Photo: NOAA

Today, NOAA cartographers from the Marine Chart Division are converting paper nautical charts to a digital format and incorporating them into NOAA electronic navigational charts (NOAA ENC). NOAA created its suite of ENCs by digitizing its paper nautical charts. An ENC is a vector database that supports all types of marine navigation. Marine navigators can use the system to see their real- time position in relation to features on a chart.

Marine navigators using NOAA ENC. (Photo: NOAA)

By digitizing the paper Erie Canal charts, NOAA can now provide ENCs for the canal from Albany to Lake Ontario. As part of the digitizing process, NOAA cartographers standardized the chart scales covering the canal, moving away from the 64 irregularly shaped paper charts in chart 14786, New York State Canal System.

1:10,000 SCALE NOAA Custom Chart output near Waterford, New York. (Photo: USGS/NOAA)

The ENC is the primary nautical navigation product of the agency, which is ending the production and maintenance of its traditional paper and raster nautical chart products. The remaining paper charts are only being updated with critical corrections until they are fully canceled. Chart 14786 will be one of the last ones canceled, on Dec. 5, 2024.

Now, marine users are referred to the NOAA Custom Chart Application. It is an online map tool for users to create paper and PDF nautical charts derived from the official NOAA ENC.

<p>The post How NOAA is digitizing charts of the Erie Canal first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Durdle Door on the beach in Dorset County, United Kingdom. (Photo: Fonrimso/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is inviting UK government organizations involved in seabed mapping who share common interests in optimizing the UK’s national maritime assets to become members of the newly unveiled UK Centre for Seabed Mapping (UK CSM).

UK CSM is administered by the UKHO, and was submitted as a UK Government Voluntary Commitment to the United Nations at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 27.

The UK CSM has a remit to increase the coverage, quality and access of seabed mapping data collected using public funds, as well as to better promote it as a critical component of national infrastructure.

Working groups established

Created to spearhead a coordinated approach to the collection, management and access of seabed mapping data – and to champion a more integrated marine geospatial sector in the UK – the UK CSM has established three working groups: National Data Collaboration, International Data Collaboration, and Data Collection Standards.

These working groups will further the discussion and coordination of data accessibility, collection and collaboration, as well as progress work on data standards, by creating the conditions and developing infrastructure to enable the diverse community of marine geospatial stakeholders to come together to deliver significant, sustained and strategic benefits to the UK – particularly in the context of the integrated review and the UK’s Global Britain vision.

So far, 22 government agencies are involved in the inaugural management group meeting of the UK CSM and volunteered to participate on the working groups.

The UK CSM will develop specifications that support UK and international standards for the collection of marine geospatial data.

<p>The post UK organizations join new center for seabed mapping first appeared on GPS World.</p>

The HGuide o360 Navigator. (Photo: Honeywell)

Honeywell has expanded its HGuide industrial navigation portfolio with three new technologically advanced navigation systems — the HGuide o360 INS/GNSS navigator, HGuide n500 inertial navigator and the HGuide g080 GNSS receiver.

The new HGuide products are designed for a wide array of industrial and autonomous applications across air, land and sea vehicles and related equipment.

The HGuide o360 navigation system is a compact single-card, all-attitude inertial navigation system (INS) GNSS navigator that can deliver an accurate and robust position and attitude navigation service, even through GNSS-challenged or denied environments, to industrial and autonomous applications. It provides the features and compatibility needed for a simple integration.

“The HGuide o360 is an engineering marvel and a technological breakthrough. There are no similar competing products in the industry today that can achieve such a high-performance level at this price point and size,” said Matt Picchetti, vice president and general manager, Navigation & Sensors, Honeywell Aerospace. “The entire HGuide product line is suitable for a wide range of industries, including autonomous vehicles, marine and a host of industrial applications where accurate positioning and attitude information is required in real time.”

The HGuide o360 INS/GNSS navigator contains a powerful dual antenna, multi-frequency, multi-constellation, real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver, Honeywell’s i300 inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology, and a high-grade calibrated magnetometer.

The HGuide o360 is designed for platforms that require high-performance navigation data in an ultra-low size, weight and power (SWAP) package.

The HGuide n500 inertial navigator is a navigation-grade bring-your-own-GNSS all-attitude navigator that supports continuous position and attitude navigation even during prolonged GNSS outages. The HGuide n500 is built on Honeywell’s HG4930 IMU plus the Honeywell HGuide Sensor Fusion software.

The HGuide g080 GNSS receiver is a dual-antenna, triple-radio frequency, all-constellation GNSS receiver that delivers heading and positioning down to sub-centimeter levels even in GNSS-challenged environments. It includes an onboard IMU to allow tracking during short GNSS outages and enable smooth and fast reacquisition. The product is available with or without RTK functionality.

