for the NavIC

Q ualcomm Technologies will

now support India’s Navigation
and Indian Constellation (NavIC)
recently launched L1 signals in select
chipset platforms.
The company, which is working
with the Indian Space Research
in mobile, automotive and IoT
applications.
Qualcomm will offer a solution
based on its Location Suite, which
supports as many as seven satellite
constellations simultaneously. These
include all NavIC’s L1 and L5 signals
L1 signals will be available in select
chipset platforms starting in the
second half of 2024, the company
said. However, commercial devices
that support NavIC L1 signals will
not be available until the first half of
2025, according to the company.

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 37
 MARKET WATCH

United States Geological Survey (USGS)

SURVEYING 2

USGS, Dewberry Release

Precision Lidar Map of
Potomac River
T
he United States Geological Survey (USGS) and
Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm,
have jointly released a new topobathymetric lidar dataset
for the Potomac River, extending from the Potomac Highlands
in West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
The survey was conducted using the Teledyne Optech
CZMIL SuperNova lidar system, which allowed Dewberry to
successfully survey a 55-mile (88.5 km) stretch of the Potomac
River, spanning from Hancock, Maryland to Shepherdstown,
West Virginia. The survey resulted in the acquisition of 33
km² of submerged topobathymetric lidar data.
Project deliverables included a 3D point cloud and
topobathymetric digital elevation models (DEMs) for
TOPOBATHYMETRIC DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL of the confluence of the
Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
the surveyed river section. This project, the second for
the Potomac River, builds on the first, which covered the
area from Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to the Little
Falls dam near Washington, D.C. The generated maps
are designed to serve as a valuable tool for predicting
oil spill presence and movement in the Potomac River,
supporting the mission of the Interstate Commission
on the Potomac River Basin to safeguard the waters and
resources of the Potomac River basin through science,
regional cooperation and education.

TRANSPORTATION 2
Skydio, Trimble Integrate GNSS Technologies for Construction, Utilities,
Transportation Agencies
S kydio has entered a to prevent failures.
mailfor / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

strategic collaboration Under the collaboration,

with Trimble to create an
integrated workflow of
accurate data capture,
visualization and analytics.
The workflow is designed to
address the needs of critical
infrastructure industries
such as surveying, mapping
and inspections.
The collaboration aims
to offer users centimeter-
level accuracy in surveying
and mapping projects by
integrating Skydio autonomous UAVs
with Trimble GNSS receivers and
software. The technology can be used
by construction and utility companies,
as well as state transportation
agencies, to streamline workflows for
greater precision and project efficiency.
When bridge or utility site
inspections need to scale, the Skydio
and Trimble integration can be used
to collect comprehensive data and
improve the necessary workflow to
identify issues early and take action
users are provided an
automated, API-based
integration that enables
seamless transfer of aerial
imagery and metadata from
Skydio Cloud to Trimble
Industry Cloud. It accelerates
the conversion of reality-
capture data into actionable
insights to improve efficiency.
The X10 UAV is also fully
compatible with Trimble’s
GNSS receivers, allowing
mutual users to achieve survey-grade
accuracy in mapping missions when
employing Skydio alongside Trimble’s
base stations and receivers. Beyond
RTK, users will also be able to conduct
PPK-based corrections post-flight.

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38 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 MARKET WATCH

DEFENSE 2

Turkish Armed Forces Adds UAV

to Reconnaissance Capabilities

T
he Turkish Armed Forces have of six hours with a gas

added the BAHA autonomous
sub-cloud UAV to their
reconnaissance capabilities. The UAV
can be used for tracking, detection, area
protection, intelligence and electronic
warfare.
The BAHA, developed by Turkish
defense company Havelsan, is an
independent sub-cloud UAV equipped
with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)
capabilities. It has complete autonomy
in mission execution and allows for the
integration of diverse payloads.
With the ability to execute missions
at altitudes of up to 15,000 ft, the
BAHA has a maximum flight duration
Havelsan
engine and covers a range
of up to 80 km. It also
features a 5-kilogram
payload capacity and a
3.7-meter wingspan.
The system, designed for
quick deployment by two
individuals and operation
by a single person, can
be mission-ready within
minutes, according to
Havelsan. Havelsan has achieved export
Tested in various regions, challenging success with the BAHA in Africa and
climates, and operational conditions, Central Asia this year. After successful
the system has been improved based tests, it is now available for domestic
on feedback from security forces. use by security forces.

