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Automated vehicles are on the way, and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) sees satellite navigation as a core technology that will help to ensure their safe operation. At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the GSA shared its space with the 'ESCAPE' project, an EU-funded initiative that has developed a unique positioning module for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving.

Autonomous vehicles will feature both sensor-based and connection-based solutions for a variety of vehicle services. Ultimately, the GSA sees a ‘converged solution’ as the best alternative, combining the strengths of both approaches. By integrating sensor data and connectivity-based information, operators can reduce the need for the most expensive sensors and at the same time save money on infrastructure.

The Fundamental Elements-funded ESCAPE project has designed and prototyped the ESCAPE GNSS Engine. It is a unique positioning module that combines precision GNSS and 4G connectivity, for the highly accurate and reliable positioning capabilities required to make automated driving a reality.

Read this: Satellite positioning is changing how we move

"This is an onboard unit for autonomous vehicles," said Jessica Garcia Soriano, R&D engineer of the Advanced Communications Business Unit at Ficosa. "It is equipped with a very good GNSS receiver made by STMicroelectronics. This was actually the first dual-frequency GNSS receiver made for the automotive market."

Dual-frequency is of course a real differentiator for Galileo, as the world's leading provider of dual-frequency GNSS signals. This means added precision and robustness and it helps enormously with multi-phase errors and other urban canyon issues in city-driving scenarios.

"We also have a very good positioning solution provided by GMV, another Spanish company. They are experts in these kinds of solutions. The outputs from this solution are very accurate. So we have GNSS of course, including Galileo, and apart from this you have a modem inside, a 4G modem that gets GNSS corrections from the internet, so this helps to provide better positioning. And apart from this you have inside the same module an inertial measurement unit [IMU]. This is a sensor, a device that senses acceleration and has a gyroscope, so this information also helps in providing good positioning."

The ESCAPE unit also provides for the integration of other data from the vehicle. "That means vehicle odometry, for instance, you can have camera information, or information from maps that are stored in the vehicle, among others" Garcia said.

The market is ready

"One of our important goals is to provide a low-cost system," Garcia said. "There are other very good positioning systems that are being developed that can be based on some very advanced technologies, such as LiDAR for instance, but this is very expensive. So our target is to develop and build a prototype of a system that could be installed in all vehicles, for the whole market. And so we are combining GNSS, 4G, IMU and all of these other data sources from the vehicle in an intelligent way, in an affordable way."

Indeed, one of the things that make ESCAPE unique is the way it brings together high-end GNSS processing capabilities with an industrialisation process that targets high volumes and comparatively limited cost and size. It also encompasses hardware and software safety procedures required for certification for the automotive market.

And this: Integrity & reliability of digital maps – have your say!

Garcia explained, "At Ficosa, we are a top-tier global provider devoted to the research, development, manufacturing of vision, safety, connectivity and efficiency systems for the automotive sector.  We provide solutions directly to vehicle manufacturers. Based on our expertise and thanks to the work we have done on this project, we understand very well that GNSS is a central focus for a lot of applications. From the moment we started working on this project, at Ficosa we  realised that this is a new and very important market. Right now we are working on a positioning system for autonomous driving based on this unit. This is part of our roadmap at the moment. This is a positioning system that we are ready to offer to the customer."

The unit is ready now, but we have yet to see autonomous cars in large numbers on the road. Is this a problem for the ESCAPE system? Garcia answered, "From the very first moment that you have an autonomous car in the street, you will need high-accuracy positioning, because these vehicles will need this positioning to maintain themselves safely on the road. But we don't have to wait for autonomous cars. The vehicles on the road today can already benefit from this technology."

Garcia pointed to Europe's eCall system, where a call centre automatically receives location information from vehicles in distress, thanks to on-board GNSS. "You already have this emergency call technology in the vehicles," Garcia said, "and it provides a location, so the better the location is, the easier it is to locate the people in an emergency situation. No, we don't have to wait."

