A link to the live event will be sent to you two hours before the event. Your personalized event URL will be automatically generated by the ON24 system. To ensure receipt of the email, please whitelist this email address by adding it to your contacts: do_not_reply@on24event.com.

This presentation will begin at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT on Thursday, September 12. A recording will also be sent to you the following day so you can watch it on-demand.

Audience members may arrive 15 minutes prior to live time. If you have any questions, please contact event producer Jesse Khalil at jkhalil@northcoastmedia.net.

<p>The post Thank you for registering first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Photo: Sphere Drones

Aptella has partnered with Sphere Drones, an Australian-based full-stack technology and UAV provider, for Aptella to distribute the Sphere Drone HubX mobile payload platform. The platform supports autonomous scanning and mapping operations for users across the resources, mining, construction and emergency services sectors. 

HubX is a mobile solution designed for drone-in-a-box (DiaB) or terrestrial scanning tasks in regional and hard-to-access locations. Its self-sustained, mobile form factor makes it readily deployable on any site. Its bespoke solar power system and the 5G/satellite internet solutions are backed by built-in redundancies. 

The HubX platform offers a versatile and large configurable payload bay, allowing users to mix and match enterprise payloads to meet their specific needs and enhance remote data collection. This includes seamlessly integrated DiaB and terrestrial scanner payloads, as well as the ability to plug and play any third-party payload hardware.  

When paired with DJI’s Dock 2, HubX simplifies DiaB operations, enabling businesses to be operational on the day of delivery and have pilots ready to fly within 30 minutes of arrival. This setup accelerates the adoption of UAV operations and facilitates the transition to beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. 

Obtaining certification to operate UAVs via a remote operations center (ReOC) is typically a complex and time-consuming process. However, the HubX solution streamlines this with a managed service offering, the company said. 

Aptella, with locations across all states and territories of Australia, Southeast Asia and New Zealand, supports the civil construction, building, mining and geospatial industries. Under the agreement, Aptella will provide HubX demonstrations and initial deployments, working in collaboration with Sphere Drones for technical support. 

<p>The post Aptella, Sphere Drones advance autonomous scanning and mapping first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Songs for the Cows

Photo: SWNS Media Group

Farmers are controlling cows with a GNSS-based tracking system that plays “Waltzing Matilda” when they get too close to a virtual fence. Blue Carbon Farming in Somerset, England, has begun working with the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust (WWT) to allow cattle to graze in wetlands and salt marshes for the first time in 30 years. Farmers can now use the Nofence app and collars to track where the cows are and warn them away from danger with music. If a cow gets near the virtual fence, a boundary determined by the farmers, its collar will play the tune to warn it away from the area.

Robotic Dogs on a Mission

Photo: BMW

BMW is using a four-legged robotic dog to gather data for a digital twin at its Hams Hall engine production plant in the United Kingdom. The robot – a Boston Dynamics Spot model, which BMW has renamed Spotto – also will act as a watchdog and assist in other tasks at the site’s facilities. The autonomous robot is equipped with visual, thermal and acoustic sensors. The Hams Hall digital twin operates on three levels. On the first level, the twin generates 3D representations of the plant. The mobile robot feeds data into the second level – a data layer that also receives information from the site’s production facilities and IT systems. On the third level – the application level – programs sort the collected data, which personnel use for quality assurance and production planning purposes.

Keep Your Hands on the Wheel

Photo: Tesla

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems. Tesla is under the microscope of U.S. federal prosecutors, as well as the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who want Tesla to share more information related to its autopilot system after crashes continued occurring despite a December recall of more than 2 million vehicles. The investigation focuses on Tesla’s Autopilot system and the more advanced Full Self-Driving package, which the company has been selling as an optional add-on. Neither system can fully automate the driving process without human supervision, a point of contention that has raised questions about the accuracy of Tesla’s promotional materials.

