Space Force Pauses New GPS Satellite Orders
Too many GPS satellites are awaiting launch...
The U.S. Space Force has announced that it is pausing new orders of GPS satellites as there are several in storage waiting to be launched. At a Pentagon press conference this week, Maj. Gen. Michael Greiner, deputy assistant secretary for budget for the Department of the Air Force, said two GPS 3F satellites from last year’s budget, worth about $250 million each, won’t be included in the 2024 version.
The 10th and last GPS 3 satellite, manufactured by Lockheed Martin LMT 0.00%↑, was delivered to the company’s Colorado facility last month for storage until a launch date becomes available. The company is now manufacturing the GPS 3F under a 2018 contract worth $7.2 billion for as many as 22 satellites.
This week, as part of the Pentagon’s 2024 budget, the Space Force did request $1.2 billion for the GPS Enterprise, which consists of $980 million in R&D and testing and $280 million for procurement. This includes development of the GPS 3F satellites.
Some of the funding includes transition from the Operational Control Segment to the next-generation OCX ground control. In addition, testing and integration of receivers from the Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE Increment 1) were included in the funding request.
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3D position, velocity, and orientation are supplied at 200 Hz as are measurements from 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and mangetometer. The GNSS receiver is multi-constellation and supports GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, SBAS, and QZSS constellations.
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SXSW Using Airship App With Location-Based Notifications
Portland, Ore.-based Airship has announced that the South by Southwest festival is using its App Experience Platform to power location-based push notifications and in-app messaging for the conference’s mobile app.
Not only does the app allow SXSW attendees to skip lines by using the company’s Mobile Wallet, it sends out location-targeted messaging. The company says location-targeting messaging allows conference attendees to discover events as they are happening.
Airship partners with Infillion’s Gimbal, and others, to make it easy to set-up location-targeted messaging, said Corey Gault, Airship vice president of communications. “All the customer needs to do is implement the Airship SDK and Gimbal SDK and add a piece of bridging code,” he said. “From there, they can add places with metadata via Gimbal or drag-and-drop geofences on a map. This information can then be used to trigger messages when someone enters or exits a location.”
SXSW has set up geofences to trigger location-targeted push notifications from Airship featuring machine-learning recommendations based on festival goers’ personalized schedules and Agenda Gaps to maximize their time and experience. “The app and tightly integrated messaging not only helps ensure attendees participate in their desired sessions, it gives visibility to nearby sponsor events deemed relevant to their interests,” Gault said.
Airship’s technology is included on other Eventbase conference apps, including Cisco Live, CES, NRF Retail’s Big Show, Salesforce Dreamforce, IBM Think, SAP SapphireNow, Adobe Summit, VMware Explore and HIMSS. Airship is also used by conference organizers that build their own apps.
In other SXSW news:
While SXSW is known for its festivals on film, television and music, it has been a conference to showcase tech for several years. In fact, execs from TomTom [Tom2] spoke on a tech panel with Lyft LYFT 0.00%↑ and Meta META 0.00%↑, rather than at this year’s Mobile World Congress.
Location-based social networking app Gowalla, which made its debut at SXSW in 2009, launched again in Austin this week. The company, which was purchased by Facebook in 2011 and shut down a year later, allows users to check in on a map to share location and see where friends have checked in.
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Cognosis Raises $25 Million, Says 2022 Revenue Tripled
Asset tracking company Cognosos has raised $25 million in a growth round led by Riverwood Capital. The company, which has tailored its real-time location services (RTLS) to automobile manufacturers and healthcare providers, said it tripled revenue in 2022.
The new funding will be used to grow the business in the automotive, healthcare and logistics markets and to recruit new employees, the company said. In addition, funds will be used to develop and deploy platform enhancements.
The company said that last year it tracked more than 37 asset movements for its customers with its wireless networking technology and Bluetooth Low Engery/AI-powered location engine. These include vehicle logistics, yard management and hospital asset tracking.
Panasonic Partners With Quuppa for Software Location Functionality
Panasonic Industry has announced that the Quuppa Intelligent Location system is integrated into its Logiscend Software 3.0 to provide real-time location data. Using Bluetooth-based Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) technology, the software will track objects and devices with an accuracy of less than one meter, the company said.
