zprávy

Using EGNSS (EGNOS and Galileo), the Hull to Hull (H2H) project is developing a system that will allow maritime vessels to navigate safely in close proximity to each other and to stationary objects, supporting mariners as they take navigation decisions and creating the fundamental conditions for autonomous maritime navigation.

Funded by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under Horizon 2020, the H2H system will combine sensor information with 3D models to create digital models of vessels and other objects of interest. This digital model can be visualized by the mariner in 3D, or in 2D format using slices of the 3D model, and used to derive crucial navigation information in real time. The quality of the sensors and the 3D model will drive the quality of the digital model, and consequently the quality of the navigation information that is derived from the model.

The H2H approach will allow mariners to establish proximity zones for their own vessels and for neighbouring objects with a high level of precision and integrity. Other examples of navigation information that will be derived from the model include the shortest distances and relative speeds between vessels and other objects.

The project leverages EGNSS - in particular the accuracy offered by Galileo’s dual frequency and multi-constellation capacity

High accuracy positioning

Autonomous vessels may need, depending on the operation, the assurance of decimetre-level accuracy. To provide the required relative position measurements, the project leverages EGNSS - in particular the accuracy offered by Galileo’s dual frequency and multi-constellation capacity.  This will be augmented by data gathered from a variety of sensors, including IMU, AIS, LIDAR, RADAR, cameras and other proximity sensors.

The project will also examine the possibility of using existing data from vessels, e.g. from load and stability systems. All this data will be integrated to get a comprehensive 3D model of the vessel's speed, direction, attitude and location relative to other vessels and objects in the area of operation, providing a high-integrity and resilient position solution. Sensor data, as well as 3D models, will be shared among the vessels that are involved in an operation.

The project is coordinated by Kongsberg Seatex, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, developing solutions for maritime sensing and connectivity. Expert project partners include SINTEF Ocean and SINTEF Digital for broad research-based expertise; KU Leuven, a leading European university and expert on inland waterways navigation; and Mampaey Offshore Industries, a Dutch company specialized in towing, berthing and mooring systems.

Commenting on the project’s expected impact, Project Coordinator Per Erik Kvam said that the H2H concept would provide mariners with crucial navigation information that will allow performing operations in closer proximity. “Operations that normally would not be permitted, or need to be aborted using present systems, can now be performed with H2H, which will increase operability accordingly. The system will be equally important for traditional operations with humans in the loop, as well as for more remote and autonomous operations,” he said.

“By allowing vessels to share sensor data and 3D models, the H2H project also opens up numerous new applications, many of which might not be known today. Examples are wave prediction and controlling crane operations involving two moving objects,” Kvam said.

Safe autonomous navigation

If autonomous ships are to be approved for commercial use, they will need to be at least as safe as conventional vehicles performing similar functions. For vessels to operate safely, sensor data should be exchanged continuously. This will require an open standard, high speed, reliable communication link to securely exchange navigation data, capable of supporting relative positioning and the exchange of 3D models. To meet this requirement, Norway’s SINTEF Digital, one of the project partners, will analyse and propose a safe and secure communications overlay based on experience gained from, among other things, the offshore industry and rail.

The communications solution will be an integral part of the H2H safety system. This is an important aspect of the project, as future regulations are likely to require that control and navigation systems for autonomous ships be certified in line with functional safety requirements. With this in mind, the project will also define a framework for safe hull-to-hull navigation and propose amendments to existing standards and regulations, thereby making a strategic contribution to the development of solutions towards a higher degree of autonomy in maritime navigation. 

Kick-off in Prague

The three-year project kicked-off with a meeting of the project partners at the GSA headquarters in Prague in December 2017. A first project workshop was held on 7- 9 May 2018 during Ocean Week in Trondheim, Norway.  In addition to presenting the project at the Ocean Week Conference, the H2H partners participated in technical meetings to define user requirements for demonstrations of a pilot sensor package planned in Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The demonstration in Norway will feature autonomous vessels in simultaneous operations, while the one in the Netherlands will emphasise the auto-mooring aspect of an autonomous vessel, and the demonstration in Belgium will test the usability of the H2H EGNSS module for localization on inland waterways in various conditions. This work will be underpinned by dissemination and communication activities to support the process of adapting byelaws, standards, regulations and legislation for autonomous navigation.

By leveraging EGNSS, the H2H project will open up new maritime applications, paving the way towards autonomous navigation in the shipping sector while simultaneously increasing the safety and reducing the cost of maritime operations.

For more information, visit the project website.

