As Long As It's Not Interfered With
As a resource for policy-makers and other interested parties seeking to understand the role and potential of GPS in the U.S. economy, security, defense, safety, infrastructure, and overall national interest, we present this compilation of stories on real-world applications of GPS technology. They are grouped by:
- Survey, Construction, and Mapping;
- Roads, Traffic, and Freight;
- Natural Resources, Offshore Oil Platforms, Mining, and More;
- Defense, Security, and First Responder;
- Disaster Management;
- Aviation;
- Timing, Networks, and Infrastructure.
Feel free to forward this link to your senator and/or U.S representative, adding your message about how the LightSquared initiative, if allowed to go forward, will seriously degrade, if not disable, many or all of these applications.
These articles were prepared for a technical audience, and were written for the most part by engineers in the field. However, the introductions and conclusions should be accessible to a general audience, and the opening photos will be helpful as well.
SURVEY, CONSTRUCTION, and MAPPING
Position: 20 Kilometers, Heavy Construction May 1, 2011
The Fehmarnbelt Positioning System between Denmark and Germany includes a geodetic basis, four permanent GNSS stations, and a real-time kinematic (RTK) service for construction of a road and rail causeway between the islands of Fehmarn, Germany, and Lolland, Denmark across the Fehmarnbelt.
On the Edge: Iraq on the Map March 1, 2011
As a geodetic surveyor, I served in the U.S Army for 10 years. During that time, my team and I developed a nationwide GPS infrastructure system called the Iraqi Geospatial Reference System (IGRS). We installed Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) and High Accuracy Reference Network.
Sensor Fusion in Forestry July 1, 2010
Modern machines such as wood harvesters can automatically cut trees and remove branches, but an expert is still needed to plan a thinning and to mark the trees to be felled. The process can be accelerated if the forest ranger can virtually mark trees to be cut, using geographic coordinates instead.
Innovation: Dam Stability October 1, 2006
A precise and modernized monitoring program is an important component of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' long-term risk-management plan for hydroelectric structures. Recent work at Libby Dam in Montana demonstrates that GPS deformation monitoring systems can accurately track displacements.
Network Corrections for Machine Control July 1, 2009
Network-based real-time kinematic (NRTK) positioning reduces or eliminates the communication, integrity, and affordability problems associated with semi-automated guidance of bulldozers, excavators, and other equipment at centimeter-level accuracy. This new method addresses adequate height control...More
On the Edge: Making Peace April 1, 2011
Early morning on February 2, 2011, I went to work in my job as a road surveyor in the Bungoma District of Kenya. Here, land disputes are common, though the government is trying to reduce the conflicts by issuing land titles and certificates. I carried with me a small handheld GPS, the Magellan...More
Surveying the Market July 1, 2007
GPS products sold in the survey and construction sector range from $1,000 to $125,000, furnishing high gross margins. We explore the business of this industry segment, its key players, and their relationships with providers and vendors.
GPS sensors track wind-driven displacements of Chicago skyscrapers and provide the first full-scale insight into structural response that will help produce better building designs.
Drive-By DTM April 1, 2006
A data teletransmission system for quick and efficient creation of digital terrain models (DTMs) forms the backbone of experimental work in the transmission of differential GPS and real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections. A roving vehicle carries the system and collects data for a precise DTM.
LiDAR on the Level in Afghanistan July 1, 2005
Concerns about airspace security in Afghanistan literally brought a LiDAR-based survey operation down to the ground.
Precise Rail Track Surveying May 1, 2004
Describes a multisensor measurement system incorporating real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS, and its use to survey sections of railroad track in the United Kingdom.
Mapping the Underworld March 1, 2007
Beneath the streets lie thousands of kilometers of cables and pipes. Buried decades ago, their exact location remains a mystery. At the University of Nottingham, researchers tested GPS and a system that pairs GPS with Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) algorithms. Their goal: find a solution for mapping buried assets, which in turn will increase the efficiency of streetworks projects.
Look Beneath the Surface with Augmented Reality February 3, 2002
Augmented Reality technology graphically overlays digitally-stored information on views of the real world. It can facilitate the work of engineers and managers in the field and reduce the costs of field excavations and other operations.
Steep-Slope Monitoring November 1, 2005
Although GPS is an efficient tool for deformation monitoring, it also is an expensive one for large projects. The authors developed a remote-controlled monitoring system using an electronic switching device for multiple antennas to monitor steep slopes at the Xiaowan hydropower station in China.
