SNAP 1998: Year in Review

Initiatives:

Grant proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC) submitted by C. Rizos & S. Han was successful. Project: "A Second Generation Low-Cost GPS Array System for Deformation Monitoring of the Mt. Guntur Volcano in Indonesia", with Dr. H. Abidin (ITB, Indonesia). Supported 1998-2000.
Grant proposal to the Australian Research Council (ARC) submitted by C. Rizos & S. Han under their SPIRT scheme (Strategic Partnership with Industry - Research & Training) to support collaborative industrial research was successful. Industry partner negotiations have not been completed. Project: "A Precise Navigation System for Driverless Mine Equipment Using Combined GPS and GLONASS Measurements". Supported 1998-2000 with BHP Engineering as the industry partner.
Grant proposal to the Science & Technology Awareness Raising scheme submitted by C. Rizos. Project: "Where Are You Precisely? Internet-Enabled Sub-Metre Accuracy GPS Positioning". This was unfortunately not supported.
Grant proposal to the ARC-RIEF (Research Infrastructure Equipment & Facilities) submitted by C. Rizos, for a consortium of universities: UNSW, Curtin Univ. of Technology, University of Tasmania, University of Canberra and the Australian National University for 1999 funding.
Project: "A GPS Receiver Facility to Support Australian Geodetic Research".
Supported for 1999, for the purchase of a set of geodetic GPS receivers and infrastructure development for permanent GPS sites.
Grant proposal to the ARC submitted by C. Rizos for 1999-2001 funding.
Project: "Development & Testing of Innovative High Precision GPS Techniques with the Aid of the Singaporean Multi-Base Station Network".
Supported for 1999-2001.
Grant proposal to the ARC submitted by S. Han for 1999-2001 funding.
Project: "Develop and Test A New Generation GPS RTK System for Instantaneous Carrier Phase-Based Positioning", with Prof. P. Teunissen (TU Delft, The Netherlands).
Supported for 1999-2001.
Grant proposal to the ARC-SPIRT scheme submitted by C. Rizos & S. Han for 1999-2001 funding. Project: "Development of a Medium Range, Carrier Phase-Based GPS Positioning System for Helicopter Gravity Surveys".
Supported for 1999-2001 with Normandy Exploration as industry partner.
Grant proposal to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction scheme submitted by C. Rizos. Project: "Installation and Operation of a Low-cost, GPS-Based, Early-Warning System at a Remote PNG Volcano".
Grant proposal to the Australia-China Institutional Links Program (Phase 2) submitted by C. Rizos & S. Han, together with colleagues from the Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, P.R. China. Project: "Develop, Test & Maintain the Chinese WADGPS System in Support of Innovative Navigation & Surveying Applications". It was ranked first at UNSW but unfortunately was not selected for funding.
SNAP initiated joint project with the Geographical Survey Institute, Japan, under the Japan-Australia Joint Science & Technology Consultative Committee program. Project: "Low-cost Densification of Permanent GPS Networks for Natural Hazard Mitigation". An ARC application was made for funding under the "International Researcher Exchange Program". This will be supported in 1999.
In late 1997 C. Rizos & S. Han jointly initiated, with colleagues at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, School of Civil & Structural Engineering, a proposal to establish a real-time multiple GPS base station system in Singapore for testing multi-base station kinematic and static GPS techniques. The National Science & Technology Board of Singapore approved funding for this project in September 1998 and the ARC has provided funding to support this 1999-2001.
Collaboration with A/Prof. Esmond Mok (Dept. of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University) by C. Rizos & S. Han, on a project to develop a low-cost GPS surveying instrument for engineering applications, commenced in 1998.

