RNI: DELENG/2005/15153 No: DL(E)-01/5079/08-10 Publication: 15th of every month Licensed to post without pre-payment U(E) 28/2008-10 Posting: 19th/20th of every month at NDPSO Rs.100 ISSN 0973-2136

Volume IV, Issue 3, March 2008 THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE ON POSITIONING, NAVIGATION AND BEYOND

A real time GPS/INS integrated system

Sampling the world

GPS antenna: from relative to absolute

colophon and contents

In this issue Coordinates Volume 4, issue 3, March 2008

Articles

Mapping errors Dr Be e n a Chintalapuri , V Ra g h u Venkataraman 7 A real-time GPS/INS integrated system Yo n g Li,

Pe t e r Mu m f o r d , Ch r i s Ri z o s 12 Science of Interoperability Da v i d Sc h e l l , Dr D R F Ta y l o r 18

Google exposed! 21 Sampling the world Ra i n e r Ma u t z 22 GPS antenna: from relative to absolute Aristidis Fo t i o u , Ch r i s t o s Pikridas, Miltiadis Chatzinikos 28

Columns

My coordinates editorial 4 News g p s 31 i n d u s t r y 32 g a l i l e o u p d a t e 33 l b s 34 g i s 36 r e m o t e s e n s i n g 36 Mark your calendar

a p r i l t o d e c e m b e r 38

This issue has been made possible by the support and good wishes of the following individuals and companies aristidis f o t i o u , b e e n a c hintalapuri , c h r i s r i z o s , c h r i s t o s pikridas, d r f t a y l o r , d a v i d s c h e l l , miltiadis chatzinikos, p e t e r m u m f o r d , r a i n e r m a u t z , v r a g h u v enkataraman , y o n g l i and; Contex, HemisphereGPS, HP, Kolida, Magellan, Navcom, Novatel, NRSA, South, Spirent; and many others

Mailing Address Coordinates is an initiative of cGIT that aims to broaden the Editor Bal Krishna cGIT, 28A Pocket D scope of positioning, navigation and related technologies. SFS Mayur Vihar Phase III cGIT does not neccesarily subscribe to the views expressed Owner Centre for Geoinformation Technologies Delhi 110 096, India. by the authors and advertisers in this magazine and may not be held liable for any losses caused directly or indirectly due Designer TSA Effects, www.tsa.in Phones +91 11 22632607, 98102 33422, 98107 24567 to the information provided herein. © cGIT, 2008. Reprinting with permission is encouraged; contact the editor for details. Printer Sonu Printer, B 82, Okhla Phase I, New Delhi, Email India. [information] [email protected] Annual subscription (12 issues) [India] Rs.1,200 [editorial] [email protected] [Overseas] US$80 This issue of Coordinates is of 40 pages, including [advertising] [email protected] cover. [subscriptions] [email protected] Printed and published by Sanjay Malaviya on behalf of Centre for Geoinformation Technologies at A221 Mangal Web www.mycoordinates.org Apartments, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi 110096, India. Some tools are simply built to achieve more. our complete large format scanning solutions do it all

Our high-performance large format scanners not only help you get more done every day, but also endure longer, require minimal maintenance, and give you brilliant imaging results – every time. scan-to-print scan-to-file An integral part of any complete scan-to-print, scan-to- le or scan-to-net scan-to-net solution, Contex scanners offer: r outstanding optics for capturing just the right level of detail r patented technology for high-de nition image capture with advanced line and color correction r intelligent software that lets you control and enhance images more easily r seamless integration with most large format printers

And those are just some of the advantages. Visit www.contex.com to learn how our large format scanning solutions can help your business.

Please contact your local distributor:

Australia India Singapore Thailand Vietnam Malaysia UAE Anitech CADD Centre Brighter Image Ptd Ltd Bangkok Business Equipment Harmony Co. Ltd Jardine OneSolution CADD Emirates www.anitech.com.au www.caddcentre.co.in www.biscan.com www.bbe-group.com www.harmony.com.vn www.jos.com.myCoordinates www.caddemirates.comMarch 2008 | 5 mycoordinates

Points to ponder

Many intelligent people into IT jobs in India are below their intellectual capabilities...

They are like coolies who are working for wages and not producing great intellectual material.

Thus remarked Dr CNR Rao, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India in Outlook magazine recently.

Is this true for geomatics too?

If it is, even to a limited extent, it calls for introspection.

And immediate attention.

Bal Krishna, Editor [email protected]

c h i e f a d v i s o r Muneendra Kumar PhD, Chief Geodesist (Retired), US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, USA a d v i s o r s Naser El-Sheimy PEng, CRC Professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, The University of Calgary Canada, George Cho Professor in GIS and the Law, University of Canberra, Australia, Dr Abbas Rajabifard Director, Centre for SDI and Land Administration, University of Melbourne, Australia, Luiz Paulo Souto Fortes PhD Associate Director of Geosciences, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE, Brazil, John Hannah Professor, School of Surveying, University of Otago, New Zealand

6 | Coordinates March 2008 Mapping Mapping errors Application of cognitive psychology for reduction of mapping errors

u m a n factors contributing to mapping human errors made by operators from Herrors made by operators working Cognitive Psychology perspective. The on digital mapping systems were studied human side of man machine interaction from Cognitive Psychology perspective to comprising of perception, memory, evolve suitable strategies to reduce errors. cognitive styles, problem solving abilities, decision making, attitude towards work and stress play an important role in the Mapping errors quality of the final product and therefore the focus of the study was on the persons Study area who carry out digital mapping.

Large scale topographic maps of Classification of mapping errors better than 1:5000 scale with 1 to 2 m contours are currently prepared on digital Webster’s New Encyclopedia Dictionary photogrammetric workstations (DPWS) defines six different meanings of an error: using block adjusted 3D models derived a) A deviation from a code of behaviour from aerial photographs. Errors made b) An act involving unintentional by operators during vector capture from deviation from the truth or accuracy 3-D models in a production environment c) An act through ignorance, require extensive rework. Obviously deficiency or accident fails to Dr Beena Chintalapuri there is a lot to be gained in terms of achieve what should be done Prof and Head, Department cost and time if such errors can be d) A false belief or a set of false beliefs of Psychology eliminated or at least minimized. e) Something produced by mistake Osmania University f) The difference between an observed Hyderabad, Andhra Current perception or calculated value and the true value Pradesh, India It is generally perceived that the cause Based on Generic Error Modeling for such errors is carelessness and the System (GEMS) of Rasmussen (1986), only mechanisms to deal with it are mapping errors were classified into V Raghu Venkataraman stringent quality control and increase three types based on the performance General Manager (Aerial in expertise of both the operators level into Skill Based (SB), Rule Based Services and Digital as well as quality control staff. (RB) and Knowledge Based (KB). Mapping Area) National Remote New approach Skill based Sensing Agency (Department of Space, Governement of India) In this study an attempt was made to Skill based performance takes place with Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India study the factors which contribute to the automated and highly practiced patterns of behaviour. According to Rasmussen (1986) “ behaviour at SB level represents sensory Error Classes according to Cognitive Psychology Mapping Errors motor performance during acts or activities 1. Missing Feature that after a statement of an intention, takes 2. Closure of polygons I Skill Based Performance Level Errors place without conscious control as smooth, 3. Overshoots and Undershoots automated and highly integrated pattern 4. Duplicate objects of behavior.” Generally these are routine 1. Layer Check II Rule Based Performance Level Errors and non problematic activities in familiar 2. Layer Code situations. SB errors can also be called as 1. Wrong Layerization slips and lapses and arise due to inattention III Knowledge Based Performance Level Errors 2. Interpretation error or over attention to the task at hand or 3. Digitization error attention to the wrong points of the task.

Coordinates March 2008 | 7 Rule based Types of mapping errors the psychological processes involved in mapping activity Rule based performance is related to In the context of this study, mapping • 3 Quality Control managers problem solving. Performance is goal errors were analysed and divided into to identify mapping errors and oriented and is structured by feed forward the three classes as given below: evaluate the performance of each control through a stored rule. It is assumed member of the main sample that rules are arranged in an order of • 2 Programme evaluators priority and it becomes imperative for Research methodology, sample, to evaluate the process and an individual to predict and apply these tools and procedures outcome of the investigation rules to the task for a successful outcome c) The Main Sample consisting of (Reason, 1991). RB errors take place due Objectives 30 operators to study mapping to the misapplication of good rules or a) To acquire data related to errors performance and errors made by failure to recognize a situation in which (E1) in digital mapping activity them before and after intervention. the rule does not apply or application of from Quality Control Experts inappropriate rules. RB errors involve b) To assess some of the cognitive, Even though the main sample was 30, inappropriate matching of environmental personality and stress variables/ mapping activity for 3 shifts (A, B & C) of signs to the situational component of factors for the operators and prepare each individual were recorded for purposes well tried trouble shooting rules. an error profile for each operator of error identification. Mapping activity c) To classify mapping errors was tracked on 90 occasions (30 * 3 shifts) Knowledge based from cognitive psychology which amounts to approximately 540 hours perspective and prepare an error and fulfills the reliability requirement. Knowledge based performance is involved profile for each operator in problem solving and formulations at d) To design and conduct suitable Tools a more abstract level of representation. intervention programme which could According to Rasmussen (1986) address errors. The idea is to put forth The errors made by operators were knowledge based level comes into play cognitive engineering measures as studied in digital environment (digital in novel situations in which actions must suggestions which may regulate errors photogrammetry workstations and be planned on the job or on the task or on as part of the intervention programme mapping workstations having relevant line using conscious analytical processes e) To acquire data related to errors as software packages) by quality control and stored knowledge. KB errors arise a post intervention measure (E2) experts who had extensive documentation during the subsequent attempts to find from Quality Control Experts support on different types of errors. On a solution. KB errors arise when an f) To compare pre (E1) and post the Main sample of 30 operators the individual has run out of applicable intervention and (E2) error profiles following tools were utilized to assess problem solving routines. They arise from g) To study the implications of the their personality and to obtain feedback a complex interaction between “bounded intervention programme regarding error awareness, regulation, rationality” and “incomplete or inaccurate h) To suggest a model for effective time frames, attitudes towards session and mental models”. Knowledge based performance in digital mapping efficacy of the intervention programme. performance errors can take a wide variety of forms, none of which are necessarily Sample Procedures predictable on the basis of individual’s acquired knowledge. (Backstorm, The study was carried out using a total For the sake of clarity, the 1997). Yet another piece of information of 53 subjects in three categories. elaborate procedure adopted in the according to him is that knowledge based a) The Pilot Study sample of 10 digital study is summarized below. performance mistakes are the hardest of mapping operators to study errors and all to detect as expertise is required. At orient investigators best, it is possible to forecast the general about mapping Sl. List of Variables Processes involved cognitive and situational factors that activity will conspire to create knowledge based b) The Supporting 1 Personality factors Personality performance mistakes (Reason, 1991). Study sample comprising 2 Tolerance to Ambiguity Personality It is also claimed that knowledge based • 5 Psychology 3 Stress factors Stress measures errors are complex & diverse and tend to teachers and 4 Automaticity Attention arise due to limited capacity of working 5 Psychology 5 Geometrical illusion Perception Cognitive memory and due to misuse or overuse research 6 Perceptual style Perception Psychology Variables of heuristics and biases in information scholars 7 Cognitive style Thinking processing (Tversky & Kahnueman, 1974). to identify

