Russia has recently launched 3 more GLONASS satellites bringing that constellation to 20 operating satellites in space. The timing of this improved coverage is important. The rest of the geospatial industry, particularly the CAD and GIS market are rapidly transitioning to new applications and technologies that leverage increased navigation and positioning capabilities, and GALILEO is developing. What Impact Does a More Fully Enabled GNSS Have on GIS and CAD Related Applications?
From surveying technologies to geographic information systems (GIS) and computer-aided design (CAD) modelling, expectations and applications have changed. Let’s face it, even when agricultural producers operating in the field are talking at the 1-5 meter resolution range for imagery related products – things have changed. These people not only want more resolution, they want more images, more often. This applies to mining, forestry, transportation and urban planning also.
The models that underpin new architectural and building design are encapsulating more operations and becoming more fully enabled through mobility tools that locate, and often help to navigate operations. We’ve moved way beyond identifying simple control points. Suddenly 3D coordinates matter and design is embracing laser tools and devices, from total stations to LiDAR. All of these are adding intelligence into workflows as well providing the raw data to more fully analyse operations and maintenance phases.
Russia has recently launched 3 more GLONASS satellites and that constellation is contributing more fully to a worldwide GNSS capability. A look at a recent position dilution of precision (PDOP) map for GLONASS clearly shows this improvement. PDOP less than 6 appears for most places around the world (subject to fluctuations of course). Thus when combined with the U.S. system overall positional accuracy for GNSS is improved.
Improved GNSS equates to better accuracy, supports projects that depend upon better quality and more fully allows mobility tools and applications to be developed.
The difficulty for GNSS has been the irregular, and often inconsistent messages about GALILEO and GLONASS satellite systems. It is difficult to fully develop mobile and GIS applications, rationalise investment and train people without a sense that continuity and expectations are met – in a timely way.
In Russia’s case, for example, based on the more aggressive support of GLONASS in recent times and the clear verbal support of the system within the Russia media has caused a stir. Words are not enough and the recent launches attract attention in a favorable way. In fact, if we look at the goal to more fully integrate GLONASS across Russia alone, then couple that to agricultural and natural resource production and infrastructure; a picture begins to emerge surrounding support for geospatial within that country.
GPS enabled devices are not just popular, they are demanded. Today we see most Smart Phones have GPS support. How often have you heard someone considering a phone ask, “does it support GPS?” It is almost unimaginable to many today to consider a phone without GPS support. Why? It connects to all the tools driving and leading a collaboration social environment that we see.
But a similar effect is involved where infrastructure assets are involved. We are nearing a time when field tools will demand that GNSS enabled technologies connect to Cloud operated technologies within businesses. This connection will not only form the basis for connecting to the assets of the organisation, but will serve as a thread to inter-connect the social dynamics surrounding that field data as it extends outside an organisation – meeting other collaborative and social business tools.
A shift to 3D will demand more attention to accuracy, design tools in the CAD environments are already or becoming geo-enabled, and surveying technologies like LiDAR and total stations include and support 3D technology, but also link directly to map related workflows. The idea of seamless digital enablement is not a dream, it is here now.
A difficulty to making it more fully enabled has been that GPS has not always achieved optimal performance in some environments. GNSS is poised to improve upon that making continued availability a reality while accuracy improves.
Not everything will be perfect, but it is hard to imagine the moment where a collection of GIS, CAD, surveying and imagery technologies all become enabled through GNSS more fully. But that time is now and it is exciting.
More Information:
Performance of GPS, GLONASS and Galileo
GNSS On-board unit for toll collection in Europe
Tightly-coupled GIS data in GNSS fix computations with integrity testing
