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As was highlighted at the 2018 European Space Week special session on Interconnectivity, European space technology is providing smart, new applications that deliver the information we need to make faster, easier and more efficient decisions.

According to a study conducted by CISCO, by as early as next year, there will be more than 30 billion connected objects in the world. From connected watches to cars and even houses, this unprecedented shift towards interconnectivity will transform the global economy.

Driving this revolution in interconnectivity are space technologies, including GNSS and Earth observation. “Everything from logistics to agriculture, outdoor recreation and the Internet of Things, depend on such space technologies as EGNOS and Galileo,” said Justyna Redelkiewicz, Head of Section LBS & IoT at GSA, who chaired a special session on Interconnectivity during the 2018 European Space Week. “Space technologies are also at the centre of many of the latest consumer applications – and their use will only increase in the near future.”

Everyone, everywhere, and everything

On the topic of How to Connect and Locate Things, the Alliance of Internet of Things Innovation’s Francois Fisher discussed both the challenges that European industry currently faces and how IoT can help overcome these challenges. The European Commission’s Christoph Kautz provided an overview of areas relevant to interconnectivity, with a focus on the areas where the European Commission is playing an active role (i.e., artificial intelligence, IoT standardisation, E112 pilots, and digital maps). David Fernandez of Sigfox noted that by 2020 his company’s terrestrial network would be complemented by a global capability, thanks to a satellite communication service.

Satellites in the scrum

Speaking of satellites and sports, Frederic Valois of Thales Services took the European Space Week stage to introduce the Thales GEONAV service. The seamless indoor/outdoor location solution is currently being used to provide critical information to rugby teams in France. Via a hybridisation of ultra-wideband and GNSS, GEONAV provides teams with real-time measurements and monitoring of a player’s position, speed and even heart rate.

“Because this technology can provide precise and secured location both inside and outside, its use goes beyond sports and can include helping to locate people and assets,” explained Valois. “It is innovation like this that will position European industry as a major actor in the LBS market.”

Accurate and affordable positioning

Another key market trend highlighted during the session was the shift towards accurate and affordable positioning. “We are witnessing exciting times, as low-cost, high-precision GNSS receivers are coming onto the market and challenging the dominance of the older and expensive models,” said Xavier Banqué-Casanovas, CEO of Rokubun.

Rokubun is the company behind ARGONAUT, a fully-integrated GNSS receiver designed to meet the need for high-precision geo-location data. The receiver combines an advanced, multi-constellation GNSS receiver and a powerful navigation processing cloud service to provide users with more accurate and affordable geolocation.

Rokubun is now part of consortium developing FLAMINGO – a high accuracy positioning service for use by mass market applications.

A packed agenda

The Interconnectivity session was packed with informative presentations from a range of stakeholders, projects and companies. You will be able to access the presentations here, as soon as they are available.

Thanks to initiatives like the Kinéis constellation, in the coming years, interconnectivity will be available to everyone, everywhere and for all devices. “Kinéis IoT devices will integrate seamlessly, need little power and be fully compatible with other systems,” said Marc Leminh, Director of Development at CLS. “It will also be robust, reliable and inexpensive.”

Specifically designed for IoT, the Kinéis nanosatellite satcom constellation will provide connectivity for a whole host of activities, all having in common one feature: all being away from the reach of terrestrial networks. 

Talking about new IoT chipsets and trends in digital mapping, Sony’s Rajni Agarval introduced the company’s low power, multi-constellation GNSS chipsets for wearables, trackers and telematics. On the mapping side, David Barbier from TomTom presented high definition maps created via professional methods (i.e., survey vehicles) and crowdsourcing. “Open source data has proved to be a highly reliable source of information for TomTom,” he said. “Currently, 400,000 kilometres of roads covered with high definition maps are being utilised by many OEMs.”

The session also put the spotlight on a number of innovative start-ups, including Centrip, a tracking system for children; OPT/NET BV, a classification service for Earth observation data; TensorScience, a geocaching smartphone application that recently won the GSA’s Geekie Award; and +39, an app for guiding children with autism that won the Galileo Hackathon in Padua.  

“What each of these presentations make abundantly clear is that the not-so-distant future will be defined by interconnectivity – and enabled by European space technology,” concluded Redelkiewicz.

