NEWSBRIEFS – GPS

GPS surveys to resolve Sir Creek dispute

Top scientists from India and Pakistan conducted geologic surveys in the disputed region and a seal of approval is likely soon for a newly demarcated boundary. The decades-old Sir Creek boundary dispute between India and Pakistan is on the verge of a final settlement. Following the ongoing composite dialogue between the two countries and general improvement in relations, both New Delhi and Islamabad have exchanged final documents related to the boundary dispute after detailed surveys were carried out by joint teams in the Rann of Kutch. www.deccanherald.com

London tests GPS tracking network on buses

Transport for London announced that it has signed a £120 million contract with Siemens AG to implement the world’s largest GPS tracking system on the capital city’s bus fleet. Siemens will install satellite monitoring units in 8,000 buses over the next four years. The network represents one of the largest and most complex urban transportation systems in the world.
www.thenewspaper.com

Fleet tracking system made affordable

MobiApps Holdings, India, has been selected by U.A.E. based Al Futtaim Technologies to provide affordable fleet tracking and monitoring systems in West Asia. The joint marketing partnership will focus on West Asian countries. m-Trak from MobiApps allows managers to log in from any PC to access real-time information on a specific vehicle or group of vehicles. Based on GPS/GSM/GPRS technologies, the system generates information such as speeding, unauthorised stoppages, distance travelled, SOS alerts, etc.
www.business-standard.com

GPS/GIS to locate mail addresses in Saudi Arabia

Four consortia of Saudi companies are to invest over SR1 billion in a state-of-the-art postal delivery system under a phased program covering all parts of the Kingdom. Usamah M.S. Altaf, vice president of Saudi Post, said the new service known as Wasel, would be a hightech delivery system. It will rely on the integration of GIS, GPS and satellite imagery to locate houses and commercial addresses.

Post boxes in residential areas will enable registered members to post their mail.
www.arabnews.com

Navigation systems for Russian space and transport vehicles

Directives were issued by the Russian Government for equipping space and transport vehicles and means designed to conduct landsurveying and cadastral works with GLONASS or GLONASS/GPS Satellite navigation systems will be installed on space means (rockets, boosters, space vehicles, landing modules (vehicles); aircraft; sea and river vessels; road and railroad means; instruments and equipment for land-surveying and cadastral works.
en.rian.ru

New wireless device for US military

A wireless device being developed in Greensboro to track soldiers’ movement through dense jungles or rugged mountains passed its first major test last week and could go into production within two years.

The device, called TrakPoint, is about the size of a soda can and combines the electronic signals used in cell phones with the satellite technology used in GPS hardware.
msnbc.msn.com

First trans-African flight with EGNOS successful

A pioneering flight from Dakar to Mombasa, Africa, using EGNOS, the European satellite navigation system that corrects and improves GPS data, was a complete success.

Africa was crossed at its widest part with a plane using this accurate and guaranteed positioning system provided by the EGNOS test bed signal, to navigate and make landings.

The mission was carried out by the European Space Agency in collaboration with ASECNA (Agence pour la sécurité de la navigation aérienne en Afrique et à Madagascar).
www.esa.int

Ground-based GPS nets $5m grant in Australia

The Federal Government has awarded a Canberra company a grant of nearly $5 million in response to an “avalanche” of interest in the company’s GPS technology.

Local company, Locata, has developed a ground-based GPS that does not rely on GPS satellite signals, which cannot penetrate buildings or infrastructure. It has developed ground-based transmitters that are one million times stronger. They can be used to provide global positioning information indoors and where satellite signals fail.
www.abc.net.au

Mount Everest measured again

A record 24 Chinese mountaineers and scientists conquered Mt Everest, re-measured its height and set up a survey beacon atop the world’s highest peak. During their 77-minute stay at the peak, they have erected a survey beacon at the top of the peak and used GPS and radar devices to measure the height.
www.ptinews.com

