A Cure for Urban GPS: a 3-D Antenna

Round receiver: This soccer-ball-size antenna can allow
more accurate GPS readings by distinguishing signals
that have come directly from a positioning satellite from
those that have bounced off buildings.

As reported by MIT Technology Review: A new antenna design being tested by the U.S. Air Force could make GPS significantly more reliable and able to function in dense urban areas where GPS accuracy is weak. It might even allow the technology to work indoors in some cases.

Good GPS readings are hard to get in cities because of the multipath phenomenon: signals from positioning satellites bounce off buildings and other structures. That confuses GPS receivers, which calculate their location by knowing exactly how long it took for signals to arrive from satellites overhead.

A signal that has bounced takes longer to arrive than it would if it had traveled directly, muddying a receiver’s math and sending location readings off by tens or hundreds of meters. Smartphones and in-car GPS units often have to work out their true location by analyzing maps and by getting a series of readings over time.

The Air Force Institute of Technology is now trying to tackle that problem with an antenna able to recognize and ignore multipath GPS signals. The project builds on a design invented by Locata, a company based in Canberra, Australia. The institute is testing the company’s soccer-ball-sized proof-of-concept prototype, and plans to adapt it into versions that could conform with the frame of a Humvee or aircraft, or be built into helmets.

As the U.S. military tries to automate aircraft and other vehicles, it must rely on GPS to know where they are. Nunzio Gambale, cofounder and CEO of Locata, says that what the Air Force develops stands a good chance of trickling down to civilians, since most GPS technology in smartphones and navigational aids originated with the military.

“The requirements of the military are now converging with the requirements of Apple and Google,” he says. “Everyone wants to use these location tracking-devices indoors and in urban areas where people say GPS will never work.”

Locata’s antenna has many different elements that can be activated individually. In the current prototype there are 80 such elements positioned around a sphere. Switching on each element individually for about one millisecond makes it possible for a receiver to sense not only the strength but also the direction of incoming signals, by comparing what is detected by the elements on different parts of the antenna.

That makes it possible to ignore GPS signals that have bounced in favor of pure ones coming directly from a satellite. “It’s like the blinders coming off,” says Gambale. He believes that in some circumstances the new antenna design could even allow GPS readings indoors, where multipath effects are extremely strong and the signals from positioning satellites are extremely weak.

Constructing antennas from multiple elements isn’t a new idea. But such designs traditionally had each element controlled by its own radio, causing different elements to interact with one another in ways that required complex additional processing to clean up. In Locata’s design, all elements connect to a single radio. The sequence of signals it produces from different antenna elements can be processed relatively easily.

Todd Humphreys, a professor at the University of Texas geopositioning lab, says that Locata’s design shows promise because it can be so much cheaper than previous attempts to address the multipath problem. However, he cautions that this approach to antenna design requires a large receiver, so for now it will be practical only in military applications.

Locata is leaving it up to the Air Force to work out how practical the 3-D antenna can be. Gambale says his company is instead focused on using the technology to improve a competing technology to GPS: a system of ground-based location beacons that allows location readings to within centimeters (see “Ultra-Fine Location Fixes”). Last year the U.S. Air Force commissioned a Locata system for the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Locata is also working to sell systems to companies that operate mines and warehouses.

GNSS Receiver Module Tracks Multiple Satellite Constellations

Linx, the GM Series of autonomous, high-performance GNSS receiver modules is designed for navigation, asset tracking and positioning applications of all kinds. Based on the MediaTek chipset, the modules can simultaneously acquire and track several satellite constellations, including the United States GPS system, Europe’s GALILEO, Russia’s GLONASS and Japan’s QZSS. Operating at a 16 mA tracking supply current, the receiver modules provide exceptional sensitivity, even in dense foliage or urban canyons. Hybrid ephemeris prediction can be used to achieve cold start times of less than 15 seconds. By combining this feature with very low power consumption, battery life is maximized in battery-powered systems. With an output of standard NMEA data, the receivers are completely self-contained requiring only an antenna, and they power up and output position data without any software set-up or configuration. Also available is a GPS Master Development System connecting a GM Series Evaluation Module to a prototyping board with a color display that shows coordinates, speedometer and compass for mobile evaluation. A USB interface allows simple viewing of satellite data and Internet mapping, as well as custom software application development.