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The oceans represent 90% of the Earth’s biosphere and are essential to a range of economic activities with over 90% of world trade travelling via maritime routes. The oceans also play a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Global observation and monitoring systems are therefore essential to better manage the oceans and to achieve a sustainable blue economy. A dedicated session at EU Space Week on 6 December highlighted how the Galileo and Copernicus programmes contribute to the sustainable management of our oceans and provide support for maritime operations.

The half-day session addressed a wide range of aspects including safety at sea, search and rescue, optimised maritime transport, sustainable fisheries, renewable energies, security and society’s response to pollution.
EU seas – safe & clean

The 6 December session was chaired by Fabienne Jacq from the European Commission and the initial speakers outlined the overall context in which the EU space programmes operate. Helena Ramon Jarraud from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) described their mission “to ensure that EU’s seas were safe and clean.” The agency faces many challenges from people trafficking to illegal fishing and ensuring safety of navigation. All aspects were aided and new services enabled by the support provided from EGNSS and Copernicus systems.

This view was supported by Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International that operates the Copernicus Marine Service (CMS). His talk focused on the ocean challenges relating to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in particular SDG 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. CMS delivered “a complete ocean information portfolio that is free, open and assessed” that both helped protect the oceans and enabled the sustainable realisation of marine and maritime jobs and growth.

The policy context of the EU space programmes was further developed by Elisabeth Hamdouch of DG GROW. “The marine environmental and maritime challenges are beautiful examples of how EU space programmes could add value by making useful tools available on an open and free basis for many different users,” she said.

Space as a tool supporting the EU’s energy package was praised by Adam Candy from Delft Technical University. He described the BlueRise project developing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion technology as an appropriate renewable energy source for coastal and island communities. Space-based systems provided “the information to both understand the resource potential for the system – i.e. where to locate it - and also its local environmental impact,” he said.

Maritime safety

The opportunity for EGNOS to provide safer and cost-effective navigation safety in French coastal regions was described by Etienne Leroy of CEREMA, which has developed and tested an EGNOS-based solution for the French Differential GPS (DGPS) network. This is part of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities - World Wide Radio Navigation Plan.

The French network of seven coastal stations needs to be modernised – could EGNOS provide a cost-effective solution? CEREMA made some initial tests and found that EGNOS augmenting GPS could provide the necessary availability, continuity and accuracy levels, without impacting the independent integrity scheme. In addition, cost analysis showed that the EGNOS solution offered a greatly reduced capital requirement and reduced maintenance costs.

An official commission for the establishment of the first operational French station is now anticipated in early 2019 with more stations to be equipped during the year.

The ability of the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service to accelerate the detection of an incident and give more precise, life-saving positioning data was highlighted by Alain Bouhet from OROLIA Maritime. His company had led the GSA-funded HELIOS project to commercialise Galileo SAR enabled maritime and aviation distress beacons. The project had enabled certification for one aviation and two marine distress beacons and the first Galileo-enabled Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), launched in March 2018.

The use of the Galileo SAR service within the global SAR satellite system is already significantly improving the speed of response and the accuracy and reliability of SAR operations. “Galileo offers global coverage with near instantaneous detection and location,” said Bouhet.

“Response times are up to ten times faster.” And the unique Galileo return communications link from the SAR operator to the beacon ensures that victims know that the distress alarm has been received- and enables better survival decisions to be made.

Tethered drone

A further example of the potential of EGNSS and Earth Observation systems to combine to boost safety at sea was exemplified by Ricardo Rossi of Gruppo Sistematica who described the SARA project. This used a fusion of sensors and space technologies to improve surveillance operations at sea using a tethered drone acting as a ‘virtual pylon’ on the ship.

The drone is a semi-autonomous platform to aid search and rescue and surveillance using high EGNSS accuracy. The system enables cost-effective and extended surveillance that is reliable and fast to deploy. A proof of concept exercise has been undertaken with the Italian coastguard in the Bay of Naples using a low-resolution thermal camera to detect people in the water.

“Using a tether has a number of advantages,” claimed Rossi. “Including the ability to provide power for a continuous service and a continuous high-speed data link.” It is also a mechanical aid for landing the drone and ensures that the flight envelope of the drone is physically constrained, which eases issues around authorisation.