Location and more

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that autonomous vehicles will soon be appearing on European road networks, and most driving-related decisions will be based, one way or another, on the location of the vehicle and of other vehicles and objects in its vicinity. So vehicle location and positioning will be a critical component for the effective transportation of people and goods by self-driving road vehicles. That positioning will be enabled mainly by GNSS technologies, including Europe’s Galileo, which is expected to offer significant benefits in terms of accuracy and authentication compared to the other satellite-based navigation systems.

GNSS-based location will have to be complemented by other technologies in order to get to the integrity level needed in all driving situations, but the GSA also believes the combination of dual-frequency GNSS and 4G/5G connectivity can do more than just navigation, enabling as well a diverse range of in-vehicle location-based services (LBS), much like what we see emerging in smartphones. The EU-funded ESCAPE project, with its innovative GNSS engine, represents an important step forward in the pursuit of accurate, reliable and affordable positioning and connectivity for the emerging autonomous and connected cars markets.

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).

Automated vehicles are on the way, and the European GNSS Agency (GSA) sees satellite navigation as a core technology that will help to ensure their safe operation. At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the GSA shared its space with the 'ESCAPE' project, an EU-funded initiative that has developed a unique positioning module for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving.

Autonomous vehicles will feature both sensor-based and connection-based solutions for a variety of vehicle services. Ultimately, the GSA sees a ‘converged solution’ as the best alternative, combining the strengths of both approaches. By integrating sensor data and connectivity-based information, operators can reduce the need for the most expensive sensors and at the same time save money on infrastructure.

The EU Horizon 2020-funded ESCAPE project has designed and prototyped the ESCAPE GNSS Engine. It is a unique positioning module that combines precision GNSS and 4G connectivity, for the highly accurate and reliable positioning capabilities required to make automated driving a reality.

Read this: Satellite positioning is changing how we move

"This is an onboard unit for autonomous vehicles," said Jessica Garcia Soriano, R&D engineer of the Advanced Communications Business Unit at Ficosa. "It is equipped with a very good GNSS receiver made by STMicroelectronics. This was actually the first dual-frequency GNSS receiver made for the automotive market."

Dual-frequency is of course a real differentiator for Galileo, as the world's leading provider of dual-frequency GNSS signals. This means added precision and robustness and it helps enormously with multi-phase errors and other urban canyon issues in city-driving scenarios.

"We also have a very good positioning solution provided by GMV, another Spanish company. They are experts in these kinds of solutions. The outputs from this solution are very accurate. So we have GNSS of course, including Galileo, and apart from this you have a modem inside, a 4G modem that gets GNSS corrections from the internet, so this helps to provide better positioning. And apart from this you have inside the same module an inertial measurement unit [IMU]. This is a sensor, a device that senses acceleration and has a gyroscope, so this information also helps in providing good positioning."

The ESCAPE unit also provides for the integration of other data from the vehicle. "That means vehicle odometry, for instance, you can have camera information, or information from maps that are stored in the vehicle, among others" Garcia said.

The market is ready

"One of our important goals is to provide a low-cost system," Garcia said. "There are other very good positioning systems that are being developed that can be based on some very advanced technologies, such as LiDAR for instance, but this is very expensive. So our target is to develop and build a prototype of a system that could be installed in all vehicles, for the whole market. And so we are combining GNSS, 4G, IMU and all of these other data sources from the vehicle in an intelligent way, in an affordable way."

Indeed, one of the things that make ESCAPE unique is the way it brings together high-end GNSS processing capabilities with an industrialisation process that targets high volumes and comparatively limited cost and size. It also encompasses hardware and software safety procedures required for certification for the automotive market.

And this: Integrity & reliability of digital maps – have your say!

