On the road to autonomous vehicles

SBG Systems’ INS Ellipse-D powers Leo Drive’s autonomous car.

The evolution of autonomous vehicles has been a fascinating journey, transforming from science fiction to reality over the past few decades. Most modern cars on roadways worldwide have varying levels of autonomy, ranging from Level 1 features, such as cruise control, to Level 5 fully autonomous features, including the ability to monitor roadway conditions and perform safety-critical tasks without human intervention.

In recent years, several technology and automotive companies have recognized the benefits of autonomous vehicles and their potential impact on communities and industries worldwide. In response, industry leaders have supported autonomous vehicle innovation and adoption by offering new products and working closely with educators, nonprofit organizations and other groups that aim to use autonomous solutions to connect the world.

New solutions combining GNSS technology with inertial navigation systems (INS) have emerged to increase autonomous operation efficiency and development. GNSS/INS serves as the foundation for various autonomous operations, ranging from self-driving vehicles on public roads to sophisticated port machinery. In urban public transportation, the accuracy of GNSS signals can be compromised by tall buildings and signal interference, leading to potential errors in navigation. Meanwhile, in the specialized vehicle sector, the lack of extensive experience in complex environments poses challenges, with unpredictable issues potentially arising.

As we enter a new era of advanced autonomy, companies such as SBG Systems and Septentrio, along with their partners, are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in self-driving technology. SBG Systems and autonomous vehicle developer Leo Drive are integrating GNSS/INS systems, multiple cameras and lidar sensors into Leo Drive’s autonomous platforms for precise navigation and accurate positioning data for safe and efficient operations in urban applications.

Septentrio and Smart yoUr Mobility Inc. (SUM) also are making significant strides in advancing autonomous operations. The companies have formed a strategic partnership to develop and implement a multi-sensor fusion system for autonomous driving. This collaboration aims to enhance self-driving vehicles’ accuracy, reliability and safety by integrating data from various sensors, including lidar, cameras and radar.

Additionally, recognizing the need for precise positioning in complex environments — such as ports packed with equipment and steel containers — SUM and Septentrio are working together on a solution that ensures accurate positioning and reliable autonomous operations in challenging port operations.

Enhancing precision and performance

Leo Drive offers scalable software and hardware solutions, providing a comprehensive, end-to-end service for integration into autonomous systems. The company’s mission is to enhance the accessibility and adoption of autonomous technology across various sectors, including UAVs, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and autonomous driving systems.

To operate its autonomous vehicles effectively, Leo Drive was in search of an INS compatible with its existing platforms and robust enough to meet real-time processing demands in dynamic environments. The company also wanted an INS with dual-antenna RTK capability to offer consistently high precision in positioning and orientation, leading the company to SBG Systems’ Ellipse-D, a dual-antenna RTK INS.

Leo Drive integrated the Ellipse-D INS into its autonomous test vehicle, a passenger car converted for autonomous operations. Equipped with GNSS/INS systems, multiple cameras and lidar sensors, the vehicle requires precise navigation and accurate positioning data for safe and efficient operation. This vehicle serves as a critical platform for research and development (R&D) and technology demonstrations.

The test vehicle is powered by Autoware software, hosted by the Autoware Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to developing open-source, collaborative software for autonomous vehicles.

Leo Drive mounted Ellipse-D INS onto its test vehicles using non-ferromagnetic materials to prevent interference and ensure optimal sensor performance. The electrical connections were made via RS-232/422 and CAN interfaces, and custom drivers were used within the ROS2 environment to integrate the Ellipse-D’s real-time data into their sensor fusion algorithms.

During the integration phase, the SBG Systems’ support team provided ongoing assistance to quickly address any challenges. The SBG Systems Support portal also was valuable, providing comprehensive guidance and troubleshooting assistance.

Leo Drive’s autonomous car is equipped with GNSS/INS systems, multiple cameras and lidar sensors for precise navigation as well as accurate positioning.

Ellipse-D played a key role in Leo Drive’s Autonomous Vehicle by providing accurate real-time navigation data. Its dual-antenna RTK capabilities ensure orientation data is reliable and supports the vehicle’s complex navigation algorithms. The sensor’s RS-232/422 and CAN connections allowed for easy integration with Leo Drive’s onboard computers. Custom drivers and nodes in the ROS2 environment facilitated smooth communication between the Ellipse-D and other vehicle sensors, enhancing overall system robustness.