As well as SAR services a number of additional markets were foreseen for the device including border control, law enforcement, military applications and event or traffic management.

SAR demo

Earlier in EU Space Week, a press event introduced the media to the capabilities of EU space technologies in the maritime arena. On the morning of Tuesday 4 December, the GSA joined forces with the European Commission, the French Space Agency CNES, and the French naval authorities to highlight the various distress situations that can occur at sea and how Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus are helping.

Demonstrations included briefings on the new Galileo SAR distress beacons and the SAR service itself as well as the Copernicus Maritime Security Service. An actual demonstration of the system at sea had to be cancelled at the last moment as the naval vessel and aircraft to be used were called away to a real-life emergency off the coast of Corsica, demonstrating that the Galileo SAR is fully operational and ready for action!

"This Search and Rescue operation demonstrated how beacons using the Galileo SAR service help to provide a faster and more efficient response for those in distress,” said Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director. “With Galileo, a person in trouble can now be detected in less than 10 minutes. Today more than 500 million users are benefiting from a wide range Galileo services – and helping to save lives is one of them.”

Commenting on the event, European Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “The EU invests in space activities to protect its citizens. Thanks to our space programmes, we can provide help to those who need it faster and in a more efficient way. EU space programmes are helping to save lives.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The oceans represent 90% of the Earth’s biosphere and are essential to a range of economic activities with over 90% of world trade travelling via maritime routes. The oceans also play a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Global observation and monitoring systems are therefore essential to better manage the oceans and to achieve a sustainable blue economy. A dedicated session at EU Space Week on 6 December highlighted how the Galileo and Copernicus programmes contribute to the sustainable management of our oceans and provide support for maritime operations.

The half-day session addressed a wide range of aspects including safety at sea, search and rescue, optimised maritime transport, sustainable fisheries, renewable energies, security and society’s response to pollution.
EU seas – safe & clean

The 6 December session was chaired by Fabienne Jacq from the European Commission and the initial speakers outlined the overall context in which the EU space programmes operate. Helena Ramon Jarraud from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) described their mission “to ensure that EU’s seas were safe and clean.” The agency faces many challenges from people trafficking to illegal fishing and ensuring safety of navigation. All aspects were aided and new services enabled by the support provided from EGNSS and Copernicus systems.

This view was supported by Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International that operates the Copernicus Marine Service (CMS). His talk focused on the ocean challenges relating to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in particular SDG 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. CMS delivered “a complete ocean information portfolio that is free, open and assessed” that both helped protect the oceans and enabled the sustainable realisation of marine and maritime jobs and growth.

The policy context of the EU space programmes was further developed by Elisabeth Hamdouch of DG GROW. “The marine environmental and maritime challenges are beautiful examples of how EU space programmes could add value by making useful tools available on an open and free basis for many different users,” she said.

Space as a tool supporting the EU’s energy package was praised by Adam Candy from Delft Technical University. He described the BlueRise project developing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion technology as an appropriate renewable energy source for coastal and island communities. Space-based systems provided “the information to both understand the resource potential for the system – i.e. where to locate it - and also its local environmental impact,” he said.

Maritime safety

The opportunity for EGNOS to provide safer and cost-effective navigation safety in French coastal regions was described by Etienne Leroy of CEREMA, which has developed and tested an EGNOS-based solution for the French Differential GPS (DGPS) network. This is part of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities - World Wide Radio Navigation Plan.

The French network of seven coastal stations needs to be modernised – could EGNOS provide a cost-effective solution? CEREMA made some initial tests and found that EGNOS augmenting GPS could provide the necessary availability, continuity and accuracy levels, without impacting the independent integrity scheme. In addition, cost analysis showed that the EGNOS solution offered a greatly reduced capital requirement and reduced maintenance costs.

An official commission for the establishment of the first operational French station is now anticipated in early 2019 with more stations to be equipped during the year.

The ability of the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service to accelerate the detection of an incident and give more precise, life-saving positioning data was highlighted by Alain Bouhet from OROLIA Maritime. His company had led the GSA-funded HELIOS project to commercialise Galileo SAR enabled maritime and aviation distress beacons. The project had enabled certification for one aviation and two marine distress beacons and the first Galileo-enabled Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), launched in March 2018.