Garcia explained, "At Ficosa, we are a top-tier global provider devoted to the research, development, manufacturing of vision, safety, connectivity and efficiency systems for the automotive sector.  We provide solutions directly to vehicle manufacturers. Based on our expertise and thanks to the work we have done on this project, we understand very well that GNSS is a central focus for a lot of applications. From the moment we started working on this project, at Ficosa we  realised that this is a new and very important market. Right now we are working on a positioning system for autonomous driving based on this unit. This is part of our roadmap at the moment. This is a positioning system that we are ready to offer to the customer."

The unit is ready now, but we have yet to see autonomous cars in large numbers on the road. Is this a problem for the ESCAPE system? Garcia answered, "From the very first moment that you have an autonomous car in the street, you will need high-accuracy positioning, because these vehicles will need this positioning to maintain themselves safely on the road. But we don't have to wait for autonomous cars. The vehicles on the road today can already benefit from this technology."

Garcia pointed to Europe's eCall system, where a call centre automatically receives location information from vehicles in distress, thanks to on-board GNSS. "You already have this emergency call technology in the vehicles," Garcia said, "and it provides a location, so the better the location is, the easier it is to locate the people in an emergency situation. No, we don't have to wait."

Location and more

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that autonomous vehicles will soon be appearing on European road networks, and most driving-related decisions will be based, one way or another, on the location of the vehicle and of other vehicles and objects in its vicinity. So vehicle location and positioning will be a critical component for the effective transportation of people and goods by self-driving road vehicles. That positioning will be enabled mainly by GNSS technologies, including Europe’s Galileo, which is expected to offer significant benefits in terms of accuracy and authentication compared to the other satellite-based navigation systems.

GNSS-based location will have to be complemented by other technologies in order to get to the integrity level needed in all driving situations, but the GSA also believes the combination of dual-frequency GNSS and 4G/5G connectivity can do more than just navigation, enabling as well a diverse range of in-vehicle location-based services (LBS), much like what we see emerging in smartphones. The EU-funded ESCAPE project, with its innovative GNSS engine, represents an important step forward in the pursuit of accurate, reliable and affordable positioning and connectivity for the emerging autonomous and connected cars markets.

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 added value of EGNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) for drones was the focus of a special session organised by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) at this year’s World ATM Congress in Madrid on 12 March, at which representatives from several projects spoke about how they are benefitting from the European space programme.

Opening the session, GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera and European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP) CEO Thierry Racaud talked about advances in EGNOS applications in aviation and the natural spill-over and evolution into drone technologies. “Today we will hear about projects that are demonstrating the benefits of both EGNOS and Galileo for drones operations,” Aguilera said.

At the session, Victor Gordo, Ineco Senior Project Manager presented Terra (Technological European Research for RPAS in ATM), an H2020 project. This project aims to leverage existing and potential new technologies to develop a ground-based U-Space architecture that will accommodate a large base of RPAS in a mixed mode (manned and unmanned) environment.

Read this: GSA Report highlights key user requirements in aviation

Increased integrity and accuracy

Gordo explained how user needs are surveyed and taken into account during drone development, particularly with respect to the integration of EGNOS and Galileo. “We started out with a top down approach, but are now moving towards a bottom up approach,” said Victor Gordo, adding that this ensures that the requirements of end users are met. “Different users will be employing drones in different capacities, some will fly between buildings in large cities, others will have different uses, and thus the different requirements must be identified,” he said.

The GAUSS GSA-H2020 project was represented by Adrian Jimenez-Gonzales from Everis Aerospace & Defence, which is chairing the new EUROCAE subgroup on Multi GNSS for UAS. He said that the integration of Galileo and EGNOS into drone technology is mainly focused on safety and security, thanks to the increased integrity and accuracy that they provide. This is particularly relevant given the growing popularity of drones, Jimenez-Gonzales said. “Due to their growing popularity and usage, in the near future will see hundreds of drones sharing airspace, making the added value of EGNOS and Galileo, specifically improved manoeuvring, and accurate positioning, all the more relevant for public and airspace safety,” he said.

