Location Based Systems

Marcus Nyström, researcher at the Lund University Humanities Lab, in Sweden, has revealed that the lab is currently developing a product that will be able to test if a person is too tired to drive. The project uses eyetracking, where a driver is required to follow a moving ball and his eye movements and pupil reactions are evaluated to determine if he/she is too tired to drive safely.

Navteq has established a pan-European reseller agreement with Esri Schweiz under which the GIS specialist will be able to provide customers with a complete set of Navteq geodata which, depending on individual requirements, can be supplied in formats optimised for use within Esri software.

U-blox’ latest-generation GPS chip UBX-G6010-ST has been chosen for the entire line of the award-winning Samsung SEN car navigation devices. This includes the SEN-410, Samsung’s most sophisticated multimedia navigator with 3D display and high-definition 7-inch touchscreen.

The long awaited and much needed commercial telematics consolidation movement is finally coming to fruition, according to ABI Research. With Trimble’s acquisition of PeopleNet and Masternaut and Cybit combining forces, the extremely fragmented commercial telematics industry, which consists of hundreds of locally active players, is consolidating to become more globally-minded. These changes will allow the fleet management industry to grow towards yearly global revenues of US$6.43 billion by 2016.

At a CAGR of 27 per cent, commercial telematics systems shipments are set for solid growth. However, the fleet management industry continues to be haunted by structural problems: extreme levels of fragmentation with too many ‘me too’ and ‘dots-on-a-map’ providers and proprietary solutions littering the landscape.

State Farm and Hughes Telematics are announcing a major joint effort to bring connected vehicle services and telematics savings programmes to drivers across North America. The new effort is called In-Drive and has been tailored specifically for State Farm policyholders by Hughes. The service debuts in Illinois in September with more states to be added in 2012.

U-blox and Rohde & Schwarz, a leading supplier of test and measurement equipment, have successfully concluded tests of u-blox’ Leon GSM modem for eCall / ERA Glonass readiness.

Navman Wireless has released a significantly expanded mobile app for its OnlineAVL2 fleet tracking system, enabling dispatchers, fleet managers and executives to monitor and manage fleet activities from their iPhones or iPads. Launching in the US as a free companion application to OnlineAVL2 with other markets to follow later this year, the new app provides in-depth insights into real-time fleet operations as well as the ability to send and receive messages through Navman Wireless in-vehicle terminals for f

U-blox, the Swiss positioning and wireless chip and module company, has announced the official AT&T approval of LISA, the world’s smallest surface-mount 3G module for use on AT&T’s mobile broadband network.

Pressure is growing in the US over concerns that GPS accuracy could be affected. A coalition has formed that comprises an array of the leading construction equipment manufacturers, GPS technology providers and other concerned bodies including those from the agricultural and airline industries. The coalition claims that up to 3.3 million US jobs could be affected by the threat to GPS accuracy, with an economic impact of some US$96 billion in annual direct economic benefits to the US economy.