HEXAGON OVERVIEW
Precise Positioning Systems
With the growing developments in automotive technology, the need for accurate, reliable and robust ground reference has emerged. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) + Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) are an essential component of achieving high accuracy ground truth, mobile mapping and real-time precise positioning for autonomy. Hexagon PI delivers NovAtel SPAN® GNSS+INS technology in easy-to-integrate packages designed to determine truth trajectories and benchmark your autonomous solution.
SPAN integrates NovAtel’s industry leading GNSS technology with Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to create a tightly coupled GNSS+INS solution. Combining GNSS with INS extends the capability of traditional GNSS products by providing a full 3D position and attitude solution (roll, pitch, heading) even during temporary outages in GNSS reception.
Why use SPAN?
High Rate Data:
Users have access to high-rate, smooth solutions, essential for high-speed freeway/highway driving.
Accuracy and Flexibility:
When combined with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) corrections and post-processing, SPAN offers the best possible solution even through tunnels and ultra-challenging urban canyon situations. Flexibility of the system allows for the addition of a wheel sensor and other external inputs to further refine your solution.
Hardware Robustness:
Internal logging and multiple communication interfaces allow for customized utilization and flexibility when integrating into test vehicles.
How SPAN Works:
SPAN Land Vehicle
SPAN Land Vehicle optimizes SPAN performance in fixed wheel land vehicle applications using NovAtel’s intelligent vehicle dynamics and patented Antenna Phase Windup technology. This technology combined provides additional heading information allowing continuous position, velocity and attitude output through extended GNSS outages. SPAN Land Vehicle has the ability to control inertial error growth based on assumptions about vehicle dynamics to constrain lateral and vertical vehicle movement on land.
Benefits
- Controls inertial error to constrain lateral and vertical vehicle movement on land
- Provides continuous position, velocity and attitude output through extended GNSS outages
- Provides enhanced navigation performance in low dynamic applications
- Uses SPAN intelligent vehicle dynamics modeling
- Uses patented Antenna Phase Windup technology
The Interference Toolkit (ITK) provides the functionality to monitor, quantify and remove those unintentional interference sources that impact receiver performance. ITK has built-in features to pre-survey demonstration sites, scan for possible interference sources within the vehicle and remove interference.
ITK includes two main components:
1. Spectrum analysis output
Plot signal levels on the vertical axis over a range of frequencies on the horizontal axis. The spectral analysis tools show how much signal power is being sensed across the different GNSS frequency bands. When an interference signal is present it can be visualized in the spectral analysis plot.
2. Advanced signal processing and digital filtering
Mitigate and remove interference with built-in software, applied signal processing and digital filters. These processing techniques suppress interference, allowing the GNSS signals to track and the receiver to continue to operate normally.
Why use ITK for Ground Truth?
• To pre-survey demonstration areas to identify and remove possible sources of interference
• To identify interference sources within the vehicle
• To remove interference with built-in filters
Waypoint Software provides an ideal solution for applications that require accurate post-mission position, velocity or attitude. Post-processing with Waypoint maximizes the accuracy of the ground truth trajectory by processing forward and reverse in time, backsmoothing and combining the results. It provides the ability to assess the solution reliability and accuracy with extensive quality analysis and plotting tools.
Why use Waypoint for Ground Truth?
- It maximizes accuracy of GNSS+INS test trajectories
- It provides the ability to offset and transform between reference datums
- Export profiles are customizable to meet varying needs
- Real-time and post-processed quality can be compared
- It is easy to export to Google Earth for test review
Contact our team of sales experts to discover how Hexagon Positioning Intelligence can fit into your autonomous solution.