Category Archives: Galileo Applications

Galileo Applications

eCall satellite navigation certified for first European customers

Following the April 1 entry into force of the European eCall regulation, requiring all new car and light van types sold in the EU to be fitted with the emergency systems, Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo Cars has taken the lead as the first car-maker to equip its vehicles with eCall.

Volvo is the first car maker to integrate eCall system with Galileo capabilities

Volvo is the first car maker to integrate eCall system with Galileo capabilities

The eCall device in the Volvo vehicles is manufactured by ACTIA Nordic in Sweden and has been successfully tested by NavCert´s eCall Laboratory in Germany. The readiness of automotive suppliers and technical services to equip the vehicles was partially due to actions taken by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, who launched a testing campaign and produced a joint report containing a set of guidelines to facilitate the implementation of eCall testing in compliance with the EU Regulation. Read more…

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The great opportunities of the Galileo satellite navigation system

Galileo is a state of the art navigation system with unique features not found in any other system.

Operational since 2016, it’s designed to offer free of charge commercial, mass market, governmental and search and rescue services. Read more…

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White Paper on using GNSS Raw Measurements on Android devices

Using GNSS Raw Measurements on Android devicesA White Paper published by GSA provides developers with in-depth information on accessing and using GNSS raw measurements with Android, to implement advanced GNSS techniques in mass-market devices.

Google’s announcement that GNSS raw measurements would be made available from Android 7.0 devices (i.e., Nougat) marked the first-time developers had access to carrier and code measurements and decoded navigation messages from a mass-market device. Read more…

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The path to high GNSS accuracy

For fully autonomous driving to become reality, several technologies will have to reach maturity and be rolled out in concert. One of them is affordable, scalable, and reliable high precision positioning.

The past decades have seen substantial improvements in the performance of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology. In the early 2000s, the time it took to get a first accurate position went from minutes to under thirty seconds. In the latter half of the decade, receiver sensitivity improved dramatically – from -130 dBm to -167 dBm. By 2015, the number of functional positioning satellite constellations had gone from one global constellation in 2000 (the USA’s GPS) to four (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo). This opened the doors to multi-constellation GNSS receivers. The satellite signals, too, have been modernized, and as of 2018, multi-band GNSS will become affordable. These advances set the stage for the next big theme in GNSS: achieving decimeter- or centimeter-level accuracy. Read more…

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Auto makers equip all new car and van models with life-saving eCall

Auto makers equip all new car with eCall

All new car will be equipped with eCall

As of today  (31 March), automobile manufacturers will equip all new types of cars and vans with eCall; a system that automatically dials emergency services in the event of a serious road traffic accident.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) welcomes this milestone, which has been made possible thanks to huge investments by the industry.

“eCall has the potential to save many lives by shortening the reaction time of emergency services. This means that ambulances, fire engines and the police can intervene as quickly as possible within the ‘golden hour’ after a collision,” explained ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. Read more…

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Mobile World Congress Report: European GNSS answers the call for solutions

Several new chipsets and smartphones announced during MWC 2018 feature Galileo capability

Several new chipsets and smartphones announced during MWC 2018 feature Galileo capability

Whether it is dual frequency chipsets or new smartphones, European GNSS was behind many of the technology announcements made during Mobile World Congress 2018.

As the world’s premiere mobile technology trade show, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) is traditionally technology driven. But, according to Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research, this is starting to change. “The mobile community continues to peddle technology rather than offer holistic solutions,” he says. “But enterprises want solutions, not an alphabet soup of three letter abbreviations.”

Answering this call for solutions are the GNSS mass market innovations on display in Barcelona during MWC 2018. Whether it is chipsets, smartphones, drones, robots or autonomous vehicles, most depend on GNSS – including Galileo – to translate this technology into actual solutions. Read more…

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iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X are Galileo-enabled

iphone8The new features of the latest iPhone, launched on September 13, include built-in support for the European Galileo satellite system, among other GNSS. This multi-constellation support means that the new phones will offer more accurate positioning, making it harder for iPhone users to get lost, wherever they are.

Apple unveiled its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, in addition to the iPhone X, at a much-anticipated event held at the Apple campus in Cupertino, California on September 13. Read more…

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