For the automotive industry, Teseo VI chips and modules will be core building blocks of advanced driving systems (ADAS), smart in-vehicle systems, and safety-critical applications such as autonomous driving. They have also been designed to improve positioning capabilities in multiple industrial applications including asset trackers, mobile robots for home deliveries, managing machinery and crop monitoring in smart agriculture, timing systems such as base stations, and many more. 

“Our new Teseo VI receivers represent a real breakthrough among positioning engines for several reasons: they are the first to integrate multi-constellation and quad-band signal processing in a single die; they are the first to embed a dual-Arm®-core architecture enabling both very high performance and ASIL-level safety for assisted and autonomous driving applications. Last but not least, they embed ST’s proprietary embedded Non-Volatile-Memory (PCM), thus delivering a very integrated, cost-effective, and reliable platform for new precise-positioning solutions,” said Luca Celant, Digital Audio and Signal Solutions General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “ST’s new satellite-navigation receivers will support exciting, advanced capabilities in automotive ADAS applications and enable many new use cases being implemented by industrial companies.” 

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The entry window is open now through March 17th, and you may enter as many entries in as many categories as desired—there is no fee. Find further details and FAQs on the Awards entry form.

A panel of distinguished judges in the unmanned and allied spaces will select finalists and winners, which will be announced at XPONENTIAL 2025, at an Awards Ceremony on the morning of Thursday, May 20th. We look forward to acknowledging the selectees and learning more about the trends and talent fueling our field’s accomplishments. 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER TODAY.

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Some governments, it was noted, remain less than optimally aware of the significance of such technologies, not just for emerging mobility applications, but across the board in sectors various and sundry.

“There is a bridge required,” said Rajesh Tiwari, Senior Scientist at QinetiQ, and SAE PNT Committee member, “From the research community to elements in government, like the standardization bodies, for example. We all know there are lots of services that depend on GNSS, and if GNSS went out there would be heavy consequences.”

Tiwari asked permission to tell a story. The group assented. “The UK has a national risk register,” he said, “and up to just a couple of years ago, GNSS was not entered in that risk register.”

Chuckles were heard. Gonzalo Martin de Mercado, PNT Competitiveness Manager for the European Space Agency, said what everyone was thinking: “Losing GNSS, as of today, is the most important non-catastrophic risk for any country.”

“So, about two years ago,” Tiwari continued, “you can look it up, there was a report by a pool of people and companies who work in GNSS, including my own company. It was all about which industries would be affected if GNSS went down, and what would be the loss, and the number they came up with was around one billion pounds per day. Very quickly, GNSS got added to the UK’s national risk register. Sometimes governments need to be scared.”

Funny or alarming?

Martin de Mercado, being familiar with the report in question, said, “This study was done when the UK Brexit process was already underway, and people were saying, ‘OK, we are going to lose access to certain capabilities of Galileo, EGNOS, etcetera’. So they wanted to understand what could happen.”

“The politician doesn’t like all that technical stuff,” Tiwari said, “but if you say ‘a billion pounds’, they understand. They take notice.”

“It’s important for industry too,” Martin de Mercado said. “Without a number, you as an industry don’t have a motivation to say ‘Huh, there’s a market, there’s an opportunity’. The UK has actually been amazing, because the government published that report and there has been a concrete response. We’ve seen the federation of a lot of the industry there, starting to see PNT, mobility, all kind of things, as a market for them, and then launching some commercial things and some projects with the government.

“It’s very curious,” he said. “Nobody in Europe has actually done a similar analysis, to understand the impact of a loss of GNSS for European society.” Some numbers have been floated, suggesting something like seven to eight percent of European GDP, for example, but, Martin de Mercado said, sources for such figures have tended to be vague.

“So it would be very interesting to try to do something similar at European Union level, something high-profile and authoritative, to try to stimulate the initiative of the private industry.” The European Commission would seem to be well positioned  to undertake that kind of study. Were it to do so, we would certainly be among those watching with interest.

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GEODNET has democratized RTK and is now the largest provider, with survey, precision agriculture, robotic lawn mowers, industrial robotics, drones and telematics among the applications benefiting from the ever growing network. 

Founder Mike Horton and the GEODNET team will display various technologies leveraging GEODNET RTK corrections at CES 2025, slated for January 7 to 10 in Las Vegas, and will be available to talk to attendees about how GEODNET is changing the game. The booth location is LVCC, North Hall 10571 in the IoT pavilion along with both consumer and enterprise partners. 

