GPS Satellite Mounted Atop Booster For Feb. 20 Launch

As reported by Space Flight Now: Beginning a slate of three launches in five months to fortify the Global Positioning System, the first craft was mounted atop its Delta 4 booster rocket Wednesday for liftoff Feb. 20.

The launch is precisely timed at 8:40 p.m. EST to replace a 16-year-old member of the navigation network -- the GPS 2A-28 satellite. The evening launch opportunity extends 19 minutes.

Built by Boeing, the new GPS 2F-5 satellite brings with it modernized features including greater accuracy, better anti-jamming and a civil signal for commercial aviation as the fifth Block 2F bird.

Crews transported the satellite to Complex 37 overnight and lifted it into the gantry. The initial stage of attachment of the craft onto the upper stage of the rocket was completed.

The Air Force and partner United Launch Alliance plan to launch GPS 2F-6 in May on another Delta and GPS 2F-7 on an Atlas 5 in July.

The Feb. 20 launch is headed for Plane A, Slot 3 of the constellation where it will become a primary spacecraft to transmit navigation and timing to military and civilian users around the globe. The satellite currently in that slot will be moved into a backup role for remainder of its useful life.
It will be the 25th Delta 4 launch and the fourth with a GPS satellite. ULA intends to conduct four flights of the Delta 4 this year.

 The launch was delayed from October while engineers ran additional tests and analysis on the low-thrust condition experienced on the successful GPS 2F-3 flight.

"The delay of the GPS 2F-5 was not related to any new observation from the GPS 2F-3 launch. The Phase II investigation of the GPS 2F-3 flight telemetry continues the analysis from Phase I with the goal to thoroughly confirm there are no systematic issues with RL10B-2 engine," the Air Force says.

"Over the last several months, the team has continued testing and analysis which has increased our understanding and confidence in the conclusions of the GPS 2F-3 flight telemetry and the conclusions from Phase I."

Investigators believe a tiny fuel leak developed at the first ignition of the upper stage engine, resulting in lower-than-expected thrust and longer burn times. It is possible there were low-frequency dynamic responses that occurred on the engine system during ignition.

Additional inspections, in-flight helium purges to critical areas of the engine system and changes to how the engine is thermally conditioned during ascent to prepare for its initial ignition have been put in place to mitigate the risks.

GPS is marking the 20th anniversary of its Initial Operational Capability, the point in which the constellation was populated sufficiently to go into service.

"GPS has grown to become a vital worldwide utility serving billions of users around the globe. GPS multi-use Precision Navigation and Timing services are integral to the United States global security, economy, and transportation safety, and are a critical part of our national infrastructure," the Air Force says.

"GPS contributes vital capabilities to our nation's military operations, emergency response, agriculture, aviation, maritime, roads and highways, surveying and mapping, and telecommunications industries, as well as recreational activities. It is not an overstatement to say GPS is fundamental to today's technical infrastructure and culture."

Car Communication Systems To Be Required As U.S. Weighs Rules

As reported by Bloomberg Technology: U.S. regulators will propose rules before President Barack Obama leaves office requiring vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems in new cars, a move advocates said may aid safety more than seat belts and air bags.

“Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology represents the next generation of auto safety improvements,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said at a news conference today. “The potential of this technology is enormous.”

Technology companies including Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) are among those vying to build the architecture for the connected car of the future. Google Inc. and Tesla Motors Inc. are among companies looking at employing automated systems that could be precursors to self-driving cars.

The technology would let cars automatically exchange safety data such as speed and position 10 times per second and send warnings to drivers if an imminent collision is sensed, the Transportation Department said in a statement today. The systems being envisioned won’t be able to operate brakes or steering, though such technologies are being studied.

The technology’s price is dropping and its effectiveness is improving, said Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. It will take years to work out the how the devices work outside the lab and the degree to which they will control vehicles, he said in an e-mailed statement.

‘Connected Fleet’
“The full transition from our current vehicle fleet to a connected fleet will take at least 10 years, and like any new technology, the early stages of the transition will be fraught with glitches,” Brauer said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. auto-safety regulator, released in May its draft of a policy that encouraged development of technologies that could be components of autonomous vehicles.

It conducted a pilot project in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to test short-range communication technologies that it has said could prevent, or reduce in severity, as many as 80 percent of crashes involving non-impaired drivers. About a third of U.S. highway fatalities are alcohol-related.

“The vision of talking cars that avoid crashes is well on the way to becoming reality,” Scott Belcher, president of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, said in a statement. The Washington-based trade group includes companies such as Honda Motor Co. (7267), Siemens AG, AT&T Inc. and TomTom NV.

