LBS

APEC calls for implementation of intelligent transport systems by member economies

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies are encouraged to implement the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of transport infrastructures, especially recognizing the significant safety and environmental benefits that may be realized simultaneously.

The ITS are advanced applications that aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management and enable various users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and “smarter” use of transport networks.

Such systems vary in technologies applied, from basic management systems such as car navigation; traffic signal control systems; container management systems; variable message signs; automatic number plate recognition or speed cameras to monitor applications, such as security CCTV systems; and to more advanced applications that integrate live data and feedback from a number of other sources. http://news.pia.gov.ph

Russia found a solution to switch Glonass to domestically produced components.

The Russian GLONASS will fully switch to domestically-produced electronic components in the next two years, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin recently said. “We have found solutions for switching to a domesticallyproduced [electronic] component base within a year and a half or two years,” Rogozin said at an international congress on the ERA-GLONASS system. http://sputniknews.com

TomTom Launches its traffic service in Hong Kong

TomTom has launched world-class traffic service in Hong Kong. It provides traffic information for highways, major roads and secondary roads in 48 countries. TomTom Traffic includes congestion forecasting, which indicates whether a jam is growing or dispersing, and estimates how long a delay will last.

According to TomTom data, the busiest hour of the day for traffic in Hong Kong is between 8am and 9am, and during this hour the average total jam length is usually over 35 kilometres. On some days the total jam length can grow twice as long. www.businesswire.com

TRX Systems Releases New NEON® Indoor Location Solution

TRX Systems, developer of the NEON Indoor Location Solution, has released NEON Signal Mapper, a new software application delivering 3D indoor tracking and visualization for users mapping LTE, LMR, Wi-fi, Bluetooth and other signal and sensor data, providing an easy-to-use application and API that saves time and increases accuracy. It enables users to cost-effectively, quickly and accurately map the measurements taken indoors where GPS is unavailable. www.trxsystems.com

GPS collars in Southern Highlands koala conservation program

The New South Wales Government in Australia is fitting the final 10 of 20 koalas with GPS tracking collars as part of its first study into the mammals in the state’s Southern Highlands.

Koala numbers across the state have dropped in two decades and it is estimated there are fewer than 200 koalas left in the area. “The study aims to provide a clear direction for the long-term conservation of one of Australia’s most iconic species,” Environment Minister Mark Speakman said in a statement.

The collars will be fitted onto the animals over the next month and the data will enable researchers to track koala colonies and ensure their long-term survival. The project was established after a major fire in the Yerrinbool-Balmoral area in 2013 wiped out some of the koala population and forced many others to move.

European Satellite Navigation Competition 2015

The global satellite navigation community gathered in Berlin to recognise the year’s most brilliant innovations in commercial applications of satellite technology. The project POSEIDRON won over the international jury of experts with its remote-controlled multicopter built to support maritimesearch-and-rescue services – and took home the grand prize ahead of the European Satellite Navigation Competition’s 29 other winners.

Mr Enrique Martínez Asensi and his winning team hope to see Poseidron save lives far out at sea when people fall overboard or are involved in shipwrecks that occur during illegal immigration. Custom-developed by Sincratech Aeronautics – a start-up based in Valencia, Spain – POSEIDRON can be launched from ships or platforms under virtually any weather conditions.

In addition to winning the ESNC’s EUR 20,000 grand prize, this innovative project will nowhave the chance to enter a 12-month incubation programme at one of five Science Parks in Valencia as part of the region’s prize. The ESNC set another new participation record this year, with 515 innovations entered bycompanies from more than 40 different countries around the world. The competition thus more than matched the successes of editions past in increasing its overall figures to 272 winners awarded and 3,343 ideas received from over 10,000 participants throughout its 12 years in existence.

The ESNC presented prizes valued at approximately EUR 1 million in total at its festive Awards Ceremony. The competition’s jury of some 240 renowned experts selected both the overall victor and 30 other regional and special prize winners. With their innovations in areas such as connected mobility, smart cities, tourism, and environmental protection, these entrants demonstrated how fundamental precise satellite navigation signals are to Europe’s digital society. Please visit the ESNC website for an overview of this year’s winners. www.satellite-masters-conference.eu