SNAP 1997: Year in Review

• Partner within the project "CRETE: Crete Regional Tectonic Experiment GPS Geodetic & Seismograph Arrays to Continuously & Automatically Monitor Seismic Risk", submitted by consortium headed by A/Prof. Stelios Mertikas, Technical University of Crete, Greece, to the European Union, under the Fourth Framework Program. Not supported however.
  
• Submitted a grant proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC), 7 February.
  Project: "An Automated Road Centreline Database Maintenance System Based on GPS and CCD Camera Technology", with Prof. J.C. Trinder & Dr. E.G. Masters. Not supported however.
  
• Submitted a grant proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC), 7 February.
  Project: "A Second Generation Low-Cost GPS Array System for Deformation Monitoring of the Mt. Guntur Volcano in Indonesia", with Dr. H. Abidin & Dr. S. Han. This will be supported 1998-2000.
  
• Submitted a grant proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC) under their SPIRT scheme (Strategic Partnership with Industry - Research & Training) to support an Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry), 18 April.
  Project: "Development of a Low-cost, Real-Time GPS Positioning Instrument for the Land Surveying Industry", with the Association of Consulting Surveyors (N.S.W.). Not supported however.
  
• Submitted a grant proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC) under their SPIRT scheme (Strategic Partnership with Industry - Research & Training) to support collaborative industrial research with the CRA's Technological Resources Pty Ltd, Measurement & Automation Systems Division, 18 April.
  Project: "A Precise Navigation System for Driverless Mine Equipment Using Combined GPS and GLONASS Measurements".This will be supported 1998-2000.
  
• Initiated first contact to define a joint project with the Geographical Survey Institute, Japan, under the Japan Australia Joint Science & Technology Consultative Committee program, 7 February. Project: "Low-cost Densification of Permanent GPS Networks for Natural Hazard Mitigation".
  
• Commenced collaboration with colleagues at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, School of Civil & Structural Engineering, to encourage the establishment of a real-time multiple GPS base station system for testing several new multi-base station kinematic and static GPS techniques underdevelopment within the SNAP group.
  
• Commenced collaboration with A/Prof. Esmond Mok (Dept. of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics, Polytechnic University of Hong Kong), on project to develop a low-cost GPS surveying instrument for engineering applications (related to ARC-SPIRT project "Development of a Low-cost, Real-time GPS Positioning Instrument for the Land Surveying Industry").
  