Crash-Imminent Braking
David Strickland, who stepped down as NHTSA administrator last month, said in May that the agency was looking at whether to regulate crash-imminent braking, a technology featured in a number of luxury models that applies brakes automatically if sensors indicate a crash is about to occur.

Vehicle-to-vehicle systems would go a step beyond such systems by allowing communications to take place between cars, or between a car and the road.

Today’s announcement begins a three-year period of intensive, more-focused research and consultations with the industry that will lead to a proposed regulation, NHTSA Acting Administrator David Friedman said.

The “game-changing” technology has now been demonstrated as reliability and capable of saving lives, Friedman said. Automakers, their suppliers and tech companies had been waiting for a signal that regulators were ready to write long-term plans, and they’ll react favorably to today’s Transportation Department decision, Foxx said.

Reserved Wireless Spectrum
Among the issues to be settled: how much access non-automotive users would have to the frequencies to be designated for use in vehicle-to-vehicle communications. Both the Transportation Department and the Federal Communications Commission will have to carefully evaluate any potential interference with the safety-critical systems.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, representing automakers includingGeneral Motors Co. (GM) and Toyota Motor Corp., cautioned that the FCC should reserve the airwaves for “safety-critical auto systems until thorough testing is completed.”

Automakers have to work with companies that are trying to fit unlicensed Wi-Fi devices on the same frequency, said Michael Stanton, president and chief executive officer of the Association of Global Automakers.

“Communication delays of even thousandths of a single second matter when dealing with auto and highway safety,” Stanton said.

‘Wi-Fi Demand’
The Telecommunications Industry Association welcomed the end of an almost “15-year development cycle” and noted that technology companies were looking to share the designated frequency “to meet exploding Wi-Fi demand.”

“We look forward to working with the FCC and other federal agencies to determine how other low-power unlicensed technologies such as Wi-Fi can share this radio spectrum,” the Arlington, Virginia-based group, whose members include Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) andAlcatel-Lucent (ALU), said in a statement.

The Transportation Department today said the technology it envisions won’t track vehicle movements or allow the exchange of personal information. It would allow cars to be identified only for the purposes of fixing safety flaws.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, raised concerns in May that the communications advances being discussed could make cars vulnerable to hacking.

A Hacker Found GPS Data in the Audio of This Police Chase Video

As reported by Gismodo: It's incredibly noisy in the cockpit of a helicopter, and you'd assume the sounds you hear in any YouTube police chase video were just the deafening whine of the chopper's engine. But as one hacker discovered, that monotonous drone can actually hide some useful data, like the helicopter's GPS coordinates.

Watching cockpit footage of a police helicopter chase in Kansas City, Oona Räisänen noticed some odd interference in the audio. She assumed it was just being caused by the aircraft's engine, but after isolating and filtering the audio she discovered it was actually a digital signal.

And it wasn't just some random digital signal, either. It turns out the equipment used to transmit the live video feed to the ground also passes along the helicopter's GPS coordinates. And in a manner that anyone with access to the footage—like say the millions of people using YouTube every minute—and a little know-how can actually decode that data.

So does this pose any kind of security threat? Not necessarily. The route a police helicopter takes during a pursuit isn't exactly a secret. Anyone on the ground can monitor its course, and this 'hack' was done well after the chase was over. It might encourage law enforcement agencies to strip the audio before a video like this is released to the public. But this hack is more of a "how interesting" discovery than anything.

GPS IIFs Back on Launch Manifest

As reported by Inside GNSS: The fifth GPS Block IIF satellites is scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral on February 20 after concerns regarding a 2012 launch anomaly led the Air Force to scrub a planned launch last fall. A Delta IV M+ will carry the spacecraft into orbit.
 
Additional GPS IIF launches this year are tentatively set for May (Delta IV M+) and July (Atlas V rocket). The last GPS launch (GPS IIF-4) took place on May 13, 2013.
 
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has reported the successful powering on of the second GPS Block III satellite payload at its Denver-area processing facility. On December 19, engineers turned on power to the bus and network communications equipment payload of the GPS II Space Vehicle 2 (SV-02).
 
The production milestone demonstrates the satellite's mechanical integration, validates its interfaces, and leads the way for electrical and integrated hardware-software testing, according to Lockheed Martin.
 
The company is currently under contract for production of the first six GPS III satellites (SV 01-06), with the first four funded under the original contract and the fifth and sixth recent fully funded by an exercised Air Force option on December 13. Lockheed Martin had previously received advanced procurement funding for long-lead components for the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth satellites (SV 05-08.
 
