Geely Launches 11 Satellites to Navigate Autonomous Vehicles
LEO constellation to offer positioning and navigation capabilities...
Saying it wants to provide accurate navigation for autonomous vehicles, Geely Holding Group last week launched 11 Geespace low-Earth orbit satellites. It’s an example of new LEO constellations providing high-precision positioning capability for self-driving cars and other uses.
Location Business News reported in 2022 that Geely launched nine satellite into LEO that would support navigation and autonomous driving. Both launches are part of a future 240-satellite Geely Future Mobility Constellation, which will provide centimeter-accurate precise positioning and connectivity support for the automaker, the company said.
In addition to positioning and navigation, the satellites provide robust AI remote sensing capabilities, which provide 1-5 meter imaging, the company said. This means that the company, which has major ties to China’s military, despite open to commercial investment, has launched a constellation with communication, navigation and remote sensing technology on a single satellite network.
Geely says the first phase of 72 satellites, each with a five-year life, are planned to be sent into orbit, and operational, by 2025. The second phase will have an additional 168 satellites.
Geely is trying to mirror another auto company, Tesla [TSLA.O], in its efforts to launch satellites and provide services. However, Geely has a long way to go as Tesla, through its SpaceX entity, has more than 2,000 satellites in orbit for its Starlink network.
Geespace, a subsidiary of Geely, operates and manages its satellite constellation through a network of ground stations in Qingdao, Taizhou, Korla, Chengdu, and Harbin. The company said initial service coverage will be provided to the Chinese market and the Asia-Pacific region—with plans for expanding global coverage after 2026.
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TomTom Reports 2023 Results, Records $2.7 Billion Auto Backlog
Due to flat automotive demand, TomTom [TOM2] said it would see level sales this year as a backlog of auto orders expires. The company, which reported quarter and 2023 results last week, said the backlog was a record $2.7 billion at the end of the year.
The good news is that the company saw a smaller fourth-quarter loss than anticipated, at 10.4 million euros. Analysts had predicted the company would lose 12 million euros, according to Reuters.
"Our fourth-quarter results showed a modest growth in revenues, aligning with our forecasts. We also saw a rise in operating expenses for the quarter, due to a 10-million euro one-off reorganization charge resulting from the further streamlining of our R&D activities,” said Taco Titulaer, TomTom CFO, in a statement.
The company hopes that the recent roll out of Orbis Maps will spur growth. “During the fourth quarter, we commenced the commercial rollout of our TomTom Orbis Maps. Initially targeting our primary markets in Europe and North America, we're now expanding geographic coverage and introducing new features to enhance the map further,” said Harold Goddijn, TomTom CEO, in an earnings call. “Towards the end of our Orbis development, we've, of course, reached out to existing customers with a view to prepare them for switching from the legacy product to the new product.”
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BTG Positioning and GPR Sign $40 Million Contract to Supply Advanced Positioning Technology
BTG Positioning Systems and GPR Ground Positioning Radar have partnered to bring positioning technology to seaports. The companies, which have been working together for a year, say that the $40 million agreement grants BTG exclusive rights to the use of GPR’s core technology in seaports.
The technology at the forefront is GPR, or Ground Positioning Radar, which is the same as the company’s name. The radar penetrates and scans the subsurface to allow vehicles to localize and determine their positioning with centimeter-level accuracy, the company said.
Because of unreliable GNSS signals, bad weather, low visibility, and expense, the companies say their technology can use ground-penetrating radar to position autonomous equipment that is used in seaports.
For its part, BTG Positioning Systems has supplied absolute positioning measurement systems for vehicles and cranes in automated container terminals for 30 years. Both companies believe the market is strong as seaports handle 80 percent of the world’s global trade.
Contact: GPR, vanya@gpr.com, www.gpr.com.
Other Location News
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Top News:
😒 Ground System for Jam-Resistant GPS Delayed Again to July 2025 at Earliest, Pentagon Tester Says. “The Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) is facing a new delay of 16 months, according to the 2023 Annual Report of the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).” Editor’s note: This system is more than “troubled.” Taxpayer’s dollars are at stake as is national security.