8 | Coordinates March 2008 Coordinates March 2008 | 9 Project Phase Stage Activity Feed back taken from the sample after Proposal to RESPOND-ISRO on Cognitive the intervention programme has shown Psychology and mapping errors. Need analysis readiness to make effort to regulate the Study of mapping errors in Indian context performance so as to reduce the error from behavioral point of view. occurrence. Members of the main sample Undertaken to: claimed that they made a conscious • Understand mapping errors effort to reduce errors and increase their • Arrive at error classification quantum of work. This is attributed to Identify the psychological process involved Pilot study the contract they made with themselves in effective and error free mapping activity to self regulate errors, i.e., 46% of them • Seven cognitive and personality from next day, 26% of them within two processes Identified days and 26% of them within a week. • Based on psychological processes, suitable Tests were identified Mean error occurrence of the sample Recording of mapping activity on 30 mapping before and after intervention showed operators across A, B and C shifts (540 hrs). significant decrease. Results show a Administration of psychological Pre-intervention considerable increase in quantum of work tests on main sample done after intervention. Performance Preparation of individual profiles: evaluation by quality control experts • Error profile (E1) before and after intervention were • Psychological profile encouraging and positive. The results • Quality control experts evaluation Performance gain was derived on the • Step 1 Introduction and basis of mean quanta of work and distribution of error profiles errors before and after intervention. • Step 2 Presentation on cognitive, personality and stress factors relevant to error production. Data Conclusion • Step 3 Providing opportunity for peer collection interaction and discussion on profiles. from main Intervention The conclusions drawn from this sample • Step 4 Presentation on error classification investigation are as follows: • conventional and modern view on errors • Classification of mapping errors as • implications of errors for personal per cognitive psychology perspective and organizational effectiveness into (i) skill based, (ii) rule based, and • Step 5 Presentation on cognitive and (iii) knowledge based performance personality Engineering strategies level errors is adequate for the meeting • Step 6 – Feedback # 1 on intervention

• Recording of mapping activity Start Project

• Preparation of Error Profile (E2) • Evaluation by quality control experts Post Evaluation of • Presentation of pre and post test error performance – E1 Intervention (based on Above Average profile and performance evaluation Identification of Errors & Quata to each mapping operation of work Effective Mapping • Feedback # 2 from mapping operators. Below Average Or Average Assessment of Perceptual, Intervention profile and a psychological profile was Cognitive & Personality factors

prepared. This was given to them as Identification of The data related to psychological part of the intervention programme Psychological Risk factors variables were studied in the context for their awareness, information and Feedback to the Participants - 1 of error production. The psychological understanding. Risk factors for each factors assessed which are likely to individual were estimated and presented Intervention Program

have a negative effect on performance in the context of error occurrence. This Behavioral Self-Contract or bearing on error occurrence were may be seen as possible contributions considered as risk factors. Risk factors of error production which, if addressed, Below Average Evaluation of Above & Performance-II on all psychological tests for each could result in error regulation thereby Average Average (Check errors & individual member of the sample were resulting in error reduction. quanta of work Status identified. For each individual an error

10 | Coordinates March 2008 ISRO RESPOND Project at NRSA - ISRO RESPOND Project at NRSA Findings: Pre-Intervention after intervention. Post Intervention Mean quanta of work is slightly more in shift B compared to shifts A & C • Performance Gain in performance - Mean number of errors were less in shift B compared to shifts A & C

evaluation by quality 19 20 18 17 Shifts control experts before 18 16 19 14 13 18.4 and after intervention 18.5 18.2 33 12 17.9 18 shows that 18% of the 10 8 17.5 17.23 6 17 sample moved from 16.63 4 Mean Quanta 16.5 2 of Work below average to above 0 16 15.7 Mean No. of Q1 E1 Q2 E2 15.5 Errors average level, 18% quanta errors quanta errors 15 from below average to of work of work 14.5 Pre-I n tervention Post I n tervention 14 average and 4% from A B C average to above average, 37% of them remained ISRO RESPOND Project at NRSA – Pre- Intervention Findings: average. Actually the number of for the jobs relating to mapping, Skill based performance level errors were found to be more (Mean-32) compared to rule based (Mean-11) and below average performers was recruitment department may use knowledge based performance errors (Mean-3) completely eliminated after the psychological tests as another

Type of Errors intervention whereas the number screening test. Test like cognitive

35 of average and above average styles, perceptual styles, personality 31.63 30 performers consequently increased. and stress may be administered and 25 • Performance gain was 31%. then based on these results, suitable 20 • Based on the findings a candidates may be selected. Errors 15 10.8 7 working model for effective • It is important to make an effort to 10 digital mapping performance understand and identify the human 5 3.27

0 improvement procedure risk factors in operators. This would SB RB KB from cognitive psychology help in addressing the issue rather perspective has been evolved. . than the person specifically. If ISRO RESPOND Project at NRSA - Intervention unaddressed such factors would •The percentage of above average and average improved hamper healthy interpersonal and after intervention. cultural climate of the organization. •There were no below average performers after Intervention Suggestions • Individuals who are working with Before Intervention After computers on activities similar to that Intervention The suggestions are the outcome of

Average 41% a maiden research in the mapping of mapping (i.e., not programming

Above domain in this country. It is hoped or text processing which are logical A b ove A v e rage Below A v erage Average 36% 37% 59% that this would set us thinking in operations) for example air traffic a new direction to face the new control, thematic image interpretation, era that brings newer challenges. process control systems, animation A v erage 27% • Bringing error occurrence and graphic arts, etc., may be studied. to the operator’s attention periodically, would act as a the objectives of understanding feed back on performance. References human factors that cause errors and • Training programmes may be designed • Rasummens, J (1986). Cited by Reason, to evolve strategies to reduce them. exclusively for below average J (1981). Human Error. Cambridge: • Mean quanta of work is more in shift B performers, average performers and Cambridge University Press. (2 pm to 10 pm) compared to shifts A above average performers. These • Reason,. J (1991) . Human (6 am to 2 pm) & C (10 pm to 6 am). programmes should be designed Error, Cambridge: Cambridge • Skill based performance level errors based on an analysis of errors, quanta University Press. were found to be 32%. This may of work done, personality and work • Backstorm, .T (1997) (june 29-July 4). be because mapping activities are related factors. Such programmes if Theoritical Explanations for the non predominantly skill based involving conducted periodically would motivate use of safe Gaurds. Paper presented at cognitive activities like attention, poor and average performers to aim the “ From experience to innovation” perception, automaticity, etc. at higher level of performance. It Proceedings of the 13th Triennial • Mean error occurrence of the is also important to see that above congress of International Ergonomics sample before and after intervention average performers would maintain Association, Tampere, Finland. decreased to 13.22 from 18.09. their performance and be motivated • Tversky , A., & Kahneuman, D. (1974), • Results show a considerable to perform towards excellence. Judgement under uncertainty:Heuristic increase in quantum of work done • While selecting the candidate and Biases Science.

Coordinates March 2008 | 11 GNSS A real-time GPS/INS integrated system A multisensor integration platform based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) has been developed at the Satellite Navigation and Positioning Laboratory (SNAPlab), School of Surveying & Spatial Information Systems, University of New South Wales

Yong Li l t h o u g h Global Navigation Satellite without any hardware changes, with University of New South ASystems (GNSS) technology is even the processor of the system Wales, Australia developing rapidly, the major disadvantage itself being “soft”. A “hardcopy” [email protected] of GNSS will still exist even when FPGA can be made after the system the European Galileo system is fully has been sufficiently tested. operational, that is, signal blockage due to obstructions and the low power of An FPGA is an integrated circuit capable Peter Mumford the signals. The combination of GNSS of implementing digital circuits by means University of New South with a self-contained inertial navigation of a configuration process. The designer Wales, Australia system (INS) provides an ideal solution, can use it to implement the specified logic which can not only address the weakness (Hidalgo 2003, Meyer-Baese 2001). Two of GNSS and but also bound the INS major hardware description languages error that grows with the time when (HDLs) are popularly used for the FPGA operating on its own. The integrated design today, namely Verilog and VHDL, Chris Rizos system can provide a continuous both of which are IEEE standards. University of New South position, velocity and attitude solution at The authors have used the Altera HDL Wales, Australia a high output rate even during a GNSS “AHDL” for most of the design. outage, albeit for a limited period. These advantages drive GNSS/INS integration Figure 1 illustrates the system architecture in military and civil applications (Buck of a typical setup of a real-time GPS/ etal 2006, Kennedy etal 2006). INS integrated system. As shown in Figure 1, the GPS and INS data are fed A multisensor integration platform into the FPGA system where the real- based on a field programmable gate time Kalman filter estimates the INS array (FPGA) has been developed at the errors that are then used to correct the INS Satellite Navigation solution. The corrected solution is sent to and Positioning a field computer on which a geographic Laboratory information system (GIS) runs. The INS (SNAPlab), School solution can then be plotted onto a map of Surveying & or visualised on the GIS platform. The Spatial Information solution and data collected in the field Systems, University is sent to a command or monitoring of New South centre via a wireless communication Wales. The biggest link, i.e. wireless internet, or the mobile advantage of the phone network. High-level commands FPGA-based or decisions can be made by the centre system is that on the basis of the real-time information all the hardware that is received. In comparison with post- and software processing systems, real-time systems components of the can respond to urgent events promptly, system are field with minimum delay. This is vital in, for re-programmable example, emergency service applications. Figure 1. Illustration of a real-time GPS/INS integrated system

12 | Coordinates March 2008 attempts to configure the FPGA with which are the user interface (UI), time hardware configuration data stored synchronisation (TS), strapdown INS in flash memory. Figure 2 shows (SDINS), and Kalman filtering (KF). the hardware box of the system. The system first allocates the memory for the circular buffers, and commands The INS used is Boeing’s the GPS and INS devices to output the C-MIGITS II, a so-called tactical requested messages. The ISR of UART grade inertial measurement unit event notifies the UI or TS thread to drain (IMU) that provides raw inertial the data from the UART FIFO buffer data (Boeing 1997). An OmniStar- and performs the decoding procedure Figure 2. Hardware of the real-time HP8200 GPS receiver is used to covert the binary stream to the data FPGA-based GPS/INS system to provide the PPS signal and messages. The TS procedure aligns the the GPS navigation solution. IMU data with the GPS time frame so System design and The main specifications of the real- that comparison of the IMU and GPS data implementation time system are listed in Table 1. is possible. The strapdown navigation solution is calculated from the time- Hardware Time-synchronisation UART synced IMU data. Using the GPS data, the Kalman filter further estimates the errors The real-time system is built around A specified UART has been designed in the inertial solution (due to the inertial the Nios II soft-core on a Stratix for the time synchronisation of the GPS sensors). The error estimates are used to EP1s10 device. The GPS pulse-per- and INS data. This “time-sync UART” correct the inertial solution and improve second (PPS) signal is required for the logic is attached to the processor as a the result. The corrected INS solution is time synchronisation process and is memory-mapped peripheral with one sent to the external world via a UART port. connected to the prototype device via interrupt line (Mumford etal 2006). Meanwhile the system stores the time- a BNC socket. The device is currently synced IMU data and GPS data together configured with four UARTs, two of them The UART must detect transmission, with the corrected inertial solution onto for INS and GPS input, and another two receive the data in serial format, strip off the CF card for replay or post-processing. for integration result output. The device the start- and stop-bits, and store the data has an LCD screen for menu and status word in a parallel format, as well as access The corrected navigation solution is sent information display and four buttons for a free-running counter that is latched at the out in a pre-defined format to an external option selection and operation control. start bit of a serial transmission. This count device, e.g. a handheld computer, where is appended to the incoming byte and a program runs to receive the solution Custom designed logic has been developed placed in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer. and send it to GoogleEarth via the for the FPGA to provide count stamping The PPS signal along with GPS time data internet. The “.kml” file describes the on the incoming serial data streams. The are used in an interpolation algorithm to server address on the internet to which processor logic residing in the FPGA calculate the time-of-arrival of serial data the client sends the data. By linking chip hosts the application software that from the INS. As a result, the INS data is to the address, the position of the host interfaces with the user and controls time-tagged with GPS time, and therefore platform can be monitored on any PC in the custom logic and Compact Flash the INS data is available for comparison the command/monitor center using the card operations (Altera 2005). The with the GPS data in the GPS time frame. GoogleEarth viewer. Figure 4 depicts hardware design file and the firmware are a screen copy of a test at the top of the downloaded to the flash memory (AMD Software building in which the SNAPlab is located. AM29LV065D). When power is applied to Using the real-time GPS/INS solution, the board, a configuration controller device The embedded software is developed using GoogleEarth automatically zooms in to a special version of the Embedded the area around the SNAPlab building. Table 1. Characteristics of the real-time system Configurable Operating System (eCos) – ‘the eCos for Nios II’, Algorithm FPGA Altera’s Stratix EP1S10 which provides support of the Processor Nios II FAT32 file I/O for the Compact The strapdown inertial computation Oscillator 50MHz Flash (CF) card, multi-task has been performed in the navigation SRAM 512KB x 2 programming, LCD display, coordinate system (n-frame). The psi-angle SDRAM 16MB and interrupts from UARTs model is used in the 15-state GPS/INS Flash 8MB and buttons (Massa 2002, Nios integration Kalman filter as the INS error Embedded OS eCos for Nios II, ver5.1. Community Forum 2005). model (Bar-Itzhack and Berman 1988). one LCD; four Buttons; one CF Interface card slot; four UARTs; one BNC. The operations of the program Three operation modes have been GPS OmniStar-HP8200 are depicted in Figure 3. The implemented in the embedded algorithm: INS C-MIGITS II software consists of four threads, (1) the coarse alignment; (2) the fine

