Multi-Modal Update:Nationwide Differential GPS

14th Meeting of the APEC GNSS Implementation Team

Marriott Renaissance HotelRegional Meeting

Seattle, WAJune 23, 2010

Timothy A. KleinSenior Policy Advisor/RITA NDGPS Coordinator

NDGPS@dot.gov

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Nationwide Differential GPS

• Expansion of maritime differential GPS (DGPS) network to cover terrestrial United States– Compliant with RTCM SC-104 and ITU-RM.823– 50 nations operate compatible systems– Proven technology and performance

• System characteristics– Accuracy: 1 to 3 meters typical; better observed– Post-processed: 2 to 5 cm– Integrity: 5 seconds to alarm at 100 bps– Availability: 99.7% with single coverage

99.9% with dual coverage

• Current coverage– Single coverage: 92% of continental U.S.– Double coverage: 65% of continental U.S.

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NDGPS Coverage

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• Transportation operational requirements:– Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

– on behalf of state and local DOT stakeholders– routine use in Federal-Aid Program– survey, construction, quality, asset management– roadside management– law enforcement

– Association of American Railroads– baseline reference

– National Governor’s Association– use by state DOTs, resource

management agencies

Terrestrial NDGPS Capabilities and Uses

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• Other federal, state/local and private operational requirements:

– Department of Agriculture/Department of Interior (NPS, USFS, BLM, etc.)

– One meter real-time positioning and navigation– Fire management and safety

– Department of Commerce (NOAA)– Continuously Operating Reference Stations– Severe weather forecasting

– State, County and Local Governments– Departments of Transportation, Natural

Resources, Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Parks

– Private/Non-Profit Sector– U.S. GPS Industry Council– National Precision Farming Association– Professional Land Surveyors

Terrestrial NDGPS Capabilities and Uses (2)

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Cooperation with Canada

• 16 U.S. and 11 Canadian DGPS sites cooperate for increased coverage along the border

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NDGPS in Dredging

• Army Corps of Engineers uses include:– Aids to Navigation– Underwater Surveying– Dredging (2 meter accuracy requirement)

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Precision Agriculture

• Maximize use of resources– Optimized plowing of crop rows– Tailored applications of seeds, fertilizer, water, pesticides– Improved management of land, machinery, personnel, time– Greater crop yields

• Minimize environmental impacts– Localized identification and treatment of distressed crops

reduces chemical use– Precise leveling of fields prevents fluid runoff

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States and Local Governments – Public Safety

• Emergency response– Law Enforcement

– Fire Fighting

– Search and Rescue

– Paramedics

– Disaster Relief

• Transportation Management– Traffic operations systems

– Public road inventory

– Asset management

– Snowplow guidance

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Severe Storm Forecasting

• NOAA’s Earth Systems Research Laboratory uses M/NDGPS data to estimate the amount of water vapor over the U.S. every 30 minutes

– Used by weather forecastersto monitor rapidly changingconditions

– This knowledge is critical for forecasting severe weather events such as tornados, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and snow storms

– Used in several operational NOAA weather models

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Monitoring Space Weather

• NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center uses NDGPS data to map the spatial distribution of free electrons in the ionosphere, once every 15 minutes

– The distribution of free electrons in the ionosphere affects HF radio communication and delays the arrival of GPS signals

– Delay is interpreted as position errors, which can be as large as 100 meters in extreme cases

– Solar storms proven to affect on-orbit satellite performance andtransmissions, including GPS

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National Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS)• Enables highly accurate,

3-D positioning post-processed– 1 – 10 cm-level precision

in differential mode– Tied to National Spatial

Reference System– Feeds into local RTNs

(not competitive)

• 1,200+ sites operated by 200+ public, private, academic organizations• NOAA’s Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) automatically processes coordinates submitted via the web from around the world

• OPUS-RS (Rapid Static) delivers results from user data sets as short as 15 minutes (post-processed)

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• NOAA/National Geodetic Survey test-streaming NDGPS corrections to users over Internet

– Improved civil sector customer service– Enabling technology for commercial services

• DHS expects NDGPS to be part of GPS Interference Detection and Monitoring (IDM) capability

– Critical infrastructure protection beyond transportation– Could support a Nationwide Emergency Communications System

• DOT continuing to pursue potential high accuracy (HA-NDGPS) upgrade (1 cm dynamic accuracy) as possible ITS enabling technology

– Joint documentation meetings (DOT/FHWA, Coast Guard)– Depends upon requirements

NDGPS Opportunities

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ITS/IntelliDriveSM Safety Applications

• Leverage technology to make vehicles discoverable to other vehicles, infrastructure, and pedestrians

• Enable 360° situational

awareness to the vehicle and driver