Could 'Quantum Navigation' Replace GPS?

As reported by The Daily Mail UK: UK scientists say they are three to five years away from creating a new navigation system that would not rely on space-based technologies. A “quantum compass” might replace the US’s widely-used GPS, first in military and then on smartphones.

The British Ministry of Defense is investing millions of pounds into the “earth-based” technology, which they hope may become an alternative to space-based GPS on board nuclear submarines and ships.
Part of the reason the MoD is so keen to develop a “quantum compass” is that GPS doesn't work underwater.

When submarines dive they navigate using accelerometers to register every twist and turn of the vessel. However, this method is not very accurate.

“Today, if a submarine goes a day without a GPS fix we’ll have a navigation drift of the order of a kilometer when it surfaces,” says Neil Stansfield from the UK Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down that is working on the project.

Eventually, a “quantum compass” might be available for smartphone users who now use GPS to pinpoint their location.

The DSTL’s team was inspired by the Nobel-prize winning discovery that revealed that lasers can trap and cool a cloud of atoms placed in a vacuum to less than a millionth of a degree above absolute zero, to temperatures a billion times colder than outer space.

At their lowest energies, the atoms become the coldest known bodies in the universe.

Super-cooled low energy atoms are extremely sensitive to changes in the Earth’s magnetic and gravitational field.

If trapped on a small device, their fluctuations can allow scientists to track their movements from great distances away and their locations pinpointed with extreme precision.

So far, the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory has developed a quantum navigation system resembling a “1-meter-long shoe box,” according to Stansfield. Scientists are now focusing their efforts on miniaturizing the device, so that it can be used by soldiers and not just on board submarines and ships.

“Quantum TNS [Time, Navigation and Sensing] technologies could bring game-changing advantages to the UK defense sector and support markets measured in billions of pounds, here in the UK and around the world,” Stansfield said.

Unlike GPS, the pioneer in the field of pinpointing locations, a “quantum compass” will be interference-proof. The US has repeatedly warned that its GPS is vulnerable to attacks and deliberate disruption.

A “quantum compass,” may also be used to create the world's most accurate atomic clocks, scientists say.

In 2013, the UK announced an investment of £270 million ($453.3 million) over five years to research the possibility of incorporating quantum science in new products and services, the Financial Times reports. According to the newspaper, companies including Nokia, Hitachi and Toshiba have established quantum research laboratories in Britain. 

In related news, European robins may maintain quantum entanglement in their eyes a full 20 microseconds longer than the best laboratory systems, say physicists investigating how birds may use quantum effects to “see” Earth’s magnetic field.

It’s been proposed that birds’ eyes contain entanglement-based compasses.  Conclusive proof doesn't yet exist, but multiple lines of evidence suggest it. Findings like this one underscore just how sophisticated those compasses may be.

“How can a living system have evolved to protect a quantum state as well — no, better — than we can do in the lab with these exotic molecules?” asked quantum physicist Simon Benjamin of Oxford University and the National University of Singapore, a co-author of the new study. “That really is an amazing thing.”

Many animals — including not only birds, but some mammals, fish, reptiles, even crustaceans and insects — navigate by sensing the direction of Earth’s magnetic field. Physicist Klaus Schulten of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign proposed in the late 1970s that bird navigation relied on some geomagnetically sensitive, as-yet-unknown biochemical reaction taking place in their eyes.

Research since then has revealed the existence of special optical cells containing a protein called cryptochrome. When a photon enters the eye, it hits cryptochrome, giving a boost of energy to electrons that exist in a state of quantum entanglement.  

One of the electrons migrates a few nanometers away, where it feels a slightly different magnetic field than its partner. Depending on how the magnetic field alters the electron’s spin, different chemical reactions are produced. In theory, the products of many such reactions across a bird’s eye could create a picture of Earth’s magnetic field as a varying pattern of light and dark.

Agency Clarifies Roadside Inspection Rules for Older E-Log Devices

As reported by OverDrive: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Monday issued guidance clarifying the roadside inspection regulation for trucks equipped with automatic on-board recording devices (AOBRDs).

Specifically, FMCSA is responding to reports that inspection officials sometimes request drivers to provide printouts from AOBRDs, or to email or fax records of duty status (RODS). The agency has also been advised that, in some cases, inspection officials have issued citations to drivers because their AOBRDs did not display certain information.

“The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) have never required AOBRDs to be capable of providing printed records at the roadside, although a driver may voluntarily do so if his/her AOBRD has that capability,” FMCSA says.

The AOBRD requirements for recording – but not displaying – information “reflect mid-1980s information technology,” the agency suggests.

“These requirements were developed when small electronic displays were relatively uncommon and costly, and the amount and type of information they could display were limited,” says the notice.