Mass Coral Bleaching

Photo: Rainer von Brandis / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), in collaboration with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, has observed extensive coral bleaching caused by elevated sea temperatures during aerial and in-water surveys of the reef. This information confirms that a mass coral bleaching event is taking place on the Great Barrier Reef, which is the fifth such event since 2016. The aerial surveys have so far covered almost two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

<p>The post Seen & Heard: Robotic dogs, coral bleaching, songs for cows first appeared on GPS World.</p>

SURVEYING & MAPPING

Upgraded surveying software
With an improved CAD engine

Survey Master 3.5.0 includes an enhanced CAD engine. A measurement grade has been added to the CAD to improve the software’s utility in design and planning projects. Additionally, the latest version features expanded CAD drawing and survey functions to offer users a comprehensive toolset — including point, line, polyline, curve, arc, square, rectangle, polygon, circle and text. Survey Master 3.5.0 features CAD capture mode from any point and allows users to easily display or hide point icons.

The system added the Dominican predefined coordinate system, SBAS configuration, PPP and RTK PPP fusion, updated satellite frequencies and an external datalink CDL7 configuration. Existing software users can update directly in Survey Master.
Comnav Technologies, comnavtech.com

Scanning kit
Combines photogrammetry with RTK precision

The Pix4D & Emlid Scanning kit combines advanced photogrammetry with real-time kinematics (RTK) precision for quick data capture when documenting trenches and as-builts, performing volumetric measurements and enhancing aerial data with terrestrial scans. It includes the PIX4Dcatch app and the Emlid Reach RX RTK rover.

The PIX4Dcatch app allows precise scanning for both photogrammetry and lidar projects. The hardware features the Emlid Reach RX RTK rover, which comes with an ergonomic handle and accessories. It is integrated with PIX4Dcatch and provides real-time positioning through NTRIP.

The kit works with any correction network or GNSS base station broadcasting RTCM3. The rover gets a fix in less than five seconds, offering centimeter-accurate positioning in challenging conditions. It can also be used with the survey pole as an RTK rover for data collection and stakeout.

Designed for urban surveying, the Reach RX rover is lightweight, rated IP68, sealed and protected from water and dust.

The PIX4Dcatch mobile app allows users to use a smartphone for scanning, access RTK precision data through integration with Reach RX and generate a digital model within minutes. Users can also store, annotate, measure and share data online in PIX4Dcloud as well as verify geolocated positions and visualize the project in AR. It extracts insights from both terrestrial and aerial data and features online and offline processing, advanced photogrammetry capabilities, team collaboration and AR for CAD overlays.
Emlid, emlid.com

UAV surveying software
Now with planimetric survey capabilities

Virtual Surveyor version 9.5 is a smart UAV surveying program featuring new planimetric survey capabilities. Users can survey 2D features from UAV orthophotos and add them to a 3D topographic model generated from the same data set.

The integrated Terrain Creator app photogrammetrically processes UAV photos to build survey-grade digital surface models (DSMs) and orthomosaics. These transfer seamlessly to the traditional Virtual Surveyor app where users can generate CAD models, create cut-and-fill maps and gather other 3D topographic information.

No third-party software is needed to create surveys from UAV data. The system is ideal for users in construction, surface mining and excavation projects.
Virtual Surveyor, virtual-surveyor.com

RTK technology
For GIS needs

RTK Torch is designed for high-precision geolocation and GIS needs. It has tri-band reception and tilt compensation.

The RTK Torch can provide millimeter-grade measurements. Users can connect a phone to the device over Bluetooth and receive the NMEA output and work with most GIS software.

The RTK Torch features Zero-Touch RTK technology, which gives connected devices WiFi credentials for a hotspot or other WiFi network. The device will begin receiving corrections without any further setup, with no NTRIP credentials required. These corrections are obtained over WiFi from u-blox PointPerfect and are available in the United States, Europe and various parts of Australia, Canada, Brazil and Korea.

