A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the January 2023 issue of GPS World magazine.
SURVEYING & MAPPING
Image: Geometer International
Dual-Frequency Receiver
Receives all GNSS constellations plus SBAS
The Walker RTK is a dual-frequency GNSS receiver (L1, L2) for high-precision coordinate surveying in real-time kinematic (RTK) mode. It comes with a helical antenna, a bracket for attaching a smartphone, and the Geometer SCOUT mobile app. A classic geodesic antenna can be connected through the SMA connector. The Walker RTK has a rugged aluminum alloy casing with a shock-resistant coating, yet weighs only 250 grams. GNSS signals processed by the Walker RTK GNSS receiver include GPS (L1C/A, L2C), GLONASS (L1OF, L2OF), Galileo (E1B/C, E5b), BeiDou (B1I, B2I), QZSS (L1C/A, L1S, L2C) and SBAS (L1C/A). A built-in rechargeable battery provides 24 hours of continuous operation without recharging.
Geometer International, gpsgeometer.com
AsteRx SB3 ProBase (Image: Septentrio)
Base station receiver
Creates high-quality measurements
The AsteRx SB3 ProBase creates high-quality measurements for real-time kinematic (RTK) and differential corrections. The IP68-housed GNSS base station receiver features the latest quad-constellation GNSS technology and complements the SB3 receiver family: the AsteRx SB3 Pro rover receiver, the AsteRx SB3 Pro+ rover and base receiver, and the AsteRx SB3 CLAS for the Japanese market. The SB3 ProBase is easy to configure, the company says. It comes with Septentrio’s GNSS+ technologies, including anti-jam and anti-spoofing technology (AIM+) for robustness and reliability. AsteRx SB3 products are pin-to-pin compatible with the AsteRx SB ProDirect receiver and the recently released AsteRx SBi3 GNSS/INS system.
Septentrio, septentrio.com
Rugged Tablet
Image: Handheld Group
Equipped with Multi-Band GNSS
The Algiz 10XR is a rugged 10-inch Windows tablet that combines durability with a GNSS receiver and 5G communications. It was developed for challenging environments in logistics, mining, public transport, public safety, waste management or geographic information systems (GIS). The 10xR is customizable and has a dedicated multiband GNSS u-blox NEO-M8U receiver for accurate positioning as well as untethered dead-reckoning technology. The high-resolution, sunlight-readable 10-inch touchscreen has super-hardened glass and rain-and-glove mode. The tablet also has 4G/LTE high-speed data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Handheld Group, handheldgroup.com
Image: Riegl
Laser Scanner
Integrated GNSS receiver helps speed workflows
The VZ-600i terrestrial laser scanner has a 3D position accuracy of 3 mm and less than 30 seconds of scan time for high-resolution scans with 6 mm point spacing at 10 m. This enables more than 60 scan positions per hour with real-time registration. Weighing less than 6 kg (13 pounds), the VZ-600i has a 2.2-MHZ pulse repetition rate, three internal cameras and an integrated GNSS receiver. It also includes key features to speed up workflows in indoor and outdoor applications such as architecture, engineering, construction, building information modeling, as-built surveying, forensic and crash scene investigation, archaeology and cultural heritage documentation and forestry.
Riegl, riegl.com
Image: LP360
Data Processing
For UAV lidar and photogrammetry
The LP360 Drone software system provides a geospatial-data workflow for UAV lidar and photogrammetry data processing. It provides powerful point cloud visualizations with multiple, synchronized windows. It can transform lidar and imagery data into survey-grade deliverables including visualization, quality checks, classification, analysis and 3D editing. For users of larger datasets, LP360 Geospatial can process captured lidar data or images from any aircraft or mobile sensor and analyze and extract values.
LP360, lp360.com
Image: Caliper
Mapping Databases
Free library offers data on healthcare, business, traffic
The extensive Maptitude library of free mapping databases has been updated for 2022 and is available for download, supporting insightful business development analysis. The data is available free to users of the latest version of the Maptitude mapping software. The data are also available as shapefile, KML, KMZ or GeoJSON for a fee. Maptitude includes business-critical data such as demographics, boundaries, streets, and the most ZIP Code/postal boundaries. Also available is a catalog of free premium datasets that can be used in other GIS applications, on the web, or in corporate databases.
Caliper, caliper.com
TRANSPORTATION
Image: Traxmate and Nestwave
Asset Tracking Solution
Indoor and outdoor tracking of low-power, small IoT devices
Traxmate is integrating Nestwave GNSS location technology into its asset-tracking platform for seamless indoor and outdoor positioning, tracking and routing of small, low-power and battery-powered devices for the internet of things (IoT). Nestwave’s NestCore IP and NestCloud cloud services enable power-efficient geolocation solutions, while Traxmate (pictured) is a comprehensive data-processing hub that simplifies setup of tracking environments and provides real-time visualization of device location. The resulting geolocation solution is suitable for applications ranging from carrier tracking to tracking individual parcels and packets. Traxmate is simple to use and set up, requires no coding, and provides an out-of-the-box feature set that includes dashboards, alerts and processing rules for taking actions on incoming data. Nestwave’s trackers include ThinTrack, an ultra-low-profile, compact GPS tracking solution that integrates an LTE-M/NB-IoT modem, antenna, battery and SIM into a device that measures 82 mm x 35 mm x 3 mm and weighs 15 g.