Too Much GPS Data Can Inhibit Fleet Management Reporting

Managing data well is the main game in fleet management today. Companies need to tread carefully because excessive administration of vehicle use can quickly lead to staff communication problems and waste.

At the same time, the massive amount of information that is being generated by Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers in vehicles can lead to organisations having too much data and not enough answers. 

GPS is a US government-maintained satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. The system assists military, civil and commercial users around the world and is accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver.

Depending upon the position update rate, a fleet of 50 cars equipped with GPS can generate a huge amount of data, including information about the location, speed, performance and maintenance situation of vehicles. Distilling this information down and making good use of it is often a reporting challenge, according to the director of research and communications at the Australasian Fleet Managers Association, Ken Thompson.  Too much data can be as much of a problem as too little data - since a fleet manager needs to review and understand the implication of the data - such as where a vehicle has been, and where it has stopped as well as how fast it has been moving.  Redundant data can make this analysis a significant challenge.

Thompson says GPS-generated data is particularly effective in monitoring vehicle efficiency and safety.

He says some organisations put GPS sensors into vehicles that are commonly used in remote locations so they know exactly where the vehicle is at all times.

“GPS is also used to monitor the speed of vehicles – if staff are working on unmade roads and are limited to a speed limit 40 kilometers an hour because of the roads, a connection can be made through the GPS to tell the organisation the speed limit has been exceeded,” he says. “If you have a vehicle that is carrying valuable material, for instance, you can geo-fence that. You can set parameters about the physical area in which it can operate. If the vehicle moves out of the area, then a report is sent to the organisation.”

Automated management systems are now widely used to co-ordinate vehicle maintenance and driver education.

Using fleet telematics companies can work to ensure that the right ­vehicles are used for specific tasks, and that costs and ­accident rates are reduced, by introducing reward recognition for good performance.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, Malcolm urged fleet operators to encourage the discussion of fleet and driver performance matters at sales meetings. Employees can also be tested on road rules and provided with driver education awareness updates with online tools, he says.

Online risk management tools are an effective way of reducing accidents and gathering data to identify problem areas around company cars. But employers who think they can simply install a flashy intranet system and then forget about their duty of care responsibilities are mistaken. Risk management tools help organisations assess risk. But under Australia’s occupational health and safety regulations, the responsibility remains with the employer.

To protect themselves from potential litigation, employers need to combine online education with one-on-one driver training, including refresher training, and have measurable processes within a written policy that applies to all employees.

“One of the most powerful driver education tools is private coaching,” Malcolm says. “Drivers sit with a coach who observes them, and asks why they are drinking coffee while driving, or why they are following too close [to the vehicle in front].”

Automated maintenance management systems are also having a significant positive impact on the bottom line.

Technological changes in once-overlooked maintenance facilities and regional fleet centers are spreading through the entire enterprise, leaving productivity and profitability improvements in their wake.

Some parts and pieces of today’s maintenance management solutions have been around for decades.

What is changing the game when it comes to impact is the integration of various technology tools to create a seamless flow of asset management data that has the power to move maintenance from a reactive function to a predictive-based function.

For the past decade, the focus of fleet managers has been on taking all the different sources of maintenance-related data – including data from on-board vehicle sensors and motor industry supplier systems – and aggregating them.

The entire order-to-delivery process is being automated in many fleets. The aim is to join up all the dots so that everything from bills for material, to the maintenance work order, to the mechanic in the shop, to parts inventory management, to accounts payable is integrated. Thompson says the use of GPS is allowing certain transport operators to embrace a truly predictive maintenance world. He says public bus operators in the US use GPS to monitor how many times a bus door is opened. The gathered information is then deployed to pre-plan the maintenance and tire-change programs, according to whether a bus route involves frequent or infrequent stopping.

The great advantage of predictive maintenance regimes is that logic can be applied to data to create probabilities of failures. In doing this, fleet asset utilization is kept high.

Some information in this report was provided by the Financial Review: 

The Rise of Wearable Tech

Shipments of Wearable Technology Devices will Reach 64 Million in 2017

As reported by GIS User: According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, sales of smart glasses, smart watches and wearable fitness trackers reached 8.3 million units worldwide in 2012, up from 3.1 million devices in the previous year. Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 50.6 percent, total shipments of wearable technology devices are expected to reach 64.0 million units in 2017. Today wearable fitness and activity trackers constitute the vast majority of the shipments. By the end of the forecast period, smart watches are predicted to incorporate much of the functionality of these and will then be the largest wearable device segment.

