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In global terms, the road sector is one of the largest and most dynamic consumer markets, representing a major business opportunity for GNSS technology applications. With a projected 2023 worldwide market for road-vehicle GNSS receivers now estimated at 620 million, the future for EGNOS and GALILEO-related road applications looks promising.

At the same time, steadily increasing road traffic in Europe does have a significant down side, including traffic congestion, accidents and increasing pollution. But GNSS technologies, now standard equipment in cars and other vehicles, are enabling services that respond to all of these issues, from fuel-saving route guidance to electronic toll charging, life-saving applications and ensuring the security of hazardous materials transportation.

Read the Report: GNSS Market Report Road

The Agency is focusing on three key GNSS Road application areas:

1. Safety-critical applications
2. Liability and payment applications
3. Policy-related applications

Safety Critical Applications

“Safety-critical applications leverage precise and secure positioning in situations where humans can come to harm or where systems or the environment could be damaged,” says GSA Market Development Officer Alberto Fernandez-Wyttenbach. As an example, he cites the so-called ‘connected vehicles’. Here, GNSS positioning information provides situational awareness that can be transmitted to other vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, contributing to the safety of the driver.

Watch This: EGNOS for Road

Meanwhile, autonomous vehicles are also rising on the agenda. These vehicles are enabled by a combination of different technologies and sensors that allow the vehicle itself to identify the optimal trajectory. European GNSS will play a key role here by providing relevant inputs for integrated navigation, such as precise vehicle location and speed.

Another key safety-related application is dangerous goods tracking, involving the transmission of GNSS-based positioning data on vehicles carrying such goods, along with other information about the status of the cargo.
Liability, Payment and Policy-Related Applications

“Liability and payment applications generate information of legal or economic significance, based on positioning data,” Fernandez-Wyttenbach says. “For example, under GNSS-based schemes for road-user charging (RUC), operators can charge motorists for the actual distance travelled, without barriers or gantries. And interoperable GNSS-based road charging is much easier to expand and to link with other similar schemes, even across borders.”

Also Read: Progress for Galileo at ASECAP

In a different but related sector, insurance telematics use GNSS data to assess individual driving behaviour. The so-called ‘black boxes’ rely on GNSS data to increase the fairness of motor insurance for both insurers and subscribers..

 “And then there is a set of new applications, which are used to apply the transport policies introduced by national or international legislations”, he explains. As an example he cites the pan-European ‘eCall’ scheme. The scheme involves a GNSS-enabled in-vehicle system that sends a 112 emergency call in the event of an accident, thus accelerating emergency assistance to drivers. When the European Parliament voted in favour of a new eCall regulation last April, Commissioner for Digital Society and Economy Günther H. Oettinger said: “eCall is a perfect example of an EU-supported project that has developed technological solutions to save people's lives.”

Another application the GSA is looking at is digital tachographs. The so-called smart tachographs leverage GNSS positioning to support road enforcers, recording the position of a given vehicle at different points during the working day.

The Next Generation of GNSS Receivers

Newer and higher-performance receivers now set for release will play an important role in safety-critical applications, particularly connected vehicles and autonomous driving. These two applications represent a disruptive and revolutionary innovation and will have to overcome a number of regulatory, economical, technological and social challenges.

For instance, further software development and testing is still needed, security is still an issue, as is public opinion. Liability models must be defined in a way that consumers are convinced to pay a premium for self-driving technologies. Finally, governments still need to define appropriate policies.

Read This: European GNSS Creates Opportunities for Fairer Road Tolling

Right now, the United States seems to move first in this area, being more flexible than Europe in terms of road transportation policy and regulation. The US is also the world leader in automotive sales revenues, and the use of road vehicles is more popular there than in Europe or Asia.

On the other hand, some European countries are making an impressive investment in pilot projects for driverless cars, so Europe is not completely off the radar in this area.

Research and Impact

The European satellite navigation systems Galileo and EGNOS represent important new implements for change in Europe and in the drive to meet key global challenges, including the ever-increasing demand for mobility.

The importance of road transport has not escaped the European Union and is reflected in the proportion of EU research funding set aside for road-related projects. Under the GNSS section of the EU research budget, road projects have been and will continue to be among the most frequently proposed by the R&D industry. The importance of road transport has also been highlighted in the GSA’s GNSS Market Report and in the Agency’s market development strategy.

According to GSA analyses, road transport has also been among the research areas achieving the greatest market impact, in terms of the number of real marketable products or services achieved.

