Boeing Seeks to Sell Aviation Navigation Pioneer Jeppesen for $8 Billion
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NAB, Sinclair, UrsaNav Demonstrate GPS Backup System
Aiming to safeguard critical infrastructure from potential disruptions, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Sinclair Broadcast Group, and UrsaNav have unveiled a demonstration of a complementary system designed to bolster the resilience of the vulnerable Global Positioning System. The demonstration, held at the NAB Show this week in Las Vegas, showcased a terrestrial-based alternative to GPS.
The system combines the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), enabled by ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV, with eLoran technology. This pairing offers a redundant timing and positioning solution, mitigating the risks associated with GPS vulnerabilities, proponents say.
The well-publicized demo comes at a time when the Federal Communications Commission launched an inquiry last week to explore commercial technologies that would complement GPS. In launching the effort, the FCC noted that while GPS is indispensable to America’s economic and national security, the reliance on a single system to provide location data makes the U.S. vulnerable to disruption or manipulation.
The demonstration highlighted the potential of broadcast infrastructure to provide a reliable backup, leveraging existing ATSC 3.0 capabilities. "Broadcasters have long been essential to public safety, and today we're proving that role is more important than ever," said Sam Matheny, NAB's executive vice president of technology and CTO, in a statement.
Charles Schue, UrsaNav's CEO, underscored the importance of terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) solutions. He pointed out that other nations are actively maintaining and upgrading their Loran systems, indicating the strategic value of such technology.
While BPS’ proponents believe that, coupled with eLoran, the system can be a reliable complement to GPS—others are wary. "BPS is one of many promising complementary PNT systems, but it too is vulnerable. As we recently witnessed during Hurricane Helene and the California wildfires, terrestrial systems like BPS can suffer outages due to natural and other disasters,” said Lisa Dyer, executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance.
Dyer said that GPSIA looks forward to participating in the FCC’s proceeding to find complementary technology for GPS. “The docket is already starting to be populated, and we look forward to reading the comments. One of the more interesting papers – More is More – submitted to date comes from a national security and digital innovation expert and a PNT scholar,” she said. “The paper outlines how foreign GNSS improves accuracy, performance, and resiliency for consumers around the world. We anticipate additional comments will further educate the FCC and the PNT community on these vital technologies."
Hexagon Hopes to Grow Autonomy Business with New Robotics Division
Saying it is leveraging its AI, spatial intelligence and measurement capabilities, Hexagon this week launched a dedicated Robotics division to meet a growing demand in autonomous solutions for industrial applications.
Specifically, Hexagon interim president Norbert Hanke said that the company will leverage its expertise in robotics, off-road autonomy for mining and agriculture, laser trackers and drones for construction. “Today, we are taking the next step by creating a dedicated robotics division to leverage investments we have made over the last few years and develop autonomous solutions to complement a shrinking, ageing, and changing workforce,” he said in a statement.
The company, which named AI expert Arnaud Robert as the new division’s president, mentioned the company’s position in measurement technology and positioning solutions. However, he did not go into how the new Robotics division will work with Hexagon’s existing Autonomous Solutions division, which newly purchased Septentrio will operate within. Robert, who will report to Hanke on the company’s executive management team, will lead the division’s research and development, operations, partnerships and support, the company said.
Overall, the Robotics division will focus on industrial applications, which include manufacturing, automotive, aviation, energy, warehousing, and logistics markets, the company said.
Safran Set for EU Approval of Collins Aerospace Deal
French aerospace giant Safran is poised to receive conditional approval from European Union antitrust regulators for its $1.8 billion bid to acquire Collins Aerospace's flight controls business, according to sources familiar with the matter. The European Commission's decision hinges on Safran's agreement to divest its electromechanical actuation business in North America.
The proposed acquisition, announced in July 2023, is a strategic move for Safran, aiming to strengthen its position in the next generation of increasingly computerized aircraft. However, the European Commission expressed concerns about potential competition within the sector, prompting the requirement for divestiture.
To address these concerns, Safran agreed in December to sell its electromechanical actuation unit in North America to U.S. aircraft parts supplier Woodward. This divestiture includes intellectual property, operational assets, workforce, and customer contracts related to horizontal stabilizer trim actuation systems. Actuators, crucial components in aircraft operations, convert electronic cockpit instructions into physical movements, such as adjusting flight surfaces.
The European Commission is expected to finalize its preliminary review this week. Neither the Commission nor Safran has provided official comments on the pending approval. The acquisition represents Safran's largest since its 2018 purchase of seat manufacturer Zodiac.
