Human genome behaviour: a powerful mechanism for optimizing the use of space technology in surveying networks design

An approach based on the behaviour of human genome is developed to efficiently provide a general framework for optimizing the use of space technology in surveying networks design. The developed approach attempts to apply the successful self-organizing principles based upon the biological evolution to artificial intelligence. It mimics the phenomena of natural selection observed in nature to achieve its goals by continuously adopting a population of candidate solutions and improving its performance over successive generations. The goal of adaptation is to find the best solution that optimizes the design of a surveying network based on the use of satellite observations. This network can be defined as a set of stations, co-ordinated by a series of sessions formed by placing receivers on the stations. The problem is to search for the best order for observing these sessions to give the best observation schedule at minimum cost. The obtained results prove the effectiveness of the developed technique in term of solution quality and computational efforts. The Corresponding Author in formed me that his address is likely to change soon. Please contact me, leick@spatial.maine.edu for the latest on this change.     

Testing of a new single-frequency GNSS carrier phase attitude determination method: land,ship and aircraft experiments

Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) ambiguity resolution is the process of resolving the unknown cycle ambiguities of the carrier phase data as integers. The sole purpose of ambiguity resolution is to use the integer ambiguity constraints as a means of improving significantly on the precision of the remaining GNSS model parameters. In this contribution, we consider the problem of ambiguity resolution for GNSS attitude determination. We analyse the performance of a new ambiguity resolution method for GNSS attitude determination. As it will be shown, this method provides a numerically efficient, highly reliable and robust solution of the nonlinearly constrained integer least-squares GNSS compass estimators. The analyses have been done by means of a unique set of extensive experimental tests, using simulated as well as actual GNSS data and using receivers of different manufacturers and type as well as different platforms. The executed field tests cover two static land experiments, one in the Netherlands and one in Australia, and two dynamic experiments, a low-dynamics vessel experiment and high-dynamics aircraft experiment. In our analyses, we focus on stand-alone, unaided, single-frequency, single-epoch attitude determination, as this is the most challenging case of GNSS compass processing.     

Geoprocessing in Cloud Computing platforms – a comparative analysis

Abstract

The emergence of Cloud Computing technologies brings a new information infrastructure to users. Providing geoprocessing functions in Cloud Computing platforms can bring scalable, on-demand, and cost–effective geoprocessing services to geospatial users. This paper provides a comparative analysis of geoprocessing in Cloud Computing platforms – Microsoft Windows Azure and Google App Engine. The analysis compares differences in the data storage, architecture model, and development environment based on the experience to develop geoprocessing services in the two Cloud Computing platforms; emphasizes the importance of virtualization; recommends applications of hybrid geoprocessing Clouds, and suggests an interoperable solution on geoprocessing Cloud services. The comparison allows one to selectively utilize Cloud Computing platforms or hybrid Cloud pattern, once it is understood that the current development of geoprocessing Cloud services is restricted to specific Cloud Computing platforms with certain kinds of technologies. The performance evaluation is also performed over geoprocessing services deployed in public Cloud platforms. The tested services are developed using geoprocessing algorithms from different vendors, GeoSurf and Java Topology Suite. The evaluation results provide a valuable reference on providing elastic and cost-effective geoprocessing Cloud services.     

Real-time precise point positioning regional augmentation for large GPS reference networks

An increasing number of GNSS reference stations are installed around the world to provide real-time precise positioning services. In most of the current services, a full network solution is required for the precise determination of biases. Such a network solution is time consuming and difficult to achieve for very large regions such as Europe or China. Therefore, we developed a multi-layer processing scheme for precise point positioning (PPP) regional augmentation to avoid processing large networks. Furthermore, we use L1 and L2 raw observations and estimate atmospheric delays, which were properly constrained to the atmospheric corrections derived from the reference stations. Therefore, inaccurate representation of atmospheric delays due to temporal and/or spatial atmospheric fluctuations in the processing can be compensated. The proposed scheme of PPP regional augmentation was implemented into the operational real-time PPP service system at GFZ for validation. The real-time orbit and clock corrections, the uncalibrated phase delays, and regional augmentation corrections are generated by this system. The augmentation corrections from the regional network are investigated and the positioning performance in terms of positioning accuracy and time for fixed solution is demonstrated in real-time. Our results indicate that a reliable fixing is possible after 5 s on average. The positioning accuracy is about 12, 10, and 25 mm in east, north, and vertical direction, respectively.     