Advanced features for better navigation

Since integrating Ellipse-D INS into its autonomous vehicle, Leo Drive said it has experienced several significant improvements, including:

• Improved accuracy: Ellipse-D’s high positioning and orientation accuracy has been instrumental in refining the performance and reliability of Leo Drive’s autonomous systems.
• Increased efficiency: Ellipse-D’s advanced algorithm enables smoother development processes and more accurate test results, streamlining R&D efforts.
• Timely support: The comprehensive customer support, including detailed documentation and a responsive technical support team, ensured a seamless integration process.

Leo Drive identified three standout qualities of SBG Systems that have been critical to its success: exceptional customer support, high-quality products and a user-friendly support portal.

“Collaborating with SBG Systems and integrating the Ellipse-D into our vehicle has been essential in achieving the precision and reliability critical to our R&D efforts and autonomous operations,” said Oğuzhan Sağlam, Leo Drive’s sales manager.

Self-driving shuttles in South Korea

In 2022, Septentrio and SUM partnered for the joint development and technical application of a multi-sensor fusion system for autonomous driving. This led to the integration of Septentrio’s AsteRx-SBi3 Pro+ into SUM SMOBI platform vehicles.

Septentrio’s AsteRx-SBi3 Pro+ integrated into SUM’s autonomous vehicles.

The AsteRx-SBi3 Pro+ features Septentrio’s FUSE+ inertial sensor-fusion technology, which offers a comprehensive solution for these challenges. This includes centimeter-level positioning accuracy (horizontal: 0.6 cm + 0.5 ppm, vertical: 1 cm + 1 ppm) and integrated attitude accuracy (heading: 0.15°, pitch, and roll: 0.02° using a dual antenna set-up) to maintain precise vehicle operation. Additionally, the INS provides reliable speed data (0.02 m/s) for smooth and stable motion control.

In Gangneung, South Korea, a shuttle drives fully autonomously on the city’s roads. While a human driver is still required by law as a safety precaution, this is the first step to a more autonomous transport future.

SUM is collaborating with local governments to allocate bus routes for autonomous vehicles. The company operates autonomous buses on routes in Seoul, South Korea, including the Sangam Dong A2 autonomous vehicle for the Cheongwadae shuttle bus and late-night bus services. SUM also operates autonomous vehicles in Gangneung City.

According to members of the SUM team, this technology ensures accurate stops, optimal route planning, and improved passenger safety by minimizing the risk of collisions and ensuring timely arrivals. SUM’s autonomous shuttles and on-demand transit services benefit from precise positioning, allowing them to adjust routes dynamically based on real-time passenger requests and traffic conditions.

The benefits

According to SUM, coupling Septentrio’s AsteRx SBi3 Pro with SUM’s software and hardware solutions has unlocked many benefits, including:

• Enhanced safety: Precise positioning and reliable navigation are paramount for the safety of all autonomous vehicles. Septentrio’s technology ensures accurate lane positioning and collision avoidance capabilities, safeguarding people and property across multiple sectors.
• Greater reliability: Septentrio’s antennas ensure consistent and reliable performance for autonomous vehicles, even in challenging conditions. This minimizes downtime and disruptions.
• Sustainable transportation: Autonomous vehicles can potentially reduce traffic congestion and emissions across the board. SUM’s technology, which is integrated into various autonomous vehicles, contributes to a more sustainable transportation future for cities and industries.

Additional application: Autonomous port operations

In ports around the world, many aging yard trucks are still being used. However, the industry has been gradually adopting automated port operations to move away from outdated positioning methods and toward autonomous solutions that can redefine operational standards.

Early attempts at using GNSS for positioning autonomous machines in ports faced significant challenges. The chaotic environment of large moving metal machines and constantly changing container stacks created blockage and multipath position errors, making it hard to achieve reliable centimeter-level GNSS positioning.

SUM’s yard tractors utilizing Septentrio’s products.

Modern GNSS technology has revolutionized port automation with its ability to achieve centimeter-level accuracy for autonomous trucks, forklifts and container carriers to navigate narrow lanes and confined spaces with unprecedented precision, dramatically reducing collision risks. Often, autonomous port vehicles must maneuver between cranes with minimal room for errors, highlighting the importance of reliable high-precision technology in the field. This level of precision and adaptability is vital in the logistics industry, given that 90 percent of the world’s goods are transported by sea and 60 percent are packed in large steel containers.