Autocar to Install Geotab Devices in All Trucks
Autocar, a manufacturer of specialized vocational trucks, announced plans to install Geotab GO devices in all of its trucks, aiming to enhance fleet uptime and provide greater data insights. The company, who did not reveal contract details, said the move will allow for improved vehicle diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and optimized route planning.
The integration of Geotab's telematics technology will offer Autocar customers real-time data on vehicle performance, location, and driver behavior. This data is expected to help fleet managers make informed decisions, reducing downtime and increasing operational efficiency, the company said. Autocar officials stated that the partnership with Geotab reflects the company's commitment to providing cutting-edge technology to its customers.
"By embedding Geotab's GO devices directly into our trucks, we are giving our customers a powerful tool to manage their fleets more effectively," said Eric Schwartz, president of Autocar, in a statement. "This will lead to significant improvements in uptime, which is crucial for our customers who rely on our trucks for essential services."
Geotab, GM Expand Fleet Services in Mexico
In other company news, Geotab and General Motors GM 0.00%↑ have announced an expansion of their OEM alliance to provide integrated fleet management solutions for light vehicles in Mexico. The collaboration will allow GM fleet customers in Mexico to access Geotab's telematics platform directly through their GM vehicles.
The partnership, which recognizes the Mexican telematics market is growing, leverages GM's built-in connectivity and Geotab's open platform.
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Weekly Location Industry News
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news. Location Business News is looking for your company’s news, products and use cases to feature in each issue.
Top News:
👍 Hexagon Completes the Acquisitions of the Geomagic Software Suite and Septentrio NV. “Hexagon announced the closing of two acquisitions: 3D Systems' Geomagic and Septentrio NV, first announced in January.”
😕 Honda fined $632K for violating California Consumer Privacy Act. “The California Privacy Protection Agency is fining American Honda Motor Co. $632,500 to resolve claims that the company violated the state’s Consumer Privacy Act when collecting data from its vehicles.”
🛰 Sierra Space Demonstrates Resilient GPS Satellite Technology for National Security-Focused U.S. Space Force Satellite Program. “Sierra Space has announced a successful demonstration of the company’s Resilient GPS (R-GPS) technology for the U.S. Space Force (USSF). The demonstration, generating all GPS navigation signals required for the R-GPS mission, was achieved in collaboration with General Dynamics Mission Systems.”
🤔 China's GPS Rival BeiDou Prepares to Take off as Beijing Moves to Strengthen Home-Grown Satellite Navigation. “Chinese satnav industry hits $74 billion output, has 20,000 market entities and employs nearly 1 million people. During Vladimir Putin's visit to China last week, Beijing and Moscow vowed to strengthen cooperation applying BeiDou and Russia's GLONASS system.”
👌 Netmore Signs LoRaWan Deals for Port IoT Networks, Industry IoT Devices. “Sweden-based Netmore Group, attempting to build a global LoRaWAN network, has announced IoT airtime and infrastructure deals with Danish supply chain management firm Zenze for cargo monitoring and with UK-based IoT solutions provider Alliot Technologies for various enterprise solutions.”
⚡ Wireless Logic Strikes Again With Deal for Brazilian IoT MVNO Arqia. “Wireless Logic has acquired Brazil’s Arqia to grow its IoT airtime and services in Latin America.”
😦 Garmin Sparks Outrage with Connect+ Subscription Paywall. “Garmin GRMN 0.00%↑ Connect+ has angered users.”
Expert nationwide installation services for fleet technologies.
Maps:
👍 ArcGIS Desktop Is Retiring. “To continue progressing and problem-solving with a geographic approach, Esri is retiring ArcGIS Desktop, including ArcMap and ArcCatalog, and migrating to updated user types—a role-based licensing model that provides access to advanced functionality and insights through ArcGIS Pro.”
🌍 Aviation Solutions by Schiphol Group and Mappedin Partner. “Mappedin and Aviation Solutions by Schiphol have parterned to power Aviation Solutions’ Travor ecosystem with indoor mapping.”
📱 iPhone Users in the EU Can Now Set Google Maps as Their Default Navigation App. “Google GOOG 0.00%↑ on Friday released a major update for Google Maps users on iOS, at least for those in the European Union. With the latest version of the app, iPhone users can now set Google Maps as their default navigation app, completely replacing Apple Maps.”
👍 Gemini in Google Maps Will Find Places Saved in Your Screenshots. “A new Screenshots List in the app will let you “Review” those captures, with Gemini “automatically identify[ing] places” and asking whether you want to “Save” it. Google GOOG 0.00%↑ can identify multiple places in one screenshot and will show the listing at the bottom with more details.”