Space Rockets, Polar Bears, and Tundra Buggies – And a GPS Link to the Seventeenth Century

The use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for position and attitude determination has been exploited for many years. In these systems, it was required that multiple antennas maintained phase lock to common view satellites for long periods of time in order to determine integer ambiguities. The challenge to overcome with the ballistic space probe is the high rotational spin of this particular rocket. The antennas, mounted on the outside skin of the rocket, are in full view of each satellite only for a fraction of a second before the rocket core eclipses them as it rotates. The antennas rarely see common satellites. This article describes as system that overcomes these obstacles and provides position, acceleration, attitude, and rotation rate. The approach uses a two-antenna system. One antenna is mounted either side of the rocket facing out. A hybrid tracking channel combines signals from both antennas to overcome the signal blockage due to the rocket core as well as to defeat the effect on the tracking channel due to the spin. The amplitude and phase of the spin rotation signature from each satellite is extracted from the dual antenna data and used to compute the attitude and spin rate of the vehicle. ? 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Satellite emission radio interferometric earth surveying series—GPS geodetic system

The satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS) offer an important new geodetic resource making possible a highly accurate portable radio geodetic system. A concept called SERIES (Satellite Emission Radio Interferometric Earth Surveying) makes use of GPS radio transmissions without any satellite modifications. By employing the technique of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and its calibration methods, 0.5 to 3 cm three dimensional baseline accuracy can be achieved over distances of 2 to 200 km respectively, with only 2 hours of on-site data acquisition. The use of quasar referenced ARIES Mobile VLBI to establish a sparse fundamental control grid will provide a basis for making SERIES GPS measurements traceable to the time-invariant quasar directions. Using four SERIES stations deployed at previously established ARIES sites, allows the GPS satellite apparent positions to be determined. These apparent positions then serve as calibrations for other SERIES stations at unknown locations to determine their positions in a manner traceable to the quasars. Because this proposed radio interferometric configuration accomplishes its signal detection by cross-correlation, there is no dependence upon knowledge of the GPS transmitted waveforms which might be encrypted. Since GPS radio signal strengths are 10⁵ stronger than quasar signals, a great reduction in telecommunications sophistication is possible which will result in an order of magnitude less cost for a SERIES GPS station compared to a quasar based mobile VLBI system. The virtually all-weather capability of SERIES offers cost-effective geodetic monitoring with applications to crustal dynamics and earthquake research.     

Single-frequency L5 attitude determination from IRNSS/NavIC and GPS: a single- and dual-system analysis

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has recently (May 2016) reached its full operational capability. In this contribution, we provide the very first L5 attitude determination analyses of the fully operational IRNSS as a standalone system and also in combination with the fully operational GPS Block IIF along with the corresponding ambiguity resolution results. Our analyses are carried out for both a linear array of two antennas and a planar array of three antennas at Curtin University, Perth, Australia. We study the noise characteristics (carrier-to-noise density, measurement precision, time correlation), the integer ambiguity resolution performance (LAMBDA, MC-LAMBDA) and the attitude determination performance (ambiguity float and ambiguity fixed). A prerequisite for precise and fast IRNSS attitude determination is the successful resolution of the double-differenced integer carrier-phase ambiguities. In this contribution, we will compare the performance of the unconstrained and the multivariate-constrained LAMBDA method. It is therefore also shown what improvements are achieved when the known body geometry of the antenna array is rigorously incorporated into the ambiguity objective function. As our ambiguity-fixed outcomes show consistency between empirical and formal results, we also formally assess the precise attitude determination performance for several locations within the IRNSS service area.     