All this points to a solid central position for road-related GNSS, backed by strong support from Europe’s private and public sectors.

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 European GNSS Agency (GSA) and Galileo Services (GS) recently met to confirm their continued commitment to ensuring the success of both European GNSS programmes and industry. 

The GSA recently met with Galileo Services, who represents the European GNSS downstream industry, to discuss the market uptake of Galileo and EGNOS. The meeting, which took place at GSA Headquarters in Prague on 25 November, reconfirmed the two organisations’ collaboration on Europe’s GNSS programmes.

The focus of the dialog was on a recent GS published position paper entitled “Europe Must Succeed in the Global Navigation Race”. The paper highlights potential plans for increasing the development of the GNSS market in Europe and, in particular, the uptake of Galileo and EGNOS – a task at the core of the GSA’s mission.

“I am pleased to see a convergence of views on many of the actions identified in the paper, including market intelligence and the promotion and support of R&D activities,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “In this direction, the GSA is pleased to see GS members actively involved in Horizon 2020 R&D projects.”

“Galileo Services deeply appreciates the resources and actions coming from the GSA and other European institutions aimed at strengthening European GNSS and its downstream market,” adds GS Chairman Gard Ueland. “However, we need to do more to ensure that European industry can take full advantage of this booming, global market.”

Des Dorides noted that working in close collaboration with industry is a key task for the GSA. In support of this objective, the GSA has published its GNSS Market Report, which serves as an essential tool for understanding the evolution and current state of the global GNSS market.

Likewise, the GS Position Paper aims to serve as a roadmap, outlining a series of crucial steps Europe needs to implement to succeed at achieving its market potential.

Both organisations reconfirmed their commitment to cooperation, both with each other and with other stakeholders, with the ultimate objectives of fostering European GNSS market uptake and promoting the emergence of a dynamic European GNSS downstream sector. 

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 European GNSS Agency (GSA) attended Agritechnica – the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment – in Hanover, Germany to discuss and promote the important role that European GNSS plays in precision farming.

Precision agriculture utilises a myriad of different technologies to make farming more efficient, to improve crop yield and reduce environmental impact. GNSS-enabled applications are key to these efforts, from farm machinery guidance using GNSS positioning, to automatic steering, yield monitoring and livestock tracking.

One of the most beneficial uses of GNSS is in yield monitoring, where the output of a yield sensor is combined with the GNSS positioning of the harvester, enabling site-specific monitoring. Soil condition monitoring, allowing farmers to see real-time updates on soil moisture levels, fertility, and diseases, is another area where GNSS applications are extremely useful.

“The role of European GNSS systems, specifically EGNOS and soon Galileo, in agriculture is to decrease costs and increase yields.,” said GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi, speaking at Agritechnica in Hanover. “Precision agriculture is highly effective, and allows farmers to optimise their fields with less fertiliser, pesticide, fuel, or labour input, so they can reinvest those savings in new equipment or other growth options.”

With a growing world population that needs to be fed, along with increasing climate issues, maximising output while saving resources is more important than ever. The main GNSS application is tractor guidance, which increases efficiency. When used to spray insecticides or in harvesting crops, EGNOS also increases yields and helps provide food supply around the world.

GNSS Applications in the Field

At Agritechnica, several companies demonstrated how they are using satellite navigation on a daily basis. For example, Topcon Precision Agriculture offers five solutions using satellite navigation:

• Control–auto-steering
• Implements–seeding and spraying
• Measuring the colour of green
• Drones (both fixed wing and octocopter)
• Yield Mapping Monitor

Topcon currently uses GPS and Glonass, but is eagerly awaiting Galileo. “The technology comes just in time,” said Julian Rioja, Marketing Manager EAME for Topcon.

Another company benefiting from EGNOS in the field is AGCO. AGCO uses EGNOS technology for precision mapping, field mapping for harvest, and mapping yield. “The EGNOS capability works well in our machinery, and we have had good interactions with the GSA,” said Paul Lay, Manager, Marketing Creative Services and Public Relations. “We’re ready for Galileo.”

Farmnet 365’s Klaus-Herbert Rolf agreed that EGNOS has been working well in the agriculture sector. “One of the biggest success of EGNOS is in the agriculture industry,” he said, citing food traceability as one area of particular success. 365 Farmnet’s technology currently saves 5% of working time for farmers, and saves 10-15 Euro per hectare. He also noted that the company is business-ready for Galileo, and he hopes the technology is launched soon, with a comprehensive communication strategy for businesses, in order to develop a complete roadmap and training plan to implement it as seamlessly as possible. 