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).

Using EGNSS (EGNOS and Galileo), the Hull to Hull (H2H) project is developing a system that will allow maritime vessels to navigate safely in close proximity to each other and to stationary objects, supporting mariners as they take navigation decisions and creating the fundamental conditions for autonomous maritime navigation.

Funded by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under Horizon 2020, the H2H system will combine sensor information with 3D models to create digital models of vessels and other objects of interest. This digital model can be visualized by the mariner in 3D, or in 2D format using slices of the 3D model, and used to derive crucial navigation information in real time. The quality of the sensors and the 3D model will drive the quality of the digital model, and consequently the quality of the navigation information that is derived from the model.

The H2H approach will allow mariners to establish proximity zones for their own vessels and for neighbouring objects with a high level of precision and integrity. Other examples of navigation information that will be derived from the model include the shortest distances and relative speeds between vessels and other objects.

The project leverages EGNSS - in particular the accuracy offered by Galileo’s dual frequency and multi-constellation capacity

High accuracy positioning

Autonomous vessels may need, depending on the operation, the assurance of decimetre-level accuracy. To provide the required relative position measurements, the project leverages EGNSS - in particular the accuracy offered by Galileo’s dual frequency and multi-constellation capacity.  This will be augmented by data gathered from a variety of sensors, including IMU, AIS, LIDAR, RADAR, cameras and other proximity sensors.

The project will also examine the possibility of using existing data from vessels, e.g. from load and stability systems. All this data will be integrated to get a comprehensive 3D model of the vessel's speed, direction, attitude and location relative to other vessels and objects in the area of operation, providing a high-integrity and resilient position solution. Sensor data, as well as 3D models, will be shared among the vessels that are involved in an operation.

The project is coordinated by Kongsberg Seatex, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, developing solutions for maritime sensing and connectivity. Expert project partners include SINTEF Ocean and SINTEF Digital for broad research-based expertise; KU Leuven, a leading European university and expert on inland waterways navigation; and Mampaey Offshore Industries, a Dutch company specialized in towing, berthing and mooring systems.

Commenting on the project’s expected impact, Project Coordinator Per Erik Kvam said that the H2H concept would provide mariners with crucial navigation information that will allow performing operations in closer proximity. “Operations that normally would not be permitted, or need to be aborted using present systems, can now be performed with H2H, which will increase operability accordingly. The system will be equally important for traditional operations with humans in the loop, as well as for more remote and autonomous operations,” he said.

“By allowing vessels to share sensor data and 3D models, the H2H project also opens up numerous new applications, many of which might not be known today. Examples are wave prediction and controlling crane operations involving two moving objects,” Kvam said.

Safe autonomous navigation

If autonomous ships are to be approved for commercial use, they will need to be at least as safe as conventional vehicles performing similar functions. For vessels to operate safely, sensor data should be exchanged continuously. This will require an open standard, high speed, reliable communication link to securely exchange navigation data, capable of supporting relative positioning and the exchange of 3D models. To meet this requirement, Norway’s SINTEF Digital, one of the project partners, will analyse and propose a safe and secure communications overlay based on experience gained from, among other things, the offshore industry and rail.

The communications solution will be an integral part of the H2H safety system. This is an important aspect of the project, as future regulations are likely to require that control and navigation systems for autonomous ships be certified in line with functional safety requirements. With this in mind, the project will also define a framework for safe hull-to-hull navigation and propose amendments to existing standards and regulations, thereby making a strategic contribution to the development of solutions towards a higher degree of autonomy in maritime navigation. 

Kick-off in Prague

The three-year project kicked-off with a meeting of the project partners at the GSA headquarters in Prague in December 2017. A first project workshop was held on 7- 9 May 2018 during Ocean Week in Trondheim, Norway.  In addition to presenting the project at the Ocean Week Conference, the H2H partners participated in technical meetings to define user requirements for demonstrations of a pilot sensor package planned in Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The demonstration in Norway will feature autonomous vessels in simultaneous operations, while the one in the Netherlands will emphasise the auto-mooring aspect of an autonomous vessel, and the demonstration in Belgium will test the usability of the H2H EGNSS module for localization on inland waterways in various conditions. This work will be underpinned by dissemination and communication activities to support the process of adapting byelaws, standards, regulations and legislation for autonomous navigation.

By leveraging EGNSS, the H2H project will open up new maritime applications, paving the way towards autonomous navigation in the shipping sector while simultaneously increasing the safety and reducing the cost of maritime operations.

For more information, visit the project website.