And this: GSA, SDM sign MoU on EGNSS support for Air Traffic Management

Defining EGNSS standardisation for drones

GMV Project Manager Marta Cueto Santamaría presented the EGNSS 4RPAS project, and outlined the European Commission’s strategy to promote the use of EGNOSS and Galileo. “Drones have been identified as a very promising technology,” said Cueto Santamaría. “This makes it all the more necessary to define the EGNSS standards for drone operations and obtain all the benefits that EGNOS and Galileo have to offer,” she said.

Finally, Carmen Aguilera highlighted how “both EGNOS and Galileo provide the accuracy, integrity and security needed for drone operations.” She closed the session with an update on the current ongoing work on creating a digital signature for Galileo to combat the ever growing issue of jamming and hacking, and to continue strengthening the secure image of Galileo-enabled drones.

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 added value of EGNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) for drones was the focus of a special session organised by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) at this year’s World ATM Congress in Madrid on 12 March, at which representatives from several projects spoke about how they are benefitting from the European space programme.

Opening the session, GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera and European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP) CEO Thierry Racaud talked about advances in EGNOS applications in aviation and the natural spill-over and evolution into drone technologies. “Today we will hear about projects that are demonstrating the benefits of both EGNOS and Galileo for drones operations,” Aguilera said.

At the session, Victor Gordo, Ineco Senior Project Manager presented Terra (Technological European Research for RPAS in ATM), an H2020 project. This project aims to leverage existing and potential new technologies to develop a ground-based U-Space architecture that will accommodate a large base of RPAS in a mixed mode (manned and unmanned) environment.

Read this: GSA Report highlights key user requirements in aviation

Increased integrity and accuracy

Gordo explained how user needs are surveyed and taken into account during drone development, particularly with respect to the integration of EGNOS and Galileo. “We started out with a top down approach, but are now moving towards a bottom up approach,” said Victor Gordo, adding that this ensures that the requirements of end users are met. “Different users will be employing drones in different capacities, some will fly between buildings in large cities, others will have different uses, and thus the different requirements must be identified,” he said.

The GAUSS GSA-H2020 project was represented by Adrian Jimenez-Gonzales from Everis Aerospace & Defence, which is chairing the new EUROCAE subgroup on Multi GNSS for UAS. He said that the integration of Galileo and EGNOS into drone technology is mainly focused on safety and security, thanks to the increased integrity and accuracy that they provide. This is particularly relevant given the growing popularity of drones, Jimenez-Gonzales said. “Due to their growing popularity and usage, in the near future will see hundreds of drones sharing airspace, making the added value of EGNOS and Galileo, specifically improved manoeuvring, and accurate positioning, all the more relevant for public and airspace safety,” he said.

And this: GSA, SDM sign MoU on EGNSS support for Air Traffic Management

Defining EGNSS standardisation for drones

GMV Project Manager Marta Cueto Santamaría presented the EGNSS 4RPAS project, and outlined the European Commission’s strategy to promote the use of EGNOSS and Galileo. “Drones have been identified as a very promising technology,” said Cueto Santamaría. “This makes it all the more necessary to define the EGNSS standards for drone operations and obtain all the benefits that EGNOS and Galileo have to offer,” she said.

Finally, Carmen Aguilera highlighted how “both EGNOS and Galileo provide the accuracy, integrity and security needed for drone operations.” She closed the session with an update on the current ongoing work on creating a digital signature for Galileo to combat the ever growing issue of jamming and hacking, and to continue strengthening the secure image of Galileo-enabled drones.

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).

GEO++, a German-based company, with support from the European GNSS Agency (GSA), presented a new high-accuracy positioning application for Android smartphones at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC).

With over 107,000 visitors attending its 2019 edition, the MWC continues to be the largest mobile event in the world. It was the perfect stage for highlighting some of the most exciting Galileo-driven projects being supported by the GSA.

