INDUSTRY

NovAtel enhances the performance of the GAJT-710

NovAtel have announced an update to their GPS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT) portfolio. As the leading provider of assured positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) products, it has introduced the new GAJT-710 product line that features several enhancements over the previous generation. The GAJT-710 product line is the next evolution of NovAtel’s battleproven anti-jam technology for land and marine platforms. The new jammer direction-finding capability of GAJT enables situational awareness and a new silent mode feature reduces its thermal signature. novatel.com

VERIPOS introduces low SWaP anti-jamming protection and RF interference mitigation

The biggest thing in anti-jam just got smaller: introducing GAJT-410MS, the newest addition to the GPS Anti- Jam Technology (GAJT) portfolio from Hexagon | VERIPOS. This low size, weight and power (SWaP) model of the field-proven GAJT-710MS protects against RF interference with adaptive nulling, including jammer direction finding and up to three simultaneous nulls for multi-jammer scenarios.

The GAJT-410MS protects against RF interference, jamming and spoofing activities to enable assured positioning, navigation and timing (APNT). The low SWaP unit is optimized for spaceconstrained vessels like unmanned and autonomous platforms. The Power Injector Data Converter (PIDC) simplifies installation by connecting the GAJT-410MS to the user’s existing GNSS receiver through a single RF cable. veripos.com

Hexagon Power Portfolio 2022

Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division have announced the launch of Power Portfolio 2022, the latest version of its leading GIS, remote sensing, photogrammetry and geospatial data management products. The latest release increases efficiency for users of ERDAS IMAGINE, ImageStation and GeoMedia with automated workflows and the ability to extract point clouds from larger stereoimagery files up to three times faster. GeoMedia WebMap also enhances productivity by empowering field personnel to access and edit data anywhere, anytime with new mobile capabilities. www.hexagongeospatial.com

ViaLite supports Raytheon

A new project sees ViaLite supplying Raytheon Technologies, the world leading mil-aero corporation, with its cutting edge ‘GPS over Fiber Extension Kit’ for Microsemi GPS servers. The Kit provides mission critical GPS timing and synchronization for systems requiring extremely accurate clock signals.

Standard transmission distances for the extension kit can be up to 10 km, while solutions are available for distances as long as 50 km. www.vialite.com

Smallest 5GNR, WiFi-6E and GNSS Combination 9-in-1 Antennas

2J Antennas introduces the new Stellar Series that is designed for a large suite of devices with a focus on sub 6 GHz, 5G NR, 4G LTE, 3G, 2G, WiFi-6E and GNSS technologies. This series includes single or up to 9-in-1 configuration choices within the range of 617 MHz to 7125 MHz frequency bands. The cutting-edge patent pending technology reduces the antenna footprint by 55% while implementing a new double trifilar design and longitudinal resonances for MIMO/ ARRAY configurations that traditionally have more complex size restrictions (i.e. B71 Band/ 600 MHz). Each antenna configuration uses symmetrical or asymmetrical resonators for negative sections of the antenna resulting in maximum performance at low and mid frequencies. https://www.2j-antennas.com

Orolia signs an agreement to acquire Seven Solutions

Orolia has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Seven Solutions, a global innovator in White Rabbit sub-nanosecond time transfer and synchronization technology. This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approvals required by the Spanish government and is expected to close before the end of the year. www.orolia.com

Trimble releases turnkey autonomous robotic scanning solution

Trimble has released the Trimble® X7 3D laser scanner and Trimble FieldLink software fully integrated with Boston Dynamics’ Spot® robot. This exclusive turnkey solution from Trimble, jointly developed with Boston Dynamics, facilitates autonomous operation on construction sites and takes advantage of the robot›s unique capabilities to navigate challenging, dynamic and potentially unsafe environments. Trimble›s 3D data capture technology, integrated with Spot, enables a continuous flow of information between the field and the office for consistent, on-going documentation of jobsite progress. www.trimble.com

Trimble and Microsoft partnership

Trimble and Microsoft have announced a strategic partnership to advance technology adoption and accelerate the digital transformation of the construction, agriculture and transportation industries. By leveraging the Microsoft cloud, Trimble and Microsoft will collaborate to develop, build and deliver industry cloud platforms and solutions that connect people, technology, tasks, data, processes and industry lifecycles.

This collaboration represents a significant milestone to advance Trimble’s Connect and Scale 2025 strategy, which centers on building industry-leading cloud platforms. Initially, Trimble and Microsoft will focus on building the Trimble Construction Cloud powered by Microsoft Azure.

In addition to cloud engineering development, Microsoft and Trimble will partner on joint go-to-market strategies and deliver innovative solutions to multinational and regional enterprises. www.trimble.com

Advanced Navigation releases next generation satellite compass

Advanced Navigation has released the second generation of their highly successful satellite compass. It is a plug-and-play solution that provides accurate position, heading, and time in a self-contained unit. The new system provides significantly higher heading performance, combined with a reduction in price to under USD 2K, opening up the advanced technology to cost-sensitive applications previously dependent on magnetic heading.