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).

Using EGNSS (EGNOS and Galileo), the Hull to Hull (H2H) project is developing a system that will allow maritime vessels to navigate safely in close proximity to each other and to stationary objects, supporting mariners as they take navigation decisions and creating the fundamental conditions for autonomous maritime navigation.

Funded by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) under Horizon 2020, the H2H system will combine sensor information with 3D models to create digital models of vessels and other objects of interest. This digital model can be visualized by the mariner in 3D, or in 2D format using slices of the 3D model, and used to derive crucial navigation information in real time. The quality of the sensors and the 3D model will drive the quality of the digital model, and consequently the quality of the navigation information that is derived from the model.

The H2H approach will allow mariners to establish proximity zones for their own vessels and for neighbouring objects with a high level of precision and integrity. Other examples of navigation information that will be derived from the model include the shortest distances and relative speeds between vessels and other objects.

The project leverages EGNSS - in particular the accuracy offered by Galileo’s dual frequency and multi-constellation capacity

High accuracy positioning

Autonomous vessels may need, depending on the operation, the assurance of decimetre-level accuracy. To provide the required relative position measurements, the project leverages EGNSS - in particular the accuracy offered by Galileo’s dual frequency and multi-constellation capacity.  This will be augmented by data gathered from a variety of sensors, including IMU, AIS, LIDAR, RADAR, cameras and other proximity sensors.

The project will also examine the possibility of using existing data from vessels, e.g. from load and stability systems. All this data will be integrated to get a comprehensive 3D model of the vessel's speed, direction, attitude and location relative to other vessels and objects in the area of operation, providing a high-integrity and resilient position solution. Sensor data, as well as 3D models, will be shared among the vessels that are involved in an operation.

The project is coordinated by Kongsberg Seatex, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime, developing solutions for maritime sensing and connectivity. Expert project partners include SINTEF Ocean and SINTEF Digital for broad research-based expertise; KU Leuven, a leading European university and expert on inland waterways navigation; and Mampaey Offshore Industries, a Dutch company specialized in towing, berthing and mooring systems.

Commenting on the project’s expected impact, Project Coordinator Per Erik Kvam said that the H2H concept would provide mariners with crucial navigation information that will allow performing operations in closer proximity. “Operations that normally would not be permitted, or need to be aborted using present systems, can now be performed with H2H, which will increase operability accordingly. The system will be equally important for traditional operations with humans in the loop, as well as for more remote and autonomous operations,” he said.

“By allowing vessels to share sensor data and 3D models, the H2H project also opens up numerous new applications, many of which might not be known today. Examples are wave prediction and controlling crane operations involving two moving objects,” Kvam said.

Safe autonomous navigation

If autonomous ships are to be approved for commercial use, they will need to be at least as safe as conventional vehicles performing similar functions. For vessels to operate safely, sensor data should be exchanged continuously. This will require an open standard, high speed, reliable communication link to securely exchange navigation data, capable of supporting relative positioning and the exchange of 3D models. To meet this requirement, Norway’s SINTEF Digital, one of the project partners, will analyse and propose a safe and secure communications overlay based on experience gained from, among other things, the offshore industry and rail.

The communications solution will be an integral part of the H2H safety system. This is an important aspect of the project, as future regulations are likely to require that control and navigation systems for autonomous ships be certified in line with functional safety requirements. With this in mind, the project will also define a framework for safe hull-to-hull navigation and propose amendments to existing standards and regulations, thereby making a strategic contribution to the development of solutions towards a higher degree of autonomy in maritime navigation. 

Kick-off in Prague

The three-year project kicked-off with a meeting of the project partners at the GSA headquarters in Prague in December 2017. A first project workshop was held on 7- 9 May 2018 during Ocean Week in Trondheim, Norway.  In addition to presenting the project at the Ocean Week Conference, the H2H partners participated in technical meetings to define user requirements for demonstrations of a pilot sensor package planned in Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The demonstration in Norway will feature autonomous vessels in simultaneous operations, while the one in the Netherlands will emphasise the auto-mooring aspect of an autonomous vessel, and the demonstration in Belgium will test the usability of the H2H EGNSS module for localization on inland waterways in various conditions. This work will be underpinned by dissemination and communication activities to support the process of adapting byelaws, standards, regulations and legislation for autonomous navigation.

By leveraging EGNSS, the H2H project will open up new maritime applications, paving the way towards autonomous navigation in the shipping sector while simultaneously increasing the safety and reducing the cost of maritime operations.