Coordinates March 2008 | 13 be obtained from the GPS velocity when tilt angles are invariant during the test. the platform is moving. During the fine Without correction from the Kalman alignment, the Kalman filter estimates filter estimates, the strapdown attitude the tilt errors and the sensor biases. Due solution gradually drifts with time. In the to the weak observability of the heading test, a 160-second alignment period is angle, the fine alignment cannot prevent pre-defined. The zero-velocity is used to the heading from gradually drifting. update the attitude and sensor errors in the alignment. Once the alignment process has been completed, the system automatically Tests changes to the navigation mode where the GPS position data is used to update Long-term testing of the real-time the estimate. The tilt solution converges performance of the system has been gradually during the alignment phase, and conducted in the laboratory. The focus remains stable within a small range of ± of testing included stability of the multi- 0.05deg during the navigation phase. threaded firmware, real-time decoding of the GPS and INS data messages, real- Van test time time synchronisation, multiple- Figure 3. Operation diagram of stage circular buffering, float-pointing Kinematic data was collected along the embedded software calculation, stability of the Kalman roads in a variety of environments, filter, button interrupts and including a race track with significant response, CF file I/O, data output attitude manoeuvres, a highway, through additional UARTs, and forested mountain areas with GPS signal interfacing with GoogleEarth. blockage, and also through tunnels.

With the 50MHz system design, the The device setup in a test is shown in timing resolution of the counter is Figure 5a.The ground trajectory depicted 5.12µs. To compare the time derived in Figure 5b shows the result from the test by the FPGA device with the time carried out around the Mount Panorama of the INS output, the FPGA-based racing circuit, Bathurst, in the state of system has demonstrated time- New South Wales. The velocity and sync accuracy of better than 0.3ms. attitude solution is depicted in Figure 6. The system has potentially higher Figure 4. Real-time GPS/INS solution accuracy because it can reveal the In comparison with the INS-only solution, displayed on the GoogleEarth viewer C-MIGITS II’s 10µs/sec clock drift, the integrated velocity solution (Figures as analysed in Li et al (2006). 6a – 6c) is stable and correctly reflects the alignment; and (3) the strapdown INS and movements of the vehicle – backward and integration Kalman filtering. During the Static test forward when the vehicle is driven from coarse alignment, the platform remains the parking site, stops to wait for the traffic static while the tilt angles are computed An important requirement of the system light, and speeding up. The integrated from the accelerometer data. In addition, is to estimate the attitude angles and the attitude solution is also stable, and the sensor noise levels can be estimated inertial sensor biases. Static data is used properly reflects the angular movement during the coarse alignment (Kennedy to evaluate this capability because the of the vehicle – especially on pitch (6e) 2006). The heading angle can be roughly estimated -33.425 from gyro-compassing the -33.43 gyroscope data. However -33.435 the C-MIGITS II has a gyro bias of 30deg/ -33.44

hr (Boeing 1997), a Lat (deg) -33.445 magnitude almost twice -33.45 the earth rotation rate and hence the heading -33.455

result derived from the -33.46 C-MIGITS II is not 149.545 149.55 149.555 149.56 149.565 149.57 very meaningful. A (a) FPGA-based GPS/INS systems (b) GPS/INS trajectory heading correction can Figure 5. The device in the test and trajectory from the GPS/INS solution

14 | Coordinates March 2008 Stellar performance doesn’t have to be complicated. Or expensive. Our SF-2110 offers the simplicity of a single-frequency receiver –– and NavCom reliability –– at an affordable price. Using our StarFire™ service, the SF-2110 provides up to 50cm accuracy anywhere, anytime without a base station making it ideal for multiple applications. Learn more about the rugged productivity of the SF-2110 Series at www.navcomtech.com. Or, call + 1 310-381-2000.

Coordinates March 2008 | 15 www.navcomtech.com properly, at least in a qualitative sense.

Performance in tunnels

One test was performed in the Jenolan Caves area near Bathurst. The road goes (a) Ve - t (b) Vn - t through a tunnel near the Jenolan Caves township. The tunnel has a length of 197.7m in east, and 32.8m in north. It took 45sec to drive through the tunnel, including the time waiting due to traffic. Figure 7a shows the entrance to the tunnel, and Figure 7b depicts the trajectory from GPS and GPS/INS solutions. During the 45-second GPS outage in (c) Vu - t (d) Roll - t the tunnel, the INS solution correctly outlines the shape of the tunnel. This result demonstrates that the integration system is working satisfactorily – once an accurate navigation solution and the inertial sensor biases have been estimated before the vehicle enters the tunnel.

The second test was performed in the (e) Pitch - t (f) Heading - t Sydney Airport tunnel, as depicted in Figure 6. Velocity and attitude solution Figure 8. There are two successive and heading (6f). The tilt angles (roll in starts to move. In the last section of the GPS outages. The first 17-second 6d and pitch in 6e) converge when the heading curve in Figure 6f, the heading GPS outage occurred under a bridge vehicle is static, however the heading (6f) has a jump of about 126deg in comparison just 12 seconds before the car entered remains on the initial value with slight with the initial value. In comparison with the tunnel, and then a 44-second drift during the static period. The heading the compass data collected in the test, GPS outage in the tunnel itself. becomes observable when the vehicle the angle at the end reflects the correct moves and the GPS-derived velocity heading direction. Because the vehicle Figure 9 illustrates the integrated solution vector is then used to initialise the heading. starts and stops at the same site and (in blue) and the GPS-only solution From Figure 6f it is easy to see that the heads in the same direction the correct (in red). It can be seen that the two heading quickly changes from the initial heading angle at the end demonstrates that GPS outages are bridged smoothly. value to the correct value when the vehicle the integration Kalman filtering works

(a) Entrance of the tunnel (b) GPS/INS solution in the tunnel Figure 7. Comparison of solutions in the tunnel

16 | Coordinates March 2008 Concluding Remarks Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial An FPGA-based real-time GPS/INS Information (CRC- integrated system has been developed. A SI). The authors would time-sync UART is designed to connect like to acknowledge with the Nios II processor system to enable the support from communication between the Nios II and the CRC-SI. the GPS and INS devices, as well as time- synchronise the GPS and INS data streams. References The embedded software has been • Altera (2003) developed using eCos – an open source Nios development embedded operating system. The software board – reference is programmed to implement multiple manual, Stratix Figure 9. GPS/INS solution bridges the outages tasks; decoding the GPS and INS data edition, http:// under the bridge and in the tunnel streams, time synchronisation, strapdown www.altera.com. inertial computation, and the integration • Altera (2005) Nios II software platform, Proceedings of ION Kalman filtering. With eCos support, developer’s handbook, http:// GNSS 2006, Forth Worth, Texas, the software implements the FAT32 www.altera.com. 26-30 September, 2222-2231. filing system for CF card I/O, operation • Bar-Itzhack IY and Berman N • Hidalgo JI, Fernandez F, Lanchares J, status display on the LCD, and button (1988) Control theoretical approach Sanchez JM, Hermida R, Tomassini controls. The real-time solution is sent to inertial navigation systems, M, Baraglia R, Perego R, and Garnica out via two additional UARTs and can Journal of Guidance, Control and O (2003) Multi-FPGA systems be displayed on a GoogleEarth viewer. Dynamics, 11 (3): 237-245. synthesis by means of evolutionary Long-term tests have demonstrated • Boeing North American Inc (1997) computation, GECCO 2003, LNCS the functionality and operational User’s manual of C-MIGITS II. 2724, E. Cantu-Paz et al (Eds.), robustness of the embedded software. • Buck TM, Wilmot J, and Cook MJ Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2109-2120. (2006) A high G, MEMS based, • Massa AJ (2002) Embedded The GPS/INS integrated algorithm deeply integrated, INS/GPS, software development with has been developed and tested in the guidance, navigation and control eCos, Prentice Hall Professional laboratory and in the field. The results flight management unit, Proceedings Technical Reference, New Jersey. have demonstrated that the integration of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006, San • Meyer-Baese U (2001) Digital signal Kalman filter estimates the inertial errors Diego, California, 25-27 April. processing with field programmable correctly, to compensate for the drift in • Kennedy S, Hamilton J, Martell gate arrays, Springer-Verlag Berlin. the inertial solution. The results of the H (2006) Architecture and system • Mumford P, Li Y, Wang J, Rizos C, and tests in several tunnels have shown that performance of SPAN – NovAtel’s Ding W (2006) A time-synchronisation the corrected INS solution can bridge the GPS/INS solution, Proceedings device for tightly coupled GPS/INS GPS outages with reasonable accuracy. of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006, San integration, Proceedings of IGNSS Diego, California, 25-27 April. Symposium 2006, Holiday Inn Surfers • Li Y, Mumford P, Wang J, and Paradise, Australia, 17-21July. Acknowledgements Rizos C (2006) Development of • Nios Community Forum a GPS/INS integrated system on (2005), eCos for Nios II, http:// The project is funded under the Australian the field programmable gate array www.niosforum.com/.