The RTK Torch includes a one-month free subscription to PointPerfect. Additional subscriptions can be purchased if desired. If PointPerfect coverage is not available in the area, corrections from a local base station or service can be provided to the device over NTRIP, delivered via Bluetooth or WiFi.

It is housed in an IP67-rated enclosure. It is waterproof when submerged up to 1 m for up to 30 minutes when the USB cover is closed. Under the hood of the SparkFun RTK Torch is an ESP32, a UM980 L1/L2/L5 high precision GNSS receiver from Unicore, and an IM-19 for tilt compensation. The addition of the L5 reception makes this portable GNSS device ideal for densely canopied areas where normal L1/L2 reception may have problems.
SparkFun, sparkfun.com

3D laser scanner
For indoor and outdoor mapping

The VZ-600i terrestrial laser scanner offers a broad range capability from 0.5 m up to 1,000 m and is suitable for indoor and outdoor 3D mapping applications. It features 3D position accuracy of 3 mm, less than 30 sec scan time for high-resolution scans with 6 mm point spacing at 10 m, weight less than 6 kg (13 lbs), 2.2 MHZ PRR, three internal cameras and is GNSS integrated.

Designed for mobile mapping applications, the system is suitable for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), building information modeling (BIM), as-built surveying, forensic and crash scene investigation, archeology, forestry and more.
RIEGL, riegl.com

OEM

Application suite
Featuring GRIT Technology

The NovAtel Application Suite Version 2.0 now includes GNSS Resilience and Integrity Technology (GRIT). The GRIT Monitor application allows users to observe radio frequency (RF) interference through a comprehensive dashboard to make informed decisions to maintain robust positioning.

GRIT is RF interference detection and mitigation technology available on all OEM7 GNSS receiver products, including individual cards and enclosures such as smart antennas, PwrPak and MarinePak.
It includes positioning and device status overviews to serve as a mitigation assistant that indicates whether interference is detected. It features an interactive spectrum viewer, which shows all constellations and frequency bands (spectrum and waterfall), and a signal matrix indicating the signal quality and interference status by frequency band and constellation.

The updated suite also introduces firmware compatibility and improvements to the user interface and extends support to include MarinePak, among other enhancements. The Manage application, previously known as Setup and Monitor, now supports satellite tracking for L-Band and SBAS and offers a global map view of connected receivers.

Version 2.0 of the NovAtel Application Suite is designed to assist users in maintaining accurate GNSS positioning by quickly identifying and responding to RF interference. This update is targeted to industries that require precise location data, such as aerial mapping, agriculture and autonomous vehicle navigation.
NovAtel, novatel.com

DEFENSE

Upgraded UAS
With silent VTOL capabilities

The VXE30 Stalker unmanned aerial system (UAS) features the new “Havoc” configuration, designed to double the system’s flight endurance and payload capacity.

With the Havoc upgrades, the VXE30 can now support the complex demands of both small tactical units and larger brigade-level operations without extensive reconfiguration. The upgrades are designed to make the UAS more versatile across various military applications.

The VXE30 Stalker UAS has silent, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities and is payload agnostic with the Havoc configuration. It supports easy integration of third-party payloads and subsystems through a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), requiring no additional training for current operators.
Edge Autonomy, edgeautonomy.io

CUAS technology
Adheres to NDAA standards

This counter-unmanned aircraft system (CUAS) is a high-speed kinetic interceptor UAS that utilizes advanced autopilot algorithms for calculating and tracking precise target trajectories, neutralizing Group 1 and 2 aerial threats with pinpoint accuracy.

The system is manufactured in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to ensure it meets the federal requirements necessary for immediate deployment in both military and industrial settings in the United States.
Nearthlab, nearthlab.com

GPS integrity module
Seamlessly integrates with existing platforms

The Shift5 GPS integrity module is a platform-agnostic solution for military, aviation, rail, maritime and space applications.
With real-time access and analysis of onboard data, the module assesses changes in navigational position through multi-faceted anomaly detection methods, which alert operators to GPS spoofing attacks as they happen.

