INDUSTRY

SBG Systems announces Quanta Plus

SBG Systems has launched Quanta Plus, its latest Inertial Navigation System (INS). It is a small, lightweight, and highperformance OEM product that can be easily integrated into survey systems with LiDAR or other third-party sensors. It is engineered to deliver accurate and reliable navigation data even in the most demanding environments. It combines a high-performance miniature tactical IMU with a GNSS receiver that is resilient to harsh covering conditions, providing RTK fixes even in challenging situations.

The system boasts a wide range of features to make it easy to use and customize for various applications. Motion profiles allow users to optimize the sensor parameters to suit different use cases, while the builtin PTP server (Precise Time Protocol) ensures sub-microsecond synchronization with external devices such as LiDAR (legacy PPS synchro still available). Additionally, Quanta Plus features a built-in datalogger, ethernet interface for seamless integration, and a userfriendly web configuration UI for simple setup and control. sbg-systems.com

TomTom selects Jedox

Jedox recently announced that it has been selected by TomTom for its planning and performance management needs. Challenged with disconnected Excel models and growing business complexity, TomTom identified its need to streamline and simplify their processes due to multiple data sources and an overwhelming amount of spreadsheets. www.jedox.com

Aero-Graphics purchase two UltraCam Eagle 4.1 aerial cameras

The first two UltraCam Eagle 4.1 aerial imaging systems to land in North America have been purchased by Salt Lake City-based Aero-Graphics Inc. Both nadir photogrammetric cameras are on track to be fully operational for the spring flying season. The 4th generation UltraCam Eagle integrates significant technological improvements, including a move to CMOS sensors, a significantly increased frame rate, and a revolutionary Adaptive Motion Compensation (AMC) feature. vexcel-imaging.com

UltraMap upgraded with advanced water handling features

Vexcel Imaging has released a new version of its all-in-one photogrammetric software suite UltraMap, with sophisticated and best-in-class water handling features, an enhanced Ortho module performance and a redesigned Ortho reprocessing workflow. UltraMap v6.0 introduces True Pixel Processing (TPP), a proprietary raw data processing approach in the Essentials module and supports professional data production for the recently launched UltraCam Eagle 4.1.

The new highly automated features for water handling are enhancing the quality of nearly every product throughout the workflow. This includes tools like the new Water Mask & Geometry Editor to efficiently quality-control and edit water masks as well as the updated Seamline & Blending Mask Editor for intuitive generation of homogenous water surfaces in orthomosaics. vexcel-imaging.com

L3Harris delivers experimental navigation satellite

L3Harris delivered the experimental Navigation Technology Satellite-3 to the Air Force Research Laboratory for its final phase of integration and testing, keeping the program on track for a late 2023 launch. AFRL announced the delivery Jan. 26, which brings the lab closer to conducting the first U.S. positioning, navigation and timing experiment in almost a half century.

AFRL awarded L3Harris an $84 million contract in 2018 to develop NTS-3, which will serve as a testbed for future GPS capabilities including steerable beams that provide regional coverage, a reprogrammable payload that can receive updates while on orbit and built-in defenses against signal jamming. The lab and the Space Force are also considering how the satellite could augment the current GPS constellation as standalone small satellites. www.l3harris.com

Quantum navigation research contract awarded to SandboxAQ

SandboxAQ has been awarded a Directto- Phase-II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the U.S. Air Force to research quantum navigation technologies. It will advance research and development for its quantum navigation system, which is being designed to complement the GPS for accurate navigation in degraded, contested, or denied environments where the loss of precision GPS may negatively impact operations. The company’s AQ-powered quantum sensor prototype will be optimized in close coordination with the U.S. Air Force customer through a variety of identified innovation areas, including live demonstrations aboard Air Force aircraft. www.sandboxaq.com

GEXCEL HERON 3D Mobile Mapping

The recently released versions of GEXCEL HERON processing software(s) make HERON 3D mapping projects more accurate, effective and usable thanks to important improvements in the usage of ground control points, in the change detection workflow, and for the cloud-sharing process.

To increase Site to Sight of data efficiency, GEXCEL customers can now link up with 3DUserNet to get a special free annual subscription to the VISION platform with a direct workflow from Reconstructor to 3DUserNetVISION. This will enable users to deliver more efficiently for their customers – with the opportunity to upgrade to a full subscription at a substantial discount at any time. gexcel.it

Trimble technology to help power Nissan’s driver assist system

Trimble has announced that Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. will use Trimble RTX® technology as its high-accuracy positioning source, enabling the hands-off and guided freeway driving capabilities of the ProPILOT Assist 2.0* driver assistance system, available initially on the 2023 Nissan Ariya. While positioning with standard GNSS signals may drift up to 10 meters (25 feet), Trimble RTX provides higher accuracy and enables consistent lane determination for driving applications. This makes Trimble RTX a key component for many of the latest driver assistance systems like the ProPILOT Assist 2.0. Increasingly being used on freeways, lane-level accuracy via advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), where the driver is still the ultimate decision maker, is a key enabler in the journey to fully autonomous solutions. www.trimble.com