NovAtel GPS receivers deployed in China Port

NovAtel Inc., announced that its dealer, Beijing BDStar Navigation Co. Ltd., completed deployment of NovAtel GPS-based systems for the Tianjin port Container Terminals (TCT). Under the TCT contract, NovAtel supplied ProPak-G2 dual frequency GPS receivers integrated with BDStar’s custom GIS database software. These receivers allows for the automation of the pick-up, transfer and placement process by tracking containers from port entry to exit.
home.businesswire.com

Japanese trucking firms use GPS to help reduce emissions

Major Japanese trucking companies are introducing GPS devices in their fleets to measure emissions accurately and to optimize truck routes, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. Nippon Express has installed such systems in all of its 17,500 trucks at a cost of ¥2.5 billion ($23.8 million, or $1,360 per truck). It further plans to use it in another 10,000 trucks owned by group companies.
www.greencarcongress.com

GPS technology used in unmanned helicopter

Combining a patented computer program and GPS with an existing minicopter, an Israeli company has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that could be the next homeland security defense tool. All the aspects of flight — takeoff, hovering and landing — are completely autonomous, making this UAV a first.
www.mysan.de.

Prismless Total Station by Topcon

Topcon South Asia announce the introduction of new TOPCON GPT- 3000LN long range reflectorless total stations. With a non prism distance
measuring range of 1,200m and a pulse laser measuring beam , it is the ideal tool for construction site use or for making measurements in crowded areas, besides other applications.

GPT-3000LN has many applications like Remote Elevation Measurement, Missing Line Measurement, etc. It also comes with Roads software conssisting of two major components; defining complete roads and stake out roads. It is also water and dust protected.
www.topcon.com.sg

Garmin Introduces the GPSMAP(R) 3005C

Garmin International Inc., introduced the GPSMAP 3005C, a value-priced multifunction display (MFD) for use within the powerful Garmin Marine Network. Designed for a smaller boat or as a secondary unit on larger craft, the GPSMAP 3005C offers powerful GPS chartplotter, weather, sonar, and radar capabilities when connected to the Marine Network.
biz.yahoo.com

Fun with GPS Gives New Look at Possibilities with GPS Technology

A new book from ESRI Press explores the unlimited possibilities of using GPS technology for education, recreation, and entertainment. Fun with GPS includes maps, photographs, and activities that help readers enjoy and get the most out of their personal GPS devices. The book also offers tips on incorporating GPS technology into the classroom to reinforce science, math, and geography curricula; provide groundwork for project-based learning; and enhance the importance of schoolwork to students.

Offtrack

Track your pets with GPS

The collar beacon, developed by GlobalPet founder in New York, determines an animal’s poition using GPS satellite signals and reports these back to the owner via cellular phone. The device is about the size of a large wrist watch and weighs 0.15 kg. It clips discreetly onto a pet’s collar and can even monitor a pet’s wellbeing, by tracking the surrounding temperature. The device notifies the owner when its batteries run low. The GPS component uses an ultracompact, multidiectional antena,which can pick up satellite signals regardless of the antenna’s position.

Horses wired for optimum performance

Researchers at Massey University’s equine research centre in New Zealand are studying new ways of measuring the fitness and athleticism of racehorses. Two- and three-yearold horses carried GPS units in their saddlebags and their jockeys’ helmets were fitted with receiver antennae. This enabled researchers using heart monitors to assess heartrate data against the speed and time information collected by the GPS receivers.
www.stuff.co.nz

Skate maps with Global Positioning Systems

GeoSkating a project initiated in Netherlands is hoping to help skaters by automatically generating skate maps using GPS, cellphones and the internet. While skating, GPS position data is collected and published to a server via the skater’s cellphone – the skater can also enhance the GPS data with road surface ratings and by adding pictures and videos. The server then draws geographic maps that show the road quality and media at the appropriate locations. Skaters can even be shown moving on the map in real-time.
www.engadget.com