Using data collected from onboard systems, the module uses algorithmic position analysis to identify significant position deviations and GPS data validation to verify GPS information accuracy. Discrepancies or deviations that indicate tampering trigger an immediate notification, allowing operators to initiate standard operating procedures (SOPs) rapidly and accurately.

The module is designed for cross-platform deployment, across commercial and military planes, locomotives, vessels and aircraft, as well as on other critical systems such as radar, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and weapon guidance systems. It seamlessly integrates with existing platforms and can deploy directly to onboard hardware.

It offers multi-faceted detection and alerts for GPS spoofing attempts, designed to improve the safety and reliability of navigation systems. It uses physics-based spoofing detection to determine whether reported changes in position are physically possible to provide an effective method for initial spoofing detection. The system analyzes data from all sources to detect subtle, sophisticated spoofing attempts, which is essential for identifying more complex spoofing strategies that may evade traditional spoofing detection techniques.

Shift5 alerts can be integrated into existing SOPs to help preempt contamination of other positioning and navigation data, such as inertial navigation calibration against false GPS data. Metadata about the time, location, duration and estimated position of the attack can be passed for inclusion in threat mapping and other geospatial systems for future route avoidance.
Shift5, shift5.io

VTOL UAS
Designed for military forces

The Rogue 1 loitering munition UAS is designed to provide military forces with enhanced versatility, survivability and lethality in modern combat environments.

The Rogue 1 is an optionally lethal, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capable of engaging both moving and stationary targets, including armored vehicles and dismounted threats. It features a unique mechanical interrupt fuzing system that allows for the drone to be safely recovered and reused if the mission is aborted or targets are disengaged.

Equipped with advanced electro-optical and FLIR Boson 640+ thermal cameras, Rogue 1 offers day and night long-range reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. The system’s gimballed payload allows for precise targeting, facilitated by a novel coupling between sensors and warhead. Operators can customize the munition with various modular, mission-specific payloads to effectively engage different types of enemy targets.

It has a flight time of 30 minutes, can reach burst speeds exceeding 70 mph and has an operational range of over six miles, making it suitable for missions in harsh battlefield conditions, including communication- and GPS-denied environments.
Teledyne FLIR Defense, flir.com

UAV

Delivery winch
Improves safety and operational capabilities

A2Z Drone Delivery has released new safety features and hardware upgrades for its RDS2 commercial UAV delivery winch, including a weatherproof cover and an auto-releasing bag hook. This aims to improve safety and operational capabilities as well as aid in regulatory compliance for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations.

The system features entanglement auto-detection, which autonomously detects tether entanglements and allows the system to safely abandon the tether to prevent damage to the UAV. This feature can be customized to recognize different types of obstructions, whether at altitude or during the landing phase, enhancing safety across a variety of operational scenarios.

Additionally, the overweight payload rejection feature ensures that the payload weight does not exceed the 5 kg limit. This is useful when picking up payloads from third parties, as it automatically confirms that the weights are within safe flying limits before proceeding with the mission. The RDS2 now includes Tether Lifecycle Alerts, which notify operators when the winch’s tether, rated for up to 800 deliveries, requires replacement.
A2Z Drone Delivery, a2zdronedelivery.com

Integration platform
For fully autonomous operations

Flinks is designed for one-click integrations with third-party applications and devices. The platform aims to streamline the coordination of various systems involved in UAV operations, creating end-to-end automated workflows for fully autonomous systems.

It allows users to connect the FlytBase platform with critical business systems such as alarm systems, video management, data processing and more. By eliminating the need for complex, time-consuming manual interventions, Flinks is designed for users to seamlessly incorporate autonomous drones into their existing operations.

By joining the Flinks Partner Program, organizations can access FlytBase’s global network of UAV service providers, system integrators and enterprise customers.
FlytBase, flytbase.com

MACHINE CONTROL

Antenna
Integrates with heavy construction equipment

The iCON 120 machine smart antenna offers scalable and flexible machine control solutions for construction professionals.