Low-Frequency Vibrations April 1, 2010
Multipath makes it difficult to detect very low-frequency structural vibrations, ranging from 0.05 to 1 Hz, important in characterizing dynamic loads and determining safe structural lifetimes. The authors have developed a phase-residual method for use with very high-frequency data to distinguish...More
Measuring Mach 8 June 1, 2007
The Benchmark Survey System, developed for the U.S. Air Force's Holloman High Speed Test Track, replaces legacy NGA conventional survey techniques with a GPS-only system, maintaining sub-millimeter positioning accuracy while increasing throughput by 400 percent.
Bridge Deflection Monitoring - Tracking Millimeters across the Firth of Forth February 1, 2006
Kinematic GPS trials with dual-frequency surveying grade code- and carrier-phase receivers measure 3D displacements of Scotland's Forth Road Bridge to millimeter precision. Researchers also found that measured frequencies of bridge movements compared well to the bridge frequencies obtained from...More
Millimeters in Motion January 1, 2005
Brazilian researchers devised a way to detect dynamic millimetric displacements in large structures using single-frequency GPS receivers. They combine interferometry, satellite geometry, and a novel analysis of L1 double-difference phase residuals of regular static observations over a short...More
ROADS, TRAFFIC, and FREIGHT
Driving Reality Home
May 1, 2011
A new navigation system looks to make driving safer by removing the need for drivers to look away from the road at their navigation device. As a driver moves down the road, the route is “drawn” onto the live video screen of an Android smartphone.
Communication on the Road April 1, 2009
A low-cost GPS-based positioning architecture for V2V and V2I systems uses a scalable, flexible system with over-the-air messaging and an onboard design to enable a range of in-vehicle safety features.
Handling at the Limits August 1, 2010
Learning how to control a car as a race driver does, at its very limits of handling, can ultimately assist ordinary drivers who enter a turn too quickly or are driving on a wet road and don’t realize when they need to brake. DGPS and inertial sensors drive feedback and feedforward speed...More
Driven Downtown October 1, 2008
A tightly coupled solution that combines measurements of GPS, two-dimensional laser scanner, and inertial sensors for trajectory reconstruction estimates the user delta position between consecutive update epochs. Example applications that would benefit from accurate trajectory reconstruction.
Go Green with GPS October 1, 2008
Let's think about the planet for a second. In the turmoil of high gas prices and rising costs, GPS and location-based services continue to quietly provide us with a combination of savings and planet-regenerating benefits.
Safe in Traffic October 1, 2006
Integration of GPS and wireless high-speed communications in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside links can reduce accident rates and injuries. A sophisticated processor, GPS receiver, and dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) transceiver tap into available sensors that already help to...More
Platoon, Roll!: Robots Test Sensor Combos June 1, 2006
Collaborative driving systems — linking several vehicles together using in-vehicle positioning and control systems — can increase road capacity, improve safety, and reduce driver fatigue and stress. This test used fixed-ambiguity carrier-phase GPS as the primary sensor, with a digital camera...More
Driving the Line March 1, 2003
A new system integrating GPS, inertial navigation, and a high-speed digital camera fulfills transportation agency needs for precise surveying of highway center and edge lines, while slashing costs and production time — and increasing crew safety. The mobile mapping system, currently van-mounted...More
Precision on a Roll January 1, 2004
To optimize road-surface compacting, increasing surface lifetime and reducing costly repairs, French researchers devised and tested three differential GPS (DGPS) systems to help drivers guide machinery. One of these could supplant a too-costly RTK GPS and dead-reckoning system, delivering the requisite continuous 5-20 centimeter location accuracy.
Seeing the Road Ahead
November 1, 2003
An in-vehicle system that enables drivers to "see" the road and surrounding vehicles despite heavy fog, rain, or snow could significantly improve road safety. This article describes an augmented reality (AR) system that combines GPS/inertial measurements with real-time road video footage to display highlighted road boundaries and up-to-date positions of surrounding vehicles.
Shipyard Giants September 3, 2002
Giant cranes moving in busy container yards require precise positioning to operate efficiently and safely. Ultra high-precision GPS RTK software working with dual-frequency GPS receivers and wireless data modems accomplishes this.
NATURAL RESOURCES: OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORMS, MINING, AND MORE
Pulling in All Signals March 1, 2010
Adding GLONASS to GPS gives a total of about 50 satellites, for a significant improvement in navigation availability, reliability, robustness, and convergence time through a new multi-GNSS precise point positioning (PPP) service.
