News
31 March 2017
Novel Projects sought for Australia-New Zealand Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) Testbed
The Australia and New Zealand Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI) has today called for expressions of interest (EOI) to participate in the recently announced SBAS testbed. Through the EOI process, organisations operating in Australia and New Zealand will be able to assess new and innovative positioning applications and help build the case for further investment.
The EOI form, technical specifications, project requirements and the timeline for submission can be found at www.crcsi.com.au/sbas.
CRCSI is seeking interested organisations and companies across Australia and New Zealand to test the positioning signals on the SBAS testbed. Participation is sought across a range of sectors including: agriculture, aviation, construction, maritime, resources, rail, road, spatial, utilities and consumer. The testbed has been established to demonstrate and quantify the benefits of SBAS technology in the region, particularly through the early adoption in emerging application domains.
As announced in February 2017, CRCSI partners Geoscience Australia and Land Information New Zealand, together with global companies GMV, Inmarsat and Lockheed Martin will implement the SBAS testbed to evaluate three positioning signals for improved positioning accuracy and integrity. First transmissions of a single frequency SBAS signal are expected in June 2017, with a precise point positioning signal (PPP) available from August and the next generation dual-frequency, multi-constellation (DFMC) SBAS signal coming on-line from October. This will be the first time in the world DFMC is available for operational evaluation.
In preparation for the testbed trials, which will run to January 2019, the CRCSI has commenced a month long EOI process, closing at the end of April, after which a selected number of projects will be invited to submit full proposals.
The SBAS testbed provides a first step towards improving the accuracy of GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The application of SBAS technology offers a range of potential safety, productivity, efficiency and environmental benefits to many industries, including transport, agriculture, construction and resources. The goal is for high accuracy, high integrity positioning information to be accessible anytime and anywhere across the region.
This research is supported by a $12 million investment from the Australian Government (http://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/chester/releases/2017/february/dc029_2017.aspx) and a further $2 million from the New Zealand Government (https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/nz-participate-australasian-satellite-technology-test-bed) as announced in February 2017.
For further information contact: Phil Collier, Research Director, CRCSI, email: pcollier@crcsi.com.au or phone 03 8344 8125