The use of the Galileo SAR service within the global SAR satellite system is already significantly improving the speed of response and the accuracy and reliability of SAR operations. “Galileo offers global coverage with near instantaneous detection and location,” said Bouhet.

“Response times are up to ten times faster.” And the unique Galileo return communications link from the SAR operator to the beacon ensures that victims know that the distress alarm has been received- and enables better survival decisions to be made.

Tethered drone

A further example of the potential of EGNSS and Earth Observation systems to combine to boost safety at sea was exemplified by Ricardo Rossi of Gruppo Sistematica who described the SARA project. This used a fusion of sensors and space technologies to improve surveillance operations at sea using a tethered drone acting as a ‘virtual pylon’ on the ship.

The drone is a semi-autonomous platform to aid search and rescue and surveillance using high EGNSS accuracy. The system enables cost-effective and extended surveillance that is reliable and fast to deploy. A proof of concept exercise has been undertaken with the Italian coastguard in the Bay of Naples using a low-resolution thermal camera to detect people in the water.

“Using a tether has a number of advantages,” claimed Rossi. “Including the ability to provide power for a continuous service and a continuous high-speed data link.” It is also a mechanical aid for landing the drone and ensures that the flight envelope of the drone is physically constrained, which eases issues around authorisation.

As well as SAR services a number of additional markets were foreseen for the device including border control, law enforcement, military applications and event or traffic management.

SAR demo

Earlier in EU Space Week, a press event introduced the media to the capabilities of EU space technologies in the maritime arena. On the morning of Tuesday 4 December, the GSA joined forces with the European Commission, the French Space Agency CNES, and the French naval authorities to highlight the various distress situations that can occur at sea and how Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus are helping.

Demonstrations included briefings on the new Galileo SAR distress beacons and the SAR service itself as well as the Copernicus Maritime Security Service. An actual demonstration of the system at sea had to be cancelled at the last moment as the naval vessel and aircraft to be used were called away to a real-life emergency off the coast of Corsica, demonstrating that the Galileo SAR is fully operational and ready for action!

"This Search and Rescue operation demonstrated how beacons using the Galileo SAR service help to provide a faster and more efficient response for those in distress,” said Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director. “With Galileo, a person in trouble can now be detected in less than 10 minutes. Today more than 500 million users are benefiting from a wide range Galileo services – and helping to save lives is one of them.”

Commenting on the event, European Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “The EU invests in space activities to protect its citizens. Thanks to our space programmes, we can provide help to those who need it faster and in a more efficient way. EU space programmes are helping to save lives.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).

The oceans represent 90% of the Earth’s biosphere and are essential to a range of economic activities with over 90% of world trade travelling via maritime routes. The oceans also play a central role in regulating the Earth’s climate. Global observation and monitoring systems are therefore essential to better manage the oceans and to achieve a sustainable blue economy. A dedicated session at EU Space Week on 6 December highlighted how the Galileo and Copernicus programmes contribute to the sustainable management of our oceans and provide support for maritime operations.

The half-day session addressed a wide range of aspects including safety at sea, search and rescue, optimised maritime transport, sustainable fisheries, renewable energies, security and society’s response to pollution.
EU seas – safe & clean

The 6 December session was chaired by Fabienne Jacq from the European Commission and the initial speakers outlined the overall context in which the EU space programmes operate. Helena Ramon Jarraud from the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) described their mission “to ensure that EU’s seas were safe and clean.” The agency faces many challenges from people trafficking to illegal fishing and ensuring safety of navigation. All aspects were aided and new services enabled by the support provided from EGNSS and Copernicus systems.

This view was supported by Pierre Bahurel, Director General of Mercator Ocean International that operates the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS). His talk focused on the ocean challenges relating to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in particular SDG 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. CMEMS delivered “a complete ocean information portfolio that is free, open and assessed” that both helped protect the oceans and enabled the sustainable realisation of marine and maritime jobs and growth.

The policy context of the EU space programmes was further developed by Elisabeth Hamdouch of DG GROW. “The marine environmental and maritime challenges are beautiful examples of how EU space programmes could add value by making useful tools available on an open and free basis for many different users,” she said.