At the Port of Incheon in South Korea, which is on the Yellow Sea across from Northern China, SUM is conducting proof of concept (POC) trials of its autonomous vehicles using Septentrio’s AsteRx-SBi3 Pro+ rugged GNSS/INS receiver. The autonomous yard trucks at Incheon Port successfully navigate autonomously between point A and point B, with the SUM team nearby to identify and resolve any issues. The SUM team said they are focused on stabilizing the system to achieve a fully unmanned operation, aiming to enhance efficiency and automation in port logistics.

SUM notes that integrating Septentrio’s technology with autonomous vehicles in smart ports simplifies operations by providing accurate positioning, enhancing safety and optimizing routes, as well as improving overall port efficiency. The integration supports the seamless operation of autonomous vehicles, helping ports manage their logistics more effectively and respond to the dynamic demands of modern cargo handling.

The autonomous port trucks also are being tested with the new AntaRx-Si3 and AntaRx-AUX antennas installed simultaneously. High update rate logging can improve CPU load and how the antenna’s robust real-time kinematic (RTK) engine uses fewer satellites to reduce the CPU load.

Overcoming positioning obstacles

SUM’s advanced online localization system is designed to continuously track the position of its autonomous vehicles, even in GNSS-compromised environments.

“Our system leverages a sophisticated sensor fusion algorithm that primarily relies on high-accuracy GNSS/INS information from the Septentrio module,” said Daehyuck Park, Ph.D., managing director at SUM. “This module serves as the core source of our positioning data.”

To improve the robustness of the localization system, the company integrated additional sensors, including lidar and cameras. These sensors provide odometry data and facilitate map-matching using static landmarks in pre-mapped areas. By combining data from these sources, SUM explains that its system can perform reliable dead reckoning and offers precise map-based pose corrections to maintain high performance across various challenging environments.

One key challenge in this approach is the potential for GNSS blockages. To address this, SUM has incorporated dead reckoning technology into its systems, which augments the GNSS/INS module’s positioning capabilities by delivering continuous position estimates even when GNSS signals are unavailable.

Integrating vehicle localization systems further enhances dead reckoning by counteracting drift caused by biases in IMU measurements.

Additional sensors such as lidar can improve dead reckoning accuracy further, particularly during movements involving high wheel slips, which dilute the precision of wheel odometry. Despite these advancements, relying solely on dead reckoning for extended distances can lead to an unbounded accumulation of positioning errors.

According to the SUM team, Septentrio’s AsteRx SBi3 Pro+, coupled with SUM’s software and hardware solutions, has unlocked many benefits. Other urban use cases include enhancing delivery services by effectively managing routes and improving traffic management through fleet coordination. SUM adds that autonomous vehicles have the potential to reduce traffic congestion and emissions across the board. SUM’s technology, integrated with a variety of autonomous vehicle applications, contributes to a more sustainable future for our cities and industries.

SUM is continuing to focus on developing solutions to ensure accurate positioning and reliable autonomous operations in challenging environments. SUM and Septentrio aim to accelerate the integration of autonomous solutions to streamline port operations and autonomous vehicle applications in urban environments. The partnership is driving progress toward a more autonomous future, with the goals of reducing costs, increasing efficiency and adapting to the challenges posed by congested GNSS environments. Their joint efforts are being rigorously tested for accurate positioning throughout an autonomous vehicle’s entire journey, even in areas where GNSS signals may be compromised.

On the cover

Saronic vessels equipped with advanced sensors in contested waters. (Photo: Septentrio / Saronic)

Anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology protects receivers

Saronic, a Texas-based defense technology company, is leveraging the latest cutting-edge technology for their autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) designed for critical naval missions. These vessels are equipped with sensors for enhanced domain awareness in contested waters. They are designed for tactical deployment, alone or in collaborative swarms, via at-sea launch and recovery from expeditionary craft. Saronic selected Septentrio’s GNSS inertial navigation system (INS)  receivers for resilient positioning and orientation for navigating in the most challenging environments. Advanced interference mitigation (AIM+) technology protects Septentrio receivers from jamming and spoofing attacks that threaten to disrupt GNSS-based navigation.