✈ FAA Tells Pilots To Go Analogue As GNSS ‘Spoofing’ Incidents Increase. “In a recently published Safety Alert for Operators, the FAA advises civilian flight crews to monitor the performance of their equipment onboard, report any GPS/GNSS issues to air traffic controllers, and prepare to fly without digital satellite navigation systems before they take off.”
📱 Nokia Increases its Competitive Advantage with Cutting-Edge Tracking, Positioning, and Worker Safety Apps. “The newly added set of applications for tracking and positioning includes Nordic ID, HERE HD GNSS service, and svarmony - aryve, all of which facilitate real-time tracking and positioning of various assets in any environment, including indoor navigation.”
🤞 Unabiz Targets “Ultra-Cheap” Sigfox Trackers With Taiwan Chip Tie Up. “Sigfox-parent Unabiz is working with Holtek Semiconductor to integrate Sigfox (“0G technology”) into the Taiwan-based design firm’s “ultra-cheap” BC68F2150 chipset.”
😉 Hand-Held Navigation Tool for US Army Deemed Effective Against Jamming. “The Army in April tapped TRX Systems to produce DAPS GEN II in a deal worth as much as $402 million. An initial order — more than 700 units and related services — was valued at $14.6 million.”
🛳 GMV Spearheads AVIS Project for Enhancing Autonomous Vessel Navigation in Europe. “AVIS is set to address various emerging challenges by enhancing the accuracy and reliability of navigation forecasts and positioning for vessels.”
📌 DoT Launches $15M AI Effort To Improve US Street Infrastructure.
Maps:
😐 TomTom Will Stop Selling Navigation Systems in the US and Canada. “In a statement, TomTom [TOM2] announced that its decision last year to stop selling navigation systems in the US was indeed true. Despite 'millions of systems' being sold in recent decades. However, in the same statement, TomTom says that the North American market is no longer an important part of its business operations.”
🌎 12 Map Happenings that Rocked our World: Part 7. James Killick: “Aerial imagery has changed how we see the world, it’s changed the way we map the world and it’s changed the way we understand the world.”
👍 Google Maps for Android Adds a Feature Its iOS Version Has Had for Years. “A feature that has been a part of Google Maps on iOS for years is finally coming to Android. If you use Google Maps for navigation, you'll soon notice that current weather information is included. The feature isn't on all devices yet, but it's on the way.”
📊 Senzing Joins Esri Partner Program to Enhance Insights for ArcGIS Knowledge Users.
👏 OSM Named as a Digital Public Good by UN-affiliated Agency. “OpenStreetMap has applied for and has now been registered as a “Digital Public Good” by the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), which is a multi-stakeholder United Nations-endorsed initiative.”
👌 Changes to the Googlemaps UI Should Make You Feel Less Cut Off From Navigating Your Journey. “In an effort to make Google Maps feel less cluttered, some changes are being made by Google to the app's UI on Android now and iOS later down the road, so to speak.”
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
😦 GM's Self-Driving Car Company Cruise Lost $3.48 Billion in 2023.
👌 Apple Ramped Up Autonomous Vehicle Testing Last Year, Filings Show. “Government records show Apple’s AAPL 0.00%↑ secretive auto division almost quadrupled its self-driving miles in 2023.”
😕 Autonomous Vehicle Company Motional Is About To Lose a Key Backer. “Automotive supplier Aptiv — the other half of a $4 billion joint venture with Hyundai that created Motional — said it will no longer allocate capital toward the endeavor.”
😒 Waymo Driverless Car Strikes Bicyclist in San Francisco, Causes Minor Injuries.
🙂 OnStar’s Most Popular Features Are Now Standard in All 2025 GM Vehicles. Automatic Crash Response, Remote vehicle commands and navigation and voice assistance with apps like Alexa Built-in, Google Assistant, Google Maps, Maps+, and Waze on eligible vehicles.
⚡ Renault Taps IoT Startup Provenrun for Max-Security In-Car Comms. “France-based IoT security startup ProvenRun has done a deal with Renault Group to protect onboard comms on software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms for Ampere, the car company’s electric vehicle (EV) software spinoff.”