The software is a material flow management solution such manufacturing processes as picking, replenishment, asset tracking, smart container, and work instructions.
“The usage of RTLS systems is rapidly expanding within the logistics and manufacturing sector and Panasonic already has a long history of working with such companies. Our joint offering opens an opportunity to provide their existing customers and prospects new ways to increase efficiencies via location-based services,” said Sammy Loitto, Quuppa CEO, in a statement.
The Quuppa system, combined with Panasonic VIEW tags, will help eliminate paper and provide real-time instructions to the manufacturing floor, the company said. In addition, the software allows companies to increase efficiency by assessing bottlenecks to trigger automated workflows based on changes in the location of assets.
Contact: Sari Arjamo-Tuominen, Quuppa, sari.arjamo-tuominen@quuppa.com, www.quuppa.com.
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Top News:
😐 The D.C. District Court Upholds the Government’s Geofence Warrant Used to Identify Jan. 6 Rioters. “Insofar as [Davis Harles Rhine] alleges that Google GOOG 0.00%↑ responded excessively to the government’s warrant request by producing data beyond the scope of the warrant, the court does not project those actions on the government and assume bad faith."
😦 FBI Finally Admits To Buying Location Data on Americans, Horrifying Experts. “At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing [last week], FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed for the first time that the agency has in the past purchased the location data of U.S. citizens without obtaining a warrant, Wired reported.”
Maps:
🤔 Apple Quietly Preparing Big News for Its Google Maps Rival. “The Cupertino-based iPhone maker may be gearing up for a massive expansion of the updated Apple Maps, as the debut in several countries is likely a matter of time now.”
👏 Announcing Open Data Maps for Amazon Location Service. “AWS announces the general availability of the Open Data Maps feature for Amazon Location Service.”
🗺 The Google Maps Feature All the Other Navigation Apps Should Copy. “The Go tab is a feature that helps manage frequent trips more conveniently, as it shows the address, the directions, and an estimated time of arrival on the same screen.”
👍 Top Google Maps Alternative Offers a Brilliant Feature All Navigation Apps Need. “First of all, users need to configure the fuel type their car uses within the app. This way, Sygic’s GPS Navigation always knows what type of fuel to look for when the app is running.”
Financials:
✔ u-blox Reports Full-Year 2022 Financial Results.
✔ Luminar's Map to Profitability Sets a New Standard for the Lidar Industry.
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
🚘 Softbank Trials Autonomous Driving. “SoftBank [SFTBY] revealed it began conducting autonomous driving field trials in Tokyo in January, with a focus on AI remote monitoring and in-vehicle operations ahead of Japan legalizing Level 4 autonomy next month.”
🚲 Lyft to Leverage Ericsson IoT Accelerator To Connect E-bikes. Lyft LYFT 0.00%↑ will leverage the Ericsson ERIC 0.00%↑ IoT Accelerator Platform to manage the connectivity of thousands of connected e-bikes and scooters.
🚗 General Motors Unveils New Semi-Autonomous Driving System With a $300K Price Tag. “Ultra Cruise builds off its predecessor, Super Cruise, which can self-drive select Chevy vehicles on up to 400,000 miles of compatible highways in the U.S. and Canada. Super Cruise uses lidar, radar, GPS, and 3D cameras to identify the vehicle's orientation.”
Drones:
☹ Amazon's Drone Business Can't Get off the Ground as Regulations, Weak Demand Stymie Progress. “To get approval from the FAA, Prime Air must complete several hundred hours of flying without any incidents, and then submit the data to the agency.”
🛩 Airobotics Acquires Iron Drone Assets. “Airobotics, a subsidiary of Ondas Holdings, announced that it has completed the acquisition of the assets of Iron Drone. The company offers a fully-automated drone intercepting system that can eliminate small drones without using GPS or RF jamming.”
🤞 Australia Sends Cardboard Drones to Ukraine. “SYPAQ Systems, from Australia, announced at the beginning of March that it will send the Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System (PPDS) to the country in Eastern Europe, which has an unusual cardboard structure. Although it uses GPS guidance, the drone’s control software is also able to guide it in the absence of the satellite system.”