What makes GEODNET different 

Low-cost RTK had a bit of a rough start, with reliable performance a barrier to adoption, particularly for enterprise users. At first, companies tried to offer RTK with a single band GNSS receiver. The early products that came out with L1 only, while low cost, had technical difficulties, Horton said. Why? Carrier phase ambiguity resolution, the technical process that makes centimeter level accuracy possible, isn’t very robust if you’re only using a single band receiver.

“People tried to make it work, and it did work in some cases, but it led to a lot of very unreliable experiences,” Horton said. “GEODNET, by contrast, is set up for the triple frequency, quad constellation. We’re taking advantage of all the signals that are out there now, which includes L1, L2, L5 and all the international equivalents.” 

The flakiness RTK was initially known for has now been resolved, Horton said, and “GEODNET has been a huge part of that.” 

The GEODNET network’s base stations track all the satellites and all the signals, Horton said, and companies have developed silicon to support them in a cost effective format. 

“That changes the whole game of RTK,” Horton said, “to make it very resilient and reliable.”

Growing interest on the consumer side

Because of the availability and ubiquity of RTK coverage that GEODNET offers, that coverage is now being integrated more into new consumer products and new consumer experiences, Horton said, whether it’s via apps, robots or custom devices. 

“We’re seeing a big trend toward RTK capabilities being introduced into more and more chipsets and more and more consumer facing products,” Horton said. “The cost has come down really exponentially, and that’s not an exaggeration, from just two or three years ago to where it’s at today. Even mobile handsets are shipping with dual band, L1, L5, four constellation plus GNSS receivers that really have the guts and measurement capability to support high precision applications.” 

GEO-PULSE, introduced in November, is among the consumer facing products GEODNET will feature at CES. The device taps into GEODNET’s RTK network to deliver a level of positioning accuracy that drivers never have been able to achieve before.  

Users can put the Garmin like GPS receiver on the roof of their car. It connects to the network via a mobile app, giving drivers centimeter level accuracy for traditional Google Maps and Apple Maps directions, Horton said. GEODNET is developing a software development kit (SDK), so users can also build new app experiences. GEO-PULSE can replace phone location, so it can be used with traditional apps like Uber as well. And it’s only $149. 

“The benefit of it is better driving directions,” Horton said. “It can navigate through parking garages. It can handle downtown urban environments. It can get you lane level accuracy. It can tell you which door you’re at if you’re making a delivery. It’s really that precise location that enables a better user experience for typical driving missions.” 

Horton sees the device really taking off for rideshare and mobility type services. Navigation errors can cause delivery delays for companies like DoorDash, for example, leading to cancellations and unhappy customers. GEO-PULSE provides precise navigation so drivers get exactly where they need to go, for a smaller investment than a new phone with better navigation capabilities or adding a navigation system to a car. 

“If your income depends on driving every day,” Horton said, “…this is a great solution.”

The device will also make it easier for rideshare drivers to find their customers and for customers to track driver progress, alleviating the stress of wondering where your driver might be—especially as you wait in an airport parking garage where there’s multipath interference. GEO-PULSE has been tested in such environments and offers a “really nice improvement” over what a phone provides, and will also help improve time calculations on when the Uber or Lyft driver will arrive. 

The dual band RTK engine offers 10 centimeter level accuracy in about half a minute, Horton said, with even better accuracy in clear skies. 

“You’re actually getting centimeter level accuracy and that’s really new for customers, to have access to RTK level accuracy for their own personal car,” Horton said. “It’s not a device we would recommend to a surveyor or somebody that’s really trying to get the very best accuracy, but it’s a huge step up from what a phone or in-dash GPS does. It’s at least a factor of 10, if not a factor of 100, better in a lot of cases than what you’re going to see from your phone or car GPS. It’s next level for consumers.”

GEO-PULSE features a built-in GPS repeater capability, Horton said. Signals taken from its antenna go through a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and are repeated into the vehicle. This makes GPS more accurate on every device in the car, another benefit.

Verde.ai will also be at the CES booth, showing off its small consumer lawn mower that relies on GEODNET’s RTK corrections. 

“One of the things that really gets us excited is small robots,” Horton said. “It [the lawn mower] is available for under $1,000 and it connects directly to the GEODNET network. It can map and mow your yard autonomously, all controlled by a simple iOS and Android app.” 

GEODNET is also getting into the digital gaming world, starting with an Animoca Brands partnership. The large Web 3 gaming company is interested in location based gaming, Horton said, where trusted location is paramount. The partnership will advance mixed-reality gaming and immersive experiences. Animoca Brands also invested in GEODNET to support its growth within the Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) community. 