👍 New Bill Wants To Protect People With Disabilities In Driverless Cars.
Drones:
🛩 Ukraine Will Spoof GPS Across the Country To Stop Russian Drones. “A nationwide electronic warfare system called Pokrova can disrupt satellite navigation – Ukraine may already be using it to prevent strikes by Russian drones and missiles, but doing so will also affect satnavs in the country.”
Financial:
💲 Tended Geofencing Technology Raises 1.5 Million Pounds. Tended geofencing technology, which uses GNSS and RTK for 1-centimeter accuracy, is used by the railroad industry.
✔ Viasat Releases Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results.
✔ MiX Telematics Limited to Issue $0.06 Quarterly Dividend.
✔ Phunware Sets Public Offering at 25 Cents per Share.
ION Offers Complimentary Drone Presentation
The Institute of Navigation is offering a complimentary webinar featuring Aman Sharma on Feb. 28 at 12 p.m. EDT.
To register, go to: ion.org/publications/webinars.cfm.
Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Korea Augmentation Satellite System Certified
The Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS), which was developed by Thales Alenia Space, has been certified by the South Korean government. The navigation system, now operational, is a collaboration between Thales (67 percent), Leonardo (33 percent), the Korea Aerospace Research Institute for the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Thales Alenia Space is delivering the ground infrastructure, which the company has worked on since 2020. The KASS system initially operated via a MEASAT-3d geostationary satellite, launched in 2022. The satellite will be supplemented by the KOREASAT 6A, developed by Thales Alenia Space for KT SAT, which will carry a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) payload.
KASS will initially focus on aircraft applications in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the company said.
Contact: Sandrine Bielecki, Thales Alenia Space, 33 04 9292 7094, sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com, www.thalesaleniaspace.com.
Trimble Launches Survey and Mapping Products
Trimble TRMB 0.00%↑ has rolled out its SiteVision Software 5.0, a 3D scan tool that allows customers to use lidar sensors available on some Apple Pro devices with the Trimble DA2 GNSS receiver. The company also launched its TDC6 Handheld Data Collector, a GNSS data collector for survey and mapping professionals.
The company also launched its TDL450B Radio, a next generation 450-megahertz external radio with Bluetooth for transmitting, receiving and repeating GNSS corrections. Designed to support Trimble and third-party RTK base stations, the radio modem allows users to have data link technology at a job site, the company said.
Contact: Trimble, www.trimble.com.
U-Blox Announces Two LTE-M Cellular Module Series
Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox [UBXN] has launched two new LTE-M cellular module series, the SARA-R52 and LEXI-R52. The modules, designed for industrial applications, are based on the u-blox UBX-R52 cellular chip and tailored for IoT use cases that include metering, utility, asset tracking and monitoring, and healthcare, the company said.
The u-blox R52 series offers simultaneous GNSS and cellular connectivity for applications requiring continuous or cyclic tracking, the company said. The SARA-R520M10 combo module comes equipped with an integrated u-blox M10 GNSS receiver.
Contact: Natacha Seitz, u-blox, 41 76 436 0788, natacha.seitz@u-blox.com, www.u-blox.com.
Kia America Joins LexisNexis Telematics Exchange to Offer Personalized Driving Scores to Kia Connect Customers
LexisNexis Risk Solutions has partnered with Kia America to make Kia connected vehicle data available to U.S. auto insurers via the LexisNexis Telematics Exchange. The integration will allow eligible customers who have enrolled in Kia Connect Services to opt in to share their driving behavior data, the company said. The Exchange is platform for telematics-based driving behavior data and vehicle insights that bring insurance carriers together with OEMs and other third-party telematics service providers, the company said.
Contact: Annalysce Baker, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, (678) 436-1579
annalysce.baker@lexisnexisrisk.com.
New Septentrio Gnss/Ins Uses Fuse+ Technology in Same Antenna Enclosure
Septentrio has launched the AntaRx-Si3, a GNSS/INS (Inertial Navigation System) smart antenna, which is tailored for agriculture robots and other use cases. AntaRx-Si3 incorporates GNSS/INS FUSE+ technology.