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HERE Technologies and Iteris Partner to Create New Smart Mobility Solutions
HERE Technologies has partnered with Iteris ITI 0.00%↑ to integrate location-based services into Iteris’ Clear Mobility Platform. The five-year contract includes HERE Traffic Products, HERE Maps and HERE platform services. HERE products will also work with Iteris’ mobility intelligence application, ClearGuide.
Map content and data provided by HERE, and visualized through ClearGuide, will provide insights to transportation engineers, transportation planners, infrastructure operators, and roadway construction teams, the company said. More than 50 government agencies, municipalities and commercial entities use ClearGuide.
Contact: Breanna Wallace, Iteris, (949) 996-5348, brwallace@iteris.com, www.iteris.com.
Honda Demonstrates AWV, Seeks Partners
Honda displayed its Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) for the construction industry this week at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 in Las Vegas. The Honda AWV features include improved navigation in locations where GNSS service is weak or unavailable through the use of lidar sensors, the company said.
The Honda AWV employs a suite of sensors to operate autonomously, using GPS for location, radar and lidar for obstacle detection and cameras for remote monitoring. Honda is looking for partners in product distribution and support/after-market sales and software and attachment development.
Contact: Honda, AWV@na.honda.com.
Woolpert Contracts With Trexity To Provide Google Maps Services
Woolpert has been contracted by Trexity to provide Google Maps Platform services and technical support. These services include Google Maps APIs, Optimization AI, and Google Cloud solutions, which will support Trexity’s small- and medium-sized business clients, the company said.
For the contract, Woolpert customized its Google solutions to include Directions and Cloud Fleet Routing APIs. The Directions API enables Trexity to calculate directions and distance between locations for quick delivery estimation, whether for single or grouped deliveries, the company said. Contact: Jill Kelley, Woolpert, (937) 531-1258, www.woolpert.com.
CDG Launches Samsara Tracking, Route Building, and Live Share Integration
Communications Data Group has launched active tracking, dynamic route building, and live share capabilities for its integration between Samsara IOT 0.00%↑ and CDG's MBS consumer and enterprise BSS/OSS solution. The deal allows MBS to determine a technician's current location, status, and proximity to open orders and tickets. This integration also exports live GPS location data from Samsara to notify customers when technicians are enroute, the company said.
Contact: Ryan Travaille, CDG, (217) 402-3445, ryant@cdg.ws, www.cdg.ws.
BI Wins Tracking Device Contract
GEO Group GEO 0.00%↑ has announced that its subsidiary, BI Inc., has been awarded a five-year contract by Santa Clara County, Calif., for the use of BI VeriWatch, which is a wrist-worn GPS tracking device. It allows for real-time and discrete monitoring of individuals under community supervision by parole, probation, pretrial release and other law enforcement agencies.
VeriWatch is the first GPS tracking device in community corrections that uses biometric facial comparison technology to authenticate the identity of the individuals wearing the device, the company said. Financial details were not disclosed.
Contact: Pablo Paez, GEO Group, (866) 301-4436.
Quectel launches Wi-Fi HaLow module
Quectel Wireless Solutions has launched its FGH100M Wi-Fi HaLow module, providing long range data transmission, low power consumption, less complexity as well as improved penetration through walls and other obstructions for a wide range of IoT applications, the company said.
It provides ten times the range of traditional Wi-Fi, making it suited for both indoor and outdoor IoT scenarios such as home and industrial automation, smart agriculture, smart city, smart building, warehouse, retail store, campus and more, the company said.
Contact: Quectel, marketing@quectel.com, www.quectel.com.
Prepared Partners With NextNav
Prepared has selected NextNav NN 0.00%↑ Pinnacle to power its z-axis location ecosystem to allow callers and responders access to data and visualization tools. Prepared's software currently enables 9-1-1 dispatch centers to livestream from the scene of an incident, receive multimedia content and pinpoint mobile callers' location data.
The company will integrate NextNav's z-axis services, to allow its clients to hava a heightened level of intelligence, combining vertical location data and video to amplify on-scene awareness with actionable Height Above Terrain (HAT) data and visualization tools, the company said.
Contact: Nextnav, media@nextnav.com, www.nextnav.com.