For more information, visit the project website.

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).

With the 2018 edition of the European Union’s annual Green Week taking place across Europe from 21 to 25 May it is timely to consider the contributions that the European GNSS (EGNSS) – EGNOS and Galileo - are making to improving and protecting our environment.

The 2018 Green Week takes as its main theme ‘Green Cities for a Greener Future’ and will be exploring the ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. To be a Green City an urban area must be a Smart City: a city with smart mobility and connected services.

Mobility is an important part of everyone's daily lives. EGNSS, including EGNOS, is making life on the road easier by significantly reducing congestion and, consequently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2). EGNOS and Galileo are helping urban authorities to improve the efficiency of road transportation through navigation, fleet management opportunities and satellite road traffic monitoring.

Read this: Galileo: a critical component for autonomous driving

Location, location, location

The enhanced positioning capabilities of EGNSS is a key element in the safe and sustainable development of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles, ranging from passenger carriers to drone parcel delivery services, will help to further reduce congestion and pollution.
EGNSS technologies and location-based services are now becoming ubiquitous in urban areas. All mass market electronic devices, from smartphones and wearable devices, such as fitness monitors, to traffic lights and other components of the expanding Internet of Things (IoT), now have the capability to broadcast their location. This enables the provision of a new generation of location-based smart services for citizens and corporations that includes health and well-being monitoring and security applications and the control and optimisation of energy systems.

Sustainable development

Globally EGNSS is working with its sister programme Copernicus, Europe’s Earth Observation programme, to help the world meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that include a range of environmental targets.

The combination of Galileo’s high accuracy positioning and navigation with Copernicus’ services and analysis is increasingly creating opportunities in nearly every market segment. From providing the maps needed for finding the best locations for renewable energy infrastructure to outlining the most fuel-efficient flight paths, optimising road transportation routes and monitoring CO2 emissions, applications using both EGNSS and Earth Observation are providing answers to environmental issues.

A recent study, “EGNSS and COPERNICUS: Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. Building blocks towards the 2030 Agenda”, showed how EU space technologies support the fulfilment of the UN SDGs. The analysis shows that all the SDGs are positively impacted by the benefits stemming from the use of EGNSS and Copernicus applications and that almost 40% of the associated indicators directly benefit from using their services, either supporting the monitoring of the status of achievement of a given SDG or actively contributing to their fulfilment.

Also read: Boosting EGNOS for better precision farming

Escape to the country

Closer to home, today, some 72% of European Precision Agriculture farmers rely on EGNOS to enhance precision agriculture: a solution for higher productivity and farm profitability. The main EGNSS application for precision agriculture is tractor guidance and automated tractor steering. Combined with Earth Observation data this allows, for example, highly efficient and reduced distribution of chemical fertilizer reducing environmental impact.

The detection of reflected GNSS signals can also directly measure soil moisture. This technique, called GNSS-R, can be used in all terrains to map soil humidity and optimise water resource management. It can also be used to monitor vulnerable wetlands for conservation purposes or flooded areas during an emergency.

Read more: GSA-funded GNSS-R project Mistrale

The ability to predict landslides and implement early interventions is critical when it comes to saving human lives and reducing damage. The sister EU programmes offer joint solutions for monitoring land movements: EGNSS provides highly accurate horizontal displacements, while Copernicus’s In-SAR data detects vertical displacements. This data can be used to formulate early warnings and to support timely interventions.

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).

With the 2018 edition of the European Union’s annual Green Week taking place across Europe from 21 to 25 May it is timely to consider the contributions that the European GNSS (EGNSS) – EGNOS and Galileo - are making to improving and protecting our environment.

The 2018 Green Week takes as its main theme ‘Green Cities for a Greener Future’ and will be exploring the ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. To be a Green City an urban area must be a Smart City: a city with smart mobility and connected services.

Mobility is an important part of everyone's daily lives. EGNSS, including EGNOS, is making life on the road easier by significantly reducing congestion and, consequently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2). EGNOS and Galileo are helping urban authorities to improve the efficiency of road transportation through navigation, fleet management opportunities and satellite road traffic monitoring.

Read this: Galileo: a critical component for autonomous driving

Location, location, location

The enhanced positioning capabilities of EGNSS is a key element in the safe and sustainable development of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles, ranging from passenger carriers to drone parcel delivery services, will help to further reduce congestion and pollution.