Inertial navigation systems are highly critical in navigation and comprise an IMU, a GNSS receiver and sensor fusion software. These components work together to calculate position, orientation and velocity to deliver critical navigation information in GNSS-denied areas such as urban canyons, bridges, tunnels, mountains, parking garages and dense forests.

<p>The post Honeywell expands navigation portfolio with new HGuide products first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Photo: Advanced Navigation

Advanced Navigation has launched a new fiber-optic gyroscope inertial navigation system (INS), named Boreas. It is an ultra-high accuracy, strategic-grade INS, offering a reduction in size, weight, power and cost. Boreas is the first product to be released based on Advanced Navigation’s new DFOG (digital fiber-optic gyroscope) technology, which is the culmination of 25 years of development involving two research institutions.

The Boreas is targeted at applications requiring always-available, ultra-high accuracy orientation and navigation including marine, surveying, subsea, aerospace, robotics and space.

“Boreas is the first product on the market to offer our patent-pending DFOG technology,” said Advanced Navigation CEO Xavier Orr. “DFOG represents a step-change for fiber-optic gyroscopes. With Boreas’ ultra-high-accuracy and strategic-grade performance combined with the reduction of size, weight, power and cost by 40%, we will be able to enable new industries and applications that were never possible before.”

The Boreas delivers strategic-grade bias stability of 0.001 deg/hr. This allows it to achieve ultra-high roll/pitch accuracy of 0.005 degrees and heading accuracy of 0.006 degrees. Boreas allows for full independence from GPS with dead-reckoning accuracy of 0.01% distance traveled with an odometer or Doppler velocity log.

The Boreas features ultra-fast gyro compassing, taking only 2 minutes to acquire heading in both stationary environments or on the move. Gyro compassing allows the system to determine a highly accurate heading of 0.01 degrees secant latitude without relying on magnetic heading or GPS.

The Boreas contains Advanced Navigation’s sensor-fusion algorithm, which is more intelligent than the typical extended Kalman filter. The algorithm is able to extract significantly more information from the data by making use of human-inspired artificial intelligence. It was designed for control applications, with a high level of health monitoring and instability prevention to ensure stable and reliable data.

Advanced Navigation designed Boreas from the ground up for reliability and availability. Both the hardware and software are designed and tested to safety standards, and it has been environmentally tested to mil standards.

The system is designed for a mean time between failures of 500,000 hours. Additional features include Ethernet, CAN and NMEA protocols, as well as a disciplined timing server providing PTP. An embedded web interface provides full access to all of the device’s internal functions and data. Internal storage allows for up to one year of data logging.

<p>The post Advanced Navigation launches Boreas digital FOG first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Hexagon | Veripos has expanded its inertial solution SPAN GNSS+INS technology from NovAtel, also part of Hexagon, to dynamic positioning (DP) applications and vessels.

SPAN technology delivers a deeply coupled GNSS and inertial navigation system (INS) that provides robust, reliable and continuous centimeter-level positioning for operators to maintain safety and maximize uptime.

With a GNSS+INS solution, DP vessels can bridge outages in GNSS tracking and through short periods of radio-frequency interference, jamming or spoofing.

Veripos is a leader in offshore high-precision positioning, delivering reliable and trustworthy GNSS solutions such as the LD900 receiver, PPP correction services and positioning visualization software. This expertise is demonstrated through SPAN technology’s deep coupling of GNSS and inertial measurements.

Deep coupling describes how inertial measurements enhance the signal tracking for GNSS solutions, leading to improved resiliency against GNSS outages and enabling rapid reacquisition in case of interruptions. SPAN technology builds system robustness against potential signal outages, interference or disruptions while optimizing operational efficiency.

“The robust positioning, heading, velocity and attitude measurements generated from a deeply coupled GNSS and inertial solution like SPAN technology is a game-changer to dynamic positioning operations,” said David Russell, marine segment portfolio manager at Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division. “SPAN technology has a proven track record of bridging outages, enabling rapid reacquisition of signals, and building a reliable and robust positioning system. It’s the best option for vessels to ensure an added layer of resiliency and achieve continuous centimeter-level accuracy across all conditions.”

SPAN GNSS+INS technology is compatible with commercial inertial measurement units (IMUs) and scalable with the LD900 GNSS receiver, Quantum visualization software and APEX correction services.

Image: Hexagon

<p>The post Hexagon | Veripos expands SPAN GNSS+INS portfolio for dynamic positioning first appeared on GPS World.</p>

In late 2020, Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division announced its technological breakthrough of global RTK From the Sky, demonstrating a future where instantaneous PPP and global RTK-level accuracy is possible.

Integrating this innovation into the core of TerraStar-C PRO, NovAtel’s corrections service, is the first phase in implementing RTK From the Sky technology into the company’s diverse portfolio of correction services for users worldwide.

As a result, TerraStar-C PRO has become the fastest global correction service to provide centimeter-level accuracy, not just in open-sky environments but also across challenging conditions created by buildings and foliage, according to Hexagon | NovAtel.

