GNSS (all systems)

2012 European Satellite Navigation Competition Results

The 2012 Galileo Master receiving his prize: from left, Thorsten Rudolph, managing director of Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO); Carlo des Dorides, executive director, the European GNSS Agency (GSA); winner Dirk Elias, Fraunhofer Portugal; Ulrike Daniels, AZO director of business development.

Finding your way indoors will be even easier with a new smartphone app from two Portuguese research institutes that augments GNSS with positioning using ultra-low magnetic field communication (ULF-MC).

Fraunhofer Portugal and the University of Porto’s Faculty of Engineering received the €20,000 Galileo Master’s prize for their innovation in this year’s European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC 2012) awards. The ULF-MC application was the overall winner from among 406 completed entries (the most ever) submitted from more than 40 countries.

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By Inside GNSS
November 14, 2012

GNSS Positioning and Precise Timing

Francine Vannicola, Naval Research Laboratory

As the forthcoming “Time and Navigation” opening next March at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum reminds us, modern navigation depends profoundly upon time — the more precise, accurate, and stable a navigation system’s timing is, the more precise, accurate, and stable its positioning capability.

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By Inside GNSS
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November 12, 2012

Institute of Navigation Pacific PNT Conference 2013

ION’s brand new event, PACIFIC PNT, brings together policy and technical leaders from the Pacific Rim for policy updates, program status and technical exchanges on positioning, navigation and timing.

Tutorials, conference and table-top exhibition will be held from Monday, April 22 through Wednesday, April 25 at the Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa in Honolulu.

The deadline for abstract submission is past.

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By Inside GNSS
October 30, 2012

u-blox Acquires Fastrax

u-blox product development strategy following acquisition of Fastrax

u-blox, of Thalwil, Switzerland, has announced the acquisition of privately owned Fastrax Oy, a company that specializes in a broad range of GNSS positioning and antenna modules.

The company brings additional products to u-blox’ portfolio, including software GNSS solutions used for consumer and industrial applications, and advanced GNSS modules that include integrated antenna. Based in Espoo, Finland, Fastrax makes modules based on chips from CSR, MediaTek, STMicroelectronics, and Intel and also owns the full IP for a GNSS receiver, in both hardware and software.

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By Inside GNSS
October 18, 2012

European Space Solutions Conference, Space Expo and Galileo PRS Workshop

Central Hall Westminster

European Space Solutions, a conference and business fair for European government and industry to meet users and developers of space-based technologies and services will take place on December 3, 4 and 5.

Central Hall Westminster Storey’s Gate conference center is the venue.

The Keynote speakers are Antonio Tajani, the European Commission vice president for industry and entrepreneurship; Richard Branson,space travel promoter and head of Virgin Group and David Willetts, UK minister for universities and science.

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By Inside GNSS
October 16, 2012

NovAtel GNSS Engineer Shares in Record Wingsuit Jump

Andrew Levson points out his position in record-setting wingsuit formation. Photo by Shannon Levson

One hundred skydivers from 21 different countries set multiple records for a wingsuit formation last month, jumping out of five separate planes above Perris Valley in southern California. The jump has been submitted to Guiness World records.

Among the divers was Andrew Levson, an applications engineer for NovAtel, Inc., whose research endeavors with a GNSS-equipped wingsuit was chronicled for an Inside GNSS cover feature in the January/February 2012 issue.

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By Inside GNSS
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October 15, 2012

GNSS Augmentations

Dr. Todd Walter, Stanford University

Contrary to a widely held public impression, the elimination of GPS Selective Availability in 2000 did not take care of the needs that many users have for enhanced GNSS capabilities.

Indeed, various “augmentations” have been developed to meet the requirements of some applications for better accuracy, availability, or integrity (the assurance of the quality of a signal) than are available from GNSS signals in space.

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By Inside GNSS
October 12, 2012

Trimble Introduces Next Generation GNSS Survey, Datalink, Mapping Solutions

Trimble R10 rover

Trimble has introduced its next-generation GNSS surveying solution — the Trimble R10, a small, lightweight receiver that introduces new features and technologies, including Trimble HD-GNSS, Trimble SurePoint, Trimble 360, and Trimble xFill, to provide increased productivity.

Announced at the Intergeo 2012 conference in Hannover, Germany, this week, introduction of the Trimble R10 was accompanied by new versions of its field and office software — Trimble Access 2012.20 and Trimble Business Center 2.80 to extend Trimble’s Connected Site survey solution.

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By Inside GNSS
September 20, 2012

What’s Happening at ION GNSS 2012

ION GNSS 2012 ienjoyed clear skies and warm temperatures at the Nashville Convention Center in Tennessee. The U.S. Institute of Navigation-sponsored venerable conference closed on Friday, September 21. 

Thursday’s workshops featured expanded discussion on China’s Compass/Beidou-2 and Europe’s  Galileo. Two more Beidou MEO satellites were launched during the conference for a total of 15. Meanwhile, Europe plans an October 10 launch that will bring the total to four. Speakers "guaranteed a 30 satellite constellation by 2020."

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By Inside GNSS
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