Industry

New International Office of RIEGL in Germany

RIEGL is strengthening its presence in the German market with the establishment of the new RIEGL Deutschland (Germany) office based in Gilching near Munich. With headquarters located in Austria and the U.S., along with offices worldwide, this is just another logical step to meet the constantly growing demand for LiDAR technologies in applications for surveying, construction, and the infrastructure segment.

Xona Space Systems, Aerospacelab partnership

Aerospacelab and Xona Space Systems have announced their partnership to promote PNT.

Under the terms of the agreement, Aerospacelab will leverage its Versatile Satellite Platform (VSP) capabilities to design, manufacture, and launch Xona Space Systems’ upcoming navigation satellite, assist Xona Space Systems in obtaining the necessary operator license, and support launch operations for two years. Xona Space Systems will provide the PNT payload for integration into Aerospacelab’s platform. www.aerospacelab.com

SparkFun releases Iridium antenna

SparkFun Electronics has released the 2J7426MPz by 2J antenna, a highperformance magnetic mount antenna designed to communicate with the Iridium satellite communication system. The antenna housing is waterproof to IP69 standards and designed to operate in extremely harsh environments, including those with frequent exposure to water, dust and debris. www.sparkfun.com

Quectel unveils 5G and GNSS antennas

Quectel Wireless Solutions has made further additions to its comprehensive range of antennas for IoT devices and deployments. The latest launches include the YEMN016AA and YEMN017AA5G 5-in-1 combo antennas, the YECN001J1A and YECT000WBA external 5G antennas and the YEGB000Q1A and YEGN000Q1A active GNSS L1 and L5 antennas.

The YEGB000Q1A and YEGN000Q1A active GNSS L1 and L5 antennas are designed to precisely tap into L1 and L5 frequency bands. Quectel’s GNSS antennas are part of a broader release that includes the YEMN016AA and YEMN017AA 5G 5-in-1 combination antennas, which also feature GNSS capabilities. www.quectel.com

Inertial Labs enhances INS solutions

Inertial Labs has announced an underdevelopment valuable addition of our INS-aiding data ecosystem to the FT743- D-SM wind/air speed sensor from FT Technologies. This Acoustic Resonance, air speed sensor, enables multi-rotor UAVs to estimate their horizontal air speed better, enhancing position estimation accuracy in GNSS-denied environments.

The FT743-D-SM air speed sensor adopts a digital anemometer-based solution by being able to estimate air speed incoming from any direction using an innovative Acoustic Resonance-based technology, which is immune to vibration and external acoustic noise. inertiallabs.com

Abracon releases new GNSS RF Antennas

Abracon has announced their new line of high-accuracy, high-precision GNSS antennas. These GNSS antennas can support full band including all L1/L2/L5 + L band data correction services. They are designed with multiband and multi-constellation support, ensuring compatibility across a wide range of applications. abracon.com

Saildrone launches the first unmanned surface vehicle

Saildrone has launched the first aluminum Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle (USV). Primarily designed for ocean mapping and maritime domain awareness, the USV is powered by wind, solar, and a diesel generator for long-range, longendurance missions in the open ocean.

The Surveyor carries the latest multibeam sonar equipment for seafloor mapping to depths of 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) and purpose-built defense and security payloads for accurate, dynamic, and confident decisions and responses to the full spectrum of maritime threats and challenges. Upcoming Navy missions will focus on the ability of the Surveyor to deliver both surface and undersea intelligence for a range of high-priority applications, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW). www.saildrone.com

CMC Electronics and Hexagon partner for GNSS innovation

CMC Electronics and Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division make a significant advancement in the field ofGNSS) positioning technology for aviation with the development of a leading-edge multi-constellation, multifrequency (MCMF) GNSS platform. Merging CMC’s certification expertise with industry-leading digital signal processing from Hexagon | NovAtel this new MCMF GNSS platform provided by CMC is engineered to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. With a focus on enhanced detection of spoofing and jamming, lighter weight and a smaller form factor, this innovative solution will shape the trajectory of GNSS technology for the future. cmcelectronics.ca

EpiSci, Northrop Grumman collaboration

Northrop Grumman Corporation is collaborating with EpiSci to further develop advanced, trusted autonomous tactical solutions for the United States and its allies.

EpiSci’s TacticalAI software will integrate into Northrop Grumman’s aeronautics system architecture to accelerate the delivery of advanced autonomous solutions.