Figure 8. Sydney Airport bridge and tunnel

Coordinates March 2008 | 17 Standards Science of interoperability To address the complex connectedness of Earth phenomena, we need to study interoperability as a discipline in its own right

David Schell v e r the past 100 years the world’s science,” to address 1) the need for new Chairman and CEO of the Ototal population has quadrupled – knowledge related to the convergence of Open Geospatial Consortium, from 1.6 billion to 6.6 billion. (Footnote: geospatial technology with related enabling Inc. (OGC) and OGCii, Inc. Population Bulletin, “World Population technologies, a convergence enabled by Highlights: Key Findings From PRB’s geospatial interoperability and 2) the 2007 World Population Data Sheet” http:// need for coordinated research community www.prb.org/Articles/2007/623WorldPop. input into the OGC standards process. Dr D R F Taylor aspx.) In many parts of the world we see Distinguished Research growing poverty. We now face increasingly Professor worrisome resource constraints and Surging need for interoperability Department of Geography environmental difficulties, and many and Environmental informed observers question the planet’s Individually, geospatial technologies Studies, Carleton ability to sustain its current human and related supporting information University, Ottawa, Canada population, despite our technological technologies are advancing Member OGCii Board achievements. (Footnote: “Human Carrying rapidly, as shown in figure 1. Capacity of Earth”, Gigi Richard, Institute for Lifecycle Environmental Assessment, The problem we face does not concern ILEA Leaf, Winter, 2002 issue. http:// any inadequacy in the basic information www.ilea.org/leaf/richard2002.html) technology infrastructure for geospatial interoperability. It is clear that we can Managing a “soft” leveling off of expect adequate progress in all the relevant population growth and resource IT domains we identify as essential. consumption will require, among other The problem is rather that we still have things, that we make the best possible use of difficulty using all the various kinds information technologies, and particularly of data and online processing services geospatial technologies. Viewed separately, available to support an integrated scientific these technologies are advancing rapidly methodology. Our wealth of data and and are being utilized in a growing number the unifying power of interoperable of ways. But harnessing them together to information technologies actually serves meet the challenges of the 21st Century to illuminate the traditional scientific and will require a new kind of knowledge, new institutional barriers to the construction policies, new institutional of the relevant complex models and commitments, and analysis which are needed to represent and imaginative reassessment address many of today’s most complex of our ways of using them. scientific and societal challenges.

The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC), Interoperability enables founded in 1994, has resource sharing established a global, commercially driven Resolving humanity’s resource and consensus process for environmental difficulties requires that developing geoprocessing we learn more about the often complex interoperability standards. relationships among a wide range of The OGC Interoperability Earth features and phenomena. To do Institute (OGCii), founded this, one thing scientists must be able to Figure 1: Information and Communication Technologies in 2006 by OGC directors, do is find and use each other’s data and relevant to the geosciences are all increasing in promotes research in the services (online processing services) and capability and performance. Costs are going down. area of “interoperability integrate these into complex models and

18 | Coordinates March 2008 Coordinates March 2008 | 19 analyses. Such sharing matters not only unavoidable. Like physicists employing high performance computing and for cross-disciplinary studies, but also mathematical theories in their attempts other technologies is clearly of for longitudinal studies, independent to describe the cosmic and sub-atomic great importance in this context. verification of results, and collaboration worlds, geoscientists building computer on collection of expensive shared data models of Earth phenomena depend Furthermore, getting and using Earth sets and development of shared Web precariously on the accuracy of their data science data involves other considerations services. Such sharing is enabled to a large and the validity of their assumptions. The besides accuracy and validation. The degree by the OpenGIS® Implementation artifacts of modeling can, sometimes, semantic facilities for interdisciplinary Specifications developed by the OGC be mistaken for observations of reality. sharing of diverse spatial resources, and in cooperation with other standards Other tools like finite element analysis the digital rights facilities for such sharing, organizations. These specifications and Fourier transformation that derive for example, must smoothly transcent the provide detailed engineering descriptions much of their utility from computers technical boundaries of Web resources of open interfaces, encodings and underwent rigorous community review such as search tools, sensor webs, grid online services that enable diverse as they became common tools in the computing, location services, etc. And all systems to operate together in a “loosely science and engineering toolbox. We of these must be harnessed in making huge coupled” client server environment. unavoidably delve deeper into abstractions volumes of data and services accessible to as we explore complex relationships modeling and simulation tools. Together, To enable resource sharing, the first step is between environmental factors, and these challenges demand that we embark to simply make data and services available we need ways of determining whether on a concerted global effort to study the on the web through open interfaces. The our inferences and conclusions are interoperability-enabled convergence of next step is to carefully describe the data valid. Consciousness about the need for modeling, semantics, high performance and services in machine-readable and validation and the hazards of abstraction computing and other technologies that human-readable metadata that conform compels us to study interoperability. together might support the fullest possible to ISO standards. By means of this use of geospatial data and services in metadata, the data and services can be To address the complex connectedness the rapidly evolving ICT environment. registered in online catalogs that make of Earth phenomena, we need to study them easily discovered, evaluated and interoperability as a discipline in its own accessed. Fortunately, great progress has right. We need to look for basic principles OGCii been made in the area of metadata and and practices that can direct our efforts to catalogue standards. Products are available converge different application domains Commercially derived interoperability that make it relatively easy to develop and to converge geomatics with computer requirements have been the main drivers “application schemas” based on ISO modeling, semantics, high performance shaping the evolution in the OGC of standard metadata schemas, and catalog computing and other technologies. the global standards that are used by products are available that implement both practitioners and researchers. the OGC’s OpenGIS Catalog Services Consider, for example, climatology. Commercially derived interoperability – Web Implementation Specification. Knowledge about climate change is of requirements are a great boon to In many cases, these are sufficient to the utmost importance, and climatology researchers, but they may produce make data, online services and encodings is a multidisciplinary field. Geospatial standards that meet only a subset of the easily discovered, evaluated and used by data includes temporal and spatial interoperability requirements of studies humans and software using the Web. information about atmospheric gas and of complex Earth phenomena. Standards particulate distributions and circulations, developers must, by definition, seek terrestrial radiation and absorption “common denominator” approaches, Addressing complexity patterns, weather regimes, bolide impact approaches that are “as simple as studies, plant distributions, industrial possible” for good practical reasons. We simply cannot avoid complexity plant distributions, and data developed However, this goal frequently runs and the growth of complexity as we by hydrologists, paleoclimatologists, counter to the need to have standards contemplate and attempt interoperability. sedimentologists, bathymetrists, that are “as complex as necessary” to We must accept the need for diverse oceanographers, demographers and maintain rigor in scientific specialties. conceptual abstractions, classification others. Climatology is heavily dependent schemes, data models, processing on computer models, and the computer The OGC Interoperability Institute seeks approaches and recording methods. models need to assimilate many of these to coalesce interest groups who have a We must also accept the compounding diverse kinds of data. Each kind of data stake in these issues, with the intention of complexity when multiple datasets has peculiar characteristics and limitations. of focusing the research community’s embodying this diversity are used together. In many cases, the limitations need to be interoperability requirements for insertion Standards are necessary in managing data quantified in statistical parameters within into the commercially driven standards complexity, but they may not be sufficient. the models. Understanding geomatics process and also focusing attention on the and geoprocessing interoperability in need to make geospatial interoperability Complexity is as dangerous as it is the contexts of modeling, semantics, the subject of concerted study.

20 | Coordinates March 2008 in focus

The street view of the entrance to Fort Sam Houston continues to be available on Google Maps, as it is taken from a public street. Images from within the base however, have been removed.

Does Google have multiple standards?

Google exposed!

h e Pentagon has banned Google buildings. I think that poses a real security given us no indication that they would Tfrom taking photographs and video risk to our military installations,” he wrote. not be helpful to us if we asked.” footage of US military bases after images showing important security It was not clear from the letter why Street View is an addition to Google’s features of a base in Texas appeared on Google had been given permission to already popular maps service, which the company’s website. The Defence get inside and photograph the base. allows visitors to click on a location and Department’s ultimatum came after see a 360-degree view of the spot. The images showing entry gates, barriers and In a statement, a Google spokesperson feature has raised concerns about privacy buildings within the Fort Sam Houstan said: “It is against our policy to request after people have been pictured – their base, in Texas, were posted on a section access to military installation for the faces clearly visible – being arrested, of Google’s site which offers panoramic purpose of capturing imagery in Street sunbathing, and urinating in public. street views of different locations. View.” Once contacted by the military, Google quickly took the images So far streets and other locations in about Google later said its decision to down, the spokesperson added. 30 major American cities, including request access to the base – which had Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and been approved – was a mistake. General Renuart said that after it San Francisco, have been photographed. had been given access to the base, Google has not said whether it intends In a letter to all Defence Department Google took “panoramic images of to expand the feature to the UK. bases and installations in the US, the the area with roof-mounted recording Pentagon said that providing 360-degree equipment. These images were placed The Pentagon’s letter comes just days views of defence facilities could offer on the internet for public access.” after it was reported that protesters sensitive information to potential used satellite imagery from Google adversaries and in turn endanger staff. He said that the ban was not intended as Earth to gain access to the roof of the an attack on the search firm, but indicated Houses of Parliament in London.http:// Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, chief of the military’s concern about the secondary technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/ the US Northern Command, wrote that in effects of an otherwise useful technology. tech_and_web/article3503624.ece this case the photographs – which were taken by a camera mounted on a vehicle “Google was very appreciative of dispatched by Google – showed “where us letting them know that we had a all the guards are, how the barriers go up concern,” he said. “They understand and down, and how to get in and out of the security implications, and they have

Coordinates March 2008 | 21 Mapping

Sampling the world This article describes an ongoing project that has the goal to visit the degree intersections of each latitude and longitude on land, or within sight of land, around the world documenting the visit with photographs at each location and publish them on the Degree Confluence website

o w would the world look like if of the Earth we find that the distance Rainer Mautz Hyou were standing on an arbitrary between degrees of latitude varies from Lecturer and researcher in point on earth? It is not easy to imagine, 110.57 km at the equator to 111.69 km near Engineering Geodesy at how a randomly chosen location would the poles. The distances between longitude the Swiss Federal Institute look like since most pictures that come lines continuously decrease from 111.32 of Technology Zurich. into our mind are somewhat special: our km at the equator towards the poles. www.geometh.ethz.ch/people/rmautz home, Piccadilly Square, a picture from However, the locations are reasonably National Geographic, or a photo that had well equidistributed for representing the been taken on top of a famous summit. earth, but also creating a huge task for reaching them. This is in particular the In order to get an unbiased view of the case, because the confluence locations world the following attempt is being made: go against all human infrastructures. each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world are The pictures and stories are collected at visited, pictures are taken at each location, the project website www.confluence.org. stories about the visits are collected and One of the project’s principles is to keep posted at a website. Altogether there are the confluence points as they are. Any 64,442 intersections – let us call them changes made by visitors – e.g. leaving “degree confluences” since these are the souvenirs, or even placing markers, sign meeting places of latitude and longitude posts, cairns is considered as polluting of degree lines. 21,543 confluences – almost the confluence and visitors are encouraged exactly one third (33.4%) are on land. to follow the policy “take nothing but Ignoring those confluences without view pictures, leave nothing but footprints”. of land and after thinning out the poles region which has an impropriate density of Visiting the confluences degree intersections, still 16,194 confluences It all began in February 1996 when the are considered as US-American citizen Alex Jarrett used his worthwhile visiting – in new hand-held GPS receiver in order to the following denoted as reach the nondescript location 43°00’00”N “primary confluences”. 72°00’00”W. After bicycling 16 km and a bit of a hike he was able to exactly locate Standing on any point and document the spot. An then he posted on Earth, there is always his pictures of the confluence to a website one confluence within that showed some snow covered trees of 79 km radius. Typically, New Hampshire’s winter. From there confluences are about snowballing began. Alex visited another 100 km apart. Using confluence in May of the same year, in the WGS84 system that the following year the number of visits Figure 1: Total number of degree confluence point visits for includes the mathematical doubled to 4. Other people joint the project each month since 1996. The upper curve shows all visits, the GRS80 ellipsoidal model quadrupling the number of visits each year, lower curve only first successful visits to primary confluences.

22 | Coordinates March 2008 Figure 2: Total number of confluence visits for each calendar month in red. Visits occurred on the northern hemisphere are in black.