RTK for Enterprise Customers

While the consumer space is growing rapidly, GEODNET’s RTK network also has an important place for enterprise users. For example, the company just announced a partnership with Burro, a leader in agricultural robotics. GEODNET’s RTK GPS technology will be integrated into Burro’s robots, designed for autonomous material transport across agricultural environments like nurseries, fields and farms. 

The robots leverage advanced AI, computer vision and LiDAR technology to execute tasks with precision. GEODNET will provide RTK corrections and base stations for greater navigation accuracy and operational efficiency in regions without GPS coverage. Being able to quickly deploy base stations is also a benefit, allowing Burro’s customers to quickly scale. 

“By integrating GEODNET’s RTK technology, we’re not only ensuring precision and reliability for Burro’s robots but also advancing the accessibility of high-performance GPS for the agricultural sector,” Horton said. “This partnership underscores our commitment to enabling transformative applications of GPS technology.”

WISPR, a U.S. based drone manufacturer, also uses GEODNET RTK corrections, and will be at the company’s CES booth in January. The company focuses on drone survey, inspections, photogrammetry and drone LiDAR, among other applications. RTK corrections just make sense for drones, allowing the systems to quickly and accurately collect data while also helping them better understand the environment around them for obstacle avoidance. 

RTK for everyone

GEODNET is now the largest RTK corrections provider, and will only continue to grow as its technology is integrated into both consumer and enterprise solutions. RTK is no longer bespoke; anyone can access centimeter level accuracy via the GEODNET network. 

To learn more about GEODNET, stop by the booth during CES. You’ll find the booth at LVCC, North Hall 10571 in the IoT pavilion. 

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GNSS signal jamming is a considerable threat in today’s unstable geopolitical environment. Almost everything we count on today depends on GNSS PNT, including communications, transportation, agriculture, the Internet and banking.

To stay ahead of the jamming threat, affordable, practical and easily implementable solutions are required. The new GAJT-310 provides users with the latest powerful anti-jam technology with low latency in a smaller device. Low latency means the GAJT-310 can be put to work protecting signals immediately —no additional setup—just plug in and protect.

“The GAJT portfolio of tried and tested anti-jam technology can now protect all platforms,” stated Stig Pedersen, executive vice president of aerospace & defence at Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division. “GAJT-310 is ideal for space-constrained and cost-sensitive platforms, including uncrewed or autonomous vehicles and UAVs.”  

What sets the GAJT-310 apart from other low SWaP options:

• Flexible and cost-effective – it is available as an integrated enclosure or federated option with separate electronics card and CRPA (Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna)
• Protection for more GNSS signals – on the L1 and L2 bands
• Commercially exportable technology – making the GAJT-310 accessible worldwide 

“We’ve taken everything we learned from the successful in-theatre deployment of the GAJT-710 and GAJT-410 for NATO forces worldwide and built it into the GAJT-310,” stated Neil Gerein, vice president of product, aerospace & defence at Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division. “Regarding assured positioning, navigation and timing, we believe every platform in any industry should be protected.”

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The co-developed solution will provide resilient absolute positioning for a multitude of airborne platforms. The agreement will see the companies foster joint research and technology development between the United Kingdom and Australia.

Advanced Navigation CEO Chris Shaw said, “In an increasingly uncertain world where interference is becoming ubiquitous, commercial and military sectors can no longer rely purely on GNSS for flight operations. There is an urgent need for additional navigation aiding to supplement platform inertial navigation and GNSS receiver systems.”

Tom Tizard, MBDA Australia General Manager, said, “We look forward to seeing MBDA’s innovation-driven solutions form the cornerstone of future airborne navigation systems. NILEQ seeks to address the enormous demand for resilient absolute positioning information that will complement the existing navigation systems of airborne platforms. Advanced Navigation are an ideal Australian partner to help accelerate the technology towards market entry. Navigation technologies that are not simply accurate and precise, but also provide the ‘resilience’ against interference, is what propels this partnership.”

Absolute positioning using NILEQ-derived terrain fingerprints

NILEQ’s patent-pending technology is underpinned by the use of novel neuromorphic sensors to derive and match terrain fingerprints. Initially inspired by biological change detection processes, the sensing technology captures data of the changing terrain as an airborne system flies across it, and matches it to an existing database of the Earth’s surface. 

The final solution is set to enable systems, such as Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS), to secure an absolute position fix over land with a solution that is passive and resistant to interference. The technology will enhance the safety of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, as the solution overcomes many of the conventional limitations of airborne image-based navigation technologies.