• Dr. Shaowei Han submitted his thesis for examination in March 1997 and was granted his PhD in June. His thesis is entitled "Carrier phase-based long-range GPS kinematic positioning". Shaowei Han appointed to a Lecturer position commencing April 1997.
• SNAP is hosting Visiting Fellow, Ms. Xiujiao Han, from the School of Geoscience & Surveying Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, P.R. China, to assist in the development of GPS processing software. Arrived 9 June 1997.
• SNAP is hosting Visiting Fellow, Ms. Evelyn Koeller, postgraduate (Dipl.-Ing.) from the Technical University of Munich, Germany, for 10months to assist in the deformation monitoring project at the Mt. Guntur volcano, Indonesia. She was granted a scholarship from the German government (DAAD) to collaborate in this project and will work on a GIS package to visualize the GPS baseline results. Started scholarship in early July 1997.
• SNAP hosted thesis project student, Mr. Lienhart Troyer, from the Dept. Engineering Geodesy, Technical University of Graz, Austria, for 6 months on a project to investigate "GPS Data Quality Problems", from 14 February. Departed from UNSW early July 1997.
• SNAP welcomed two new PhD students at the start of 1997: Mr. David Robertson and Ms. Zarina Ahmad-Berger. A ME (research) student, Mr. Imam Mudita, joined the group in 1997.
• SNAP welcomed Mr. Johannes Reiner, who will be working on a part-time basis assisting in the development of software. Johannes had worked at Leica, Heerbrugg (Switzerland), for 10 years, where he assisted in GPS R&D.
• SNAP welcomes Dr. George Hassoun, who joined the group for 6 months in mid-May, to work on multipath studies related to the GPS-GLONASS receiver. He is supported by funding from the Space Centre for Satellite Navigation QUT. Departed from UNSW late November 1997.
• SNAP was successful in gaining a UNSW Faculty of Engineering Research Infrastructure Block Grant (RIBG) of $60,446 to be used to purchase computer, GPS and radio communications equipment.
• Submitted a grant proposal to the UNSW Capital Grants scheme, 14 November.
  Project: "GPS Base Station Infrastructure for High Precision Positioning Applications, to Support Teaching and Research at UNSW". Not supported however.
• Mr. Lao-Sheng Lin, was selected as one of the U.S. Institute of Navigation's student prizewinners. Lao-Sheng (or "David" as he is also known) presented his paper "A novel approach to improving the accuracy of real-time ionospheric delay estimation using GPS" at ION GPS-97, Kansas City, 16-19 September 1997. His achievement is the fourth US Institute of Navigation student prize to the SNAP group (the first being in 1988 to Bertrand Merminod, and the second and third to Shaowei Han in 1995 and again in 1996).
• Mr. Lao-Sheng Lin submitted his PhD thesis for examination on 5 June 1997. His thesis is entitled "Real-time estimation of ionospheric delay using GPS measurements". He received notification of the award of PhD in November 1997. Now returned to Taiwan.
• At the start of September SNAP commenced an Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) project to evaluate the performance of the DGPS broadcasting station at Glenfield, Sydney, over a four week period. Report submitted November 1997.
• In mid September 1997 SNAP welcomed a new PhD student: Mr. Horng-Yu Chen, Academia Sinica, Taiwan (ROC).
• SNAP commenced on the 9 October a DSTO project to evaluate GPS receivers for the airborne laser depth sounding (LADS) application. Field tests commenced in late November 1997.
• SNAP hosted a visitor 13-27 October, Gabriel Nkuite, from the Geodetic Institute, Karlsruhe University, for studies on deformation signal analysis from repeated GPS solutions.
• 13 October, Ken Wong left the SNAP group to commence work as a programmer at a GIS consulting company.
• SNAP welcomes Mr. Vincent Gabaglio, a graduate student from the Inst. de Geomatique, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, for a six month visit to work in the area of GPS and Dead Reckoning integration.
  

• CR was consultant to the National Roads & Motorists Association (NRMA) during a legal action brought against their GPS-based vehicle location/recovery system by a rival terrestrial-based system.
• CR completed draft of book co-authored with Prof. Chris Drane (UTS) for Artech House, titled "Positioning Systems for Intelligent Transportation Systems". To be released early 1998.
• CR commenced consultancy on "Legal Traceability Issues, Standards & Specifications for GPS Cadastral Surveys", in collaboration with A/Prof. Majid Kadir (University of Technology Malaysia), for the Dept. of Surveying & Mapping Malaysia and the Land Surveyors Board of Peninsular Malaysia. It will be completed at the end of 1998.
  

• CRA-ATD, Dr. Robin Greenwood-Smith, January
• NSW Dept. of Secondary Education, Mr. John Gore, January
• Taichung, Taiwan (ROC), 10-23 February
• University of Technology Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, A/Prof. Majid Kadir, 19-20 April
• Space Centre for Satellite Navigation QUT, Prof. Kurt Kubik, 16 May
• Taichung, Taiwan (ROC), 15-27 June
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 28 June - 3 July
• University of Technology Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 13-16 July
• Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 17 July
• Space Centre for Satellite Navigation QUT, Prof. Kurt Kubik, 5 August
• Leica, Torrance, California, 30 August - 1 September, 13-14 September
• Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil,10-12 September
• Trimble Navigation New Zealand Ltd., 23-24 September
• Dept. of Surveying & Mapping Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 16-22 November
• Defence Science & Technology Organisation (DSTO), 4 December.

Graeme Hooper, GPSat Systems (Melbourne), January

Ron Wilson, GLB (Sydney), January, April, September, October

Bill Elly, Air Services Australia (Canberra), February

Dassault-Sercel delegation, February

Graham Boyd, Normandy-Poseidon (Adelaide), April

Anthony Finn, DSTO (Adelaide), April

Yanming Feng, Space Centre for Satellite Navigation QUT (Brisbane), April

Ralph Abbot & Michael Brennan, DSTO (Adelaide), April

Oscar Colombo, NASA/GSFC (Washington D.C.), April

Ralph Abbot, DSTO (Adelaide), July

Anthony Finn, DSTO (Adelaide), August

Chris Drane, UTS (Sydney), August

Russell Jackson, Univ. of Tech. (PNG), August

Tseng Ching-Liang, Dept. of Surv. Eng., National Cheng Kung Univ. (Taiwan), August