AntaRx-Si3 leverages Septentrio’s GNSS+ algorithms with advanced multipath mitigation, which allows uninterrupted operation in environments where satellite signals could be reflected off nearby machinery or high structures such as silos, the company said.
Contact: Septentrio, www.septentrio.com.
SSC Seeks Capability Statements From Industry
Space Systems Command (SSC) is seeking capability statements from potential sources for development, integration, and delivery for launch of a rapidly prototyped GPS navigation satellite with an objective to significantly reduce size, weight, power, and cost; reduce production time; reduce time to orbit; optimize/maximize satellites per launch; and broaden launch vehicle compatibility. Responses to this request will aid in the determination of the market’s ability to compete for the GPS Rapid Prototype Demonstration as well as potential future prototyping, demonstrations, and procurements, SCC said.
Contact: SSC (submit white papers—ssc.cgef.workflow@spaceforce.mil; full RFI can be found at www.sam.gov.
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Transport for Greater Manchester to Install 2,000 MiX Telematics Solutions
MiX Telematics MIXT 0.00%↑ has announced that Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) has partnered with the company to equip a bus fleet of 2,000 vehicles with the company’s SaaS solution, in-cab driver feedback and integration. The information provided through the telematics solution will be used by operators and TFGM to support safety, monitoring and improvement of driving standards across the network, TFGM said.
Contact: MiX Telematics, www.mixtelematics.com.
Safran Launches Geonyx INS
Safran Federal Systems rolled out its Geonyx inertial navigation systems that can be mounted on vehicles, turrets and artillery weapons.
Geonyx is tailored for military navigation, target geolocation and artillery pointing. The receiver is capable of operating in extreme conditions and in a full GNSS-denied environment, the company said.
Contact: Safran, www.www.safranfederalsystems.com.
Rusada ENVISION Changes Name to Veryon Tracking+
Veryon has announced that Rusada ENVISION is now Veryon Tracking+. As an aircraft management platform for commercial airlines, MROs, rotary and military operations, Veryon Tracking+ delivers cloud-based software for fleet management, maintenance, inventory and flight operations, the company said.
Veryon Tracking+ is marketed to commercial airlines, MROs, rotary and military operations. Currently used by over 150 aircraft operators and MROs worldwide, Veryon Tracking+ manages more than 2,000 airplanes and helicopters, the company said.
Contact: Kim Welch, Veryon, kwelch@veryon.com, www.veryon.com.
ServiceTitan Fleet Pro Integrates Fleet Software Into FieldRoutes
FieldRoutes has announced the integration of ServiceTitan Fleet Pro with FieldRoutes' software. The integrated solution enables pest control companies to manage their fleet more efficiently, the company said. Pest control businesses are able to access real-time and historical fleet data from a vehicle's GPS system and AI-assisted smart cameras, the company said.
Contact: FieldRoutes, www.fieldroutes.com/pro/fleet.
MyRadar Launches CarPlay and Android Auto Apps
MyRadar has launched its CarPlay and Android Auto apps. MyRadar has also recently been added to Android's Early Access Program to allow for the app to be offered in cars with Google built-in, the company said.
With MyRadar’s RouteCast, drive times are calculated, aligning forecasted conditions with future locations, the company said. Forecast updates are generated every 15 minutes for each point, route segment, or connected vehicle GPS location for nationwide coverage, the company said.
Contact: Jason Weinberger, for MyRadar, (303) 589-9977,
372547@email4pr.com.
People
Space Systems Command changed command with Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant assuming leadership from former commander Gen. Michael Guetlein.
Jaap van den HoekJaap has been named head of global partnerships at Parkopedia.
Canoo GOEV 0.00%↑ has appointed Deborah Diaz and James Chen to its board of directors. Diaz was NASA’s CTO and Chen is a former Tesla exec.
Doug Liddle was named director, Space at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.
Jobs
Regional Sales - DACH. Swift Navigation.
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Careers. Econolite.
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