U-blox Introduces IRIS-W1 Module Portfolio
Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox has introduced the IRIS-W1 series in its radio
stand-alone module portfolio. The IRIS-W1 is a tri-radio module supporting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, and Thread (including Matter). It is designed for the industrial segment.
The IRIS-W1 series is suited for such applications as industrial automation, medical equipment, EV charging, smart building and smart home (including smart appliances), after-market telematics, and industrial power tools, the company said.
Contact: Natacha Seitz, u-blox, 41 76 436 0788, natacha.seitz@u-blox.com, www.u-blox.com.
Powerfleet Acquires Movingdots
Powerfleet PWFL 0.00%↑ has acquired Bremen, Germany-based Movingdots, an insurance telematics provider. Movingdots, in partnership with parent company Swiss Re’s Automotive and Mobility unit, provides risk-based drive style analytics for fleets and personal auto risk. The acquisition, of which financial details were not disclosed, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023.
Contact: Heather Smith, Powerfleet, (605) 203-0605, hsmith@powerfleet.com.
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Topcon acquires Digital Construction Works
Topcon Positioning Systems has purchased construction software and data integrations and services company Digital Construction Works. DCW’s services and software integration platform allows customers to use construction data made available across multiple apps and software, the company said. As part of Topcon, DCW will enhance the value of Topcon’s software that is used in machine-guided operations, the company said.
Contact: Staci Fitzgerald, Topcon Positioning Group, (925) 245-8610, corpcomm@topcon.com, www.topconpositioning.com.
Bridgestone Rolls Out Road Conditions
Bridgestone Mobility Solutions [BRDCY] has introduced Road Conditions to help cities and municipalities, road authorities, map providers and commercial fleet owners better understand the state and quality of roads, the company said. The solutions portfolio provides insights based on aggregated and anonymized data from Webfleet-connected vehicles.
These advanced data solutions will play a fundamental role in future mobility, enabling development of smart cities, mobility-as-a-service providers as well as connected and autonomous vehicles, the company said. Bridgestone Road Conditions is currently available in UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Contact: Bridgestone, www.bridgestone-emia.com.
Adtran Partners With Satelles
Adtran ADTN 0.00%↑ has signed a strategic partnership with Satelles to enable operators of critical infrastructure to safeguard their timing networks with Satellite Time and Location (STL) technology. By integrating Satelles’ STL into its Oscilloquartz network synchronization products, Adtran will provide an alternative to GNSS systems or a way to augment them with enhanced reliability and security, the company said.
With the ability to deliver highly precise PNT service, even in GNSS-denied applications, STL is targeted to mobile operators, power utility companies, government, scientific research and more.
Contact: Gareth Spence, 44 1904 699 358, public-relations@adva.com, www.adtran.com.
Quake Global Signs Telematics Hardware Contract With Yanmar
Quake Global has announced that it has been selected by Yanmar Holdings to provide telematics hardware for industrial equipment, including their Spraying Robot YV01. Yanmar's autonomous spraying robot, used for wine production, will use Quake’s modem that synchronizes the route map and real-time information to locate the unit.
Quake Global's modems can be installed on a wide variety of equipment and machinery in order to enable them to be located, tracked, managed, and monitored from a remote location, the company said.
Contact: Hide Tsuya, Quake Global, sales@quakeglobal.com, www.quakeglobal.com/request-a-demo.
Telit Launches GNSS Modules
Telit Cinterion has announced the SE868K5 family of GNSS chipsets that consists of SE868K5-D and SE868K5-I modules. The SE868K5-D is optimized for global deployment, while the SE868K5-I shares the same architecture in a defeatured design for cost-optimized application in the Indian market, the company said.
Early marketing samples of the SE868K5 family are available now, engineering samples will be available in May 2023, and mass production will take place in June 2023.
Contact: Leslie Hart, Telit Cinterion, (919) 415-1510, Leslie.Hart@Telit.com.
Thinaer Recognized in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant
Thinaer has been recognized as an honorable mention in Gartner's 2023 Magic Quadrant report on indoor location services. Thinaer's indoor location services are designed to provide real-time location data and analytics to optimize companies’ operations, the company said. The company's indoor location solutions are used in a variety of settings including aerospace, manufacturing, warehousing and U.S. Department of Defense.
Contact: Thinaer, PR@thinaer.io, www.thinaer.io
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