The iCON 120 is a GNSS antenna intended for integration within the existing Leica MC1 platform. Using the iCON 120, operators can benefit from a tailor-made, Leica MC1-based machine control, allowing for more streamlined operations and consistent workflows with a variety of heavy construction equipment and application requirements.

Leica iCON 120 users can start with a single GNSS solution using a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS), such as WAAS or EGNOS, or a HxGN SmartNet service. The HxGN SmartNet family offers network real-time kinematics (RTK) with RTK bridging and precise point positioning (PPP) services that work exclusively with Leica Geosystems GS sensors. The new smart antenna can be easily switched, with quick mounting and dismounting, between Leica MC1-prepared machines.

Users can optionally upgrade their basic-level machine-control solution with the Leica CR50 communication unit to receive RTK correction data via radio or modem. The CR50 features a web interface, automotive ethernet communication, worldwide cellular modem and integrated dual-frequency UHF radio.
Leica Geosystems, leica-geosystems.com

GNSS smart antenna
For construction Site Positioning

The R780 GNSS Smart Antenna is designed for construction site positioning. It features a dual-band radio (450/900 MHz) that connects to diverse base stations and job sites without additional external radios. The dual Trimble Maxwell 7 GNSS ASIC chip allows the system to perform in challenging GNSS environments such as a blocked sky, multi-path or degraded signal.

An activated and ready-to-use Trimble CenterPoint RTX subscription is included for the first 12 months. CenterPoint RTX is point positioning technology that provides real-time, centimeter-level corrections via satellite or cellular/IP.

Using the R780 with Trimble FieldLink software supports underground and long-distance layout projects as well as QA/QC and field positioning tasks. The R780 can serve as a GNSS rover or as a base station for other GNSS operations including machine control.
Trimble Civil Construction, heavyindustry.trimble.com

<p>The post Launchpad: Upgraded surveying software, application suite, GPS integrity module first appeared on GPS World.</p>

A link to the live event will be sent to you two hours before the event. Your personalized event URL will be automatically generated by the ON24 system. To ensure receipt of the email, please whitelist this email address by adding it to your contacts: do_not_reply@on24event.com.

This presentation will begin at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT on Thursday, June 27. A recording will also be sent to you the following day so you can watch it on-demand.

Audience members may arrive 15 minutes prior to live time. If you have any questions, please contact event producer Jesse Khalil at jkhalil@northcoastmedia.net.

<p>The post Thank you for registering first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Microchip makes an integrated circuit, known as an inductive position sensor, that is very well suited for machine control because it is not affected by the harsh conditions on most construction sites — temperature extremes, water, dust and dirt — and the vibrations caused by the machine itself. Additionally, it is not affected by the stray magnetic fields generated by electric motors, which are increasingly common on those machines.

Inductive position sensors are used in many automotive systems. (Photo: Microchip)

“We use our inductive position sensing to measure the angle or the linear movement of some sort of target to get a machine to perform its task,” said Mark Smith, product line manager for many different mixed signal products at Microchip. “For example, to control a blade on an earthmoving machine to do something, you need to have feedback about its current angle.”

Microchip also makes sensors for human interfaces, such as accelerator pedals in cars, which no longer have cables that run up to the motor. “Any sort of movement, such as the angles of rotation of a robotic arm, must be monitored and measured. Inductive position sensing is one of the up-and-coming ways to do it,” said Smith.

To direct a task, a central processing unit must then analyze and integrate the data from the sensors. For that, Microchip makes many types of computing elements — including mini-computers and microcontrollers.

“One of the things that’s coming up with many of these vehicles is ambient magnetic noise in the system,” said Smith, “because you’re next to electric motors these days. You want sensors that are immune to stray magnetic fields. We started with automotive, but we’re also seeing it now in industrial environments, including earthmoving vehicles.” Inductive position sensors, Smith said, are simpler, cheaper, lighter, and better able to withstand extreme temperatures than what they are replacing. “Also, because they are non-contact, the circuit board can be environmentally protected.”