“RTK From the Sky technology is the foundation that enables our global correction services to be world-leading across agriculture, automotive, defense, survey, marine and autonomous applications,” said Michael Ritter, Autonomy & Positioning division president and CEO. “Our dedication to research culminated in an industry-changing technology; we’ll continue that commitment by providing the best positioning experience in speed, accuracy, availability and reliability anywhere in the world.”

TerraStar-C PRO now converges in less than three minutes by utilizing quad-band receiver and antenna technology to leverage modernized BeiDou III, GPS III and Galileo E6 signals. The resulting process generates state-of-the-art corrections for all GNSS frequencies.

Hexagon is a consistent innovator in GNSS, as seen in its role in developing RTK and PPP solutions. With this next-generation modernization of PPP correction generation and algorithm development, the company continues this tradition in providing the highest quality and best performing global positioning experience to users with land- and air-based applications.

“It’s been a privilege to collaborate across the division to develop RTK From the Sky technology and leverage our collective expertise in correction generation, PPP algorithms and the entire positioning ecosystem,” said Leos Mervart, head of PPP algorithm development at Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division. “I’ve worked with PPP technologies since the beginning of my career and am proud to say that this is a new era of what global positioning can look like.”

The TerraStar-C PRO improvements are accessible now through the 7.08.10 firmware release for users on OEM7700, OEM719 and OEM729 cards and their associated enclosures for land and air applications.

Future firmware releases will include global RTK From the Sky technology throughout Hexagon’s correction service portfolios for its global client base, including precision agriculture and marine applications.

To learn more about TerraStar correction services or to request a free 5-day trial, visit NovAtel.com/TerraStar.

<p>The post RTK From the Sky tech transforms TerraStar-C PRO service with 3-minute global convergence first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Nick Hough, IMCA

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has published “Guidelines on the use of GNSS for tide calculations” (IMCA S 027). It provides an overview of how GNSS can assist in more accurate real-time direct measurement of tidal changes. IMCA S 027 is available for members to download free of charge, and costs £50 for non-members.

IMCA S 027 includes sections on

• tide theory
• geodetic reference systems and tidal datums
• tides from GNSS
• quality assurance and quality control
• glossary, references and a list of further reading

One reference is the recently revised IMCA S 015, “Guidelines for GNSS positioning in the Oil and Gas industry,” produced with the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers.

“As with horizontal positioning, vertical positioning is referenced to specified datums,” explained Nick Hough, IMCA’s technical adviser for Offshore Survey. “Unlike land surveying, where vertical measurements (elevations) are made from and to a known, fixed position, vertical measurements offshore (depths) are taken against a moving dynamic surface.”

“All absolute depths recorded from survey activities need to be adjusted for tide and reduced to a known constant vertical datum such as Mean Sea Level (MSL) or Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT),” Hough said. “The effect of tides will result in depth differences at different times of the day, and at the same times on different days.”

“Advances in GNSS technology enable accurate and consistent calculation of height above a known datum, which means reliance on tide gauges or tide prediction tables is no longer necessary,” Hough said.

<p>The post IMCA publishes guidelines on use of GNSS for tide calculations first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Photo: Garmin

GPS-based navigation tool with multi-band GNSS provides reliable, accurate heading and position information

Garmin International Inc. has launched the MSC 10 marine satellite compass with multi-band GNSS and a fully integrated attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) for a smooth and accurate GPS-derived heading and position on the water.

“Garmin was the first to deliver a marine positioning receiver and antenna utilizing multi-band GNSS support, and we’re pleased to continue to bring this innovative technology to our customers with the MSC 10 satellite compass,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “An advanced navigation tool, the GPS-based MSC 10 won’t be impacted by magnetic interference, so even in challenging situations, you’ll know exactly where you’re headed.”

Utilizing both L1 and L5 GPS frequencies, along with multi-constellation support (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou), the MSC 10 provides precise positioning and heading accuracy within 2 degrees. Its 10-Hz position update rate delivers better, more detailed tracking information. By using satellite signals, it eliminates magnetic interference, which can degrade heading accuracy.

The MSC 10 is easy to install and can be used as the primary position and heading sensor across multiple systems, including autopilots. Along with heading, the MSC 10 will also deliver reliable, precise pitch, roll and heave information — even in rough seas — to a compatible Garmin chartplotter via the NMEA 2000 network. In the rare case that satellite signal is lost, it will seamlessly transition from GPS-based to a backup magnetometer-based heading.

NMEA 2000 certified, the MSC 10 is compatible with a wide range of Garmin chartplotters, including the GPSMAP 8400/8600 series, the new GPSMAP 7×3/9×3/12×3 series, and the keyed GPSMAP 10×2/12×2 series.

The MSC 10 is expected to be available this month.

<p>The post Garmin announces GPS marine satellite compass first appeared on GPS World.</p>