Space as a tool supporting the EU’s energy package was praised by Adam Candy from Delft Technical University. He described the BlueRise project developing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion technology as an appropriate renewable energy source for coastal and island communities. Space-based systems provided “the information to both understand the resource potential for the system – i.e. where to locate it - and also its local environmental impact,” he said.

Maritime safety

The opportunity for EGNOS to provide safer and cost-effective navigation safety in French coastal regions was described by Etienne Leroy of CEREMA, which has developed and tested an EGNOS-based solution for the French Differential GPS (DGPS) network. This is part of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities - World Wide Radio Navigation Plan.

The French network of seven coastal stations needs to be modernised – could EGNOS provide a cost-effective solution? CEREMA made some initial tests and found that EGNOS augmenting GPS could provide the necessary availability, continuity and accuracy levels, without impacting the independent integrity scheme. In addition, cost analysis showed that the EGNOS solution offered a greatly reduced capital requirement and reduced maintenance costs.

An official commission for the establishment of the first operational French station is now anticipated in early 2019 with more stations to be equipped during the year.

The ability of the Galileo Search and Rescue (SAR) service to accelerate the detection of an incident and give more precise, life-saving positioning data was highlighted by Alain Bouhet from OROLIA Maritime. His company had led the GSA-funded HELIOS project to commercialise Galileo SAR enabled maritime and aviation distress beacons. The project had enabled certification for one aviation and two marine distress beacons and the first Galileo-enabled Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), launched in March 2018.

The use of the Galileo SAR service within the global SAR satellite system is already significantly improving the speed of response and the accuracy and reliability of SAR operations. “Galileo offers global coverage with near instantaneous detection and location,” said Bouhet.

“Response times are up to ten times faster.” And the unique Galileo return communications link from the SAR operator to the beacon ensures that victims know that the distress alarm has been received- and enables better survival decisions to be made.

Tethered drone

A further example of the potential of EGNSS and Earth Observation systems to combine to boost safety at sea was exemplified by Ricardo Rossi of Gruppo Sistematica who described the SARA project. This used a fusion of sensors and space technologies to improve surveillance operations at sea using a tethered drone acting as a ‘virtual pylon’ on the ship.

The drone is a semi-autonomous platform to aid search and rescue and surveillance using high EGNSS accuracy. The system enables cost-effective and extended surveillance that is reliable and fast to deploy. A proof of concept exercise has been undertaken with the Italian coastguard in the Bay of Naples using a low-resolution thermal camera to detect people in the water.

“Using a tether has a number of advantages,” claimed Rossi. “Including the ability to provide power for a continuous service and a continuous high-speed data link.” It is also a mechanical aid for landing the drone and ensures that the flight envelope of the drone is physically constrained, which eases issues around authorisation.

As well as SAR services a number of additional markets were foreseen for the device including border control, law enforcement, military applications and event or traffic management.

SAR demo

Earlier in EU Space Week, a press event introduced the media to the capabilities of EU space technologies in the maritime arena. On the morning of Tuesday 4 December, the GSA joined forces with the European Commission, the French Space Agency CNES, and the French naval authorities to highlight the various distress situations that can occur at sea and how Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus are helping.

Demonstrations included briefings on the new Galileo SAR distress beacons and the SAR service itself as well as the Copernicus Maritime Security Service. An actual demonstration of the system at sea had to be cancelled at the last moment as the naval vessel and aircraft to be used were called away to a real-life emergency off the coast of Corsica, demonstrating that the Galileo SAR is fully operational and ready for action!

"This Search and Rescue operation demonstrated how beacons using the Galileo SAR service help to provide a faster and more efficient response for those in distress,” said Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director. “With Galileo, a person in trouble can now be detected in less than 10 minutes. Today more than 500 million users are benefiting from a wide range Galileo services – and helping to save lives is one of them.”

Commenting on the event, European Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “The EU invests in space activities to protect its citizens. Thanks to our space programmes, we can provide help to those who need it faster and in a more efficient way. EU space programmes are helping to save lives.”

Media note: This feature can be republished without charge provided the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the GSA website (http://www.gsa.europa.eu).