Curtin Uni combines GPS with Galileo satellite

More than 100 GNSS satellites will be in operation by 2016, according to Professor Peter Teunissen

Rebecca Merrett (CIO)
15 January, 2013 14:20
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Researchers from Curtin University have discovered how to integrate Global Positioning System (GPS) technology with the emerging multi-frequency Global Navigation Satellite System, Galileo. The research, funded by the Australian Space Research Program, is the first to be completed in Australia.

Professor Peter Teunissen and Dr Dennis Odijk, from the Western Australian School of Mines (WASM), combined real-time data collected using high-grade multi-GNSS receivers from different manufacturers for baseline studies in Australia and the United States.

“The emergence of these new GNSSs, together with the linking of different systems, has enormous potential for improving the accuracy, integrity and efficiency of positioning worldwide,” Professor Teunissen said in a statement.

Galileo, which is being developed by the European Union, was selected to integrate with GPS technology because it operates on the same frequency as the GPS technology and is expected to be one of the most widely used systems.

Professor Teunissen said more than 100 GNSS satellites will be in operation by 2016, with a broader and more diverse system of satellites.

“The availability of many more satellites and signals creates exciting opportunities to extend current GPS applications and to facilitate market growth.

“The integration of multiple systems will enable much more reliable data, particularly where signals from one system may be blocked, such as in open-pit mines or by skyscrapers.”

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