TRX Systems Co-Chairs at the IEEE/ION PLANS

​Last week co-chaired a session on Collaborative and Networked Navigation at the IEEE/ION Position Location and Navigation Symposium (ION PLANS) in Savannah, Georgia. Both Professor Zak Kassas from University of California, Riverside and myself were the session chairs at the technical conference that occurs only in the spring of even number years.

​The IEEE/ION PLANS was a refreshing opportunity to learn about the latest work from scientists, researchers and engineers from around the world in the field of navigation. The 30-minute slots allow for detailed presentations on new methods and results ranging from fundamental research, to applications, to field test results. The IEEE/ION PLANS featured numerous sessions and programs so there was always something of interest on the schedule. Some interesting practical applications that I visited are listed below:

• Enhancing APNT Coverage using LDACS Air-to-Air Ranging, German Aerospace Center (DLR), using air-to-air ranging to enhance air to ground ranging network performance for commercial aircraft positioning as a backup for GPS.
• Carrier Phase Positioning (RTK), University of Texas, Austin, the latest results for obtaining cm level positioning with commercial cell phones and reducing the cost of deploying the required reference networks.
• Personal Navigation, FOI Sweden, using vision with active illumination for positioning and mapping in unknown and dangerous environments for soldiers and first responders.

More information on all of the IEEE/ION PLANS programs and session can be found at http://www.ion.org/plans/program.cfm