Tiago Silva

GNSS hybridization for indoor positioning

We describe a hybridized receiver architecture tightly coupled with different sensors, namely MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes, Wi-Fi engine and a barometer, allowing significant increase of positioning performance for indoor GNSS signal reception. This is possible due to the increase of integration times, use of higher sensitivity GNSS receivers and by resorting to external aiding sensors tightly coupled with the receiver. Expected overall navigation performance increase is described and the benefits of using such external sensors are quantified. Indeed, hybridization of GNSS receivers with other sensors is expected to be a key technology that will enable new services and applications for the use of GNSS for navigation in indoor and densely urbanized environments.

The use of wireless networks for the surveillance and control of vehicles in an airport environment

The paper focusses on the use of wireless networks, with special emphasis on Wi-Fi, in the manoeuvering and apron areas of an airport to control the ground vehicles movements in those areas and, consequently, to improve user safety, efficiency of operations and airport security. The use of Wi-Fi for these purposes constitutes a novel approach in an airport environment. Other wireless networks, namely CDMA and Tetra, are also experimented in this project as a lower bit-rate alternative to Wi-Fi. The platform consists of an on-board system in each vehicle, a centralised ground system and wireless networks to allow the communication between the vehicles and ground system. The architecture, protocols and network configurations in use are analysed as well as the respective deployment made in the airport of Porto in Portugal.