Everybody can benefit

Readers will know that Galileo is now the world's leading provider of dual-frequency GNSS signals, with more functioning dual-frequency satellites in orbit than any other GNSS constellation. Now, Geo++ GmbH, a geodesy and navigation company based outside Hanover, has developed a precision positioning app for smartphones called 'Geo++ Android Positioning Library', augmenting dual-frequency code and phase GNSS observations with SSR correction data.

"We've been doing precise positioning for 20 years, but typically for survey-grade receivers," said Jannes Wübbena, Managing Director of GEO++. "These can cost up to a couple of thousand euros, and then you can do centimetre-level accuracy. What we wanted to do here is create a new application that can provide precise positioning for smartphones. We wanted to get to a similar level of accuracy but with the limitation that we are using the low-grade, inexpensive GNSS receivers that are in these phones, making it possible for everyone to benefit from the highest accuracy positioning."

Read this: The GSA and Galileo at MWC Barcelona

Geo++ Android Positioning Library tackles the task of precision positioning by utilising GEO++'s network RTK technology in the backend to apply generated GNSS corrections to the smartphone measurements. For the GSA, this is exactly the kind of innovative application, leveraging the advantages of Galileo, that will enable new and more powerful and more value-generating Location-Based Services (LBS) for the mass-market.

Wübbena's company has already gained a lot of experience in this area with its Geo++ RINEX Logger app, which is available free of charge on the Google Play store.

Putting a new tool in your hand

"If you look back ten years ago, people generally had a smartphone for staying connected, but then if they were interested in photography they would also walk around with a digital camera." Wübbena said. "Nowadays it's more common for people just to have a smartphone to do both, because the camera in your phone is just as good as a lot of digital cameras. With our new precision positioning capability, we think this brings your smartphone in a similar way into the realm of high-precision measurement devices." So, as with the digital camera, Wübbena suggested, in the near future, smartphones could also take on the functions of some specialised and expensive measuring equipment.

Wübbena described a scenario in which a person needs to do some work on his or her garden wall. "Let's say you want to measure your wall because you don't know how long it is. We hope that in the future you will be able to just pick up your phone and measure, from one point to the next and down to an accuracy of few centimetres, how long your wall is."

Wübbena said, "The new Geo++ Android Positioning Library doesn't require any special equipment on the part of the user. This works with any off-the-shelf, dual-frequency-capable smartphone, which have been available since 2017." Indeed, MWC attendees will attest to the growing number of dual-frequency GNSS-equipped smartphones coming onto the market, thanks largely to the work of the GSA.

"Everyone will have one of those sooner or later," said Wübbena. "We are approaching smartphone and chipset manufacturers, to work together with us, to actually give an added value to their chips, so that we can sell our dual-frequency-powered apps more readily to the Googles and Apples."

Hottest mobile trends

Working in a highly competitive market is not a problem for GEO++, Wübbena said. "Our main advantage compared to what others are doing is that our service is more reliable, because we take care of all the biases that occur when you process these signals. We have a lot of experience with hardware-independent, high-precision solutions. We have been doing antenna calibration for IGS [International GNSS Service] for example, so we can use this knowledge to calibrate our network devices really accurately, and then deliver the best correction data to our users."

Geo++ Android Positioning Library was one of a number of Galileo-powered solutions being showcased at MWC, sharing space at this year's GSA-Galileo stand. In the run-up to the event, GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani said: "With the goal of exploring the hottest trends influencing the mobile industry, MWC Barcelona is the ideal platform to promote innovative European GNSS-based solutions and applications. As a global event, it’s also the place to show the world how European Union space research enhances Europe's industrial competitiveness and plays a pivotal role in tackling various societal challenges.”

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).

GEO++, a German-based company, with support from the European GNSS Agency (GSA), presented a new high-accuracy positioning application for Android smartphones at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC).