The new guidance, verbatim, reads as follows:

PART 395—HOURS OF SERVICE OF DRIVERS

Add § 395.15 Questions 5 and 6, to read as follows:

Question 5: What information is required to be displayed on the AOBRD?

Guidance:

(1) Section 395.15(i)(5) requires that AOBRDs with electronic displays must be capable of displaying the following:

‘‘(i) Driver’s total hours of driving today; (ii) The total hours on duty today;  (iii) Total miles driving today; (iv) Total hours on duty for the 7 consecutive day period, including today; (v) Total hours on duty for the prior 8 consecutive day period, including the present day; and (vi) The sequential changes in duty status and the times the changes occurred for each driver using the device.’’

(2) While § 395.15(c) requires additional information be recorded by the AOBRD, only the specific information listed in § 395.15(i)(5) must be displayed.

(3) The two provisions differ because of the data display limitations of a minimally compliant AOBRD.

Question 6: Must an AOBRD be capable of providing a hardcopy printout?

Guidance: No, the FMCSRs do not require AOBRDs to provide a hardcopy printout for an enforcement official. As long as the information made available for display on the AOBRD meets the requirements of § 395.15(i)(5), the driver and motor carrier are not required to provide additional RODS documentation to an enforcement official at the roadside.

However, an enforcement official may request that additional information be provided by email, fax, or similar means within 48 hours for follow-up after the conclusion of the roadside inspection.

Additionally, regarding the AOBRD related rulemaking, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to give stakeholders an extra 30 days to submit comments on the agency’s proposed electronic logging device mandate, citing the complexity and significance of the proposed rule as reasons.  

CVSA Executive Director Stephen Keppler in a formal letter to the agency May 7 made the request to push the current May 27 deadline back to June 26.

“This is a complex and significant rulemaking, for both the state enforcement agencies and the commercial motor vehicle industry,” the letter states, and all parties involved need time to vet and evaluate the rule and give feedback, Keppler writes.

The public comment period is 60 days long and began on the March 28 publication date of the agency’s Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. CVSA says 60 days is not long enough “to develop and submit a comprehensive set of comments,” according to the letter.

FMCSA has not yet responded to the request. Click here to read CVSA’s letter.

To comment on the proposal, visit regulations.gov and use the docket number FMCSA-2010-0167. Comments can also be mailed to oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov using the subject line Attention: Desk Officer for FMCSA, DOT. They can also be faxed to 202-395-6566.

GPS 2F-6: Anticipated Satellite Launch Timeline

As reported by SpaceFlight Now: GPS services have permeated daily lives for countless millions of people, and now the latest Global Positioning System satellite is awaiting blastoff Thursday (May 15) to bolster the navigation network.  

Liftoff of the GPS 2F-6 spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral is planned for 8:08 p.m. EDT at the opening of an 18-minute window.  

GPS IIF-6 will be the United Launch Alliance’s fifth launch of 2014 and 82nd overall. It also will mark the 26th flight of the Delta IV launch vehicle since its inaugural flight in November 2002.  

ULA will provide a live webcast of the launch, beginning at 7:48 p.m. EDT. Also, those interested can hear updates to the launch countdown via phone, by dialing the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321, or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch and twitter.com/ulalaunch, hashtag #GPSIIF6.

The satellite, built by Boeing, is one of the next-generation GPS satellites, incorporating  improvements to provide greater accuracy, increased signals, and enhanced performance for users. According to Boeing, each GPS IIF satellite has:

• greater navigational accuracy through improvements in atomic clock technology.
• a new civilian L5 signal to aid commercial aviation and search and rescue operations.
• improved military signal and variable power for better resistance to jamming in hostile environments.
• a 12-year design life providing long-term service and reduced operating costs.
• an on-orbit, reprogrammable processor that can receive software uploads for improved system operation.