Figure 5: Fraction of visited confluences in some selected countries.

level for the last of first conquers has halved within the 6 years. Clearly, last 5 years. Figure 3 shows that more there is an obvious and more postings tend to be revisits yearly cycle with – bringing the fraction of first visits a summer-peak down to 30% from initially 100%. and a winter low. Figure 2 verifies The project progress differs largely in from the tendency to country to country. As can be seen from visit confluences Figure 4 and 5, initially all of the world’s in summer is first visits had been occurred in the USA. twice as high as in The passion for confluencing reached winter. Apparently Europe in 2001 and Russia in summer the northern 2004. From Figure 5 it is witnessed how Figure 3: Fraction of first visits to primary confluences. hemisphere with quickly Germany (as a comparatively its Lion’s share small country) was captured almost totally so that in 2001 the tremendous number of of confluences attracts more confluence within one single year. The USA still 1513 postings had been reached. Since hunters – causing a summer peak. remains 25% incomplete due to remote then, progress continued at a constant Alaska. Densely populated countries such rate between 1000 and 2000 postings Even though the total number of visits as China and India find more and more each year. Figure 1 shows that the total hasn’t changed, progress towards the enthusiasts –now being finalised by 40% number of confluence visits each month project goal has in fact slowed down. they have overtaken the world average in has been approximately at a constant After taking revisits out of the statistic in terms of reaching completeness. However, Figure 1, we find huge remote unpopulated areas such as that the actual rate the Himalaya region in China and the

Figure 4: Number of first visits to confluence points each month in the world, USA and Russia. Figure 6: Total number of visits each day of the week.

Coordinates March 2008 | 23 Product (GNP) and population density seem to be the main drivers for both, light emission and confluence visiting.

Figure 8 presents the distribution of confluences by latitude. Antarctica causes all intersections at latitude 78°S or further to the South Pole to fall on land. But almost none of these Antarctic confluences have been visited. Figure 9 focuses on the percentage of finalisation, showing that for latitudes between 40°S and 30°S almost all confluences have been visited by some Australian, South African and Argentinean enthusiasts. At the equator as well as close to the poles, finding integer degree intersections seems to be rather difficult due to remote jungles, swampy tundra and ice. The two main peaks in Figure 9 indicate that temperate zones are preferable regions for confluencing.

The reported accuracies of locating confluences are driven by two key factors: the minimal distance at the nearest point and the GPS accuracy. Initial positional accuracies had been around 10-30m, but Figure 7: Visited confluences (top) and light pollution (bottom) created after removal of selective availability by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. in May 2000 accuracies improved to 5-10m. Nowadays with the help of Siberian tundra in Russia will prevent totally different data, showing the earth augmentation systems accuracies of 1-5m those countries completion for quite a by night in a composed picture from are typical. In the year 2012, assuming while. Confluencing tends to be a hobby NASA. Central Europe, the USA, Japan availability of 35 Beidou Navigation for the weekend when twice as many visits are clearly the brightest regions in both Satellites, 18 GLONASS satellites, 30 occur compared to weekdays, see Figure 6. pictures, whereas central Africa, the Galileo satellites and an improved GPS, Brazilian jungle, Greenland and Antarctica positional accuracies of less than a meter Figure 7 discovers an astonishing both times are represented by dark spots. can be expected. With 107 satellites in correlation: the upper part of the figure Only for some touristy regions such the sky, positional service will cover shows each of the world’s confluence as New Zealand and the Western USA deep canyons and forests. Even today visits as a square. The brightness of the confluencing activities are ahead of the a fix position solution is oftentimes pixels is according to the number of emitted light in the region. Apparently, possible for confluences that are located revisits. The bottom picture is based on key factors such as Gross National in forests or valleys but accuracies

Figure 8: Land based confluence points by degree latitude. Figure 9: Percentage of land based confluence points that have been Negative values represent the southern hemisphere. The visited. 100% means that all confluences for particular latitudes fraction of visited confluences is drawn in black. have been completed and the project goal is being fulfilled.

24 | Coordinates March 2008 One stop facility for…

• Data products from multi-satellite systems for reaching people through remote sensing diverse needs

• Aerial services, photography and digital mapping

• Near real time decision support for disaster management

• End-to end and cost effective solution for mapping and management of natural resources

• Timely information on dynamic themes

• Training in Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics and allied fields

Our Thrust Areas

Applications • Agriculture & Soil Resources • Water, irrigation • Forestry and Ecology • Land use • Oceanography • Infrastructure Planning • Urban Resource Information System

Disaster support and environment • Support towards disaster mitigation • Environment impact assessment

Technology • Deployment of satellite/ground based systems for data reception and processing from Indian satellites anywhere on globe • Satellite and aerial data services

Capacity building • Training & education

NRSA Data Centre National Remote Sensing Agency Department of Space, Balanagar Hyderabad - 500 037 Phone + 91-40-23884423/22/25 Fax + 91-40-23878158/23878664 Email [email protected] Coordinates March 2008 | 25 5170m (visited on 21-May-2007 3-day drive & hike)

What is the lowest confluence?

30°N 27°E, Matrūh, Egypt -83m (visited on 04-Dec-2004)

Incomplete visits

Imagine that you need to explain to a landowner in Kiswahili what the meaning of visiting integer degree intersections is – in particular if your Figure 10: Reported minimal distances. Distances over 40m are not shown. conversational partner has never seen The median is 7 m, the average is over 635 m due to some outliers. a GPS receiver nor a map either.

are low due to shading of satellites. 48°N 9°W Southern Germany – 538 In one out of three visits, the actual visitors within 13 visits. A teacher confluence location could not be Figure 10 shows how close confluence managed to bring 470 students of a school. reached due to obstacles like trees, visitors were able to reach their target. houses, fences, dogs, rivers, cost lines, The maximum at 5m correlates well What are the highest confluences? swamps, ice, cliffs, legal matters, heat, with the positional accuracies for current 1) 30°N 81°E, Nepal 5870m dehydration, exhaustion, laziness, time hand held GPS receivers. The other (not yet visited) pressure, breakdowns, land mines, broken peaks at 10m, 20m and 30m are caused 2) 33°N 80°E, Tibet, China 5836m vehicles, miring, dead ends, confusion, by rounding and imprecise reporting. (visited on 29-May-2005) spoilers, impatience, underestimation, 3) 34°N 82°E, Tibet, China missing daylight, empty batteries, broken What confluence has most 5805m (not yet visited) GPS, altitude sickness, mosquitoes, unsuccessful attempts? radioactivity, military areas, cultural Unfortunately, the most reliable and exact differences, language barriers, policemen, 36°N 112°W, Arizona, USA has 7 source for altitude data today, the SRTM monetary claims, exorbitant prices, unsuccessful attempts due to its location 90m survey, does not provide information landowners, missing stamina or unbearable in the Grand Canyon. This point in the for this area. Therefore Google Earth – a looks of bewilderment. According to the National Park is tempting for many less reliable elevation data source – was rules of the confluence project, visits with visitors, who then fail 200m from used, introducing an uncertainty about a minimal distance of more than 100m the goal at almost vertical Coconino the ranking of these confluences. So the are regarded as incomplete. 9% of all Sandstone. The second rank is taken ranking will stay a mystery until these submitted visits are stated incomplete, but by confluence 41°N 112°W near Salt points have actually been reached. the fraction of unreported attempts may Lake City in Utah with 5 attempts. The well be over 20%, since the willingness salt march of the Great Salt Lake forced What are the highest successful of publishing own failures is usually low. five visitors to abandon their mission. confluence visits? 1) 33°N 80°E, Which confluences had most visits? Tibet, China 1) 50°N 0°, England, 60 km north 5836m (visited of London: 21 visits. on 29-May-2005, 2) 37°N 122°W, California, 75 km 11-day hitch south of San Francisco: 19 visits. & hike trip) 3) 40°N 105°W, Colorado, 25 km 2) 30°N 90°E, north of Denver: 16 visits. Tibet, China 5587m (visited Expectedly, these frequently visited on 20-May-2004, confluences are located close to 6-day exhausting megacities and easily accessible. hike) 3) 18°S 69°W, La Figure 11: Reasons for incomplete visits. Sample size Which confluence had most visitors? Paz, Bolivia is 300 out of 1106 incomplete attempts total.

26 | Coordinates March 2008 vegetation, slopes and rocks prevent explorers to reach their goals. Another 18% fail to submit their visit correctly. 13% get into time trouble, 11% don’t get permission to access the confluence, 6% seem just not serious about their attempt and Picture 4: 44°N 91°E Xinjiang, China: 11km from the rest is caused by the objective the rear bicycle rack broke. Picture 1: 47°S 168°E Stewart Island, New Zealand: weather conditions, we advanced only 3km a day through dense primary technical problems and to the project goal are waiting to be forest and had to return 3km from the target. dangers. Consequently, reached. Currently, the rate of first visits disappointment can be avoided to primary confluences is 1-2 a day, or Why do visitors give up? The reported observing the following rules: 500 a year. Assuming a linear trend, the motives for incomplete visits are given 1.) Study land use and topography. last confluence should be visited in 22 in Figure 11. This survey shows that Determine distance from the nearest years, i.e. in the year 2030. However, difficult terrain is the main reason for town, road, track and trail. when it comes to finish the last 1%, I capitulation (29%), in particular dense 2.) Study the submission requirements predict a clear slowdown: as can be seen at the confluence website. an asymptotic completion for individual 3.) If your map shows countries from Figure 5 this may well be your confluence being valid for the whole world. Imagine that the located in the water, organise very last unvisited intersections may need your ship prior to arrival, special permission due to restricted areas successful swims (see 55°N or they are just extremely unattractive 24°E) are rare exceptions. for a visit. This fact could postpone a 4.) Be an early bird – you completion beyond the year 2050. may run out of daylight as it always takes longer as expected. All data was obtained from the website 5.) Bring a printed confluence.org using a short Matlab script. letter informing landowners The html of all visits was downloaded about the project – authorities by the command urlread(‘http://www. prefer printed matters. confluence.org/confluence.php?visitid=1’), Picture 2: 47°N 9°E Glarus, Switzerland: The 6.) Check the weather confluence is located right on the top of a mountain forecast. Flooding, ice and where the variable “visitid” was rage at 2915m altitude. 90m from the point I heat are the major reason looped from 1 to 15,000. The relevant considered further climbing as being too unsafe. for disappointment. data such as latitude, longitude, date, 7.) Bring a residual accuracy etc was then extracted using camera and GPS receiver regular expressions (regexp). including spare batteries. Heat, dust, salt, humidity and ice increase the chance References of a technical problem. Mautz, R.(2006) Sampling the Earth Picture 1-4 show the author’s Surface - What Does Our World unsuccessful attempts of Really Look Like? Coordinates reaching confluence points - Positioning, Navigation and in various countries. Beyond, No. 3, pp. 8-11, 2006

When will the project NASA Website, Figure 7: http:// get finished? earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ Picture 3: 42°N 60°E Da oguz, Turkmenistan: 2.5 km Newsroom/BlueMarble/ from the point I realised that the target is not located in At the time of writing 10,970 Uzbekistan but in Turkmenistan. The trip ended at the border unvisited primary confluences Confluence Website: http:// fence. Further advance was too risky without a proper visa. out of 16,194 that belong www.confluence.org

Coordinates March 2008 | 27 gps

GPS antenna: from relative to absolute Application to a Greek regional network.