“A perfect storm of innovation within low power wireless connectivity, sensor technology (such as GPS), big data, cloud services, voice user interfaces and mobile computing power is coming together and paves the way for connected wearable technology” said Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight. The first generation of products appeal to specific markets and certain use cases, but refinement in design, technology and connectivity will broaden application areas and speed up market adoption. Initially, the wrist is the most attractive location for wearable devices, which is shown by the success of the Pebble smart watch and the popularity of wristband activity trackers such as the Nike Fuelband and the Fitbit Flex. “However, today’s devices need to evolve into something more than single purpose fitness trackers or external smartphone notification centers in order to be truly successful” continues Mr. Svanberg. Berg Insight predicts that wearable technology will shift from being smartphone accessories into becoming proper stand-alone computing devices. Furthermore, closeness to the body and always aware capabilities will enable them to be more than merely miniaturized smartphones.

Google, Sony and Samsung have already launched products and other major players such as Apple and LG are expected to soon enter the market. Wide market availability of wearable devices also raises privacy concerns. “It is still uncertain where lines should be drawn, but as in the case with most new technology, individual users and solution providers have the responsibility not to misuse the capabilities enabled by wearable tech” concludes Mr. Svanberg.

Scientists to use GPS to Track Bumblebees

As reported by KWG: Imagine a GPS unit small and light enough to fit on the back of a bumblebee. Researchers down at Oregon State University plan to build one.

Researchers often use sensors to track species like birds or fish. The OSU scientists hope to use that same technology on a much tinier scale to track local bumblebee populations.

Entomology professor Sujaya Rao is leading the effort.

Rao wants to track the bees to find out why worldwide the key pollinator is in decline.

Without bee pollination, Rao says about a third of the food we eat wouldn't even be around.
So Rao teamed up with engineers at the University and together they are now working to develop a mini wireless tracking device that could be glued to the back of the insect.

“We can then figure out ways to build their populations, to sustain their populations, to make sure they will be here even though the landscape is always changing,” Rao said.

The $500,000 research project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rao says it will likely take another two years before the miniature wireless sensors are built, but she's confident her research will help revolutionize how we study bees in the future.

GPS vs. Reality: Believe Your Eyes

As reported by Consumer Affairs: There’s an old joke where a wife catches her husband in bed with another woman (or vice-versa) and the cheating spouse has the chutzpah to deny everything: “What? There’s nobody else in bed with me right now! You did not just see a naked stranger jump out from under the covers, throw on some clothes and run out of here. 

I've never cheated on you! Who’re you gonna believe — me, or your own lying eyes?”

But for the twenty-first century, maybe we should update that joke to apply to GPS systems: “When you look out your car window, you see a deserted beach next to a vast ocean. But I, your GPS, say it’s actually a well-traveled multi-lane highway. Who’re you gonna believe — me, or your own lying eyes?”

Unfortunately, too many drivers in such situations choose to believe the GPS. This happened most recently in Douglas County, Oregon, on Sept. 28, when the sheriff’s department got a call from an elderly couple whose RV got stuck in the mud on a deserted, unpaved logging road. Their GPS had suggested they leave the Interstate and take a shortcut through the wilderness.

Of course, elderly drivers aren’t the only ones prone to being fooled by their GPS systems. In 2011, a young woman in Washington State drove her SUV into a lake after she and her GPS mistook a boat launch for a road.  Other stories from that year include the man in New Jersey who blamed his GPS after he drove his car off the road and into a house, and the Pennsylvania woman who blamed hers for the head-on crash she caused while driving north in a southbound lane.

Indeed, bad-GPS-direction stories are becoming downright commonplace. Just last week, an Alaskan airport had to put up barricades after clueless iPhone users fooled by a flaw in Apple Maps data kept driving onto one of its runways.

Therefore, even though we are not psychic, we still feel pretty confident in predicting “Sometime in the next month, more ‘drivers get lost following bad GPS advice’ stories will appear in the news.” To make sure these headlines aren't about you, remember: if the road signs say one thing and the GPS says something else, ignore the GPS Navigation device and trust in the testimony of your own lying eyes.