T-0:00:05.0 Engine start The RS-68 main engine begins to ignite as the liquid hydrogen fuel valve is opened, creating a large fireball at the base of the rocket. The engine powers up to full throttle for a computer-controlled checkout before liftoff. T-0:00:00.0 Liftoff The rocket's two strap-on solid rocket motors are lit, the four hold-down bolts are released and the Delta 4 lifts off from Cape Canaveral's pad 37B. The pad's three swing arms retract at T-0 seconds. T+0:01:00.7 Max-Q The vehicle experiences the region of maximum dynamic pressure. Both solid motors and the RS-68 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine continue to fire as the vehicle heads downrange, arcing over the Atlantic along a 45-degree flight azimuth. T+0:01:40.0 Jettison solid motors Having used up all their solid-propellant and experienced burnout six seconds ago, the two strap-on boosters are jettisoned from the Delta's first stage. The spent casings fall into the ocean. T+0:04:07.2 Main engine cutoff The hydrogen-fueled RS-68 rocket engine completes its firing and shuts down to finish the first stage burn. T+0:04:14.5 Stage separation The Common Booster Core first stage and the attached interstage are separated in one piece from the Delta 4's upper stage. The upper stage engine's extendible nozzle drops into position as the first stage separates. T+0:04:29.0 Second stage ignition The upper stage begins its job to place the GPS 2F-6 satellite into space with the first of two firings by the RL10B-2 liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine. T+0:04:39.5 Jettison payload fairing The four-meter diameter composite payload fairing that protected the GPS 2F-6 cargo atop the Delta 4 during the atmospheric ascent is no longer needed, allowing it to be jettisoned in two halves. T+0:15:31.5 Upper stage shutdown The RL10 upper stage engine shuts down to complete its first firing of the launch. The rocket and attached satellite reach an intermediate transfer orbit where it coasts for the next three hours. T+3:03:25.0 Restart upper stage The upper stage reaches the proper point in space and reignites the the RL10 engine to circularize the orbit. T+3:05:08.2 Upper stage shutdown The powered phase of the Delta 4's mission to reach the GPS constellation concludes. The targeted circular orbit is 11,047 nautical miles with an inclination of 55 degrees. T+3:15:49.5 Separate spacecraft The GPS 2F-6 satellite is released into space from the Delta 4 rocket to upgrade the orbiting navigation network.

Federal Car Fleet to Become Test Bed for High-Tech Safety Gear

As reported by Network World: Future autos leased by the federal government will be equipped with some advanced high-tech safety technology in an effort to test the equipment in real-life situations.

The General Services Administration (GSA) and the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said they would team up on the program to further develop high-tech driver and vehicle safety technology.

The GSA and NHTSA said they will work to:

• Develop a process to learn about the most beneficial vehicle safety technologies.
• Create a research program to pilot and evaluate safety technologies/approaches for the federal vehicle fleet.
• Improve the way information on potential defects, problems and issues are coordinated between the agencies.
• Ensure that federal vehicles subject to recalls are repaired as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
• Incorporate the most current understanding of safety technologies and approaches into the government-wide fleet policy.

Most of the car crash avoidance and safety equipment development is known collectively as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technologies.  According to the Department of Transportation, "research indicates that safety applications using V2V technology can address a large majority of crashes involving two or more motor vehicles. With safety data such as speed and location flowing from nearby vehicles, vehicles can identify risks and provide drivers with warnings to avoid other vehicles in common crash types such as rear-end, lane change, and intersection crashes. These safety applications have been demonstrated with everyday drivers under both real-world and controlled test conditions."

The safety applications currently being developed provide warnings to drivers so that they can prevent imminent collisions, but do not automatically operate any vehicle systems, such as braking or steering. NHTSA is also considering future actions on active safety technologies that rely on on-board sensors. Those technologies are eventually expected to blend with the V2V technology. NHTSA issued an Interim Statement of Policy in 2013 explaining its approach to these various streams of innovation. In addition to enhancing safety, these future applications and technologies could help drivers to conserve fuel and save time.


In August 2012, DOT launched the Safety Pilot "model deployment" in Ann Arbor, Mich., where nearly 3,000 vehicles were deployed in the largest-ever road test of V2V technology. DOT testing is indicating interoperability of V2V technology among products from different vehicle manufacturers and suppliers and has demonstrated that they work in real-world environments.

The DOT says if widely deployed, V2V technologies could provide warnings to drivers in as much as 76% of potential multi-vehicle collisions involving at least one light vehicle, such as a passenger car.

While the technology obviously has it upside, the  Government Accountability Office said last year efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the automobile industry have focused on developing: 1) in-vehicle components such as hardware to facilitate communications among vehicles, 2) safety software applications to analyze data and identify potential collisions, 3) vehicle features that warn drivers, and 4) a national communication security system to ensure trust in the data transmitted among vehicles.

The GAO said defined a number of challenges to these high-tech tools for cars.  A few of the issues raised by the GAO include:

Security: A security system capable of detecting, reporting, and revoking the credentials of vehicles found to be sharing inaccurate  information will be needed to ensure trust in the V2V data transmitted  among vehicles. Final plans and policies for the V2V communication security system - including its technical framework and management structure - have not yet been developed and will need to be finalized prior to V2V technology deployment.  The GAO said 12 of the 21c experts it interviewed said the technical development of a V2V communication security system as a great or very great challenge to the deployment of V2V technologies.

Deployment Levels: According to DOT, the safety benefits of V2V technologies will be maximized with near full deployment across the U.S. vehicle fleet. However, even if NHTSA pursues a rules requiring installation of these technologies in new vehicles, it could take a number of years until benefits are fully realized due to the rate of turnover of the fleet. According to one automobile manufacturer the GAO interviewed, given the rate of new vehicle sales, it can take up to 20 years for the entire U.S. vehicle fleet to turn over.



