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At this year’s ITS World Congress in Bordeaux, France, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) demonstrated the added value of European GNSS in intelligent transportation systems.

Although GNSS is a vital part of ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems), its role in applications often goes unseen. To help remedy this misperception, this year GNSS took centre stage at the annual ITS World Congress, with the GSA showcasing the many uses of satellite navigation at its European GNSS Village stand. The stand was organised in conjunction with the Joint EUropean Project for International ITS/EGNSS awareness Raising, also known as JUPITER, a Horizon 2020 supported project.

The village showcased 5 local authorities and 20 small and medium enterprises, all demonstrating the use of GNSS, and welcomed over 10 international delegations from across the globe. It also featured speakers from local authorities and transport operators. “The goal of the JUPITER project and the European GNSS Village is twofold,” said GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “On the one hand, we aim to amplify the success of some of the most innovative European applications of GNSS for ITS. On the other hand, we aim to catalyse resources, investments and partnerships to scale up and really maximise the return on investment.”

It Takes a Village

Through project demonstrations and presentations, the GSA showed how public stakeholders and actors in the transportation industry stand to benefit from implementing innovative solutions based on GNSS.

“The European GNSS Village was a unique opportunity for the JUPITER Project to demonstrate the many benefits of GNSS to key decision makers, public authorities and representatives of the global ITS industry,” said Hanna-Kaisa Saari, a project manager on the JUPITER Project from Aerospace Valley. “Through these demonstrations and interactions, we were able to maximise the visibility and competitiveness of European GNSS to the ITS sector.”

One SME on display at the Village, Foster ITS, will be the first GNSS receiver for ITS applications that offers greater resilience against an increasing range of GNSS threats, taking advantage of the authentication of the signals in the Galileo Open Service. The company demonstrated how it can detect signal attack attempts, provide indicators to users about confidence of positioning, and provide proof of integrity and origin of PVT data through its soon-to-come product line.

Geoimagine, another company exhibiting at the Village, showed off its mobile sensors that optimise itineraries and avoid impulsive, irrational decisions. Using the example of a network of taxis, Geoimagine presented a network optimiser solution for fleet management. Meanwhile, ANGEO, another exhibiting SME, offers a reliable navigation aid to 200 million people suffering from spatial disorientation troubles by using a reliable positioning algorithm and specialised navigation software.

Among several projects on the municipality transport side, Kordis JMK showed how GNSS allows for real time positioning of public transport vehicles, which enables smooth management of transit and ensures passengers always make their bus or train connections. Similarly, the MOBILIS project from Toulouse Metropole works on improving the efficiency and reliability of urban public transportation services.

Moving Towards Intelligent Mobility

The theme of this year’s edition of the ITS World Congress was ‘Towards Intelligent Mobility: Better Use of Space’, which fits perfectly with the services and applications the GSA is developing in the area of road and intelligent transport systems.

“Space and satellite navigation are key enablers for the delivery of the next generation of mobility ,” said des Dorides. “European GNSS offers the precision, robustness and reliability needed for autonomous and connected vehicles, for transport management, and for payment critical systems, to name just a few of the applications we have seen coming onto the market in recent years.”

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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) highlights the many benefits of EGNOS to the road, rail, agriculture and surveying sectors during the annual EGNOS Service Provision Workshop, held 29 – 30 September in Copenhagen.

EGNOS may have been built for aviation, but it isn’t meant to be limited by it. A clear message coming out of last week’s EGNOS Service Provision Workshop in Copenhagen is that EGNOS’ benefits extend well beyond the aviation and maritime sectors – benefiting everything from road transportation to rail, agriculture, surveying and mapping.

EGNOS Increases Accuracy

As to the road sector, according to GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera, “There is a growing interest in optimising the use of roads in Europe, and it is proven that EGNOS can help this by increasing accuracy.”

Aguilera noted that across Europe there is increasing pressure for emergency location sharing. Simultaneously, she also said that navigation devices in smartphones have permeated the market, creating a case for EGNOS in road applications. For example, the eCall system, which will be implemented in all cars in Europe from April 2018, will send an emergency call to 112 in the case of an accident, including precise location, which will help provide faster assistance.

In another example, GNSS can support toll operators in charging levies in compliance with the European Electronic Tolling System Directive. Speaking on Slovakia’s SkyToll system, which earned 43.38 million Euros for the National Motorway Company in Q1 of 2015, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini said it was an example of the multi-beneficial approach of EGNOS and Galileo. “We have achieved a lot of results, and now it is the time of the user,” he said. “We have to make sure they are satisfied and the system will constantly improve.”