Aristidis Fotiou ositioning by GPS can be derived 1999, Fotiou and Pikridas 2006). Even Professor at the Department Ptoday with a precision of a few if identical antenna types are used the of Geodesy and Surveying. millimeters. A GPS receiver determines effects of PCV values do not cancel out Aristotle University of the distance between the electrical for long GPS baselines. This is due to Thessaloniki, Greece. phase center of its antenna and the the earth curvature that causes elevation [email protected] phase center of a GPS satellite’s differences and therefore common transmitting antenna as a pseudo- satellites are seen at different elevation range or a carrier phase observation. angles by the end points of a baseline. It is well known that the phase center Christos Pikridas of the antenna is not a stable point. In order to overcome the above Assistant Professor problems various calibration models at the Department of For each GPS receiver's antenna the have been generated and used by the Geodesy and Surveying. phase center changes with respect to IGS community, namely the relative Aristotle University of the elevation angle and azimuth of the and more recently the absolute antenna Thessaloniki, Greece. incoming satellite signal (Rothacher calibration models (Schmid et al., 2005). [email protected] et.al., 1995). Different antenna calibration models are given in general by a set of antenna offsets with respect to the Relative calibration mechanical reference point and a list of Miltiadis Chatzinikos variation values that help a user to refer The relative phase center variation PhD Candidate, Msc. to the ground points under determination. models are based on the assumption in GeoInformatics. that the Alan Osborne antenna type Aristotle University of Knowing Phase Center Thessaloniki, Greece. Variations (PCVs) is 16˚ 18˚ 20˚ 22˚ 24˚ 26˚ 28˚ [email protected] especially important in 42˚ 42˚ case different antenna types are used at the MATE end points of a baseline. 40˚ AUT1 40˚ Mixing antennas usually LEMN

happens in GPS regional SPAN PRKV and permanent networks 38˚ VLSM 38˚ like national networks, RLS NOA1 IGS and EPN. An uncalibrated antenna 36˚ 36˚ will certainly introduce errors that combined TUC2 10mm with other error sources 34˚ 34˚ result in significant 16˚ 18˚ 20˚ 22˚ 24˚ 26˚ 28˚ erroneous point estimations, growing on Fig 1: Differences in the horizontal component caused long baselines (Mader by the transition from relative to absolute PCVs.

28 | Coordinates March 2008 16˚ 18˚ 20˚ 22˚ 24˚ 26˚ 28˚ AOAD/M_T has been approved of 42˚ 42˚ being the “Zero” antenna. This antenna type forms a standard with elevation dependent variations set to zero referring MATE AUT1 to a mean fixed offset. PCVs for a 40˚ 40˚ calibrating antenna can be determined LEMN using short-baseline field measurements SPAN PRKV (Rothacher et.al., 1995). Thus for 38˚ VLSM 38˚ each antenna type correction values RLS NOA1 were adopted relative to the external or mechanical antenna reference point (ARP, MRP). A database of relative 36˚ 36˚ calibrated antenna types has been TUC2 generated with free access to everyone. 10mm The drawback is that the corrections 34˚ 34˚ are dependent on the zero/reference 16˚ 18˚ 20˚ 22˚ 24˚ 26˚ 28˚ antenna and that PCVs at low elevations are not reliable due to the increment of Fig 2: Differences in the vertical component caused by the transition from relative to absolute PCVs. noise and multipath in measurements below 10 degrees (Mader 1999). system which include azimuthal values should be noted that the antennas types and elevations down to 0◦. The robot of the test network were LEIAT504 Combining GPS with other space-geodetic carries out fast rotations on different axes (AUT1, NOA1, TUC2), LEIAX1202 techniques becomes difficult in case increasing the efficiency of the method. (RLS, VSLM), LEIAX1202GG (LEM, of unmodeled systematic errors due to An advantage of this technique is the PRKV, SPAN) of Leica Geosystems and improper GPS antenna calibration models. determination of a 3D offset and PCVs TRM29659.0 (MATE) of Trimble. As a consequence scale differences have from 0◦ to 90◦ elevation angles with high been seen in GPS reference frames. Due precision and accuracy. Moreover the The Bernese GPS Software v5.0 (Dach to the above mentioned disadvantages whole process takes place in an almost et al., 2007) was used to process the relative models can no longer satisfy multipath - free environment. A complete data. The standard method was based the increasing accuracy requirements. set of absolute PCVs for the known on the script file RNX2SNX with slight tracking antennas is nowadays available. modifications (Chatzinikos et al., 2007). Until November 2006 relative elevation- Some basic options of the used processing dependent PCVs were applied within strategy should be pointed out: the IGS and EPN. After that date (GPS Studying the impact of • IGS orbits and pole information week 1400) the IGS has adopted the absolute versus relative • 10o of elevation mask absolute PCVs for its routine generation calibration models • Niel mapping function for the of precise orbits and station coordinates. tropospheric refraction In IGS-Mail 5438 (2006) a new file In order to estimate the impact of • One tropospheric parameter with absolute antenna models, named switching from relative to absolute for each hour igs05_1390.atx, was made available to calibrated antennas, a regional network • MATE station kept fixed the GPS community. Ever since several of nine GPS stations was processed • Strategy baseline selection: shortest updates of this file were followed. The and adjusted. Eight of the selected • Fix all phase ambiguities EPN started to use absolute antenna stations are located in Greece and one models at the same time with IGS. station in Italy: AUT1 in Thessaloniki, The time period of GPS observations NOA1 in Athens, TUC2 in Crete island, covers seven days: 190 GPS day to LEMN in Limnos island, PRKV in 196 GPS day, 2007. Daily solutions Absolute calibration Lesvos island, RLS in Achaia, VLSM of the GPS network were processed in the island of Cephalonia, SPAN in first and the multi-session solution The absolute calibration antenna models Lefkada island and the IGS/EPN station for the whole period was followed. have been developed by the Geo++ MATE in Matera (Italy). Four of the company located in Garsben - Germany above stations (AUT1, NOA1, TUC2, The impact on point positioning and a group of researchers from the MATE) are part of the EUREF GPS from relative to absolute calibration University of Hannover (Wübbena et Permanent Network (EPN), (Bruyninx, antenna models was studied by al. 2000, Völksen and Menge 2002). 2004) while the rest five stations coordinate comparisons carried out Absolute antenna offsets and PCV values belong to the National Observatory of by two different network solutions are determined by means of a robotic Athens Permanent GPS Network. It where MATE station kept fixed:

Coordinates March 2008 | 29 1) In the first network solution the The presented comparisons show that University of Bern, Switzerland. IGS05 reference frame and the the use of the more accurate absolute • Dow J.M, Neilan R.E., Gent G. absolute phase centre variation antenna models induce systematic (2005): “The International GPS values (file: IGS05_1455.atx) for differences with respect to the previous Service (IGS): Celebrating the the GPS antennas were used. relative models. Therefore the epoch 10th Anniversary and Looking 2) In the second solution the IGS05 - comparison of GPS campaigns in to the Next Decade,” Adv.Space reference frame and the relative phase regional and or global scale must take Res. 36 vol.36, no.3, pp.320-326. centre variation model (file: IGS_01. into account similar systematic effects. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2005.05.125. atx) for the GPS antennas were used. • Fotiou A. and Pikridas C. (2006): GPS and Geodetic Applications, In figures 1 and 2 differences caused by Conclusions Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the transition from relative to absolute Editions Ziti, Greece (in Greek). models in the horizontal and vertical The impact of the conversion from • IGS-MAIL 5149 (2005): component are shown accordingly. In relative to absolute PCV antenna models http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/mail/ figure 1 it is clear that latitude is more is of great importance in regional igsmail/2005/msg00071.html affected than longitude. For the horizontal and global GPS networks where high • IGS-MAIL 5189 (2005): component, the difference between the accuracy standards are required. http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/mail/ coordinates of the two solutions varied igsmail/2005/msg00111.html from 1 to 5.5 mm. Almost all GPS Solutions derived from relative and • IGS-MAIL 5438 (2006): stations showed the same horizontal absolute models reflect a meaningful http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/mail/ displacement, a strong indication of a systematic difference which could be igsmail/2006/msg00161.html systematic error between the two models. eliminated by proper transformation • Mader, G. (1999): GPS Antenna models like the 3-d Helmert model. Calibration at the National By contrast with the horizontal component Geodetic Survey. GPS Solutions, the vertical component showed larger An application to a Greek regional GPS Vol.3, No.1, pp 50-58. displacements, in the range of 8 to 17mm. network with baselines up to about • Rothacher M., S. Schaer, L. Mervart, The largest vertical displacements were 500 km and specific antenna types G. Beutler (1995): Determination found in NOA1, LEMN and PRKV, being showed that the difference is mainly of Antenna Phase Center Variations of the order of 16mm to 17mm. Although a translation, the height component using GPS Data. In: Gendt, G. the antenna types of LEMN, PRKV and is greater than the horizontal and the Dick (Eds.): Special Topics and SPAN were the same (LEIAX1202GG) displacement grows with the distance New Directions, Proceedings of the the respective displacements were from the fixed point. Similar results have 1955 IGS Work-Shop, Potsdam, not of the same magnitude. Another also been reported by other researches. 15-17 May, pp. 205-220. point that should be underlined is that • Schmid R., M.Rotacher, D. Thaller moving away from the fixed point (in and P. Steingenberger (2005): Absolute our case MATE) the difference on the References phase center corrections of satellite vertical component is increasing. • Bruyninx C. (2004): The EUREF and receiver antennas: Impact on Permanent Network: a multi- global GPS solutions and estimation A second comparison should examine the disciplinary network serving of azimuthal phase center variations of character of the coordinate differences surveyors as well as scientists. the satellite antenna, GPS Solutions, between the two solutions. The similarity Geoinformatics, vol. 7, pp. 32-35. DOI: 10.1007/s10291-005-0134-x. transformation model, known as the • Chatzinikos M, Fotiou A and • Völksen Ch., Menge F. (2002): Helmert transformation, was proved C. Pikridas (2007): Estimation The impact of different antenna a good choice. The estimations of the of site velocities in Greece and calibration models on the EUREF seven transformation parameters and surrounding areas, using permanent Permanent Network. Euref the aposteriori rms are given below: GPS station data. Paper presented publication No.12, Ponta Delganda, at 1st International Workshop on Azores, 5-8 June, pp. 103-108. It is obvious that the two solutions “Advances in understanding crustal • Wübbena G., Schmitz M., Menge F., reflect a systematic difference and deformation in Southern Europe Boder V., Seeber G. (2000): Automated define different coordinate frames using the Global Positioning System”. Absolute Field Calibration of GPS with a significant translation. Sofia, Bulgaria, 3-5 December. Antennas in Real-Time. Proceedings • Dach R., Hugentobler U., Fridez P., of the 13th International Technical Meindl M (Eds). Meeting of the Satellite Division Tx = – 39.0 mm Rx = 0.0020 sec (2007): Bernese GPS of the Institute of Navigation, ION Ty = 116.5 mm Ry = 0.0014 sec Scale factor = – 1.6 ppb software version 5.0. GPS-2000, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Tz = 25.0 mm Rz = 0.0030 sec rms = 2.9 mm Astronomical Institute, 19-22 September, pp.2512-2522.