📲 Google Maps Redesigns Directions Overview with Arrival Time on Android. “Google Maps has made a small redesign to the heavily used directions interface that provides an overview of trip details. Previously, Google Maps displayed the trip overview in three dense lines, which left a lot of empty space on the right. The color-coded duration is now split over two lines on the left-hand side, and much larger than before. It’s a good way to emphasize that primary piece of information.”
🌧 Google Brings Back the Pixel Weather Map. “The map takes up most of your screen, with a 6-hour timeline at the bottom and play/pause button. This weather map is powered by the same model behind Google Nowcast.”
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
🏛 GM and Cruise Sued by Investors for Misrepresenting AV Advancements. “On the financial side, the lawsuit claims that GM GM 0.00%↑ asserted its AV subsidiary and its robotaxis are ‘a key element of GM’s growth strategy’ worth about $30 billion, greater than 50 percent of the company’s entire market cap at the time.”
🤨 NHTSA Closes Probe Into 258 Zoox Vehicles After Amazon's Robotaxi Unit Updates Software. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has closed its probe into 258 Zoox vehicles over a braking issue, after the Amazon AMZN 0.00%↑ self-driving car unit recalled them and updated their software.”
🚗 Waymo Expands to New Areas of Los Angeles. “The company said it was venturing further into certain neighborhoods, adding service near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and HHLA shopping center in Westchester as part of its Waymo One service. It previously announced those expansion plans last month.”
😑 Tesla Removes ‘FSD’ Name From Its Autonomous Tech in China After Regulators Halt Program. “Stricter oversight from China’s government has forced Tesla to change the name of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, which isn’t actually fully autonomous. In China, FSD, which operates at a Level 2 out of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 5 self-driving levels, will now be marketed under Intelligent Assisted Driving instead of its previous FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving label.”
🚘 Hesai Lidar Exclusively Powers Baidu Apollo Go's Deployment of Over 1,000 L4 Autonomous Vehicles in Dubai. “Hesai Technology HSAI 0.00%↑ has announced that its lidar solution will power Apollo Go's expansion into Dubai. The announcement follows the agreement signed between Hesai and Baidu Apollo in July 2024. The fleet is expected to scale to 1,000 vehicles.”
👉 Self-Driving Tech Company Now Driverless in Five Countries. “WeRide received permits to operate self-driving vehicles in France, joining China, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and the United States.”
😮 Leading Autonomous Vehicle Company Collected 589 Parking Tickets Last Year in San Francisco. “Waymo’s fleet received almost 600 tickets last year—but this number may actually represent progress in autonomous technology development.”
🤞 Hyundai Goes All In On Connected Cars With New 'Pleos' Software.
🖐 Assisted Driving Tech in Focus After Fatal Electric Car Crash in China. “A popular electric vehicle made by the Chinese consumer electronics giant Xiaomi crashed into a concrete guardrail while deploying its autonomous driving feature. Three people died.”
Fleet Telematics:
🚚 Solera Launches Solera Fleet Platform. “Solera has launched its Solera Fleet Platform that features real-time monitoring tools.”
🚛 AirgainConnect Fleet 5G Vehicle Gateway Certified on Verizon’s 5G Network. “Airgain AIRG 0.00%↑ announced that its AirgainConnect Fleet 5G Vehicle Gateway has been certified on Verizon’s VZ 0.00%↑ 5G network
🚍 Samsara Launches Electronic Brake Performance Monitoring System. “EBPMS and TPMS are part of Samsara’s Smart Trailer solution, which features GPS tracking with real-time visibility.”
🛥 Osmosis Becomes Distributor of STW Technic's Telematics Hardware. “Osmosis's software includes advanced features such as GPS location tracking, technical support, battery monitoring, digital boat manuals, service reminders, and diagnostics.”
Financial:
🙁 Luokung Technology Faces Nasdaq Delisting.
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Weekly Product News
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
LocatorX Awarded Multi-Million-Dollar Sub-Contract to Provide DLA Inventory Visibility
LocatorX was awarded a sub-contract as part of a multi-million-dollar Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The company will provide a location solution that is part of a project that will provide visibility and automated inventory management system to DLA Distribution Centers, the company said. The solution will allow DLA, among other capabilities, to improve the efficiency of physical inventories, receipt processing, and warehouse materiel tracking, the company said.
Contact: Jody Spencer, LocatorX, jody.spencer@locatorx.com, www.locatorx.com.
Lotus Robotics and HERE Technologies Partner on Highway Navigation Pilot for Automated Driving
Lotus Robotics and HERE Technologies have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an advanced Highway Navigation Pilot solution that delivers Level 2+ automated driving functions. The solution is set for a 2025 launch in Europe. The solution, powered by HERE HD Live Map, will be used in upcoming Lotus vehicles and jointly offered to automakers across Europe, the company said.