Highlighting the importance of increasing bilateral opportunities, September marked the three-year anniversary for AUKUS, which was formed on 15th September 2021. The potential applications of the co-developed solution are wide-ranging and span both the civilian and military domains. The solution also further supports growing legal requirements for GPS alternatives. This is of heightened importance at a time when geopolitical conflicts and electronic warfare – the jamming and spoofing of GPS signals – are simultaneously on the rise.

Regarding the strategic context of AUKUS Pillar 2, the companies are working on capabilities to translate novel, complex research and technology into meaningful practical applications that are of mutual benefit to the United Kingdom and Australia. This means informed decision-making, strategic autonomy, and heightened combat efficiency in the face of emerging threats.

Advanced Navigation and MBDA will validate NILEQ in an airborne demonstration planned in Australia.

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The investment was co-led by Lockheed Martin, Catapult Ventures and One Madison Group. Additional investors included New Legacy, Build Collective, Trousdale Ventures, In-Q-Tel (IQT), K2 Access Fund, Purdue Strategic Ventures, Santuri Ventures, Handshake Ventures, Irongate Capital and Mana Ventures.

The participation of new investors highlights the interest in ANELLO’s SiPhOG technology which brings high precision optical fiber gyro performance onto an integrated silicon photonics platform. ANELLO’s solutions are designed to meet the rigorous demands of navigation, positioning, and motion tracking for autonomous applications in challenging GPS-jammed and spoofed environments.

“Every week there’s an article about a commercial flight or defense-related mission getting GPS jammed like thousands of flights to and from Europe affected by suspected Russian jamming. GPS has become a single-point of failure because it’s too easily compromised with various jamming & spoofing techniques. ANELLO’s proven and commercially available optical gyroscope is the only navigational tool that can take over: precision over long periods of time, the size of a golf ball, low power, low cost, that’s immune to shock and vibration. ANELLO will save lives in the air, on the road, and over water,” said Tony Fadell Build Collective Principal and Nest Founder.

“We are excited to announce our new series B funding round as well as our new investors in ANELLO” said Dr. Mario Paniccia, CEO and co-founder of ANELLO Photonics. “This investment not only validates our SiPhOG technology and products in the marketplace but will allow us to accelerate our manufacturing and product development as we continue to push the boundaries  and leadership for navigation capabilities and performance to our customers who want solutions for GPS-denied environments.”

“We’re committed to fostering the art of the possible with investments in cutting edge technologies, including advancements in inertial navigation that have the potential to enhance autonomous operations in GPS-denied environments,” said Chris Moran, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Our continued investment in ANELLO reflects our mission to accelerate technologies that can ultimately benefit national security.”

ANELLO Photonics is actively collaborating with leading customers across diverse industries, including Construction, Agriculture, Trucking, Robotics, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, Autonomous Vehicles, Defense and National Security.

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At its core, the RESEPI Ultra LITE integrates the XT-32 LiDAR scanner, providing surveyors with top-tier data accuracy, a high point density, and the versatility to perform in various operational modes.

With a lightweight design for easy transport and deployment, the RESEPI Ultra LITE is compatible with numerous platforms, including Freefly, WISPR, DJI, Sony, and mobile setups. This seamless integration is achieved through Inertial Labs’ proprietary SnapFit adapters, which ensure rapid and secure mounting and dismounting. Engineered for high accuracy and precision, the system underwent meticulous testing to refine timestamping and calibration methods, empowering users to capture data confidently.

nertial Labs CEO Jamie Marraccini commented, “Inertial Labs has always aimed to push the boundaries of survey technology, and the RESEPI Ultra LITE exemplifies our commitment to delivering high-performance tools that don’t compromise on quality or value. Combining the lightest and most adaptable design with best-in-class precision empowers surveyors and 3D mapping professionals to capture data faster, easier, and more confidently.”

The RESEPI Ultra LITE’s compact configuration includes a 5MP colorization camera, making it a solution for SUAS platforms with volume constraints requiring LiDAR and camera capabilities. It is optimized for aerial and ground-based applications, such as utility mapping (power lines), construction volumetrics, precision agriculture, forestry, site surveying, and mining.

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Project partners used EGNOS, which stands for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service. It is the EU’s satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), to ensure precise and accurate positioning during the flights. The vehicle was a a two-passenger multicopter made by EHang, production model EH216-S. Among other things, SAMVA partners developed, tested and validated new, first-flight, procedure design criteria for autonomous eVTOL passenger aircraft based on EGNOS.