30 | Coordinates March 2008 newsbriefs – GPS

India orders over one hundred Decline in retreat of Gangotri glacier integration costs, and provide significant SIGMA 95 navigation systems improvements in accuracy, time-to-first- Scientists have found a recession in the fix, and reception in indoor environments. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) of rate of retreat of Himalayan Gangotri India has just ordered from Sagem Défense glacier in last three decades. A GPS survey Taiwan uses GPS to catch bike thieves Sécurité (SAFRAN Group) more than 100 was carried out by G B Pant Institute of SIGMA 95N navigation systems. These Himalayan Environment and Development, Taiwan police are using the GPS to catch systems will be used on the Indian Air Force which found that the glacier has retreated at bike and motorbike thieves. Police in Sukhoi fighters and the Tejas fighters from a lower rate between 2004 and 2005. The Taichung, installed the GPS under the the Indian LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) report is claimed to be the first accurate saddles of several bikes and motorbikes program. SIGMA 95N is a standalone one on glacier retreat measurement. and parked them near the railway station inertial laser gyro navigation system with “Between 1935-71, the total recession to trap potential thieves. http://news. integrated GPS/Glonass. It brings high- of Gangotri glacier was 954.14 metres monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/ precision navigation and a high degree of while between 1971-2004, the recession operating flexibility to combat aircraft. has declined to 564.99 metres,” scientist Internet map of sea level increase Kireet Kumar, who led the survey. It has ION 2008 appointments been observed that maximum recession A visit to website http://flood.firetree.net took place along the centreline, followed shows the impact of sea level rises from Dr. Chris Hegarty has been elected by the northern portion of the snout. one to 14 metres in one metre intervals. as President of ION. He has served The site uses Google's mapping API and as a member of the ION Council for GPS handsets prices expected to fall 50 Gbyte of raw data from NASA. One numerous years, was the technical can view the extent of potential flooding program chair of ION GNSS 2004, According to ABI Research, wholesale for almost anywhere, in some cases to general chair of ION GNSS 2005, has Average Selling Price of GPS-enabled high resolution and detail. The inundation presented many papers during ION and handsets will fall to a price range of $250 estimates are optimistic in most cases – other technical events. Dr. Mikel Miller from $500 presently by 2010. Chipset correcting the inaccuracy would make the has been elected Vice President. manufacturers have solutions to lower consequences of any rise look worse.

Coordinates March 2008 | 31 Newsbriefs – INdustry

Topcon and Sokkia merge Sprinter 50 from Leica Geosystem Geospatial Information Services and Solutions for public sector customers The merger between Topcon Corporation Leica Sprinter 50 is a multifunctional under the new Catalist GISS framework and Sokkia Co, Ltd, both with corporate levelling tool which is compact and agreement. www.infotech-enterprises.com headquarters in Japan, was confirmed lightweight, yet easy to use, and error on 5 February. Both companies are the free, electronic level. The user can just Hemisphere GPS introduces two largest Japanese manufacturers of aim, focus, and measure by pressing Outback S3 survey equipment. Sokkia will become one button displaying the data instantly. a wholly owned subsidiary of Misreadings are eliminated, and error Hemisphere GPS has recently introduced Topcon Corporation. reducing functions, such as the tilt Outback S3™ representing the next sensor, prevent the system from generation in Outback Guidance® MobileMapper 6 measuring if the user operates products by Hemisphere GPS. It and ProMark 500 outside the compensator range. combines the most popular features by Magellan of both the market proven Outback ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2 by S2™ and the Outback 360™ with Magellan has recently Leica Geospatial Imaging the latest developments in Crescent® introduced the GPS receiver technology. MobileMapper 6 - a Leica has released ERDAS rugged, waterproof, IMAGINE® 9.2, industry’s leading NXP launches first PSG chipset handheld GPS/GIS collection of software tools designed following GloNav acquisition receiver, fulfilling to manipulate, process and understand the requirements for imagery.www.leica-geosystems.com After the acquisition of GPS low-cost, professional technology provider GloNav Inc, NXP GIS field data collection. It is Utilities solutions to small Semiconductors has announced its first expected to particularly appeal to forestry providers and electric Co-ops single-chip, Assisted-GPS solution. It is and other natural resource organizations, designed for use in both mobile phones oil and gas, agriculture, utilities, Intergraph Corp. shall be offering the and standalone Personal Navigation government agencies, benefits of its utility outage management, Devices. NXP claims “the industry's and businesses workforce management and GIS smallest, lowest power, lowest system cost large and small technology to rural and small utilities and GPS solution”. www.gpsbusinessnews.com that can collect electric cooperatives through packaged GIS data with 2-5 solutions for the smaller utility market. Pictometry and AAMHatch meter accuracy It is now able to provide utilities of all sign technology agreement in real-time with sizes - from the smallest to the largest - SBAS corrections. with end-to-end solutions for the design Pictometry International Corp has signed an ProMark 500, a and operations of the utility distribution agreement with AAMHatch of Australia to dual-frequency GNSS receiver network. www.intergraph.com. expand the coverage area for Pictometry’s from Magellan processes GPS, GLONASS patented image capture process into 12 and SBAS signals to offer land surveyors PCI Geomatics India launched countries. Under the agreement, has fast, real-time centimeter-level accurate expanded its prior exclusive rights to utilize surveying. www.pro.magellangps.com. PCI Geomatics has launched of a new Pictometry’s image capture and processing international office in India. It will be technology and market image libraries Guidance system for Army program led by Dr. Ashok Kaushal, Director and and software in South Africa, Singapore, Country Manager, and, under special Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Fiji, Papua Integrated Guidance Systems LLC license, will offer PCI Geomatics New Guinea, East Timor, Brunei, Vietnam, (IGS LLC), a Honeywell International technology, services and solutions Laos, and Cambodia. www.pictometry.com. and Rockwell Collins joint venture, for both the private and government has been awarded a subcontract to sectors. www.pcigeomatics.com Chronos releases TrineX provide the deeply integrated navigator for the U.S. Army Non-Line of Sight- Infotech awarded new Catalist Chronos Technology, the GNSS and RF Launch System (NLOS-LS) program. framework agreement Microwave components specialist has released TrineX CW27, a self-contained It calls for developing guidance systems Infotech Enterprises has been awarded by GPS receiver module based on the for the NLOS-LS Precision Attack OGCbuying solutions, the Government's Nemerix NX3 A-GPS single chip receiver. Missile (PAM) and Container Launch leading procurement services organisation It utilises a new base band processor and Unit (CLU). www.rockwellcollins.com for the UK to provide a broad remit of RF front end, the TrineX shall delivers

32 | Coordinates March 2008 Javad GNSS announces new superior GPS performance in a small G600, CHROMA G600, CHAMELEON products and pricing surface mount package that minimizes G600, and the CHROMA G600 wide power consumption, maximizing format scanners. The rating indicates Triumph Chip battery life. www.chronos.co.uk that the product has been tested and certified as providing exceptional Is a 17x17 millimeter power-efficient Trimble offers free geocaching performance and features that offer a 352-TFBGA chip. It can track GPS, application for Nokia phones lasting return on their investment. GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, WAAS, EGNOS, and Compass/Beidou signals. Trimble has announced the availability of a Sydney and Melbourne city free, ad-supported version of its Geocache councils lead the way Triumph-4X Navigator(TM) application for select Series 60 Nokia devices with integrated Sydney and Melbourne cities of To improve the reliability of RTK, GPS capabilities. It is an application Australia, have embraced Pictometry, some users employ data from more that brings geocaching capabilities to Intelligent Images technology. than one base. Along with introducing the mobile phone and provides real-time AAMHatch have been commissioned to TRIUMPH-4X, Cluster RTK, or 4x4 access to Groundspeak's geocaching. provide new "true" orthophotography RTK has also been introduced, where com, the largest geocache database in the and updated 3D models for the cities. sixteen baselines are processed in world. Using their GPS-enabled phone, These cities have also purchased every single RTK measurement. geocachers can seek the caches using a Pictometry oblique aerial imagery uniquely constructed, radar-like interface which has been recently acquired. Victor that guides them toward their destination. http://www.geocachenavigator.com/video Honeywell sees acquisitions Victor is pre-loaded with Tracy field in 2008, says CEO software, which automatically connects Autodesk Enhances Geospatial to TRIUMPH-1 or TRIUMPH- Software Solutions Honeywell International Inc will likely 4X via its internal Bluetooth and make a few acquisitions in 2008, after guides through field operations. Autodesk, Inc. has announced the pulling back from that strategy a year latest enhancements in several earlier due to high prices, according Tracy products; AutoCAD Map 3D 2009, to CEO of the company. Honeywell Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise 2009 International Inc expects to see its A comprehensive field software and AutoCAD Raster Design 2009 strongest revenue growth this year for Windows Mobile OS to control software applications build on the in India, China and the Middle East, receivers, automate GNSS post solutions' fundamental properties of but takes a more conservative view processing surveying tasks etc. open data access and interoperability on the United States and Europe, the with other design, GIS and IT systems. diversified U.S. manufacturer's top Justin executive told Reuters on Tuesday. Optech ILRIS-3D now compatible It is a GNSS data processing software with Maptek I-Site™ Studio Class action launched against SiRF integrated with elaborate spectrum of GIS features. It uses most rigorous and Toronto, Canada – Optech has announced Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & sophisticated techniques of classical that Maptek™ has enabled direct Robbins LLP, a law firm based in San surveying and geodetic formulations file import functionality of ILRIS- Diego, has announced that a class for baseline and trajectory calculations 3D open format IXF point cloud action has been commenced in the US as well as network adjustments. data into their I-Site Studio product. District Court for the Northern District ILRIS-3D is a fully portable, laser- of California on behalf of purchasers of based ranging and imaging system for SiRF stocks during the period between the commercial survey, engineering, October 30, 2007 and February 4, 2008. Detailed coverage, NAVTEQ’s mining and industrial markets. The complaint charges SiRF, its CEO, most highly attributed and verified CFO, Chairman and vice president standard is available to 50% of New Contex awarded BERTL 4-Stars of marketing with violations of the Zealand’s population in Auckland, Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Wellington, and Christchurch. The Contex has New Zealand map contains a full received Navteq expands coverage in APAC set of features including points of BERTL’s interest (POI) across approximately “Highly NAVTEQ has released a 100% coverage 74 categories. Thailand also has a full Recommended” rating for the CRYSTAL map for New Zealand and Thailand. set of features with 52 categories.

Coordinates March 2008 | 33 Newsbriefs – Lbs

2.2 million cars in Europe Galileo update have a telematics device According Study on Galileo services as the licensing authority for the private to Berg consolidation undertaking within the then-planned Insight, public private partnership or PPP. The 2.2 million The European GNSS Supervisory EC’s regulation would continue the passenger Authority has issued a call for GSA under the direction of the EC’s cars in tenders for a study on Galileo service Directorate-General on Transport and Europe consolidation. The general aim of Energy (DG-TREN), with responsibility had an on-board telematics device at the the project is to conduct a critical for security measures, market end of 2007. It forecasts that the major review of the current Galileo integrity development, and general assistance to breakthrough for telematics in Europe will baseline concept, based on the the commission in Galileo matters. come with the introduction of the eCall evolution of integrity requirements system proposed by the EC, which holds for Galileo, and receive proposals for a high probability of becoming a reality new global Galileo integrity concepts. EU nears deal on financing in the early 2010s. berginsight.com For details visit: http://ted.europa. for Galileo project eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:039425- Orange and Nokia sign MOU 2008:TEXT:EN:HTML The European Union is likely to back a taxpayer-financed bailout of its troubled Orange and Nokia have signed a Galileo satellite navigation project after memorandum of understanding Parliamentary committee a group of skeptical countries agreed in partnering on value added services such proposal would abolish principle that money could be diverted as LBS, maps, mobile advertising and GNSS Supervisory Authority to salvage the plan. The member gaming. Nokia will continue to support countries decided that unused funds Orange's Signature device strategy A proposal before the European originally allocated for farm subsidies including common applications. Parliament’s Industry Committee and scientific and industrial projects would abolish the European GNSS should be earmarked to pay for Galileo Wayfinder broadens its Supervisory Authority (GSA), turn and for a technology institute. http:// partnership with MapmyIndia responsibility for ensuring the Galileo piercing.org.uk/health/eu-nears-deal- system’s security requirements over on-financing-for-galileo-project-3/ Wayfinder has announced that its to a new Committee on European Navigator and the free Earth mapping GNSS Programs, and establish an software are now available with Indian Interinstitutional Monitoring Group Second Galileo spacecraft local maps from MapmyIndia. This (IMG) consisting of representatives prepares for launch follows up with the launch of its first of the parliament, the European Indian off-board navigation service with Council’s Presidency, and the GIOVE-B has successfully completed local wireless operator Bharti Airtel and European Commission (EC). The its test campaign and will depart partnership with MapmyIndia last year. proposed actions amending the EC’s from ESTEC, the agency’s European draft regulation for deployment and Research and Technology Centre. The ALK partners with Microsoft commercial operation of Galileo were spacecraft will be flown to Baikonur, in to bring Live Search to its tentatively approved at a January 30 Kazakhstan, from where it will be carried navigation software committee meeting. The Industry into orbit by a Starsem Soyuz/Fregat Committee opted for abolishing the launch vehicle. The launch is scheduled CoPilot Live mobile phone navigation European GNSS Supervisory Authority for 04:16:02 local time on 27 April system by ALK Technologies will be (GSA), which was originally set up (00:16 CEST, 22:16 UTC [26 April]). able to benefit from Microsoft's Live Search™ API. It sends queries to the Live Search via the mobile Internet, providing navigation users with instant access to a vast quantity of location- specific information, which can be previewed and added to an itinerary for spoken and on-screen turn guidance.

