All articles tagged with #navigation system
Two Galileo satellites were launched on December 17 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 6 rocket, marking the first launch of Galileo on Ariane 6 and the 14th operational satellite launch for the program, which aims to enhance global navigation services.
NASA successfully tested a lunar positioning system called Lunar Node 1 (LN-1) for 30 minutes, which aims to improve navigation for rovers and humans on the Moon. The beacon, part of Intuitive Machine's Odysseus mission, transmitted signals that were successfully received by NASA’s Deep Space Network. This technology is expected to be part of a larger LunaNet and could be crucial for future Mars exploration.
Researchers have discovered that bats use the same brain cells to map both their physical environment and their social interactions. By studying the brain activity of bats in an artificial cave, the researchers found that certain neurons in the bats' hippocampus fired differently depending on the bat's location and the presence of other bats. The findings suggest that the bats' navigation system serves a dual purpose as a social map, and raise questions about whether this phenomenon extends to other species. The study also supports the concept of mixed selectivity, where single neurons encode multiple features of the environment.
The family of a man who died after driving off a collapsed bridge while following Google Maps directions is suing the tech giant for negligence. The lawsuit claims that Google had been informed of the bridge collapse but failed to update its navigation system. The man, Philip Paxson, drowned in September 2022 after his car plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, North Carolina. State troopers found no barriers or warning signs along the washed-out roadway. Multiple people had notified Google Maps about the collapse prior to Paxson's death, but the company allegedly took no further action. Google stated that it is reviewing the lawsuit and expressed sympathy for the Paxson family.
Researchers from the muPS collaboration have developed a navigation system called muPS Wireless Navigation System (muWNS) that uses cosmic muons to provide an alternative to global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) in indoor, underground, and underwater environments. The system replaces satellites with a network of reference muon detectors, which, when synchronized with a receiver detector, can calculate the receiver's position using triangulation. The accuracy of muWNS has significantly improved, but further advancements are needed to achieve one-meter accuracy. The researchers hope to use chip-scale atomic clocks for timing and miniaturize the system's components for practical use in the future.
Northrop Grumman has successfully tested its advanced air navigation system, EGI-M, which enables aircraft to operate in contested or GPS-jammed airspace. The system, to be deployed on F-22 fighters and E-2D Hawkeye aircraft, utilizes M-code, a jam-resistant GPS signal, and incorporates GPS, inertial navigation, timing, and classified techniques for precise location determination. The open-architecture system allows for integration of third-party technology while maintaining cyber security. Northrop plans to use EGI-M on additional military platforms.
Ford has launched a new Bronco Trail App that provides directions to over 18,000 miles of off-pavement trails in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The app is free to use for Bronco owners and displays maps through the Bronco's infotainment system display. The app includes 1,200 different trails that have been professionally curated, and provides details including their length and difficulty. The app also allows users to drop their own pins for future reference, and the maps can be downloaded for offline use. The app is the latest salvo in the escalating Ford Bronco v Jeep Wrangler battle.