The achievement highlights progress being made in integrating EGNOS satellite-based capabilities in eVTOL flight operations. It also paves the way towards incorporating these vehicles within U-Space, the set of new European services designed to support safe, efficient and secure access to airspace for large numbers of drones.

The SAMVA project (SBAS adoption in multicopter VTOL aircraft) is partly funded by the European Union Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) and is led by engineering firm PildoLabs. In a recent communication, the company’s CEO Santiago Soley called the project a significant step forward in integrating satellite navigation into urban air mobility, enhancing safety and efficiency and placing European airspace at the forefront in the push to get eVTOL technologies up and flying. Jordi Candela, Director of Aeroports de Catalunya, called the successful SAMVA flights a milestone in advancing urban air mobility in Europe.

The key objectives of the SAMVA project include:

• Enhancing Emergency Medical Services: Implementing the first Point-in-Space and Low-Level-Route operations in Spain to improve Helicopter Emergency Medical Services.
• Deployment at Lleida-Alguaire Airport: Launching the first EGNOS services for eVTOL operations, demonstrating EGNOS’s capability in supporting airspace integration and Air Traffic Management tasks
• Advancing Safety-of-Life Services: Showcasing how current and future EGNOS services can support eVTOL integration in challenging operational environments by integrating data from onboard sensors.
• Precision Navigation Capabilities: Enabling precise guidance and supporting airspace integration for autonomous eVTOL aircraft.
• Validating Flight Procedures: Developing, testing, and validating a first flight procedure design criteria for autonomous eVTOL passenger aircraft based on EGNOS.

Using Any and All Means

Part of EUSPA’s aim in supporting SAMVA is to promote the more rapid uptake of EGNOS capabilities by rotorcraft manufacturers, operators and service providers, including providers of medical and other safety-, search- and rescue-related services. The agency is continuing to develop EGNOS products, to be used in combination with the Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS), to provide the highest possible levels of accuracy and integrity for autonomous eVTOL operations.

The SAMVA project is now focused on further exploring how current, leading-edge navigation technologies and services, including the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service, can be used in optimized eVTOL operations, especially in challenging urban environments, including through the fusion and hybridization of data from on-board sensors.

Certainly, the still youthful eVTOL industry is growing rapidly, gaining investment in what is now widely seen as a revolutionary technology that could radically transform air transport in the near future. Work under SAMVA brings that promise closer to fruition.

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Navsight Apogee combines SBG’s Apogee-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) and Navsight, the rugged processing engine with embedded fusion intelligence and an optional GNSS receiver. The solution is designed to be simple, versatile and cost-effective and is suitable for a range of surveying and testing applications. Its internal extended Kalman filter combines real-time inertial, multi-constellation GNSS and other data for robust positioning and orientation in harsh environments and during GNSS outage.

Jan De Nul is known for its use of advanced technologies in its offshore operations. In this case, it was looking for a high-performance and highly reliable inertial navigation system (INS) solution for its noted hybrid, unmanned surface vehicle (USV), Beluga 01. Jan De Nul is among the first dredging companies to deploy an unmanned survey vessel for maritime and offshore activities.

On its initial deployment in 2022, Beluga 01, which is based on the innovative Mariner class USV from Maritime Robotics, was widely seen as an important first step in the movement towards unmanned, autonomous, offshore survey operations. Sailing under the Luxembourg flag, the vehicle has proven its seaworthiness in rough conditions, having collected, over two years, hydrographic and water-quality measurements in locations around the world. Beluga 01’s high operational efficiency makes it a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional bathymetric survey vessels.

Just what was needed

Jan De Nul’s specific technical requirements when searching for a high-performance IMU included accurate measurement of pitch, roll, and heave (P/R/H), a small form factor for pole installations, a user-friendly interface and installation process, and extremely reliable performance, all of which requirements, the company considers, have been met by the SBG Systems solution.

Navsight Apogee’s performance when GNSS is not available make it ideal for shallow- to deep-water applications, with an intuitive user interface and easy configuration. Unique features also enable easy verification of mechanical installations, sensor positions, lever arms and alignments.

In a recent communication, Jan De Nul Senior Survey Engineer Nils Lowie said SBG Navsight-Apogee provides much needed confidence when carrying out surveys in challenging conditions, enabling Beluga 01 handlers to maximize operating windows in both near- and offshore waters.

Jan De Nul and SBG Systems worked together closely during the Belugo 01/Navsight Apogee integration process, carrying out a number of system modifications and improvements to further enhance performance and functionality. Both companies appear keen to maintain the partnership.

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