BAE Systems Enhances GPS Technology

for Eurofighter Typhoon

B
AE Systems’ digital GPS anti-jam receiver (DIGAR) has entered the next
phase of the Phase 4 Enhancements (P4E) capability program for the ADVERTISER INDEX:
Eurofighter Typhoon. IDIGAR is designed to enhance the Typhoon’s
ability to withstand GPS signal jamming, spoofing and radio frequency (RF) COMPANIES FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
Editor’s Note: This ad/edit index is for reader
interference, ensuring optimal mission execution in challenging RF environments. convenience only. The publisher accepts no
The receiver uses advanced responsibility for errors or omissions.
antenna electronics, high-
performance signal processing and ADVERTISER PAGE(S)
digital beamforming for improved CAST NAVIGATION 5
GPS signal reception and jamming
immunity, which aim to increase CHC NAVIGATION 23
BAE Systems

the level of GPS jamming protection.

ETHERWHERE 25
These capabilities are critical for
combat aircraft as they maneuver GPS NETWORKING 21
through a contested battlespace.
In recent years, BAE Systems delivered the first Eurofighter Typhoon fighter NOVATEL BACK COVER
aircraft to the Royal Air Force of Oman and the Italian Air Force officially received
RACELOGIC 7
its final Eurofighter Typhoon, which completed its order for 21 aircraft.
In addition to Typhoon, DIGAR is also installed on the F-16, F-15, and other SAFRAN FEDERAL SYSTEMS INSIDE FRONT COVER
special-purpose aircraft in the U.S. such as air interdiction and force protection
platforms, intelligence, surveillance or reconnaissance aircraft and UAVs. SBG SYSTEMS 27

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 39
 MARKET WATCH

guvendemir / E+ / Getty Images

DEFENSE 2

Beyond the Frontlines:

The Far-Reaching Effects of Electronic Warfare

E
lectronic warfare in the Middle East and Ukraine
is affecting air travel far beyond the battlefields,
unnerving pilots and revealing unintended
consequences of a tactic that experts believe will become
more widespread, reported the New York Times.
Planes are losing satellite signals, flights have been
diverted and pilots have received false location reports or
inaccurate warnings that they were flying close to terrain,
according to European Union safety regulators and an
internal airline memo viewed by the New York Times. The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also warned
pilots about GPS jamming in the Middle East.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, radio
frequency interference only continues to increase across
the Middle East as of autumn 2023. These interferences
can involve jamming global navigation satellite system
(GNSS) signals to obstruct or block them using noise, or
mimicking signals to trick GNSS receivers into picking up
counterfeit signals, known as spoofing.
Aircraft systems have been unable to detect GPS spoofing
and ultimately correct for it. According to Opsgroup, an
organization that monitors changes and risks in the aviation
industry, one Embraer jet bound for Dubai nearly veered
into Iranian airspace in September before the pilots figured
out the plane was chasing a false signal.
“We only realized there was an issue because the
autopilot started turning to the left and right, so it was
obvious that something was wrong,” crew members
reported to Opsgroup.
Issues Arise
With the rise of electronic warfare, the strain on aviation
could be a sign of more serious economic and security
issues.
The U.S. government calls GPS signals “an invisible
utility.” Smartphones, cars, stock exchanges, data centers
and countless industries rely on them for time, navigation,
or both. There are three other GNSS — Russia’s GLONASS,
Europe’s Galileo, and China’s BeiDou — and two regional
systems — Japan’s QZSS and India’s NavIC. One study from
Britain said that a five-day disruption of satellite signals
could cost the country $6.3 billion.
Minor interference with GPS signals is fairly common.
GPS jamming devices, while illegal to use, are inexpensive
and easy to obtain from vendors on the internet.
Governments, too, have been more willing to overtly
interfere with signals as a tactic in electronic warfare.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3RKajZ5.