Contact: Weizhou Wu, Lotus Cars, 86-159 1071 0170, weizhou.wu@lotuscars.com.cn.
u-Blox's ZED-X20P All-Band GNSS Module Available in ArduSimple's simpleRTK4 Optimum Solution
Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox and ArduSimple have announced the simpleRTK4 Optimum solution featuring the u-blox ZED-X20P GNSS module. The module supports all GNSS bands (L1, L2, L5, L6, and integrated L-band).
The integration of the ZED-X20P module into ArduSimple's product lineup offers centimeter-level positioning accuracy, the company said. Potential markets include precision agriculture, robotics, and geospatial surveying. Available now for order, the solution is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with popular platforms such as Arduino, STM32, Raspberry Pi, Pixhawk, and Jetson processors.
Contact: Sven Etzold, u-blox, 41 76 561 0066, sven.etzold@u-blox.com, www.u-blox.com.
ProStar and Emlid Partner to Deliver Centimeter Accuracy for Infrastructure Mapping Worldwide
ProStar Holdings and Emlid Tech Kft have partnered to bring centimeter-level precision and cost-efficiency to the mapping of underground utilities and other critical infrastructure. The partnership is designed to offer ProStar’s PointMan platform, powered by Point One RTK correction services, with Emlid’s lightweight and survey-grade GNSS receivers, the company said. The Emlid Reach RX is a pocket-sized RTK GNSS receiver providing ultra-fast setup with no configuration required, the company said.
Contact: Page Tucker, ProStar, ptucker@prostarcorp.com, www.prostarcorp.com.
Carbon Robotics Introduces Tractor Autonomy Solution with Real-Time Remote Supervision and Control
Carbon Robotics has announced the launch of AutoTractor tractor autonomy solution. Powered by Carbon AI, Carbon AutoTractor is installed on existing tractors and is remotely monitored by Carbon Robotics operators.
Developed with direct feedback from farmers, Carbon AutoTractor addresses the key barriers that have prevented the widespread adoption of tractor autonomy: frequent stoppages requiring farmer intervention, complex supervision and management, and unreliable solutions not built for 24/7 production operations, the company said.
Contact: Rachael Dowd, Carbon Robotics, (206) 282-4923, ext. 115, carbonrobotics@communiquepr.com, www.carbonrobotics.com.
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Teledyne CARIS Demos Marine Lidar Acquisition
Teledyne CARIS will be presenting a live demo, in collaboration with Teledyne Marine, at Ocean Business 2025 in the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom, from April 8-10. The live demo, which will be aboard Teledyne Marine’s vessel, will acquire data and stream it live to the CARIS stand using CARIS Onboard, the company said.
This demonstration will also feature lidar acquisition from the Teledyne Optech CL-360M lidar for scanning the shoreline, the company said. Also on display will be the Optech Fathom topobathy lidar solution.
Contact: Jennifer Parham, Teledyne, jennifer.parham@teledyne.com.
The Connected Commercial Drone Market to Reach $37.3 Billion by 2029
Berg Insight’s new report says that the global market for connected commercial drones is forecasted to grow from $18.6 billion in 2024 to $37.3 billion in 2029. The market is led by China-based DJI, which has an estimated 70 percent market share of the global drone market as of 2024, the company said. “The commercial drone market is set for a consolidation journey in the upcoming years as many application areas are fragmented,” the company said.
Contact: Johan Fagerberg, Berg Insight, 46 31 711 30 91, johan.fagerberg@berginsight.com.
GiraffeG4 Sentinel System Is Awarded Its Fourth US Patent
The GiraffeG4 Sentinel System's Tracking App is tailored to local fleets in a designated geographic area, the company said. The new patent focuses on the Sentinel System's ability to create a database for a local fleet of vehicles that use trucks in the 9-foot to 12-foot range.
The height and GPS information is downloaded into the GiraffeG4 Sentinel System's database, which will give a new, distracted, or lost driver an audible warning 100 yards before they reach the hazard, the company said. Markets include food delivery trucks, work vans, bucket trucks and emergency medical vehicles.
Contact: Frank Nugent, for GiraffeG4, (877) 543-1087, 392534@email4pr.com,
https://giraffeg4.com.
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Boeing Seeks to Sell Aviation Navigation Pioneer Jeppesen for $8 Billion
In what would be one of the largest “carve out” deals, Boeing BA 0.00%↑ is seeking to sell its Englewood, Colo.-based Jeppesen aviation navigation products company for an estimated $8 billion.
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