EGNSS technologies and location-based services are now becoming ubiquitous in urban areas. All mass market electronic devices, from smartphones and wearable devices, such as fitness monitors, to traffic lights and other components of the expanding Internet of Things (IoT), now have the capability to broadcast their location. This enables the provision of a new generation of location-based smart services for citizens and corporations that includes health and well-being monitoring and security applications and the control and optimisation of energy systems.

Sustainable development

Globally EGNSS is working with its sister programme Copernicus, Europe’s Earth Observation programme, to help the world meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that include a range of environmental targets.

The combination of Galileo’s high accuracy positioning and navigation with Copernicus’ services and analysis is increasingly creating opportunities in nearly every market segment. From providing the maps needed for finding the best locations for renewable energy infrastructure to outlining the most fuel-efficient flight paths, optimising road transportation routes and monitoring CO2 emissions, applications using both EGNSS and Earth Observation are providing answers to environmental issues.

A recent study, “EGNSS and COPERNICUS: Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. Building blocks towards the 2030 Agenda”, showed how EU space technologies support the fulfilment of the UN SDGs. The analysis shows that all the SDGs are positively impacted by the benefits stemming from the use of EGNSS and Copernicus applications and that almost 40% of the associated indicators directly benefit from using their services, either supporting the monitoring of the status of achievement of a given SDG or actively contributing to their fulfilment.

Also read: Boosting EGNOS for better precision farming

Escape to the country

Closer to home, today, some 72% of European Precision Agriculture farmers rely on EGNOS to enhance precision agriculture: a solution for higher productivity and farm profitability. The main EGNSS application for precision agriculture is tractor guidance and automated tractor steering. Combined with Earth Observation data this allows, for example, highly efficient and reduced distribution of chemical fertilizer reducing environmental impact.

The detection of reflected GNSS signals can also directly measure soil moisture. This technique, called GNSS-R, can be used in all terrains to map soil humidity and optimise water resource management. It can also be used to monitor vulnerable wetlands for conservation purposes or flooded areas during an emergency.

Read more: GSA-funded GNSS-R project Mistrale

The ability to predict landslides and implement early interventions is critical when it comes to saving human lives and reducing damage. The sister EU programmes offer joint solutions for monitoring land movements: EGNSS provides highly accurate horizontal displacements, while Copernicus’s In-SAR data detects vertical displacements. This data can be used to formulate early warnings and to support timely interventions.

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).

With the 2018 edition of the European Union’s annual Green Week taking place across Europe from 21 to 25 May it is timely to consider the contributions that the European GNSS (EGNSS) – EGNOS and Galileo - are making to improving and protecting our environment.

The 2018 Green Week takes as its main theme ‘Green Cities for a Greener Future’ and will be exploring the ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. To be a Green City an urban area must be a Smart City: a city with smart mobility and connected services.

Mobility is an important part of everyone's daily lives. EGNSS, including EGNOS, is making life on the road easier by significantly reducing congestion and, consequently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2). EGNOS and Galileo are helping urban authorities to improve the efficiency of road transportation through navigation, fleet management opportunities and satellite road traffic monitoring.

Read this: Galileo: a critical component for autonomous driving

Location, location, location

The enhanced positioning capabilities of EGNSS is a key element in the safe and sustainable development of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles, ranging from passenger carriers to drone parcel delivery services, will help to further reduce congestion and pollution.

EGNSS technologies and location-based services are now becoming ubiquitous in urban areas. All mass market electronic devices, from smartphones and wearable devices, such as fitness monitors, to traffic lights and other components of the expanding Internet of Things (IoT), now have the capability to broadcast their location. This enables the provision of a new generation of location-based smart services for citizens and corporations that includes health and well-being monitoring and security applications and the control and optimisation of energy systems.

Sustainable development

Globally EGNSS is working with its sister programme Copernicus, Europe’s Earth Observation programme, to help the world meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that include a range of environmental targets.

The combination of Galileo’s high accuracy positioning and navigation with Copernicus’ services and analysis is increasingly creating opportunities in nearly every market segment. From providing the maps needed for finding the best locations for renewable energy infrastructure to outlining the most fuel-efficient flight paths, optimising road transportation routes and monitoring CO2 emissions, applications using both EGNSS and Earth Observation are providing answers to environmental issues.

A recent study, “EGNSS and COPERNICUS: Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. Building blocks towards the 2030 Agenda”, showed how EU space technologies support the fulfilment of the UN SDGs. The analysis shows that all the SDGs are positively impacted by the benefits stemming from the use of EGNSS and Copernicus applications and that almost 40% of the associated indicators directly benefit from using their services, either supporting the monitoring of the status of achievement of a given SDG or actively contributing to their fulfilment.