Vibrations also are a concern. “There is an air gap between the target and the sensor itself,” Smith said. “We have an automatic gain control at the sensing side that is constantly adjusting the gain to get the maximum signal strength. This is a fast-moving control algorithm that can adjust the gain to ensure that the vibration does not affect the performance. When everything is operating at its maximum torque, this starts to matter.”

<p>The post Microchip: Inductive position sensors measure movements first appeared on GPS World.</p>

A link to the live event will be sent to you two hours before the event. Your personalized event URL will be automatically generated by the ON24 system. To ensure receipt of the email, please whitelist this email address by adding it to your contacts: do_not_reply@on24event.com.

This presentation will begin at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT on Thursday, March 14. A recording will also be sent to you the following day so you can watch it on-demand.

Audience members may arrive 15 minutes prior to live time. If you have any questions, please contact event producer Jesse Khalil at jkhalil@northcoastmedia.net.

<p>The post Thank you for registering first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Between 1978 and at least the mid-1980s, maybe even the late 1980s, the Air Force tried several times to cancel the program. At the time, I was a Capitol Hill staffer for the House Intelligence Committee. In one of those efforts to cancel GPS, Tom Cooper, who was a lead staffer for the House Armed Services Committee, came to me and said, “Can you guys give any reason for keeping GPS?” And I said, “Yes, it greatly improves the accuracy of SIGINT [signals intelligence] locations. It makes a very big difference.”

So, Tom used that, along with other arguments, for why we should keep GPS. The Committee and Congress ultimately decided they would, despite the Air Force’s resistance.

The Air Force’s resistance came from the Strategic Air Command, which in the 1980s believed it would never use satellites. They were concerned about the satellites being shot down. I found this amusing because they were flying around in aircraft at a few thousand feet and were concerned about satellites flying at 11,000 miles. But they were, so they were laggards.

Image: USAF/Staff Sgt. Kyle Johnson

Which service adopted GPS first and why?

The service that by far led the way was the Army. It spent $100 million a year absorbing NRO capabilities. They also spent money on GPS, though not as much. By the time we got to the first Gulf War, in 1991, we had a partial GPS constellation — I think of 18 satellites of the 24 required — and that meant that you didn’t have 100% coverage all day long. So, coverage maps of their areas of interest were generated every day to let people in the field know when they would have service. Most of them didn’t have receivers either. Most of the receivers they did have were Precision Lightweight GPS Receivers (PLGR), knows as “pluggers”, which were the first “handheld” receivers, but they were pretty big.

Once the fight got going, many of the troops wrote home and asked their moms and dads to send them civilian receivers.

Yes! Thousands and thousands of them showed up in theater. Some troops taped them to the windscreens of their helicopters or jet aircraft. They were just jury-rigged into everything because, despite their limitations at the time, they were very, very useful, unlike anything else. So, now everybody realized, “Oh my goodness, this is really a big deal. This is a game changer!”

Then we got more modern receivers, integrated receivers, the whole thing. However, at the end of the Gulf War, the Air Force still had no plan to equip any of its aircraft with GPS. As Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, I was called over to the Armed Services Committee and asked, “What is your plan for integrating GPS receivers into your aircraft fleet?” I said, “There is no plan.” and they were incredulous. They looked at me like “Well, you’re an idiot.”

It wasn’t me, however, and the staff knew my story before I gave it. As a result, Congress mandated it. They put it in that year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Within less than 10 years you had Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and other GPS-guided weapons. So, that got it moving quickly.

By the end of the 1990s, the Air Force was fully on board and were equipping their aircraft with many weapons that depended on GPS. Meanwhile, GPS had moved to a full constellation of 24 satellites. Full operating capability was declared in 1995. The Navy proceeded similarly, but they were somewhat less affected. So, the Army remained a leader in using space.