OneRail leverages Trimble tech to enhance last mile logistics

Trimble and OneRail, an Orlando-based transportation technology startup focusing on last mile logistics and visibility solutions, announced the integration of Trimble Maps technology as part of OneRail’s delivery platform to enhance last mile logistics. Leveraging the integration with Trimble Maps, OneRail now utilizes PC MILER commercial routing and mileage, location services, map visualization, and an advanced ETA engine to calculate and monitor deliveries in progress as well as send proactive alerts for any updates in the delivery schedule. www.trimble.com

Precisely acquires Transerve

Precisely has acquired Transerve, which is headquartered in the Goa region of India, provides a cloud-native location intelligence solution and data library with curated datasets, enabling fast time to value with a nimble spatial analytics SaaS solution for enterprise and midsize companies. It incorporates a simple, yet powerful, combination of geospatial artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and geoprocessing that supports data democratization by making location analysis and data enrichment available to data-centric employees without requiring the need for GIS expertise. www.precisely.com

AlphaRTK announces free educational RTK access

AlphaRTK will provide students and faculty of Rutgers University, West Chester University, and Warren County Community College free access to its GNSS correction network. AlphaRTK is a privately held RTK subscription network to fully support four-constellation GNSS corrections. The service is currently available for use in New Jersey, as well as both the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.

A real-time kinematic (RTK) network is a system of ground-based stations that use data from navigation satellites to provide centimeter-accurate realtime coordinate data to users in such fields as GIS, engineering, surveying, construction etc. www.alphartk.com

GEODNET announces RTK, GNSS corrections service for OEMs

GEODNET announces initial availability of a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK), Centimeter Precision, GNSS Corrections Service for OEMs and Systems Integrators. It is compatible with thousands of fielded GNSS receivers from all major brands, onvehicle automated steering and spraying kits, as well as the latest drones and robots. https://geodnet.com

VIAVI Solutions unveils resilient PNT

Viavi Solutions Inc. has announced the availability of the PNT-6200 Series Assured Reference for resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). This solution is based on VIAVI’s acquisition of Jackson Labs Technologies in November 2022, and delivers critical security for PNT to communications service providers, network equipment manufacturers, government and military, and avionics markets. The PNT-6200 Series Assured Reference provides maximum resiliency for critical infrastructure dependent on positioning and timing. It can supplement or even replace GPS signals based on connectivity to the broadest range of timing sources in the market, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO), GNSS, commercial satellite, terrestrial, wireline, and atomic clock services. www.viavisolutions.com

GMV assesses impact of Turkey earthquake from space

GMV is conducting an impact assessment of the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday, February 6. It is using optical imagery of the highest resolution to keep the EU Civil Protection Mechanism’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) apprised of the situation facing the population and infrastructure in several affected cities (Gaziantep, İslahiye, Düziçi and Bahçe). It is assessing how the population and infrastructure have been affected by one of the largest quakes in the last decade, compiling all information from high-resolution satellite imagery. These images show the challenge faced by rescue teams and reveal the widespread destruction caused in towns and villages across the region. Completely flattened residential areas, makeshift tents set up on soccer fields, and heavy traffic jams on roads, many of which are closed, are some examples of what they have captured. https://emergency.copernicus.eu

Ursa Space launches Python Toolbox API on Esri ArcGIS Pro

Ursa Space Systems announced the release of a Python toolbox for satellite analytics and data ordering within Esri ArcGIS Pro.

Ursa Space leverages satellite data virtual constellation, comprising synthetic aperture radar (SAR), Optical, and radio frequency (RF) sensing from multiple commercial sources and advanced data fusion capabilities. The end product is analytic insights into physical changes on Earth. The platform orchestrates satellite imagery and analytic services at scale, to rapidly deliver insights to customers on demand. ursaspace.com

MapmyIndia to invest in drone startup Indrones

MapmyIndia has announced that it has made a strategic investment in Indrones Solutions Private Limited (Indrones). After this investment, MapmyIndia also aims to offer customers industry-leading drones and drone-based solutions.

Indrones specializes in manufacturing drones for a variety of use cases and providing drone-based end-to-end solutions for verticals like smart cities, government, construction, oil & gas, agriculture, etc., and has developed technologies that allow for highly efficient and cost-effective data collection, data processing and analytics.

HevenDrones launches hydrogen-powered drone

HevenDrones launched its first hydrogenpowered drone for commercial use, the H2D55. With 5-times greater energy efficiency than traditional lithium battery-powered drones, the H2D55 is capable of flying for 100 minutes with a payload capacity of 7kg.

The launch of HevenDrones’ hydrogen product line addresses the challenge of flight endurance and payload capacity associated with lithium batterypowered drones as well as the long term environmental impact linked to lithium mining. Without the need to frequently replace batteries, hydrogen fuel cells will also lower long term ownership costs for organizations implementing drone technology at scale. www.hevendrones.com

Camera for high accuracy 360° spherical image capture

Ladybug6 360-degree camera by Teledyne FLIR is a high-resolution camera designed to capture 360-degree spherical images from moving platforms in all weather conditions. It produces 72 Megapixel (MP) images with pixel values that are spatially accurate within +/- 2 mm at a 10-meter distance. teledyne.com