In the distant past, the “eye in the sky” was a radio report on local traffic, especially during rush hour, provided by a reporter/observer and based on their observations from a helicopter or low-flying aircraft. For real-time radio reports, sensing was not necessary. Evolving into TV reporting and planning before departing for work (long before […]
GPS (Global Positioning System)
Where is my stuff?
In today’s supply chain situation, this has to be among the most frequently asked questions . However, even under what may have been considered normal times prior to COVID-19, it still is a legitimate question. Tracking shipments that are critical or essential may allow more expensive tracking solutions but if the cost is reasonable, many […]
How are sensors improving maritime navigation?
Of course, GPS is important, but radar and the automatic identification system (AIS) use various sensors to track and report on ship positions in real-time. Sensor fusion is being developed for autonomous shipping. And there are hydrophones combined with other sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to identify and track whale movements […]
What sensors are in a smart cane? Pt 2
Inspired by self-driving vehicles and robotics, the Augmented Cane developed by Stanford University researchers uses a LiDAR sensor to measure distance to nearby obstacles and then provide directions so blind or visually impaired users can navigate around those areas. Additional sensors in the research prototype include GPS, accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes to monitor the user’s […]
Did the GPS Daemon bug affect you?
Those using Global Positioning System (GPS) appliances and the open source daemon, GPSD, to obtain time information from these GPS appliances could have experienced problems on Oct. 24, 2021. However, they were warned. On October 21, 2021, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a warning to Critical Infrastructure (CI) owners and operators, and […]
What sensors are in the SmartHolstein Lab project?
As part of Western Kentucky University’s (WKU’s) SmartHolstein Lab project, HerdDogg, a supplier of measuring and tracking sensors and systems, installed its Bluetooth® animal biometrics tags, called DoggTags, on the entire herd that’s being studied on a dairy farm. Ethan Heinzmann, HerdDogg’s dairy program manager says,“Our tags are mounted in the ear. The accelerometer in the […]
How have drone sensors advanced?
Large Predator B drones, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and first flown in 2001, are used by the military to perform multi-mission Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over land or sea. Sensing payloads in the MQ-9A Predator B remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), include: Multi-Spectral Targeting System Model B (MTS-B) Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Lynx multi-mode […]
How can police locate where a gunshot came from?
Time is of the essence. When an active shooting occurs, the key to preventing and/or minimizing injuries and death is quickly identifying exactly where the shooter is, end the threat and then treat and transport victims. Gunshots have unique audio characteristics so microphones can detect and provide information for location analysis. With its ShotSpotter site […]
How can employers help keep employees safe, especially in the hotel business?
Something is wrong, very wrong. Don’t panic. Hit the panic button. In 2018, to prevent violent assaults and sexual harassment of hotel workers, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) created the 5-Star Promise aimed at strengthening safety and security for hotel employees and guests. Also, in and since 2018, ordinances have been enacted in […]
What’s the status of autonomous vehicles in industrial applications? Part 1
First of all, what is an autonomous vehicle (AV)? The SAE provides classifications that many industries use for vehicular products. For automated driving, SAE has five classifications for on-road vehicles. In SAE J3016, Level 1 through Level 5 define increasing amount of automation and Level 0 designates no automation. Level 3 through Level 5 provide […]