34 | Coordinates March 2008 New President of the GSDI Association

Associate Professor Sony GPS-CS1KSP updated Camera SatGuide for laptops and Dr Abbas Rajabifard GPS kit with Google Maps desktops launched (Department of Geomatics, University Sony has announced an updated GPS kit SatNav Technologies has recently of Melbourne) has with the GPS-CS1KSP helping display launched SatGuide, India’s 1st GPS been elected as the of photos automatically in context of Navigation system for laptops and next President of the Google Maps. It can also automatically desktops. SatGuide offers widest range Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) animate trips and the software displays of GPS products to its customers. Association, a leading international photos in a trajectory to review the trip association in the development of spatial visually. www.i4u.com/article15066.html Wellington business producing information and management. Associate next generation of NZ maps Prof Rajabifard was a member of the GSDI Broadway signs agreement to Board and Treasurer of the Association. launch GyPSii into India Having a map of the country usually Abbas teaches and research in SDI and means having a hand-held book with related areas, and is part of Coordinates’ GyPSii, the world's leading geo-location a street and road index. Terralink, a Advisory Team. He was elected Vice- and social networking service provider company from Wellington shall be President (President Elect) of the GSDI for mobile phones and Internet devices, producing next generation of maps by Association in 2008, becoming President has recently signed an agreement making a video of every street in the in 2009 at the recent GSDI 10 International with Broadway Private Limited, to country. For the street camera car to video Conference and Board meeting in Trinidad offer the complete suite of GyPSii every street in the country, it will travel in February 2008. This appointment, with services to India. Broadway's hosted 144,000 kilometres and will take about his role in the UN sponsored Permanent server environment GyPSii access to two years to complete. The six roof top Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the mobile market and key carriers. cameras record the images at driving the Pacific as Vice Chair of Working Group It also provides direct access to the speed, matching GPS locations of every on Spatially Enabled Governments, will content and advertising reach of India street, every house and even every curb. enable him to provide international leading Online Netcom. www.broadway.in The data shall be commercially available. in the discipline over the next four years.

FORM IV Place of publication : New Delhi Periodicity of its : Monthly publication Printer’s Name : Sonu Printer Nationality : Indian Address : B 82, Okhla Phase 1, New Delhi

Publisher’s Name : Sanjay Malaviya Nationality : Indian Address : 499, Shipra Sun City, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad Editor’s Name : Bal Krishna Nationality : Indian Address : 28 A, Pocket D, SFS, Mayur Vihar Phase 3, Delhi - 110096

I, Sanjay Malaviya, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

March 1, 2008 Signature of Publisher

Coordinates March 2008 | 35 Newsbriefs – GIS newsbriefs – Remote Sensing

Jharkhand state in India goes Mumbai police receive around 30,000 Iran's space ambitions ride on Safir online at the grassroots level calls everyday. While these emergency call details are being registered, operators Iran has successfully recently launched Common service centres would be set can also quickly locate the police a sub-orbital rocket called Safir (Envoy). up at each of the 4,562 panchayats in the patrol vehicle that is nearest to the The payload that was launched by Safir state by soon where villagers can avail reported incident site using data that is sent real-time data back to earth from services like registration of certificates, continuously transmitted to the control about 250 km. Next, a satellite called Omid filing commercial taxes among others. room from GPS units fitted to these (Hope) will be placed in a near-polar orbit According to R. S. Sharma, Secretary vehicles. Now, Rolta is rolling out similar satellite, at an altitude of 650 km and will of IT, 3000 of such centres has already services in Jammu and Kashmir and pass over Iran six times every 24 hours. been set up. Use of GIS for digital Rajasthan. Rolta is expecting revenues mapping of districts shall also be done to worth Rs 1,000 crore by the end of March. Geoscience Australia decides locate the villages and also to calculate on Resourcesat-1 the amount of rainfall an area receives ISPRS Announces Winner in a year to facilitate irrigation. Water of Brock Gold Medal Geoscience Australia has decided on a harvesting mapping using GIS shall also Landsat replacement by sourcing data be emphasised. www.telegraphindia.com/ The International from Resourcesat-1, which is owned and Society for operated by the Indian Space Research Free software powers this GIS Photogrammetry Organisation. Officials of Ministry of and Remote Resources and Energy say “The US Landsat The Indian Institute of Information Sensing (ISPRS) satellites are not in the best of health; this Technology and Management, Kerala, has announced, new source will ensure we can continue has launched the State’s first Active Professor Dr Armin to do our business in the unfortunate Web GIS service in public domain Gruen, Chair of Photogrammetry at the event that they fail. Resourcesat-1 images using free and open source software Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule shall be similar to Landsat, but with the technology. KR Srivathsan, Director (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland the winner advantage of more frequent coverage.” of the institute said, Active Web GIS, of the ISPRS Brock Gold Medal for is to make dynamic geographical 2008. The Medal is donated by the Satellite mapping of Vijaywada soon information available in a simplified, American Society for Photogrammetry open Web nterface. www.hindu.com and Remote Sensing, and is awarded for The Municipal Corporation of an outstanding landmark in the evolution Vijayawada shall carry out satellite GIS for Maharashtra and Gujarat of the photogrammetry, remote sensing mapping of the city through an agency in and spatial information sciences. Hyderabad using the pictures provided by The Science and Technology Park at the the National Remote Sensing Agency. It University of Pune, India has completed Prof Roonwal awarded gold medal will help the civic officials to identify the an elaborate GIS mapping of Maharashtra by Indian Geophysical Union illegal structures. www.newindpress.com/ and Gujarat to aid the National Informatics Centre’s pan data-based national mapping Prof. G S Roonwal Visiting faculty at Monitoring Asia-Pacific programme. The remote-sensing based the inter University Accelator Centre, disasters from space GIS mapping of these states shall help New Delhi has been awarded “Dr. H. future drafting of development plans, N. Siddique” Lecture and gold medal A space-based international Earth national level master plans and planning by the Indian Geophysical Union. observation network to detect and of infrastructure and road network, said monitor natural disasters in the Asia- the official of the Technology Park. ESRI received “Strong Pacific region has been formed with a http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ Positive” rating substantial contribution from Australian science. Called Sentinel Asia, the network Private companies gear up to ESRI received a Strong Positive of information-delivery websites has its give healthcare a booster dose rating, the highest possible, from roots in the Australian bushfire tracking Gartner, Inc., the leading provider of system, Sentinel Hotspots, which was With private players foraying into the research and analysis on the global developed in 2002 by CSIRO, Geoscience field, saving lives will be easier now. information technology industry. Australia and the Australian Defence ‘Dial 100’ service in Mumbai in which ESRI received this rating in the report Imagery and Geospatial Organisation. Rolta is the major private player that has entitled MarketScope for Public Safety implemented GIS. This service is provided Geographic Information Systems, 2H07 Send your news reports to by the Mumbai police department for by Bradley Williams and Jeff Vining [email protected] emergencies and distress situations. The and published October 31, 2007.

36 | Coordinates March 2008 Coordinates March 2008 | 37 MarK yoUr calendar

april 2008 3rd Indonesian Geo-Information Melaha 2008 technology exhibition 13-15 April Hurghada, Egypt August 6-9 YES! I want my [email protected] Jakarta Convention center www.ainegypt.org geospatial-exh.com

I would like to subscribe for (tick one) Geo-sIBerIa 2008 14th GIs conference April 22 – 24, 2008, Novosibirsk , Russia August 12-13 ¨ 1 year ¨ 2 years ¨ 3 years [email protected] Hochiminh City, Vietnam http://geosiberia.sibfair.ru/eng/n [email protected] 12 issues 24 issues 36 issues Rs.1200/US$80 Rs.2100/US$145 Rs.2700/US$180 toulouse space show’08 septemeber 2008 22-25 April Toulouse, France Institute of navigation’s satellite [email protected] division Ion Gnss 2008 www.toulousespaceshow.eu/ September 16-19, 2008 toulouse_space_show.htm Savannah, Georgia, USA First name ...... www.ion.org May 2008 Last name...... Ieee/Ion plans 2007 the perspectives, the role of surveyors in Co-sponsored by IEEE and the european economy and society

Designation ...... Institute of Navigation 17-19, September May 5-8, 2007 Strasbourg, France Monterey, California, USA www.geometre-strasbourg2008.eu Organization ...... www.plansconference.org carIs 2008 Address...... June 2008 September 22 - 26, Bath, United Kingdom International conference: “studying, Modeling www.caris.com/caris2008 ...... and sense Making of planet earth” november 2008 1 – 6 June, 2008 Department of Geography, University of City...... Pincode...... International symposium on Gps/Gnss 2008 the Aegean, Mytilene, Lesvos , Greece 11 - 14 November, Tokyo, Japan http://www.aegean.gr/geography/ [email protected] State ...... Country...... earthconference2008/ en/main_fr.htm http;//www.gnss2008.jp FIG Workshop e-learning Phone ...... 11-13 June 2008 ITC, Enschede, The Netherlands december 2008 [email protected] Fax...... www.itc.nl/fig_elearning2008 Geoexpo 2008 china Email...... august 2008 2 - 4 December 2008, esrI’s 28th annual International Shanghai, China [email protected] I enclose cheque no...... User conference http://www.chinaGeo-expo.com August 4-8, 2008 in San Diego, California www.esri.com drawn on ...... dated ...... towards subscription charges for Coordinates magazine FORM IV in favour of cGIT. Place of publication : New Delhi Periodicity of its : Monthly Sign...... Date...... publication Printer’s Name : Sonu Printer Nationality : Indian Mail this form with payment to: Address : B 82, Okhla Phase I, New Delhi Publisher’s Name : Sanjay Malaviya Coordinates – cGIT Nationality : Indian 28A Pocket D, SFS Address : 499, Shipra Sun Mayur Vihar Phase III City,Indirapuram, Ghaziabad Delhi 110 096, India Editor’s Name : Bal Krishna Nationality : Indian If you’d like an invoice before sending Address : 28 A, Pocket D, SFS, Mayur Vihar Ph. 3, your payment, you may either send us Delhi 110096 this completed subscription form and we’ll bill you, or send us a request for an I, Sanjay Malaviya, hereby declare that the particulars invoice at [email protected] given above are true to the best of my knowledge and Media Partners belief. 38 | March 2008 Coordinates March 1, 2008 Signature of Publisher Coordinates March 2008 | 39 40 | Coordinates March 2008