GPS III SV-01 is now in the integration and test flow leading to delivery "flight-ready" to the Air Force.

Use of GPS Technology Cuts Costs For Fleets

As reported by Fleet Owner: A broad survey of 508 fleet operations across the U.S. regarding their use of mobile resource management (MRM) systems finds that, of those using such technology, a significant majority are not only satisfied with the service they’re receiving but that they are recouping their investment via a wide array of savings such as improved fuel economy, reductions in vehicle idle time, etc.  

“Fleets using MRM systems are finding very high value in them and have a very high satisfaction rate with them; basically a 4.1 one on a 5 point scale,” Clem Driscoll, president of consulting and marketing research firm C.J. Driscoll & Associates, explained to Fleet Owner. “That very high satisfaction rate is but one indicator that the market for MRM technology in fleet operations will stay very strong.”

Driscoll said his firm’s telephone study – officially titled the 2013-14 Survey of Fleet Operator Interest in MRM Systems and Services – included TL and LTL carriers, private delivery fleets, construction-related fleets, and others, focusing on operator interest, use, and satisfaction with GPS [global positioning system] fleet management, driver behavior management, and GPS-equipped handset/portable solutions for managing mobile workers.

He added that out of the fleet operators participating in the survey, 42% operate Class 6-8 trucks and one-third of the total sample were comprised of TL/LTL carriers, private trucking fleets or local common carriers.

While only 36% of those fleets polled said they used a GPS-based system, the firm found that 79% of them were either satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their service, with 67% reporting that they recouped their investment in such technology.

Driscoll noted that such recoupment occurred by generating savings across a broad array of fleet operating metrics. For example, one private food delivery fleet operating 120 trucks achieved $167,600 per year in fuel and mileage savings plus $127,400 in driver time savings.

In other examples, a Connecticut-based regional water company operating 300 vehicles said it saved $64,000 in fuel costs a year by being able to control excess idling via is MRM system, while a county government fleet in Michigan noted MRM technology allowed it to gain $300 per day of “more production” per vehicle in its 80-unit operation.

“The interesting thing is that such numbers were being given right off the top of their heads as this was a real-time telephone survey; they didn’t have time to consult reports,” Driscoll stressed. “It costs money to install such technology but they know at the end of the day they are saving more money through it. That’s why this is such a strong indicator that demand for MRM systems will only keep growing.”

Driscoll’s survey uncovered other interesting aspects of MRM use patterns as well among the fleets participating in its survey:

• Some 58% of the fleets participating in its poll operate 50 or fewer vehicles, with the midpoint fleet size on its survey pool 35 vehicles
• In terms of route structure, 39% use dynamic routing based on real-time data, while 38% stick to pre-scheduled routes and 12% use fixed routes
• The basic communication device relied upon by the truck drivers in the fleets surveyed is the cell phone (67%), with 45% using smartphones and 18% using tablets or laptops
• The top benefit of GPS-based MRM systems cited by those using them is vehicle location (54%) with 37% citing driver performance and safety monitoring, 24% noting reduce idle time and fuel consumption, 18% route optimization, and 9% maintenance and repairs
• Some 68% do not integrate their MRM technology with back-office systems

The survey also noted that 31% of those fleets using a GPS-based fleet management system said they received an insurance discount for doing so – a finding that surprised Driscoll.

“I’m really surprised at the number of fleets that reported getting an insurance discount; we didn’t realize it was that common,” he said. “But we think the growing number of insurance providers that offer MRM packages of their own and that have used the data gained from them to monitor fleet safety, accident rates, etc., is beginning to influence their discount decisions.”

Agency Completes HOS Field Study, Concludes Current Provisions Yield Safer, Better Rested Drivers

As reported by CCJ Digital: In its long-awaited field study on the current hours-of-service rule, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has concluded that the two 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. period requirements of the 34-hour restart provisions of the rule cause truck operators to drive safer and be better rested.

The results of the study were released Jan. 30. It was conducted by the Sleep Performance Research Center in Washington State University in Spokane, Wash., and Pulsar Informatics in Philadelphia, Pa.

Researchers studied 106 drivers, ages 24-69, who were studied in two duty cycles and during the 34-hour restarts on each side.

Drivers who did not include two 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. periods reported “greater sleepiness, especially towards the end of their duty periods,” than when following the provisions of the current HOS rule, the study says. They also deviated from their lane more often and “exhibited more lapses of attention, especially at night,” the study says.

Also, drivers who didn’t include the two nighttime periods in their restart got most of their sleep during the day, the study says, and spent more time driving and more time driving at night, and most of their on-duty time came at night.