software that combines data from

Vigilant Aerospace Secures Military Contract aircraft transponders, radar, UAV
to Develop Detect-and-Avoid System autopilots and live Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) data to create a

V
igilant Aerospace Systems has
been awarded a contract by the
U.S. Air Force to develop a detect-
and-avoid system for the Air Force’s
new long-endurance UAV.
Vigilant Aerospace Systems
According to the project description,
the objective is to “integrate a mature
detect-and-avoid capability on an
existing long-endurance, Group V
UAS platform, for increased aircraft
and pilot-in-the-loop operational
awareness that leverages new and
evolving C-SWaP sensors and sensor
fusion software.”
The project, sponsored by the Air
single picture of the airspace around
a UAV. It displays air traffic, predicts
trajectories, and provides avoidance
commands to the remote pilot or
autopilot. The system can be used on
the ground or onboard UAVs and can be
configured for any size of aircraft.
T h e co m p a ny h a s co m p l e t e d
contracts with NASA, the FAA, and a
project with the USAF’s 49th Operating

Force Research Lab (AFRL), is a Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Phase II project through the SBIR
program. FlightHorizon is detect-
and-avoid and airspace management
Group’s MQ-9 Reaper fleet to track
training flights. It is designed to meet
industry technical standards and help
UAS operators fly beyond visual line-
of-sight (BVLOS).

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40 G P S W O R L D WWW.GPSWORLD.COM JANUARY 2024
 MAPPINGMARVEL
Modeling Pompeii: A New Era of

All Images: Allison Emmerson

Tech-Driven Collaboration in Archaeology

A
t the edge of Pompeii, along a city gate
known as the Porta Nocera, professor Allison
Emmerson of Tulane University directs a team of
archaeologists. The famous Roman city, frozen
in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted and covered it with
ash, continues to reveal new insights to archaeologists
nearly 275 years after the site was first discovered.
Within a building long believed to be a home around
2,000 years ago, the team unearthed a different story
— one unraveling traces of economics, urban design,
and social life among an elite and a lower class. To
tell the story, Emmerson and her team have created a
location-aware digital twin of the excavation site, which
ARCHAEOLOGISTS USE LIDAR to densely sample the surface of the
Pompeii I.14 site, producing highly accurate x,y,z measurements that
incorporates 2D maps, smart maps and 3D models.
provide the foundation for the digital twin.
The team is also able to share live data via a fully digital
workflow using iPad Pros and Apple Pencils.
photography, and a technique called structure-from-
Revolutionary Documentation with motion photogrammetry to create a base map and 3D
base model of the site. They then used tablets loaded with
Mobile App Workflows GIS apps to layer data over that 3D base model to avoid
The latest geographic information system (GIS) technology
information destruction.
allows Emmerson’s team to digitize everything they
Using ArcGIS Survey123, the team can share data on-
unearth at Porta Nocera, Region I, Insula 14 as part of the
site and implement paperless workflows. That data also
Pompeii I.14 Project run by Tulane.
can be linked to digital ArcGIS dashboards to keep track of
The team first used UAV imagery, terrestrial
progress and foster collaboration during the excavation.

Interpreting the Dig Site

UAV IMAGERY DRAPED over the lidar data provides a photorealistic
surrogate of the Pompeii I.14 Project site, which serves as the
centerpiece for project data collection.
Emmerson and her team determined that the structure
they initially uncovered was used for commercial activity
such as shopping and dining. Meanwhile, an elite residence
was located right next door and the two buildings shared
resources.
The Pompeii I.14 Project is ongoing. Once it is complete,
the data will be incorporated into a larger digital twin from
the Pompeii Bibliography and Mapping Project (2017)
led by Eric Poehler, an associate professor of Classics at
the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It also will be
added to Pompeii’s central archaeology database and be
available to policy makers, educators, archaeologists and
the public.