Also read: Boosting EGNOS for better precision farming

Escape to the country

Closer to home, today, some 72% of European Precision Agriculture farmers rely on EGNOS to enhance precision agriculture: a solution for higher productivity and farm profitability. The main EGNSS application for precision agriculture is tractor guidance and automated tractor steering. Combined with Earth Observation data this allows, for example, highly efficient and reduced distribution of chemical fertilizer reducing environmental impact.

The detection of reflected GNSS signals can also directly measure soil moisture. This technique, called GNSS-R, can be used in all terrains to map soil humidity and optimise water resource management. It can also be used to monitor vulnerable wetlands for conservation purposes or flooded areas during an emergency.

Read more: GSA-funded GNSS-R project Mistrale

The ability to predict landslides and implement early interventions is critical when it comes to saving human lives and reducing damage. The sister EU programmes offer joint solutions for monitoring land movements: EGNSS provides highly accurate horizontal displacements, while Copernicus’s In-SAR data detects vertical displacements. This data can be used to formulate early warnings and to support timely interventions.

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).

With the 2018 edition of the European Union’s annual Green Week taking place across Europe from 21 to 25 May it is timely to consider the contributions that the European GNSS (EGNSS) – EGNOS and Galileo - are making to improving and protecting our environment.

The 2018 Green Week takes as its main theme ‘Green Cities for a Greener Future’ and will be exploring the ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. To be a Green City an urban area must be a Smart City: a city with smart mobility and connected services.

Mobility is an important part of everyone's daily lives. EGNSS, including EGNOS, is making life on the road easier by significantly reducing congestion and, consequently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2). EGNOS and Galileo are helping urban authorities to improve the efficiency of road transportation through navigation, fleet management opportunities and satellite road traffic monitoring.

Read this: Galileo: a critical component for autonomous driving

Location, location, location

The enhanced positioning capabilities of EGNSS is a key element in the safe and sustainable development of autonomous vehicles. These vehicles, ranging from passenger carriers to drone parcel delivery services, will help to further reduce congestion and pollution.

EGNSS technologies and location-based services are now becoming ubiquitous in urban areas. All mass market electronic devices, from smartphones and wearable devices, such as fitness monitors, to traffic lights and other components of the expanding Internet of Things (IoT), now have the capability to broadcast their location. This enables the provision of a new generation of location-based smart services for citizens and corporations that includes health and well-being monitoring and security applications and the control and optimisation of energy systems.

Sustainable development

Globally EGNSS is working with its sister programme Copernicus, Europe’s Earth Observation programme, to help the world meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that include a range of environmental targets.

The combination of Galileo’s high accuracy positioning and navigation with Copernicus’ services and analysis is increasingly creating opportunities in nearly every market segment. From providing the maps needed for finding the best locations for renewable energy infrastructure to outlining the most fuel-efficient flight paths, optimising road transportation routes and monitoring CO2 emissions, applications using both EGNSS and Earth Observation are providing answers to environmental issues.

A recent study, “EGNSS and COPERNICUS: Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals. Building blocks towards the 2030 Agenda”, showed how EU space technologies support the fulfilment of the UN SDGs. The analysis shows that all the SDGs are positively impacted by the benefits stemming from the use of EGNSS and Copernicus applications and that almost 40% of the associated indicators directly benefit from using their services, either supporting the monitoring of the status of achievement of a given SDG or actively contributing to their fulfilment.

Also read: Boosting EGNOS for better precision farming

Escape to the country

Closer to home, today, some 72% of European Precision Agriculture farmers rely on EGNOS to enhance precision agriculture: a solution for higher productivity and farm profitability. The main EGNSS application for precision agriculture is tractor guidance and automated tractor steering. Combined with Earth Observation data this allows, for example, highly efficient and reduced distribution of chemical fertilizer reducing environmental impact.

The detection of reflected GNSS signals can also directly measure soil moisture. This technique, called GNSS-R, can be used in all terrains to map soil humidity and optimise water resource management. It can also be used to monitor vulnerable wetlands for conservation purposes or flooded areas during an emergency.

Read more: GSA-funded GNSS-R project Mistrale

The ability to predict landslides and implement early interventions is critical when it comes to saving human lives and reducing damage. The sister EU programmes offer joint solutions for monitoring land movements: EGNSS provides highly accurate horizontal displacements, while Copernicus’s In-SAR data detects vertical displacements. This data can be used to formulate early warnings and to support timely interventions.

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).