“This new study confirms the science we used to make the hours-of-service rule more effective at preventing crashes that involve sleepy or drowsy truck drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “For the small percentage of truckers that average up to 70 hours of work a week, two nights of rest is better for their safety and the safety of everyone on the road.”

The study presents different results than research and surveys done by both the American Trucking Associations’ American Transportation Research Institute and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. Both groups released studies in the fall concluding that, in addition to carriers and drivers losing productivity and revenue due to the rules, drivers were less rested on the whole under the current rule than before. Click here to see CCJ coverage of ATRI’s study, and click here to see coverage of OOIDA’s.

Another study done by the University of Tennessee, findings of which were released this month, found similar conclusions: Drivers are generally more fatigued under the current provisions than under the prior hours rule.

The completion of FMCSA’s study has been a point of contention between FMCSA and members of the House responsible for oversight of the agency. The report was supposed to be completed, per the current MAP-21 highway funding law, by Sept. 30, 2013.

Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) chastised the agency more than once for missing the deadline. He and other representatives also took a stern tone in November with Ferro in a House hearing held to determine the impacts of the hours-of-service rules over the fact the study had not yet been completed.

Hanna also is the sponsor of a bill in the House that would, if passed, overturn the hours-of-service rule until Congress could further study FMCSA’s methodology in creating it. The Senate has also introduced a version of the bill.

Of 106 drivers studied in FMCSA’s study, 44 were local drivers, 26 regional and 36 over-the-road, who drove 414,937 miles during the study, while researchers gathered a combined 1,260 days of data.

The drivers wore wrist activity monitors to record sleep and wake periods and used smartphones to take psychomotor vigilance tests, log fatigue and sleepiness and to log sleep, wake and caffeine intake.

Also, trucks in the study were equipped with data acquisition systems that recorded distance traveled, speed, acceleration, lateral lane position, steering wheel angle, headway distance, fuel use and other parameters.

All trucks in the study were equipped with electronic logging devices (ELDs), and information from those was downloaded from carriers.

The tests were conducted between January 2013 and July 2013.

Click here to see the results of the study. 

Telematics For Tennis Rackets Can Provide For Virtual Coaching

As reported by EuroSport: Many sporting gadgets come and go with barely a flicker of attention, but there is now a tool that could transform tennis forever.  

An exaggeration? Only time will tell, but the number of top companies involved surely gives an indication as to its genuine potential.

Sony have unveiled a tennis sensor - a little gadget that is attachable to the base of a tennis racket - and Babolat have released their 'Play Pure Drive' effort with one already embedded into the grip.

To put the device in its simplest terms, it is like having a virtual 'tennis coach' to assess your every shot, sensing where the ball strikes the racket and the quality of the contact.

It counts forehands and backhands, serves and smashes and provides stats in the form of tennis data that can be analysed, stored and compared.

The sensor can gather data such as ball speed, accuracy, angle, etc and will pair the info with devices such as Bluetooth, phones, computers and USB connections.

More than simply a coaching aid, the sensor would allow even the top players to quickly and effectively assess their own shots and learn from specific errors during a match.

Would this go right the way to the top elite level? That all depends on how it is received within the tennis world, but the potential is there for it to improve broadcasting tools in addition to personal analysis.

Babolat's latest venture into the field of personal sporting analytics has been put through the International Tennis Federation's official approval process and could well impact the professional game if it is viewed as beneficial to everyone involved.

Babolat's Play Pure Drive (Babolat)

Put simply, if the ITF approve the sensors then they could be used in Grand Slams. Given that the technology already exists on the market, the top players would provide companies the exposure and publicity they desire.

Gael Moureaux, tennis racquets products manager at Babolat, has said: "We integrated sensors inside the handle of the racquet, but it does not change the specification.

"And these sensors will analyse your tennis game, so your swing - your motion - and all this information will be collected by the racquet.

"During the development process of the racquet, we did a lot of lab tests with a lot of players around the world to make sure the data is accurate and to have the right data for the player."

What does this mean for your average amateur tennis lover? The Babolat Play Pure Drive is already out on the market, while Sony's Smart Tennis Sensor will be priced at around £106 when it moves from Japan, where it is currently available.

According to Sony who announced the sensor’s availability in Japan, the sensor will be compatible with around six Yonex EZone and VCore tennis rackets, but additional racket compatibility will be available before long.

Sensor-connected racquets are already with us and who is to say that this will not end up becoming the accepted next phase of the tennis equipment revolution.

We've come quite a way from wooden racquets with tiny heads. This crazy-looking new gadget could yet transform the sport as we know it.