Topcon and Vodafone are developing a mass-market positioning system that will locate Internet of Things (IoT) machinery with greater accuracy than GPS or GNSS.
Machines connected to Vodafone’s global IoT network and using technology from Topcon that corrects inaccuracies from navigation satellite signals can be monitored in real time to within a few centimeters, according to the companies.
The companies are running pilot programs in Germany, Spain, and the UK to text the service, called Vodafone GNSS Corrections.
Pinpoint accuracy is critical to the mass adoption of Vehicle to Anything (V2X) technology—the ability for vehicles to speak with other vehicles, road users, and infrastructure, according to Vodafone. The technology can be applied not only to driverless vehicles, but also autonomous machinery and robots. For example, e-bike riders could use Vodafone GNSS Corrections to provide details of their exact location and then alert other road users of their presence.
“As new technologies like autonomous cars and connected machinery continue to evolve, Vodafone is providing the critical connections to support these new services with greater precision, more safety and at scale,” said Justin Shields, director of Vodafone Business Platforms & Solutions, in a prepared statement. “Our customers want to be able to better locate their devices, and the collaboration with Topcon complements our existing asset tracking and fleet telematics solutions.”
Said Ian Stilgoe VP of Topcon Global Emerging Business, in a statement:
“At Topcon, we are proud to be partnering with Vodafone to bring high accuracy correction services to enable V2X applications to operate at the accuracy needed to help improve road safety, especially for vulnerable road users.
Source: Vodafone