Other News:

SNAP presently undertaking a DSTO project to evaluate GPS receivers for the airborne laser depth sounding (LADS) application. Field tests carried out in late November 1997, and results presented at the 11th Int. Tech. Meeting of the Satellite Division of the U.S. Inst. of Navigation GPS ION'98, Nashville, Tennessee, 15-18 September 1998. Further data analyses and software development is continuing.
SNAP organised the "Directions in GPS" Lecture Series, 16-17 April 1998. The next one will take place 8-9 April 1999.
C. Rizos, C. Roberts, H. Chen and Z. Ahmad-Berger attended the Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, 21-24 July 1998, and presented 3 papers. Craig Roberts won a "best student paper award".
C. Roberts, PhD graduate student, visited Indonesia in August and again in November 1998 to undertake reconnaissance for the UNSW permanent GPS deformation monitoring system to be deployed on a volcano in early 1999.
C. Rizos and S. Han attended the 11th Int. Tech. Meeting of the Satellite Division of the US Inst. of Navigation GPS ION'98, Nashville, Tennessee, 15-18 September 1998, and presented 3 papers.
S. Han attended the 39th Australian Surveyors Congress, Launceston, Australia, 8-13 November 1998, and presented two papers, and was a co-author on a further 2 papers.
C. Rizos and S. Han will attend the Spatial Information Science & Technology (SIST'98) conference, at the Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, Wuhan, PR China, 13-16 December 1998, and present 2 papers.

Rizos News:

C. Rizos completed book co-authored with Prof. Chris Drane (UTS) for Artech House, titled "Positioning Systems for Intelligent Transportation Systems". Released in early 1998.
C. Rizos 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, commenced in November 1997. To be completed in February 1999.
C. Rizos organised and contributed to the Scientia Workshop "Satellites and Computers: Places and Spaces", organised by UNSW for gifted high school students in January 1998, together with Dr. Ewan Masters.

Comings & Goings in 1998:

In January 1998 Mr. David Robertson left the SNAP group to commence work with the Australian Survey & Land Information Group (AUSLIG), Canberra.
SNAP appointed a full-time Research Assistant, Ms. Xiujiao Han, from the School of Geoscience & Surveying Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, PR China, to assist in the development of GPS processing software. Three year position commenced 1 April 1998.
SNAP hosted a Visiting Fellow, Ms. Evelyn Koeller, Germany, for over one year to assist in the volcano deformation monitoring project. Evelyn returned to Germany in June 1998.
SNAP hosted a Visiting Fellow, Mr. Yunchun Yang, PR China, for several months from April 1998, to work on GPS-based attitude determination and GPS+Dead Reckoning integration. Yunchun departed in July to commence graduate studies in Electrical Engineering at the Univ. of California.
Mr. Vincent Gabaglio, a graduate student from the Inst. de Geomatique, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, undertook a six month visit with SNAP to work in the area of GPS and Dead Reckoning integration. Vincent returned to Switzerland at the end of May 1998.
SNAP welcomed three new PhD students to the SNAP group in February 1998: Mr. Volker Janssen (from Germany), Mr. Linlin Ge (from PR China) and Mr. Chalermchon Satirapod (from Thailand).
Ms. Ulrike Reicher, an undergraduate student from the Oldenburg University, Germany, commenced a six month study visit with SNAP in July 1998. She will work on various GPS projects until early December.
SNAP is presently hosting a Visiting Fellow, Mr. Liwen Dai, PR China, for 12-24 months from November 1998, to work on software related to GPS-based attitude determination and GPS+Glonass data processing.
SNAP welcomed a new PhD student to the SNAP group in November 1998: Mr. Ip Ki Choi, who is working on the joint UNSW-BHPE "ARC-SPIRT" project.

Honours & Awards in 1998:

Lao-Sheng Lin obtained his PhD degree at the graduation ceremony 19 May 1998.
Ms. Zarina Ahmad-Berger was awarded a student travel award to partially fund her trip to the Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, 20-24 July 1998.
Mr. Craig Roberts was named one (of two) best student presenters at the Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, 20-24 July 1998.
In June 1998 SNAP was selected as a beta test site for the Leica CRS1000 Continuously Operating Reference Station GPS products.
Shaowei Han was awarded an Anthony Mason Fellowship by UNSW to spend several weeks at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, undertaking research in 1999.
Shaowei Han has been invited to be a session chairman for the June 1999 conference coinciding with the Annual Meeting of the US Institute of Navigation.
Chris Rizos was appointed to the IAG Nominating Committee (1998-99).
Chris Rizos has been granted permission by UNSW to take sabbatical leave for the period August 1999 to end February 2000. This period will be spent based at NTU, Singapore, as well as at various universities in S.E. and East Asia.
Chris Rizos was made a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Navigation at its annual general meeting on 2 December 1998.
Chris Rizos was selected as a member of the Editorial Board of "GPS Solutions" magazine.
Chris Rizos was selected as a member of the Coordinating Committee for the "International Symposium on GPS - Application to Earth Sciences and Interaction with Other Space GeodeticTechniques", to be held 18-22 October 1999 in Tsukuba, Japan.
On 1 December the results of the Australian Research Council applications became known, and Chris Rizos and Shaowei Han had a 100% success rate in gaining five grants (two large ARCs, one ARC--SPIRT, one ARC-RIEF, and one ARC-IREX). A further two small Arcs (for 1999) were also awarded. This is the best performance of any research group at The University of New South Wales. For details, see "Initiatives".

Visitors to SNAP in 1998:

Prof. Chou Tien-Yin, GIS Research Center, Feng Chia University (Taiwan), February

Ron Wilson, GLB Radios (Sydney), January, February, August
Prof. Chris Drane, Computer Systems Eng. Group, UTS (Sydney), February
Don McNeil & Col Hughes, Pacific Coal (Brisbane), Chris Kardish & Sam Murayama, Komatsu Ltd (Brisbane), March
Kim Bentley & Michael Warner, Bishop Innovation P/L (Sydney), March
Graham Boyd, Normandy Group (Adelaide), February, March, April

Prof. Peter Teunissen, Delft Univ. of Technology (The Netherlands), April

Nick Talbot, Dept. of Land Information, RMIT (Melbourne), April

Mike Stewart, School of Spatial Sciences, Curtin Univ. of Technology (Perth), April

Ralph Abbott, DSTO (Salisbury, South Australia), February, April

Dr. Hasanuddin Abidin, Dept. of Geodetic Eng. (ITB, Indonesia), May

Teresa Hung, GIS Research Center, Feng Chia University (Taiwan), July

Dr. Peter Gibbens, Dept. of Aeronautical Eng., Univ. of Sydney, July, September, December

Samad Abu, Dept. of Surveying & Mapping Malaysia (Malaysia),July

James Stowell, Leica Geosystems (Los Angeles, USA), July

James Millner, Nikon Corp. (Yokohama, Japan), August

Karl Bauer, BHP Engineering (Wollongong), September

Travel in 1998:

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, June, September, December
University of Technology Malaysia and Dept. of Surveying & Mapping Malaysia, June, September, December
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, July
Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, July
University of New Brunswick, Canada, for IAG/IHO/IOC ABLOS meeting, September
ISM-UTM's Geoinformation'98 Seminars, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September
U.S. Institute of Navigation's GPS-98, Nashville, USA, September
Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, September
National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, November
Geographical Survey Institute, Tsukuba, Japan, December
Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, P.R. China, December

SNAP Publications (1998):

Journals, Articles, Reports & Books

DRANE, C.R., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Positioning Systems in Intelligent Transportation Systems. Artech House, Boston London, ISBN 0-89006-536-5, 369pp.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. An instantaneous ambiguity resolution technique for medium-range GPS kinematic positioning. Submitted to Navigation.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. GPS multipath mitigration using FIR filters. Submitted to Survey Review.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Single epoch ambiguity resolution for real-time GPS attitude determination with the aid of one dimensional optical fibre gyro. Submitted to GPS Solutions.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. A new Kalman filter algorithm for road slope determination using GPS techniques. Submitted to J. of Surv. Eng.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Quality assurance for high productivity GPS surveying techniques: the issues of ambiguity resolution and GPS network adjustment. Submitted to Journal of Geodesy.
HAN, S., RIZOS, C., & ABBOT, R., 1999. Sea surface determination using long-range kinematic GPS positioning and Laser Airborne Depth Sounder techniques. Submitted to Marine Geodesy.
LIN, L.S., 1998. Real-time estimation of ionospheric delay using GPS measurement. PhD dissertation, UNISURV Rept. No. S-51, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, ISBN 0-7334-1664-0.
MERTIKAS, S.P., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Real-time failure detection in the carrier phase measurements of GPS by robust and conventional Kalman filtering. Journal of Marine Geodesy, 21(1), 41-65.
RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1998. Precise kinematic applications of GPS: prospects and challenges. Boletim Ci. Geodesicas, Curitibo, 3, 3-33.