Bruce Bird, Space Centre for Satellite Navigation QUT (Brisbane), September

Gabriel Nkuite, Karlsruhe University (Germany), October

Elizabeth Cannon, University of Calgary (Canada), November

Graeme Hooper, GPSat Systems (Melbourne), November

Takashi Saito, Geographical Survey Institute (Japan), December

• Taiwan (ROC), CR was hosted by Dr. Pen-Shan Hung & Dr. Ching-Mei Chu, 10-23 February. Accompanied by A/Prof. Peter Morgan (University of Canberra).

One of the consultants to the The Base Survey Battalion, of the Taiwanese Armed Forces, for several GPS-related projects that will improve the quality of the geodetic framework of Taiwan, as well as serve as a foundation for future GPS activities in the area of vehicle tracking and other tactical applications. The projects are:
(1) An upgrade of the zero and first order geodetic network of Taiwan using the GPS technology.
(2) The determination of a geoid model for Taiwan.
(3) The determination of a transformation model between the datum to which GPS results refer and the local geodetic datum which underpins the basic mapbase and cadastral system.
(4) Demonstration of the potential for vehicle tracking using GPS technology.
These projects will be completed over a three-year period, with the support of several consultants from UNSW and the University of Canberra.

• Penang (Malaysia), 14-18 April:

GEODYSSEA (Geodynamics of the South & S.E. Asia) Concluding International Symposium. CR co-authored two papers: "Towards Vision 2000 - a future geocentric geodetic datum and redefinition of the vertical datum for Peninsula Malaysia?" and "Low-cost densification of permanent GPS networks for natural hazard mitigation".

• Taiwan (ROC), CR visited the GIS Research Center, Feng Chia University, Taichung, A/Prof. Tien-Yin Chou & A/Prof. Pen-Shan Hung, 15-27 June. Accompanied by Mr. Ken Wong (SNAP-UNSW).
  
  One of the consultants for a three-year project "Real-Time GIS-Based Vehicle Navigation and Dispatch Control System". The objectives of the ambitious project are to develop, test and implement a sophisticated real-time vehicle navigation and tracking system for demonstrated use in a significant number of public vehicles operating in the Taichung area. The system components are:
  (1) GPS-based positioning system installed within the vehicles, with enhancements such as Differential GPS and Dead Reckoning sensors.
  (2) A trunk radio communication system able to support voice and data transmission in both directions, to and from the vehicle(s).
  (3) An in-vehicle, dashboard-mounted, interface device able to: (a) control communication and GPS functions, (b) support an interactive query capability able to address requests by the driver for certain services, and (c) display position and other information.
  (4) An accurate, and regularly updated, electronic database of map information.
  (5) A control station facility able to carry out such tasks as managing the vehicle tracking function and the dispatch control function.
  The total system is an example of an Intelligent Transport System (ITS), which incorporates a Driver Information System (autonomous road navigation with the aid of onboard electronic maps and GPS technology), and a Vehicle Dispatch System (vehicle tracking and route guidance).
  
• Hong Kong, CR visited the Dept. of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, A/Prof. Esmond Mok, 28 June - 3 July. Discussed collaboration on project to develop low-cost GPS systems for engineering applications.
  
• Johor Bahru (Malaysia), CR visited the Centre for Geodetic & Geodynamic Studies, Faculty of Geoinformation Science & Engineering, University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), A/Prof. Majid Kadir, 13-16 July. Reviewed progress in collaboration on several projects including the development of hypertext version of GPS surveying notes. Discussed new joint UTM-UNSW consulting project for the promotion of GPS for cadastral surveys.
  
• Singapore, CRvisited the School of Civil & Structural Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 17 July, and presented a talk "Applications and challenges in engineering and surveying of the GPS technology". Discussed several possible collaborative projects.
  
• Los Angeles (USA), hosted by Mr. Rod Eckels, Business Manager Leica OEM Products, 30 August - 1 September, and 13-14 September. Briefed on new Leica GPS products.
• Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Scientific Assembly of the Int. Assoc. of Geodesy, 3-9 September. CR chaired a session in Symposium 1. Several oral and poster papers were presented by CR.
  