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force asked me about Air Force use of GPS. I said, “Chief, the Air Force builds a lot of space stuff, but it doesn’t use it.” Of course, a short time later it was using it extensively. So, this ramp-up was very rapid — just a few years from “I don’t give a darn about these things” to “I can’t live without them.”

Brad Parkinson and his successors as JPO directors designed and built the system but had no role in its adoption, right?

No. They were going turn it over to the production house, if you will, and they did. Once the Air Force got on board with GPS guided weapons, adoption proceeded rapidly.

What about the Navy?

I don’t recall the Navy particularly. I do not at all accuse them of being laggards. I think they did what they needed, whatever that was.

Did later NDAAs expand that mandate to the other services?

I don’t know. I was out of the government by that time, so I lost track. I don’t think it was necessary. What people didn’t understand immediately was that you could do anything with this system. At the end of the day, it is a super accurate timing signal. There are many things you could do with that and people have done them. It quickly became evident that it was so pervasively useful, that anything you could think of involves GPS, from the era of the first Gulf War onward. By 10 years later, many weapons systems in all the services were GPS-guided. I later served on the board of ATK and we were building GPS-guided artillery rounds. I am pretty sure that the ATACMS [Army Tactical Missile System] you hear about today is GPS guided.

So, in a couple of years, all the services wanted to integrate GPS in all their platforms and weapons.

Well, except that the amazing thing was, despite all the things that people had done with GPS in the Gulf War — starting with those helicopters that went in the first night and took out the command and control system, which were guided by Army-provided pluggers taped onto the windscreens by their pilots, and downed pilots using GPS to give their coordinates to the rescue teams — at the end of the war the Air Force still didn’t have a plan to put them on its aircraft! That’s when Congress mandated it. It was amazing.

Despite that, once they got going, particularly once they got going with GPS-guided weapons, everything changed. I don’t know whether the Air Force became leaders, but they were certainly aggressive integrators of the program into the service. There was no more, “We won’t use satellites” and all that.

That was after my time. I left government in early 1993. There were other big fish to fry at the same time. As important as I realized it was, I still didn’t realize how important it was, and I was way ahead of most everybody else, in the Air Force anyway.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) chief scientist at the time said, “The great thing about GPS is that it is a tool around which you can build myriad capabilities.” He outlined a few for the FAA, many of which they have since done. The same thing began to happen in the services, particularly in the Air Force, in which GPS-guided weapons were pervasive within 10 years.

Part of Brad’s motto for JPO was “The mission of this program office is, number one, to drop five bombs in the same hole.”

Yeah. By the way, one mistake that people make a lot is they think there were GPS-guided weapons during the first Gulf War. That was not the case. There were none by then. There were precision guided munitions that were guided by maps and lasers and a variety of means. But, despite the belief of many authors, there were no GPS-guided weapons at that time.

So, which was the first conflict in which GPS was used?

It was the Iraq War, in 2003. It was a major user of GPS-guided weapons.

Any other thoughts on the 50th anniversary from the military side of things?

It is impossible to overemphasize the importance to military operations and, frankly, to civilian life as well, of being able to easily and accurately navigate or have highly accurate time.
You can do it with a $100 receiver, whereas it used to require a $10,000 receiver and you had to have it re-initialized from a standard. So that’s what everybody does. Now, this has created probably more dependency than is healthy and many nations have backup that we don’t have.

Such as Loran-C. That’s a big subject of debate these days, as you know.

Well, it’s been a subject of debate for 20 years. Everybody agrees, but nobody moves.

The Department of Transportation recently released an action plan on the adoption of complementary PNT systems. So, there’s some movement.

As a one-time government bureaucrat, what you do when people are on your back is launch a study and say, “Well, it will be done in a year or two.” They have done this time, after time, after time.

There was the Volpe study more than 20 years ago.

Exactly.

<p>The post From “We don’t need it” to “We can’t live without it” first appeared on GPS World.</p>