Driver response: The benefits of V2V technologies will also depend on how well drivers respond to warning messages. If drivers do not take appropriate action in response to warnings, then the benefits of V2V technologies could be reduced. For example, if drivers do not respond to warnings quickly enough due to distraction, impairment, or other reasons they may not be able to avoid a collision. Furthermore, if safety applications offer too many false warnings when no imminent threat exists, drivers could begin to ignore valid warnings.

Deployment of other safety technologies: The potential benefits solely attributable to V2V technologies will also depend on the market penetration and effectiveness of sensor-based crash avoidance technologies. These existing technologies are able to address some of the same crash scenarios as V2V safety applications and their market penetration is likely to increase in the future. While there are cases where V2V technologies can provide safety benefits where sensor-based crash avoidance technologies cannot such as around a curve or when detecting an unseen stopped car there are some V2V technology collision scenarios that sensor-based crash avoidance technologies can also address.  For example, cameras and radar can be used to provide drivers with forward collision warnings or lane change warnings when another vehicle is in a blind spot.

Connectivity Cars: A New Generation With Built-in WiFi Hot-Spots

As reported by NBC News: We live in a connected world. It’s rare to go anywhere without finding people staring into their smartphones. So, it should seem only natural that automakers are getting set to launch a new era of connected automobiles that can serve up their own WiFi hot-spots.

General Motors will join the club next month when it officially launches 4G LTE service for the new Chevrolet Malibu sedan, adding a wide range of additional models before the end of the year. It joins a growing list of manufacturers –including Audi and Chrysler’s Ram brand -- who currently offer, or will soon add, 4G connectivity in their own products.

“We’re excited to give millions of customers an opportunity to explore the technology,” said Mary Chan, president of GM’s OnStar subsidiary operating the maker’s 4G service and which will initially offer a three-month free trial.

Some observers question precisely whom the technology will appeal to, and it’s perhaps no surprise that initial OnStar marketing illustrates the potential benefits for parents with children who can now be kept happy in the back seat watching online movies, texting or playing online games with friends.

The new GM service was, perhaps not surprisingly, initiated under former GM CEO Dan Akerson, a long-time telecomm industry executive, who announced a partnership with AT&T.

The communications giant will allow its existing customers to bundle the in-car service with their existing accounts, and non-AT&T users will be allowed to subscribe separately.

The OnStar service will be offered with varying levels of data, monthly fees running from $10 to $50 a month, though motorists can alternately opt to buy a set amount of data usage over a 12-month period, ranging from $5 to $200.

Skeptics question the appeal of establishing a fixed WiFi hot-spot in a vehicle when anyone can alternately sign up for mobile 4G service with a range of vendors, including Sprint, TMobile, Verizon, as well as AT&T, using card-sized devices that can be taken anywhere. And many new smartphones, including the Apple iPhone, can be turned into WiFi hot-spots for an additional fee.

GM and other makers contend they have an advantage in that their built-in 4G systems will utilize an external antenna that ensures improved signal strength when compared to a portable hot-spot that might be sitting in the cup-holder or a pocket inside a largely steel vehicle.

But a similar claim didn't do much to enhance the appeal of built-in cellphone systems that were pitched as the latest-and-greatest technology two decades ago. Fixed, in-car phones also had significantly stronger radio signals, meaning greater range and fewer dropped connections, but eventually lost out to handheld phones.

Makers like GM are still betting that consumers will be happy to have a built-in data connection while they travel – something that could also appeal to commuters, especially those carpooling who want to get work done on the way to the office.

But while access to e-mail, news, music and movies may be the marketing pitch, the technology eventually will offer automakers, as much as auto buyers, some big benefits.

Tesla, for example, has an in-car data link it can use to update the extensive software systems in its vehicle – which boasts a laptop computer-sized LCD display atop the center console that handles virtually all vehicle functions.

The ability to remotely reprogram a car’s software could be a big plus in the event of a recall, for example, like the one Ford just announced due to a mis-programmed rollover airbag system. Using such a remote link would cost next to nothing, especially when compared to having to pay dealers to handle the recall, as is now the case. That would also help boost the number of vehicles that actually get the fix. Today, as much as a third or more of motorists fail to take their cars in for such repairs.

The new OnStar 4G system will eventually be offered on the vast majority of products GM’s four U.S. brands offer, from the Chevrolet Corvette sports car to the Cadillac XTS luxury sedan.

Chrysler was one of the first to introduce in-car WiFi capabilities on its Ram pickup line, anticipating an appeal for truckers who want the ability to stay connected at a work site.

Audi has also been rolling out the technology on a variety of models, including its new A3 compact luxury line. The A3 will adopt another concept from the consumer electronics world, meanwhile. A number of key components in its infotainment system, including the critical video driver hardware, has been made plug-n-play. That means that in years ahead, a motorist won’t be saddled with outdated technology but will be able to purchase an update, much like consumers can do today with an older computer.