• Curitiba (Brazil), CR visited the Department of Geosciences, Federal University of Parana, 10-12 September, and presented a talk "Precise kinematic applications of GPS: prospects and challenges". Prof. Marcello Santos was CR's host.
  
• Kansas City (USA), 10th Int. Meeting of the U.S. Institute of Navigation's Satellite Division, 16-19 September. Several SNAP papers were presented by SNAP members.
  
• Christchurch (New Zealand), CR visited Mr. Gary Chisholm, Trimble Navigation, 23-24 September, with PhD student Mr. Craig Roberts. Briefing given on work carried out to date on PhD project. Craig Roberts's scholarship is partially financed by Trimble Navigation.
  
• Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), CR visited the Department of Surveying & Mapping Malaysia, in the company of A/Prof. Majid Kadir (UTM, Johor Bahru), 16-22 November. UTM-UNSW are consultants for one of the components of the project "Feasibility of Coordinated Cadastral System for Malaysia". This is the first contractor meeting to discuss such issues as standards & specifications for GPS surveys, the use of GPS for cadastral surveys, GPS equipment calibration, and so on. The project will be completed at the end of 1998.

• DRANE, C., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Positioning Systems in Intelligent Transportation Systems. To be published by Artech House.
• LIN, L., 1997. Real-time estimation of ionospheric delay using GPS measurement. PhD dissertation, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales.

• FU, W.X., & RIZOS, C., 1997. The development of modern inertial navigation systems. Proc. 3rd Satellite Navigation Technology Conference, Sydney, Australia, 8-10 April, paper 11.
• FU, W.X., & RIZOS, C., 1997. The applications of wavelets to GPS signal processing. ION'97, Kansas City, Missouri, 16-19 September. To appear in proceedings.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Instantaneous ambiguity resolution for medium-range GPS kinematic positioning using multiple reference stations. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September. Poster presentation, to appear in proceedings.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. An instantaneous ambiguity resolution technique for medium-range GPS kinematic positioning. ION'97, Kansas City, Missouri, 16-19 September. To appear in proceedings.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Multipath effects on GPS in mine environments. Proc. Xth Int. Congress of the Int. Soc. for Mine Surveying, Fremantle, Australia, 2-6 November, 447-457.
• HAN, S., WONG, K., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Instantaneous ambiguity resolution for real-time attitude determination. Proc. Int. Symp. on Kinematic Systems in Geodesy, Geomatics & Surveying (KIS'97), Banff, Canada, 3-6 June, 409-416.
• LIN, L., & RIZOS, C., 1997. On real-time regional ionosphere modelling using grid-based algorithms. Proc. 3rd Satellite Navigation Technology Conference, Sydney, Australia, 8-10 April, paper 41.
• LIN, L., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Use of multipath template technique for mitigating GPS pseudo-range multipath: methodology and test results. Proc. First Trans Tasman Surveyors Conference, Newcastle, Australia, 12-18 April, paper 22, 1-9.
• LIN, L., 1997. A novel approach to improving the accuracy of real-time ionospheric delay estimation using GPS. ION'97, Kansas City, Missouri, 16-19 September. To appear in proceedings.
• LIN, L., RIZOS, C., & MERTIKAS, S.P., 1997. Real-time failure detection and repair in inospheric delay estimation using GPS by robust and conventional Kalman filter state estimates. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September. Poster presentation, to appear in proceedings.
• RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1997. High precision GPS kinematic positioning: progress and outlook. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September. To appear in proceedings.
• RIZOS, C., HAN, S., & HIRSCH, B., 1997. High precision real-time GPS positioning: theory and implementation of a single-epoch ambiguity resolution algorithm. Proc. 3rd Satellite Navigation Technology Conference, Sydney, Australia, 8-10 April, paper 43.
• RIZOS, C., HAN, S., & HIRSCH, B., 1997. A high precision real-time GPS surveying system based on the implementation of a single-epoch ambiguity resolution algorithm. Proc. First Trans Tasman Surveyors Conference, Newcastle, Australia, 12-18 April, paper 20, 1-10.
• RIZOS, C., HAN, S., ROBERTS, C., GALAS, R., & REIGBER, C., 1997. Low-cost densification of permanent GPS networks for natural hazard mitigation. Pres. GEODYSSEA Concluding Symp., Penang, Malaysia, 14-18 April. To appear in proceedings.
• RIZOS, C., LIN, L., HAN, S., TROYER, L., & MERTIKAS, S.P., 1997. Quality control algorithms for permanent GPS receiver applications. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September. Poster presentation, to appear in proceedings.
• ROBERTS, C., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Permanent automatic GPS deformation monitoring systems: a review of system architecture and data processing strategies. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September. Poster presentation, to appear in proceedings.
• WANG, P., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Route cost analysis for fleet management using GPS technology. Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. of ITS Australia, Brisbane, Australia, 11-14 March. To appear in proceedings.
• WANG, P., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Using GPS navigation data for vehicle route cost estimation. Proc. 3rd Satellite Navigation Technology Conference, Sydney, Australia, 8-10 April, paper 10.
• WONG, K., ROBERTS, C., HAN, S., HIRSCH, B., RIZOS, C., & MASTERS, E.G., 1997. GPS and GIS in support of "Sunswift" during the 1996 World Solar Car Challenge. Proc. First Trans Tasman Surveyors Conference, Newcastle, Australia, 12-18 April, paper 21, 1-9.