Estimation of elevation-dependent satellite antenna phase center variations of GPS satellites

A method for the estimation of the phase center variations of GPS satellite antennas using global GPS data is presented. First estimations have shown an encouraging repeatability from day to day and between satellites of the same block. Thus, two different satellite antenna patterns for Block II/IIA and for Block IIR with a range of about 4 cm and an accuracy of less than 1 mm could be found. The present approach allows the creation of a consistent set of receiver and satellite antenna patterns and phase center offsets. Thereby, it is possible to switch from relative to absolute phase center variations without a scale problem in global networks. This changeover has an influence on troposphere parameters, reduces systematic effects due to uncorrect antenna modeling and should diminish the elevation dependence of GPS results. AcknowledgmentsThe authors thank Prof. G. Seeber (University of Hannover) and Dr. G. Wübbena (Geo++ GmbH) and their groups for their kindness in making available the absolute field calibration results derived from robot measurements.     

基于GPS矢量观测信息的姿态确定算法

用于GPS姿态确定的矢量化算法可等价于两级最优问题。第一级把GPS载波相位观测量转换为矢量观测量。第二级是Wahba问题,即从矢量观测量获得最佳姿态解。Wahba问题可用四元数法求解,如QUEST方法。本文采用基于小角度的迭代法求解Wahba问题。在均衡星座或均衡基线务件下,两级最优解亦是全局最优解。实验结果表明迭代解的精度与QUEST解相同。实验中也应用了改进的TRIAD算法以比较两级最优解。     

Modeling neutral-atmospheric electromagnetic delays in a “big data” world

If left unmodeled, the delay suffered by electromagnetic waves while crossing the neutral atmosphere negatively affects Global Navigation Satellite System positioning. The modeling of the delay has been carried out by means of empirical models formulated based on climatological information or using information extracted from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. This paper explores the potential use of meteorological information of several types that will become available with the increasing number of sensors (e.g. a cell phone, or the thermometer of a nearby smart home) in cyberspace. How can we make use of these potentially huge data-sets, which may help to provide the best possible representation of the neutral atmosphere at any given time, as readily and as accurately as possible? This situation falls in the realm of Big Data. A few potential scenarios, a sequential improvement of Marini mapping function coefficients, a self-feeding NWP, and near real-time empirical model updates, are discussed in this paper. The pros and cons of each approach are discussed in comparison with what is done today. Experiments indicate that they have potential for a positive contribution.     

基于Android和LBS的社交APP设计与实现

LBS与SNS结合是目前GIS发展的热点方向,但国内多数社交平台提供的LBS服务大同小异,且基于地理位置的服务极少,未能实现预期效果。因此,本文针对大型手机应用LBS功能数量有限、创新力不足、小型手机应用市场占有率低等缺陷进行优化改进,设计一款基于Android平台的,集现有LBS功能于一体并具有线下交友、好友推送等新功能的更加富有个性化的小型社交APP,并利用原型进行实现。     

自适应抗差Kalman滤波在多天线原始观测值瞬时姿态确定中的应用

由载波相位观测值直接解算姿态能实现观测及姿态约束信息的最优利用。本文推导了基于失准角及乘性误差四元数的载波相位观测模型,分别建立了有外部角速度传感器和无外部传感器辅助下姿态参数估计的状态模型;利用自适应抗差滤波估计姿态误差,借鉴分类自适应因子的思想,分别确定模糊度和姿态误差参数的自适应因子,其中姿态自适应因子由Ratio值构造的三段函数确定。自适应抗差滤波能够充分利用约束信息和历史信息,将其融合在浮点解计算过程中,极大提高模糊度浮点解精度及其协方差的结构,在此基础上使用整数最小二乘模糊度降相关平差法(least-squares ambiguity decorrelation adjustment,LAMBDA)方法即能快速搜索出固定解,满足实时性需求。采用实测舰载GNSS 3天线测姿算例对方法进行了验证,结果表明,基于自适应抗差滤波的观测值直接定姿方法效率高、可靠性好。     