Traxmate, traxmate.io; Nestwave, nestwave.com
Image: Sygic
Auto Navigation
Provides guidance even without an internet connection
The Sygic GPS Navigation app uses a smartphone’s camera and augmented reality to display navigation instructions over the view ahead on the windshield. The head-up display is especially useful at night, enabling recognition of critical speed limit, road work or traffic restriction signs. Cockpit is a powerful tool that shows the real-time performance of the car, measuring the G force and actual speed to help users drive economically. The Dashcam feature records the road ahead and automatically saves the video in case of an accident. An Electric Vehicle Mode locates nearby charging stations.
Sygic, sygic.com
Image: Geotab and SureCam
Video Telematics
Enhanced data-based rule implementation for fleets
An enhanced SureCam video telematics integration provides fleet managers with access to new capabilities to keep drivers safe and maximize fleet efficiency. The solution features a method for capturing video footage from SureCam cameras using Geotab’s powerful telematics device and rule-based system. The result is a seamless display of video within the MyGeotab platform. The enhanced SureCam fleet video solution leverages Geotab’s numerous data-based rules, such as improper seat belt usage and speeding. It uses G-force triggered alerts that detect unsafe driving behaviors and automatically captures video footage that can be reviewed later on the MyGeotab platform and alert managers to incidents when necessary. Camera configuration and customized triggers are managed directly within MyGeotab.
Geotab, geotab.com; SureCam, surecam.com
Image: DeepRoute.ai
Autonomous Driving Solution
Can navigate heavy traffic safely and efficiently
Driver 2.0 is a Level 4 production-ready autonomous driving solution that can operate in complex and challenging traffic environments. Demonstrations with Driver 2.0 showed an autonomous vehicle could maneuver around double-parked cars, e-scooters and pedestrians, negotiate oncoming vehicles to calculate the right timing and trajectory to pass busy intersections, and make multiple lane changes and unprotected left turns. In the case of long tail scenarios, the system will alert the remote monitoring center to intervene or take other safety measures. Driver 2.0 includes five solid-state lidar units, eight cameras and other sensors, and a computing platform integrated with a proprietary inference engine. The perception algorithm with sensor fusion can achieve precise object detection up to nearly 220 yards. The planning and control algorithm based on game theory can choose optimal routes and make decisions based on real-time situations when negotiating with oncoming vehicles and other road agents.
DeepRoute.ai, DeepRoute.ai
Image: SABIC
Antenna compounds
Provide improved signal gain for automotive antennas
Two new compounds could improve signal-gain performance compared to ceramics in second-generation automotive GNSS antennas. The new compounds — LNP Thermocomp ZKC0CXXD and LNP Thermocomp ZKC0DXXD — help enable the design and molding of antenna substrates with more complex pattern markings that add effective surface area, a critical factor in enhancing signal capture. They also provide flexibility to produce smaller parts with the same performance as ceramic, or equal-size parts with better performance. The LNP Thermocomp compounds feature electroplating capability, good thermal resistance for reliability, and the design freedom and production efficiency of thermoplastics. Both are well-suited for shark-fin-style and new conformal antenna designs.
SABIC, sabic.com
AUTONOMOUS
Image: Civ Robotics
Robotic Surveyor
Precisely marks thousands of coordinates per day
The CivDot unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is designed for civil engineering and infrastructure projects such as solar farms, roadways, data centers, power plants and more. The autonomous surveying robot is designed to increase efficiency, productivity and safety on the job. Augmenting the surveyor’s work, CivDot marks thousands of coordinates per day precisely and efficiently, while delivering layouts faster than traditional methods. Civ Robotics uses Trimble’s high-precision GNSS positioning technology and surveying software.
Civ Robotics, civrobotics.com
Image: DJI
Enterprise Drones
Designed for business, government, public safety
The compact DJI Mavic 3E and 3T drones have been designed for an array of commercial missions. Flight time is 45 minutes. Both models have a real-time kinematic (RTK) module that enables surveying professionals to achieve centimeter-level accuracy with support for network RTK, custom network RTK services, and the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station. The D-RTK 2 Mobile Station is DJI’s upgraded high-precision GNSS receiver that supports all major GNSS, providing real-time differential corrections. The DJI Mavic 3E enables efficient mapping and surveying missions without the need for ground control points. The DJI Mavic 3T is engineered for aerial operations in firefighting, search and rescue, inspections and night missions.
DJI, dji.com