Conference Papers

HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Instantaneous ambiguity resolution for medium-range GPS kinematic positioning using multiple reference stations. "Advances in Positioning and Reference Frames", Springer-Verlag, ISBN 3-540-64604-3, 283-288, Proc. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September, 1997.
HAN, S., HAN, X., & RIZOS, C., 1998. The development of a low-cost carrier phase-based GPS positioning system at UNSW. Proc. 9th Australasian Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Conf., Sydney, Australia, 20-24 July, CD-ROM, paper no.50, 12pp.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Quality control, ambiguity resolution and GPS network adjustment. Proc. 11th Int. Tech. Meeting of the Satellite Division of the U.S. Inst. of Navigation GPS ION'98, Nashville, Tennessee, 15-18 September.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. A new Kalman filter algorithm for road slope determination using GPS techniques. Proc. 39th Australian Surveyors Congress, Launceston, Australia, 8-13 November.
HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. A new Kalman filter algorithm for road slope determination using GPS techniques. Proc. 39th Australian Surveyors Congress, Launceston, Australia, 8-13 November.
HAN, S., RIZOS, C., & ABBOT, R.,1998. Flight testing and data analysis of airborne GPS LADS survey. Proc. 11th Int. Tech. Meeting of the Satellite Division of the U.S. Inst. of Navigation GPS ION'98, Nashville, Tennessee, 15-18 September.
HAN, S., RIZOS, C., & ABBOT, R., 1998. Long-range GPS kinematic positioning and its application in sea surface determination. Proc. Spatial Information Science & Technology (SIST'98), Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, Wuhan, P.R. China, 13-16 December.
LIN, L.S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. A study of real-time regional ionosphere modelling using GPS measurements. Proc. 3rd International Symposium on GPS Technology , National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 10-11 November.
LIN, L.S., RIZOS, C., & MERTIKAS, S.P., 1998. Real-time failure detection and repair in inospheric delay estimation using GPS by robust and conventional Kalman filter state estimates. In "Advances in Positioning and Reference Frames", Springer-Verlag, ISBN 3-540-64604-3, 295-300, Proc. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September, 1997.
RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1998. Status and trends for high precision GPS kinematic positioning. Proc. 9th Australasian Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Conf., Sydney, Australia, 20-24 July, CD-ROM, paper no.49, 17pp.
RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1998. High precision GPS kinematic positioning: progress and outlook. In "Advances in Positioning and Reference Frames", Springer-Verlag, ISBN 3-540-64604-3, 319-324, Proc. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September, 1997.
RIZOS, C., HAN, S., & CHEN, H.Y., 1998. Carrier phase-based, medium-range, GPS rapid static positioning in support of geodetic applications: algorithms and experimental results. Proc. Spatial Information Science & Technology (SIST'98), Wuhan Technical University of Surveying & Mapping, Wuhan, P.R. China, 13-16 December.
RIZOS, C., HAN, S., & HAN, X., 1998. Performance analysis of a single-frequency, low-cost GPS surveying system. Proc. 11th Int. Tech. Meeting of the Satellite Division of the U.S. Inst. of Navigation GPS ION'98, Nashville, Tennessee, 15-18 September.
RIZOS, C., HAN, S., & HAN, X., 1998. Low-cost GPS surveying: what is possible now, and some thoughts on the future. Proc. 39th Australian Surveyors Congress, Launceston, Australia, 8-13 November.
RIZOS, C., HAN, S., CHEN, H.Y., & GOH, P.C., 1998. Continuously operating GPS reference station networks: new algorithms and applications of carrier phase-based, medium-range, static and kinematic positioning. Proc. 3rd International Symposium on GPS Technology , National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 10-11 November.
RIZOS, C., LIN, L.S., HAN, S., TROYER, L., & MERTIKAS, S.P., 1998. Quality control algorithms for permanent GPS receiver applications. In "Advances in Positioning and Reference Frames", Springer-Verlag, ISBN 3-540-64604-3, 307-312, Proc. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September, 1997.
ROBERTS, C., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Permanent automatic GPS deformation monitoring systems: a review of system architecture and data processing strategies. In "Advances in Positioning and Reference Frames", Springer-Verlag, ISBN 3-540-64604-3, 375-380, Proc. Scientific Assembly of the IAG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-9 September, 1997.
TRINDER, J.C., & HAN, S., 1998. The impact of new technologies on Geomatics: geomatic engineering in 2010. 39th Australian Surveyors Congress, Launceston, Australia, 8-13 November.
WANG, P., TRINDER, J.C. & HAN, S., 1998. A two dimensional Kalman filtering approach to deviation of terrain surface variables. 9th Australasian Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Conf., Sydney, Australia, 20-24 July, CD-ROM, paper no.56, 14pp.
WANG, P., TRINDER, J.C. & HAN, S., 1998. DEM outlier detection, identification and adaptation using digital signal processing technology. 39th Australian Surveyors Congress, Launceston, Australia, 8-13 November.