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JANUARY 2024 WWW.GPSWORLD.COM G P S W O R L D 41
SEEN HEARD
MAPPING THE MELTING GNSS ENHANCES LANDSLIDE MONITORING
ARCTIC IN CHINA
According to the 2023 Researchers from Chang’an University in
Arctic Report Card by China have developed a new method of
the National Oceanic tracking landslides. The team combined GNSS
and Atmospheric precise point positioning (PPP) techniques
Administration (NOAA), with a cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM)
new records have been method. Conducted at the Tengqing landslide
documented showing that in Liupanshui, Guizhou Province, Southwest
human-induced warming China, the study aims to enhance the
of the atmosphere, ocean and land is creating adverse precision in tracking the movements of the
impacts on people, ecosystems and communities landslides and improve the overall reliability
across the Arctic region. The report states the Arctic is of the monitoring results.
experiencing a faster rate of warming than any other
part of the world. Overall, it was the Arctic’s sixth-
warmest year on record. Sea ice extent continued to
decline, with the past 17 Septembers now registering
as the lowest on record.

INDIA’S WAR
ON DRUGS
India’s border
security force
(BSF) has said
it is battling an
unprecedented
UAV “menace”
infiltrating the
border with
CRABS ON THE MOVE Pakistan, fueling the drug crisis in the
Georgia officials are asking the public for help in spotting non-native blue land state of Punjab and raising serious
crabs as they appear to be moving north in recent years, according to data security issues, reported The Guardian.
collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). According to USGS, it is UAVs have dropped weapons such
unclear whether this movement is driven by humans or by the crabs themselves, as pistols and Chinese-made assault
or if the crabs are breeding in their non-native homes. Officials worry about the rifles, as well as consignments of
damage caused by the crabs’ burrowing behavior. While scientists learn about opium and heroin believed to be from
how the species interacts with its new environment, several states are asking Afghanistan.
residents to report sightings.

PHOTO CREDITS: Arctic , TT / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images • landslides, pananba / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images • UAV , evandrorigon / E+ / Getty Images •
map, United States Geological Survey (USGS)

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INNOVATION DIRECTIONS
2023
ESA Pinpoints
GPS III Satellites Galileo, BeiDou,
GLONASS

THE INDUSTRY’S MOST TRUSTED TECHNICAL RESOURCE SINCE 1990 THE INDUSTRY’S MOST TRUSTED TECHNICAL RESOURCE SINCE 1990

TALKING TO THE HARVESTING

SATELLITES CROPS
Inside the
GPS Master
AND DATA
GNSS Is Key
Control to Precision
Station Agriculture

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW INNOVATION

WITH ROBERT WRAY,
New Method
TEAM BLACKJACK’S
to Fight
LEADER
Interference

+
VERY SMART
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CORRECTIONS
CARS, MAPS
CLARIFIED
AND ROADS

THE INDUSTRY’S MOST TRUSTED RESOURCE SINCE 1990 THE INDUSTRY’S MOST TRUSTED TECHNICA
ICA

FROM TOTAL
HIGH-TECH
CH
MAY 2023 | Vol 34 | No 5 JANUARY 2023 | Vol 34 | No 1
GPSWORLD.COM GPSWORLD.COM

STATIONS
TO SENSOR HUNTER
FUSION Autonomous Systems
Survey Land, Air and Sea
Increasing Surveying
Accuracies and
Productivity

+
+
INSIDE A
GALILEO
SATELLITE
INTEGRITY IS KEY
FOR FARMING ROBOTS

AUGUST 2022 | Vol 33 | No 8 APRIL 2023 | Vol 34 | No 4

GPSWORLD.COM GPSWORLD.COM

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Taking agriculture autonomy further
The agriculture industry is driving rapidly towards autonomy. With the evolving safety standards and push to
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Autonomy & Positioning – Assured | novatel.com