Opportunities in Rail

Turning to rail applications, Aguilera said the sector was a difficult environment for EGNOS because of electromagnetic and visibility interference. Still, there are opportunities. Francesco Rispoli of Ansaldo STS presented his company’s ERSAT project, which focuses on adding European GNSS to ERTMS, the most commonly used and safest signal operating system in the world. “I am strongly convinced there is an important synergy between ERTMS and EGNOS and Galileo, and this synergy should help contribute to make us be more competitive in the market,” he said. “What ERSAT is targeting is to reduce the gap between the two, create a common platform for the benefit of all, and accelerate the process of introducing GNSS in real operations.”

From Farm to the Field

Aside from rail and road, EGNOS plays a large role in agriculture, surveying, and mapping. Aguilera said both farmers and public authorities can benefit from agriculture applications such as machine guidance, automatic steering, variable rate technology, asset management, harvest monitoring, and environmental management. For surveying and mapping applications, an array of users can benefit, including public and private surveyors, construction companies, marine operators, and municipalities.

More Information

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) highlights the many benefits of EGNOS to the road, rail, agriculture and surveying sectors during the annual EGNOS Service Provision Workshop, held 29 – 30 September in Copenhagen.

EGNOS may have been built for aviation, but it isn’t meant to be limited by it. A clear message coming out of last week’s EGNOS Service Provision Workshop in Copenhagen is that EGNOS’ benefits extend well beyond the aviation and maritime sectors – benefiting everything from road transportation to rail, agriculture, surveying and mapping.

EGNOS Increases Accuracy

As to the road sector, according to GSA Market Development Officer Carmen Aguilera, “There is a growing interest in optimising the use of roads in Europe, and it is proven that EGNOS can help this by increasing accuracy.”

Aguilera noted that across Europe there is increasing pressure for emergency location sharing. Simultaneously, she also said that navigation devices in smartphones have permeated the market, creating a case for EGNOS in road applications. For example, the eCall system, which will be implemented in all cars in Europe from April 2018, will send an emergency call to 112 in the case of an accident, including precise location, which will help provide faster assistance.

In another example, GNSS can support toll operators in charging levies in compliance with the European Electronic Tolling System Directive. Speaking on Slovakia’s SkyToll system, which earned 43.38 million Euros for the National Motorway Company in Q1 of 2015, GSA Head of Market Development Gian Gherardo Calini said it was an example of the multi-beneficial approach of EGNOS and Galileo. “We have achieved a lot of results, and now it is the time of the user,” he said. “We have to make sure they are satisfied and the system will constantly improve.”

Opportunities in Rail

Turning to rail applications, Aguilera said the sector was a difficult environment for EGNOS because of electromagnetic and visibility interference. Still, there are opportunities. Francesco Rispoli of Ansaldo STS presented his company’s ERSAT project, which focuses on adding European GNSS to ERTMS, the most commonly used and safest signal operating system in the world. “I am strongly convinced there is an important synergy between ERTMS and EGNOS and Galileo, and this synergy should help contribute to make us be more competitive in the market,” he said. “What ERSAT is targeting is to reduce the gap between the two, create a common platform for the benefit of all, and accelerate the process of introducing GNSS in real operations.”

From Farm to the Field

Aside from rail and road, EGNOS plays a large role in agriculture, surveying, and mapping. Aguilera said both farmers and public authorities can benefit from agriculture applications such as machine guidance, automatic steering, variable rate technology, asset management, harvest monitoring, and environmental management. For surveying and mapping applications, an array of users can benefit, including public and private surveyors, construction companies, marine operators, and municipalities.

More Information

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 GSA recently showcased the many benefits that European GNSS – EGNOS and Galileo– bring to the mapping and surveying sector during INTERGEO 2015 – one of the leading international trade fairs in surveying and geo-information.

At this year’s edition, held in Stuttgart, Germany, the GSA shared a stand with the European Space Agency (ESA), COPERNICUS, and a number of innovative companies.

Speaking at a workshop during the congress, GSA Market Development Officer Reinhard Blasi emphasized the benefits of European GNSS (E-GNSS) in general, with particular emphasis on surveying applications. Referring to the GSA’s 2015 GNSS Market Report, which shows surveying accounting for 4.5% of the projected E-GNSS market from 2013-2023, he noted the sector represents a major opportunity for the GSA. For example, 50% of all GNSS receivers currently on the global market are Galileo-enabled, with 45% of receivers being equipped for all GNSS constellations.