Using the U.S. government’s openarchitecture design, Northrop Grumman’s autonomy solutions are able to incorporate third-party collaborative platform technologies that allow uncrewed aircraft systems to adapt to changing mission requirements and provide flexibility to military commanders in complex environments. northropgrumman.com

Zighra awarded contract with Canadian Coast Guard

Zighra has announced a new contract with the Canadian Coast Guard for its GenesysInsights platform. It will enhance the safety and security of Canada’s maritime territories by providing a previously unattainable level of analysis. It offers unparalleled automated threat detection and comprehensive situational awareness in maritime environments. The platform synthesises information from GNSS signals and terrestrial and space-based AIS data helping to significantly contribute to the Canadian Coast Guard’s capabilities in detecting and responding to maritime threats. This initiative is part of the Innovative Solutions Canada program. zighra.com

Geneq unveils the SXblue GLOBE

Geneq Inc has introduced SXblue GLOBE, the pinnacle of innovation in GNSS positioning and GIS technology. Carrying a 448 channel GNSS board, it ensures unparalleled accuracy and integrity in positioning, even in the most demanding environments. It incorporates an advanced anti-jamming and interference monitoring system, safeguarding against disruptions and ensuring uninterrupted operation in any scenario. www.sxbluegps.com

Kongsberg Discovery launches hydrographic surveying solution

Kongsberg Discovery has released the Seapath 385 navigation system. It is designed to enhance precision in hydrographic surveying by using advanced navigation algorithms and integrating a range of satellite signals, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and QZSS, alongside geostationary satellite signals.

The system combines raw inertial sensor data from Kongsberg Discovery’s proprietary high-performance motion gyro compass (MGC) or motion reference unit (MRU) with GNSS data and corrections from real-time kinematics (RTK), precise-point positioning (PPP) or Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS). www.kongsberg.com

Telit Cinterion unveils highprecision GNSS IoT Module

Telit Cinterion has launched SE868K5- RTK module, a high-precision GNSS receiver. Designed for seamless operation near cellular or other radios, it ensures optimal immunity. At 11×11 mm, the module’s compact form factor offers adaptability in size-constrained scenarios and easy migration within the scalable xE868 family. It is a multifrequency and multiconstellation positioning receiver module fortified by RTK capabilities that enhances positioning accuracy. www.telit.com

Swift Navigation and Telit Cinterion partnership

Swift Navigation and Telit Cinterion recently unveiled their joint solution to empower ultra-low power consumption devices, such as wearables, robotic lawn mowers, and vehicle tracking devices with precise GNSS positioning. www.swiftnav.com

Topcon and Bentley strategic agreement

Topcon Positioning Systems has announced strategic agreements with Bentley Systems and Worldsensing to integrate its advanced GNSS technology into the companies’ innovative software and connectivity solutions.

As part of its agreement with Bentley Systems, Topcon will provide access to its powerful web-based GNSS processing engine. Bentley has integrated this technology into their advanced iTwin IoT monitoring solution.

Worldsensing has integrated the Topcon AGM-1 GNSS receiver with its Thread X3 broadband product. The result is a new Accurate Positioning System to monitor geohazards such as rock falls and landslides in pit mines, rail embankments and other ground structures. bentley.com

Iridium Agrees To Buy GNSS Protector Satelles

Satellite network operator Iridium Communications will pay about $115 million to acquire the remaining 80 percent of Satelles, a provider of “secure satellite-based time and location services that complement and protect GPS and other GNSS-reliant systems.” Iridium had previously invested in Satelles and owned about 20 percent of it.

While Satelles focuses primarily on providing its satellite time and location (STL) services for digital infrastructure companies, there are potential applications for aviation. Satelles offers smaller form factor devices that can be integrated with data processing and storage servers to provide critical positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) data.

STL could help mitigate GNSS jamming and spoofing, with dedicated STL receivers incorporated into aircraft avionics.

Enhancing timing synchronisation for enterprise applications

The HUBER+SUHNER GNSS and Power-over-Fiber solution eliminates the need for a separate energy source to power the active antenna for applications that use GNSS for navigation, positioning, timing and geodesy. This avoids voltage spikes, minimises spoofing risk, and enables separate antenna positions for reliable signal transmission.

The latest version has been enhanced to meet the needs of companies, banks etc. which require precise time synchronisation. To achieve this, all the nodes in the database cluster must be consistent to ensure the secure transfer of data between data centers and from the cloud to the edge.

Synchronising clocks via GNSS provides high accuracy and stability over long distances, with precise time calculation for every location on earth. It provides the most accurate time reference for Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and Network Time Protocol (NTP), two of the most common methods for setting network devices’ clocks.

Using fiber optics for synchronisation minimises the risk of errors compared to traditional reference methods.

Cognni revolutionizes data mapping

Cognni Ltd has launched of its Data At-Rest discovery and classification solution. It is a zero-effort solution that leverages Cognni’s proprietary AI technology to autonomously scan, map, and classify data stored in databases, files, and cloud services. This solution provides actionable insights and recommendations, as well as assigns sensitivity labels and information types to each data element, mitigating data risks and ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations. www.cognni.ai

FrontierSI urges action on resilient PNT infrastructure

FrontierSI unveils a review of government policy to strengthen Australia’s Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) infrastructure with a new white paper and technical report. In an era defined by digital dependency and cyber threats, ensuring the resilience of PNT technology is imperative to maintain uninterrupted access and safeguard our nation’s future.

Recent technological glitches and malicious cyber activities have highlighted vulnerabilities within Australia’s PNT ecosystem. When satellite signals falter, industries such as agriculture and maritime feel the sting, emphasising weaknesses that demand attention. frontiersi.com.au