• HAN, S., 1997. Carrier phase-based long-range GPS kinematic positioning. PhD dissertation, Unisurv Rept.49, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 185pp.
• HAN, S., 1997. Ambiguity recovery for GPS long range kinematic positioning. Sub. Navigation.
• HAN, S., 1997. Quality control issues relating to ambiguity resolution for real-time GPS kinematic positioning. Journal of Geodesy, 71(6), 351-361.
• HAN, S., & MOK, E., 1997. Validation criteria and accuracy estimation of the Ambiguity Function Method. Accepted for publication in Geomatics Research Australia, 67, 67-82.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Making sense of GPS ambiguity resolution techniques. Accepted for publication in GIM, Int. J. of Geomatics.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Comparing GPS ambiguity resolution techniques. GPS World., 8(10), 54-61.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. GPS multipath mitigation using FIR filters. Sub. Survey Review.
• HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1997. An instantaneous ambiguity resolution technique for medium-range GPS kinematic positioning. Sub. Navigation.
• MERTIKAS, S.P., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Real-time failure detection in the carrier phase measurements of GPS by robust and conventional Kalman filtering. Accepted for publication in Journalof Marine Geodesy.
• MERTIKAS, S.P., & RIZOS, C., 1997. On-line detection of abrupt changes in the carrier phase measurement of GPS. Journal of Geodesy, 71, 469-482.
• RIZOS, C., 1997. Principles and practice of GPS surveying. Monograph 17, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, ISBN 0-85839--071-X, approx. 560pp.
• ROBERTS, C., 1997. Solar car racing with GPS and GIS. GIS User, 21, 24-25.
• SUBARI, M.D., 1997. Low-cost GPS systems for intermediate surveying and mapping accuracy applications. PhD dissertation, Unisurv Rept.50, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 179pp.

• AHMAD-BERGER, Z., RIZOS, C., & KEARSLEY, A.H.W., 1997. Towards Vision 2000 - a future geocentric geodetic datum and redefinition of the vertical datum for Peninsula Malaysia? Pres. Int. Symp. on GEODYSSEA, Penang, Malaysia, 14-18 April.
• LIN, L., & RIZOS, C., 1997. Study of real-time regional ionosphere modelling using GPS measurements. Pres. 1997 Joint Assemblies of IAMAS/IAPSO, Melbourne, Australia, 1-9 July.
• RIZOS, C., 1997. What's the use of Dead Reckoning? technology, implementation and computational issues. Pres. Base Survey Battalion, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C., 11 February.
• RIZOS, C., 1997. Applications and challenges in engineering and surveying of the GPS technology. Pres. School of Civil & Structural Eng., Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 17 July.
• RIZOS, C., 1997. The role of GPS in cadastral surveying. Pres. Assoc. of Consulting Surveyors (NSW) seminar, Sydney, 4 August.
• RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1997. Precise kinematic applications of GPS: prospects and challenges. Pres. Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil, 12 September.
• RIZOS, C., 1997. GPS for cadastral surveys in Peninsular Malaysia - legal traceability issues. Pres. DSMM & Malaysian Institution of Surveyors, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 22 November.