Mining Boom Spurs New Positioning Solutions May 19, 2010
Some of the earliest examples of fitting GPS to heavy earth-moving machinery occurred in the U.S., Australian, and Canadian mining industries in the 1990s. Miners were also quick to adopt the first GPS/GLONASS systems. The trend continues today with trials of new radio positioning technologies such as the Novariant Terralite XPS and the Locata system.
Collision Avoidance in the Mining Industry July 22, 2009
Safety is a hot topic in the mining industry. Fatalities and lost-time injuries (a measure of safety performance) have started to increase after more than a decade of steady decline, which is worrying both governments and mining companies. Can GPS play a role in reversing the trend?
Mine Eyes July 1, 2002
A prototype system tells heavy equipment operators the location of nearby vehicles and obstacles, and warns them when they get too close.
DEFENSE, SECURITY, AND FIRST RESPONDER
Monocular SLAM September 1, 2008
GPS-denied navigation indoors, underground, on moving reference frames, and in urban canyons can be achieved in a practical approach suitable for use by the warfighter or emergency responder, using robotic vision algorithms and coupled MEMS-based dead-reckoning modules.
A Step Ahead November 1, 2008
A system being tested could someday enable emergency and military crews to precisely pinpoint their on-foot navigation, using a network of sensors worn by individuals.
Driving Blind — with Assistance July 1, 2008
A lightweight mobile testbed of the French Defence Procurement Agency replicates the onboard activity of an armored tank, using an augmented-reality image enriched with a dynamic overlay of 3D-projected information, including navigation channels, waypoints, and terrain anomalies.
Challenged Positions
September 1, 2010
A performance assessment demonstrates the ability of a networked group of users to locate themselves and each other, navigate, and operate under adverse conditions in which an individual user would be impaired. The technique for robust GPS positioning in a dynamic sensor network uses a distributed GPS aperture and RF ranging signals among the network nodes.
Pinpointing the Pieces August 1, 2009
Attacks in 1993 and 1995 on the World Trade Center and in Oklahoma City gave a wake-up call on terrorism on U.S. soil. Combat forces in Afghanistan and Iraq face this threat daily: bombings that utilize large vehicles as a delivery method.
Among other roles, this device noses about in hostile waters to identify mines and other explosives, to secure passageways for military missions.
Troubleshoot Before Takeoff September 1, 2006
Modeling and simulation, two separate but related activities conducted prior to flight tests of high-performance military navigation systems, can reduce costs, shorten timelines, and remove some uncontrollable variables from the process, to deliver more accurate, verifiable results.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Hurricane Hunters October 1, 2005
GPS dropsondes released into the Katrina's eyewall tracked and predicted wind strength, speed, and direction.
Abreast of the Waves May 1, 2005
A commercial-grade GPS receiver on a buoy measures wave height and direction with centimeter accuracy. Accurate, reliable prediction of the development, propagation, and decay of ocean waves is essential for safe, economical maritime operations. Bad weather and unexpected heavy wave loads have caused such environmental disasters as the wreck of the fuel tanker Erika off the coast of Brittany in 1999.
Galileo to the Rescue February 1, 2011
"E
mergency Alert: Bus collision in Berchtesgaden, parking area Salzbergwerk. Many injured. Bus overturned, some thrown from vehicle, some trapped inside. Local temperature below freezing, snow falling. All crews respond immediately.”
What's Shaking? Earthquake Trials Test Networked RTK April 1, 2002
Recent advances in GPS technologies make ground surface displacement measurements under static as well as dynamic conditions easier to obtain with increased accuracy.
AVIATION
Shaping Aviation Integrity April 1, 2008
Relative RAIM and absolute RAIM both enable an aircraft to raise a flag within seconds of receiving faulty data. This article evaluates the protection-level equations for both methods, and examines them in the light of GNSS constellations optimized for 24, 27, and 30 satellites.
Approach with Precision September 12, 2006
New ground-based augmentation systems at or near airports offer the potential of new or improved capabilities, as well as cost reduction for existing airspace system infrastructure.
EGNOS Takes Flight April 1, 2006
Tests of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) indicate the system's future capabilities as a navigation aid for the aeronautical community, particularly in approaches to mountain-based airports and other challenging environments.More>>
TIMING, NETWORKS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Billions per Second July 31, 2002 Financial institutions from mortgage brokers to stock markets use millions of servers and workstations of all types and functions, networked together and executing a blinding rush of transactions, at rapid changes of value from second to second. 
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