With over 107,000 visitors attending its 2019 edition, the MWC continues to be the largest mobile event in the world. It was the perfect stage for highlighting some of the most exciting Galileo-driven projects being supported by the GSA.

Everybody can benefit

Readers will know that Galileo is now the world's leading provider of dual-frequency GNSS signals, with more functioning dual-frequency satellites in orbit than any other GNSS constellation. Now, Geo++ GmbH, a geodesy and navigation company based outside Hanover, has developed a precision positioning app for smartphones called 'Geo++ Android Positioning Library', augmenting dual-frequency code and phase GNSS observations with SSR correction data.

"We've been doing precise positioning for 20 years, but typically for survey-grade receivers," said Jannes Wübbena, Managing Director of GEO++. "These can cost up to a couple of thousand euros, and then you can do centimetre-level accuracy. What we wanted to do here is create a new application that can provide precise positioning for smartphones. We wanted to get to a similar level of accuracy but with the limitation that we are using the low-grade, inexpensive GNSS receivers that are in these phones, making it possible for everyone to benefit from the highest accuracy positioning."

Read this: The GSA and Galileo at MWC Barcelona

Geo++ Android Positioning Library tackles the task of precision positioning by utilising GEO++'s network RTK technology in the backend to apply generated GNSS corrections to the smartphone measurements. For the GSA, this is exactly the kind of innovative application, leveraging the advantages of Galileo, that will enable new and more powerful and more value-generating Location-Based Services (LBS) for the mass-market.

Wübbena's company has already gained a lot of experience in this area with its Geo++ RINEX Logger app, which is available free of charge on the Google Play store.

Putting a new tool in your hand

"If you look back ten years ago, people generally had a smartphone for staying connected, but then if they were interested in photography they would also walk around with a digital camera." Wübbena said. "Nowadays it's more common for people just to have a smartphone to do both, because the camera in your phone is just as good as a lot of digital cameras. With our new precision positioning capability, we think this brings your smartphone in a similar way into the realm of high-precision measurement devices." So, as with the digital camera, Wübbena suggested, in the near future, smartphones could also take on the functions of some specialised and expensive measuring equipment.

Wübbena described a scenario in which a person needs to do some work on his or her garden wall. "Let's say you want to measure your wall because you don't know how long it is. We hope that in the future you will be able to just pick up your phone and measure, from one point to the next and down to an accuracy of few centimetres, how long your wall is."

Wübbena said, "The new Geo++ Android Positioning Library doesn't require any special equipment on the part of the user. This works with any off-the-shelf, dual-frequency-capable smartphone, which have been available since 2017." Indeed, MWC attendees will attest to the growing number of dual-frequency GNSS-equipped smartphones coming onto the market, thanks largely to the work of the GSA.

"Everyone will have one of those sooner or later," said Wübbena. "We are approaching smartphone and chipset manufacturers, to work together with us, to actually give an added value to their chips, so that we can sell our dual-frequency-powered apps more readily to the Googles and Apples."

Hottest mobile trends

Working in a highly competitive market is not a problem for GEO++, Wübbena said. "Our main advantage compared to what others are doing is that our service is more reliable, because we take care of all the biases that occur when you process these signals. We have a lot of experience with hardware-independent, high-precision solutions. We have been doing antenna calibration for IGS [International GNSS Service] for example, so we can use this knowledge to calibrate our network devices really accurately, and then deliver the best correction data to our users."

Geo++ Android Positioning Library was one of a number of Galileo-powered solutions being showcased at MWC, sharing space at this year's GSA-Galileo stand. In the run-up to the event, GSA Head of Market Development Fiammetta Diani said: "With the goal of exploring the hottest trends influencing the mobile industry, MWC Barcelona is the ideal platform to promote innovative European GNSS-based solutions and applications. As a global event, it’s also the place to show the world how European Union space research enhances Europe's industrial competitiveness and plays a pivotal role in tackling various societal challenges.”

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).