The market will be heavily influenced by rapid urbanisation in emerging countries, and the need for construction and surveying activities across the globe. According GSA Market Development Innovation Officer Alina Hriscu, construction in Asia-Pacific and North America will drive E-GNSS growth. Moreover, the reduction of GNSS receiver prices and increases in accuracy are transforming mapping into more accessible activities – which also contributes to growth in the GNSS market.

Commitment to the End User

According to Blasi, it is a priority to maximise the return on the investment in E-GNSS by the European Union, understood in terms of benefits to users and industry competitiveness. “This means matching design and enabling services to users’ needs,” he said.

This commitment to user needs is particularly prevalent in the surveying sector, where the use of E-GNSS brings improvement in many parameters. Those needs are mostly covered and met by GALILEO Open Service (OS) and Commercial Service (CS).

Watch This: EGNOS for Mapping 

The Open Service, which will be free of charge for all users, will feature excellent positioning and timing performance. Benefits will include easier mitigation of multipath errors, higher signal-to-noise ratio, improved coverage at high latitudes, better results in such harsh environments as urban canyons and tree canopies and enhanced protection against spoofing attacks. 

The Commercial Service, on the other hand, is dedicated to high precision applications and will additionally provide the first ever GNSS spreading code encryption for purely civil purposes.  CS High Accuracy (CS-HA) will deliver corrections via Galileo E6 across the globe (PPP- precise point positioning) for cm-level positioning precision for applications across all segments, and is comparable to differential positioning techniques. Moreover, CS-HA will offer triple frequency, enabling faster convergence time for surveying applications and accuracy comparable to RTK.  Users can also benefit from CS Authentication service, which allows for an increase to the civil security of professional applications. This addition provides a level of trust to users, assuring them that they are tracking signals and data from actual satellites and not from any other source (anti-spoofing).

Blasi moreover underlined that the Galileo E6b signal will be unencrypted, which brings new opportunities for trilaning – or choice for a 3rd frequency – further improving positioning accuracy without augmentation and bringing greater reliability.

The GSA also highlighted that E-GNSS can be used in synergy with Copernicus data, as they are complementary for a wide range of applications across different segments. For example, measurements of Ground Control Points with GNSS equipment support the geo-referencing process of Copernicus data, resulting in more accurate maps. Another example can be found in agriculture, where Copernicus Earth Observation data can serve as input for VRT (Variable Rate Technology) ‘’application maps’’ for fertilisers and/or pesticides, and E-GNSS indicates locate the areas in the field where the applications needs to be used. Many other examples cover the road, maritime, energy and emergency and disaster risk management segments.

Around the Exhibition

INTERGEO serves as the ideal platform for networking and sharing knowledge with this important sector. “The event is the most important geospatial event in Europe, and maybe even worldwide,” said Hriscu. “It’s a global who’s who of geospatial, with key leading industries exhibiting and exchanging experiences in the many workshops.”

This is a sentiment shared by many exhibiting companies. “We are excited to return to INTERGEO and share our comprehensive portfolio of solutions with geospatial professionals from around the world,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “This event offers a great platform to speak face-to-face and learn how we can best support the end-users, while also discussing current trends affecting the industry.”

Hexagon and its company Leica Geosystems were promoting several E-GNSS enabled products during the event.

Javad, another company exhibiting at INTERGEO, was displaying several versions of its Triumph receivers. “When located in difficult environments, all GNSS receivers are prone to give bad fixed solutions that may appear to be acceptable if they are not verified,” explains company representative Matt Johnson. “Existing methods to verify GNSS solutions include ‘dumping’ the receiver, turning it upside down to cause the RTK engines to reset, and re-observing the point at a later time. Our Triumph receivers, which track all satellite systems, including Galileo, automate these processes with its built-in software features of Verify and Validate.”

Javad Ashjaee, president and CEO of JAVAD, also shared his views with the GSA on the future of GNSS technology trends. His views will be reflected in the upcoming GSA GNSS Market Report, along with inputs from other leading GNSS receiver manufacturers.

In addition to the multitude of companies exhibiting at INTERGEO, numerous government organisations were also present, as well as members of the media and related services. As a central point of the 2015 edition of INTERGEO were Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS) and their many applications for the surveying and mapping sector for data collection, analysis and applications. For example, the GSA-funded H2020 project mapKITE uses a UAS and a terrestrial vehicle to develop an end-to-end solution for 3-D high-resolution corridor mapping.

The GSA took advantage of the event to proactively approach end-users to fill in the questionnaire that will be used to help the GSA better understand user needs and E-GNSS readiness. The final results of this survey will be published soon on the GSA website – stay tuned!

More Information

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).