Lectures at Conferences & Workshops in 1998:

AHMAD-BERGER, Z., RIZOS, C., & MORGAN, P., 1998. Issues associated with the definition and maintenance of ITRF-based regional geodetic datums. Pres. Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, 21-24 July.
CHEN, H.Y., RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1998. An analysis of a rapid static medium-range GPS positioning technique for geodynamic applications. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
GE, L., HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. The integration of Continuous GPS and SAR Interferometry. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
GE, L., HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Continuous GPS: challenges, results and applications. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
HAN, S., 1998. Data quality analysis of the state-of-the-art GPS receivers and their airborne applications. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
HAN, X., 1998. Analysis of a low-cost carrier phase-based GPS positioning system. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
JANSSEN, V., 1998. Does the choke ring antenna significantly reduce the effect of multipath on GPS observations? Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
RIZOS, C., 1998. Everything you wanted to know about GPS, but were afraid to ask. Pres. 29th Conf. of the Australian Map Circle, in Wollongong, Australia, 9 February.
RIZOS, C., 1998. GPS -- Business, Science and Research opportunities in satellite navigation. Pres. at "Symposium on Space Research", UNSW, Australia, 13 May.
RIZOS, C., 1998. The limits and limitations of GPS. Pres. at "Great Ocean Races of the World" seminar, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia, 31 May.
RIZOS, C., 1998. Low-cost GPS surveying: what is possible now, and some thoughts on the future. Pres. ISM-UTM Geoinformation'98 seminar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 7-8 September.
RIZOS, C., 1998. Performance analysis of a single-frequency, low-cost GPS surveying system. Pres. ISM-UTM Geoinformation'98 seminar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 7-8 September.
RIZOS, C., 1998. Quality control issues for deformation measurements. Pres. at workshop on "Advances in GPS Deformation Monitoring", Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, 24-25 September.
RIZOS, C., 1998. "There's so much to do!" - a personal opinion on the GPS R&D agenda. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.
RIZOS, C., & HAN, S., 1998. Rapid GPS surveying techniques using multiple reference receivers that address medium-range geodetic applications. Pres. Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, 21-24 July.
ROBERTS, C., 1998. Monitoring volcanoes with GPS. Proc. Assoc. of Public Authority Surveyors Conf., Port Stephens, Australia, 11-12 March.
ROBERTS, C., CHEN, H., HAN, S., & RIZOS, C., 1998. Antenna phase centre variation: cause for concern for precise GPS deformation monitoring applications. Pres. Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, 21-24 July.
SATIRAPOD, C., 1998. GPS single point positioning with post mission information. Pres. at Annual Research Seminars, School of Geomatic Engineering, The University of New South Wales, 16-17 November.