GSA-Financed Project Takes Home Award

Also at Agritechnica, the CLAAS Group was awarded a silver medal for its CLAAS field route optimisation system, which optimises working passes for every field and accurately forecasts the processing time required. The solution, which results in an average cost reduction of 6%, was financed by the GSA FP7 project GEOPAL.
“This represents a tremendous potential, seeing that we have about 13 million farms in Europe,” said Christian Radons, Senior Manager Precision Farming at CLAAS Global. “We greatly appreciate the joint efforts from the GSA, and we are proud to have a great sellable product in the market.”

Anticipating Galileo

The GSA is eager to see how Galileo will enhance precision farming even further once utilised by agriculture companies. Both now and in the future, GNSS-enabled applications are a cost-effective solution to make farming more efficient, increase crop yield, and reduce the environmental impact of farming.

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 European GNSS Agency (GSA) attended Agritechnica – the world’s largest trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment – in Hanover, Germany to discuss and promote the important role that European GNSS plays in precision farming.

Precision agriculture utilises a myriad of different technologies to make farming more efficient, to improve crop yield and reduce environmental impact. GNSS-enabled applications are key to these efforts, from farm machinery guidance using GNSS positioning, to automatic steering, yield monitoring and livestock tracking.

One of the most beneficial uses of GNSS is in yield monitoring, where the output of a yield sensor is combined with the GNSS positioning of the harvester, enabling site-specific monitoring. Soil condition monitoring, allowing farmers to see real-time updates on soil moisture levels, fertility, and diseases, is another area where GNSS applications are extremely useful.

“The role of European GNSS systems, specifically EGNOS and soon Galileo, in agriculture is to decrease costs and increase yields.,” said GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi, speaking at Agritechnica in Hanover. “Precision agriculture is highly effective, and allows farmers to optimise their fields with less fertiliser, pesticide, fuel, or labour input, so they can reinvest those savings in new equipment or other growth options.”

With a growing world population that needs to be fed, along with increasing climate issues, maximising output while saving resources is more important than ever. The main GNSS application is tractor guidance, which increases efficiency. When used to spray insecticides or in harvesting crops, EGNOS also increases yields and helps provide food supply around the world.

GNSS Applications in the Field

At Agritechnica, several companies demonstrated how they are using satellite navigation on a daily basis. For example, Topcon Precision Agriculture offers five solutions using satellite navigation:

• Control–auto-steering
• Implements–seeding and spraying
• Measuring the colour of green
• Drones (both fixed wing and octocopter)
• Yield Mapping Monitor

Topcon currently uses GPS and Glonass, but is eagerly awaiting Galileo. “The technology comes just in time,” said Julian Rioja, Marketing Manager EAME for Topcon.

Another company benefiting from EGNOS in the field is AGCO. AGCO uses EGNOS technology for precision mapping, field mapping for harvest, and mapping yield. “The EGNOS capability works well in our machinery, and we have had good interactions with the GSA,” said Paul Lay, Manager, Marketing Creative Services and Public Relations. “We’re ready for Galileo.”

Farmnet 365’s Klaus-Herbert Rolf agreed that EGNOS has been working well in the agriculture sector. “One of the biggest success of EGNOS is in the agriculture industry,” he said, citing food traceability as one area of particular success. 365 Farmnet’s technology currently saves 5% of working time for farmers, and saves 10-15 Euro per hectare. He also noted that the company is business-ready for Galileo, and he hopes the technology is launched soon, with a comprehensive communication strategy for businesses, in order to develop a complete roadmap and training plan to implement it as seamlessly as possible. 

GSA-Financed Project Takes Home Award

Also at Agritechnica, the CLAAS Group was awarded a silver medal for its CLAAS field route optimisation system, which optimises working passes for every field and accurately forecasts the processing time required. The solution, which results in an average cost reduction of 6%, was financed by the GSA FP7 project GEOPAL.
“This represents a tremendous potential, seeing that we have about 13 million farms in Europe,” said Christian Radons, Senior Manager Precision Farming at CLAAS Global. “We greatly appreciate the joint efforts from the GSA, and we are proud to have a great sellable product in the market.”

Anticipating Galileo

The GSA is eager to see how Galileo will enhance precision farming even further once utilised by agriculture companies. Both now and in the future, GNSS-enabled applications are a cost-effective solution to make farming more efficient, increase crop yield, and reduce the environmental impact of farming.

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).