西龙池上水库GPS变形监测系统研究及实现

为了实现对西龙池上水库变形的连续、自动化监测,研制了GPS变形监测软件DDMS,建立了西龙池上水库连续运行监测系统。1a的运行表明,系统具有较高的稳定性,DDMS在观测数据无缺失的情况下,提供有效解的概率高于98%。该软件2h时段解在N、E、U方向的重复性分别为1.2mm、0.9mm、2.2mm,4h时段解算N、E、U方向的重复性为0.8mm、0.7mm、1.5mm。利用本文实现的GPS监测系统可进行高效率的实时、自动化、高精度大坝变形监测。     

Spin rate estimation of sounding rockets using GPS wind-up

Carrier phase wind-up is a well-known effect that arises from the relative rotation between a transmitting and receiving antenna. In GPS measurements at L1 frequency, this effect translates into an error of 19.029 cm per full relative rotation of antennas. Since this effect is independent of the satellite elevation for pure rotation about the antenna boresight axis, it is usually absorbed by the clock estimation in navigation algorithms. Therefore, the impact of wind-up is usually neglected for applications that do not require accuracies to the cm level like RTK. However, in receiving platforms with high rotation rate, the accumulated wind-up value can be important and actually be larger than receiver noise or even ionospheric variations. Therefore, in such scenarios, the wind-up contribution can be isolated and used as a source of information to compute the spin rate of such platforms using an appropriate combination of GPS observables. This work shows some results of a coarse, yet simple, approach to monitor the rotation angle and spin-rate of spin stabilized sounding rockets flown by DLR.     

Ambiguity resolution in precise point positioning with hourly data

Precise point positioning (PPP) has become a powerful tool for the scientific analysis of Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements. Until recently, ambiguity resolution at a single station in PPP has been considered difficult, due to the receiver- and satellite-dependent uncalibrated hardware delays (UHD). However, recent studies show that if these UHD can be determined accurately in advance within a network of stations, then ambiguity resolution at a single station becomes possible. In this study, the method proposed by Ge et al. J Geod 82(7):389–399, 2007 is adopted with a refinement in which only one single-difference narrow-lane UHD between a pair of satellites is determined within each full pass over a regional network. This study uses the EUREF (European Reference Frame) Permanent Network (EPN) to determine the UHD from Day 245 to 251 in 2007. Then 12 International GNSS Service stations inside the EPN and 15 outside the EPN are used to conduct ambiguity resolution in hourly PPP. It is found that the mean positioning accuracy in all hourly solutions for the stations inside the EPN is improved from (3.8, 1.5, 2.8) centimeters to (0.5, 0.5, 1.4) centimeters for the East, North and Up components, respectively. For the stations outside the EPN, some of which are over 2,000 km away from the nearest EPN stations, the mean positioning accuracy in the East, North and Up directions still achieves (0.6, 0.6, 2.0) centimeters, respectively, when the EPN-based UHD are applied to these stations. These results demonstrate that ambiguity resolution at a single station can significantly improve the positioning accuracy in hourly PPP. Particularly, UHD can be even applied to a station which is up to thousands of kilometers from the UHD-determination network, potentially showing a great advantage over current network-based GPS augmentation systems. Therefore, it is feasible and beneficial for the operators of GPS regional networks and providers of PPP-based online services to provide these UHD estimates as an additional product.     