The new system significantly improves the availability and accuracy of heading under difficult conditions, such as under bridges, when there is limited visibility of the sky and in the presence of RF interference. This is achieved through a new multi-frequency GNSS receiver, cutting-edge antenna design, and algorithm improvements. www.advancednavigation.com

World’s highest-performing radio occultation satellite

PlanetIQ officials are ecstatic with the weather data collected by the company’s first operational satellite, which was launched in June. In fact, the company is soliciting funds to speed up its quest to construct a 20-satellite radio occultation constellation for the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) by 2024.

PlanetIQ’s GNSS Navigation and Occultation Measurement Satellite (GNOMES) 2, deployed on SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-2 rideshare flight on June 30, achieved that aim. GNOMES-2 uses a radio occultation antenna, which has a large-aperture, to collect 2,500 soundings of daily radio occultation that follow the four GNSS constellations: the GPS, Galileo, Glonass, and Beidou. Because, like weather balloons, radio occultation soundings display temperature, pressure, and humidity via an atmospheric column, they are important inputs for the numerical weather models. Satellite soundings also reach into the ionosphere and give global coverage, particularly over oceans where very few weather balloons are launched.

Radio occultation missions that intend to give data near the Earth’s surface require a high signal-to-noise ratio. Radio occultation signals for the lowest 2 kilometers of the Earth’s atmosphere are frequently dismissed by numerical weather prediction centers due to concerns about their accuracy. https://thehostonline.co.uk

Naurt has launched a REST API

Geo-location startup Naurt has launched embedded software that can provide centimetre accuracy in satellite navigation systems both indoors and out.

After a year of beta testing with a pilot group, it has now made their software accessible to any businesses through a hardware-agnostic web API, served via REST. It collects the location data and improves it with a series of algorithms including sensor fusion to provide better coordinates.

Naurt’s software does not replace the satellite location services businesses currently use. Instead, it simply integrates seamlessly with it and fixes the problems that cause the location data to be inaccurate. www.nuart.com

NextNav and Qualcomm collaboration

NextNav is collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., to enable NextNav’s Pinnacle 911 z-axis software and network-based services for use with the Qualcomm Location Suite. This effort makes it easy for device and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vendors to integrate z-axis capabilities into existing carrier infrastructure for 911 purposes. https://nextnav.com

Virtual 3D model baseline survey for GoviEx Uranium

Delta Drone International is set to enter the Niger market for the first time with uranium explorer and developer, GoviEx Uranium, to perform a virtual 3D model baseline survey for its potential new Madaouela mine in the West African country. www.deltadrone.com

ModalAI releases new Seeker micro-development drone

ModalAI released two new products – the VOXL CAM perception engine and the Seeker micro-development drone, the world’s first micro-development drone optimized for development of both indoor and outdoor autonomous navigation.

The VOXL CAM is an all-in-one compute and perception engine that makes it easier to develop smaller, smarter and safer drones, robots and Internet of Things (IoT) devices with GPS-denied navigation, depth mapping, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flight control and cellular connectivity. The credit card-sized VOXL CAM powers the Seeker microdevelopment drone, ModalAI’s newest and smallest drone to date. www.modalai.com

New tethered drone system enables Mavic 2

Firefighters and police drone teams have been using the V-Line tethered system for the Mavic 2 drone in a variety of situations on land. Volarious has now launched a new product called the V-Line boat mode. It can also be used in coastline surveillance, search & rescue operations. A drone can take off, follow, and land on small vessels autonomously while providing a real-time elevated view of high resolution thermal & RGB images and video streams at the comfort of the cabin. www.volarious.com

Electric robots are mapping the seafloor

For centuries, humans have explored the Earth’s mountains, jungles and deserts.

But despite covering more than 70% of the Earth›s surface, the ocean is still a relative mystery. In fact, we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the sea floor; just over 20% of the ocean bed has been mapped.

Getting a fuller picture would enable us to navigate ships more safely, create more accurate climate models, lay down telecommunication cables, build offshore windfarms and protect marine species — all part of what’s known as the “blue economy,” projected to be worth $3 trillion by 2030.

Underwater robotic vehicles equipped with sensors are helping gather that data quicker and more cheaply than ever before. But many of these vehicles rely on batteries with a limited lifespan, and need to return to a boat or the shore to recharge, making it difficult for them to map more remote parts of the sea.

A five-year-old startup called Seatrec is rising to the challenge, founded by oceanographer Yi Chao. While working at NASA, he developed technology to power ocean robots by harnessing “the naturally occurring temperature difference” of the sea, Chao told

The power module can be installed on existing data-gathering robots or Seatrec’s own floating device. This dives a kilometer down to examine the chemistry and shape of the seabed, using sonar to create a map of the surrounding area. The robot returns to the surface to send back its findings via satellite. Launched in 2017, the Seabed 2030 Project has increased awareness about the importance of the ocean floor, and given researchers and companies a clear goal to work towards: map the entire seafloor by the end of this decade. CNN.com

Drones to map 700 villages in Assam

The Assam-government has launched the process of mapping 700 odd villages through drones, which in future could help in demarcating borders with other states in the region. There are around 22,724 villages in Assam, of which 700 had no maps so far and so posed hurdles in executing government projects and buying and selling of land. The project, assisted by the Survey of India, started recently

While the Survey of India has given the drones for the exercise, the rest of the work is being done by the Kamrup administration and Assam Survey. Under Mission Vasundhara, Singimari is the first village to be mapped. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com