World Wind网络空间数据扩展应用

World Wind是NASA发布的开放源码的地理软件,是提供丰富数据的数字地球平台之一,但是,如何在其已发布数据基础上, 通过网络应用来扩展其数据应用,如何将用户的应用数据或其它数据提供者的数据与现有数据结合使用,是我们需要解决的问题。通 过采用WebService技术进行地理信息服务和发布,使用GeoServer作为地图服务器,将OpenGIS Webservice规范和PostGIS空间数据 库进行整合,通过网络空间数据扩展使WorldWind客户端与其自身的数据服务集成使用。在其平台基础上基本实现可自由扩展和发 布数据供WorldWind客户端使用,实现更广泛和深入的扩展应用。     

利用单位对偶四元数进行航空影像区域网平差解算

将对偶四元数应用于摄影测量中,提出了一种基于单位对偶四元数的航空影像区域网平差解算方法。相比于常规的平差方法和四元数方法,该算法的最大特点是将影像的摄站位置和姿态以一个单位对偶四元数整体表示,从而构建基于对偶四元数的区域网平差模型,并采用具有约束条件的参数平差进行解算。利用两个地区不同比例尺的实际航空影像数据进行实验,结果表明,该算法的平差精度与常规的区域网平差方法相当,对影像比例尺及控制点的数量与分布的需求也与常规的平差方法基本相同,为对当前轻小平台获取航空影像进行摄影测量处理提供了一条新的技术思路。     

A parametric study on the impact of satellite attitude errors on GOCE gravity field recovery

In the recent design of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission, the gravity gradients are defined in the gradiometer reference frame (GRF), which deviates from the actual flight direction (local orbit reference frame, LORF) by up to 3–4°. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of uncertainties in the knowledge of the gradiometer orientation due to attitude reconstitution errors on the gravity field solution. In the framework of several numerical simulations, which are based on a realistic mission configuration, different scenarios are investigated, to provide the accuracy requirements of the orientation information. It turns out that orientation errors have to be seriously considered, because they may represent a significant error component of the gravity field solution. While in a realistic mission scenario (colored gradiometer noise) the gravity field solutions are quite insensitive to small orientation biases, random noise applied to the attitude information can have a considerable impact on the accuracy of the resolved gravity field models.     

Enhancing mobile applications by combination of GNSS and W-CDMA

The location requirements for emergency callers outside urban areas can hardly be fulfilled without global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Consequently, interest in positioning techniques based on use of a GNSS such as GPS or on the cellular network infrastructure itself is growing rapidly in the mobile-telephone community. Moreover, the increasing demand for commercial location-based services (LBS) has driven cellular-phone and network manufacturers to focus on positioning solutions which are even more accurate than the regulatory mandates for positioning of emergency callers. One example of these upcoming LBS is our PARAMOUNT project, which aims at improving user-friendly info-mobility services for hikers and mountaineers by combining wireless communications (GMTS), satellite navigation (GNSS) and geographic information systems (GIS), based on a mobile client/server architecture. The availability of mobile phones or PDAs with combined GNSS and cellular network-based wireless communication on a high integration level is one primary demand of such LBS applications. Based on this, we will give some initial answers to the question of whether mobile handset architecture synergies exist for the combination of GNSS with wireless location in CDMA cellular wireless networks. In order to identify synergies, we will outline similarities and differences between wireless communication and satellite navigation. In this respect, we pay particular attention to the so-called RAKE receiver architecture employed in mobile CDMA cellular handsets. Our initial investigations will show that the RAKE receiver architecture, on which mobile CDMA cellular handsets are based, will most likely be the one most suitable for achieving synergies between the two positioning techniques within the same mobile handset architecture. Consequently, several receiver components could be used to handle both types of signals (navigation and communications), resulting in a reduction of manufacturing costs and in a decrease in energy consumption. Electronic Publication     

河北省地貌空间信息系统研建初探

在研究河北地貌特征及其分布格局的基础上,探讨了基于GIS的河北省数字地貌信息系统结构及功能,为实现河北省数字地貌信息化提供了技术平台,并为其他领域的各种需求提供基础的数字地貌信查询、管理及应用等服务。