SBAS trial takes to the sea and sky

Australia’s Satellite-Based Augmentation System trial is enabling the safe travel of ocean liners and regional aircraft.

Australia’s Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) trial is already showing results in the aviation and maritime sectors, with real-world use cases demonstrating the potential benefits for the nation.

The improved positioning accuracy and integrity of the satellite technology will potentially benefit a wide range of industries, including agriculture, mining, transport, construction and utilities.

The aim is for civilian operators to be able to pinpoint location to an accuracy of 10 centimetres or better, as opposed to 10 metres at present.

On the water

The SBAS has been under test with maritime vessels, with the giant ocean liner Ovation of the Seas using the system to dock at Sydney’s Circular Quay. The trial was conducted by Acoustic Imaging in consultation with the Port Authority of New South Wales.

Acoustic Imaging’s lead scientist for maritime programs, Nicole Bergersen, said the docking of Ovation of the Seas, which is more than 330 metres long and too tall to fit beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, was an opportunity to test how the use of SBAS could potentially benefit operations on Sydney Harbour.

“The berth box inside Circular Quay is marginally smaller than the Ovation of the Seas, so the Ovation of the Seas is actually parking with nose protruding out in front of that parking spot. We’re on a level where metres matter, and centimetres matter,” Bergersen said.

“What SBAS is allowing us to do is have the pilot rely just on the information on the computer screen and if we can enable instrument navigation, then the pilot no longer needs visibility to be able to steer a ship.

“That’s going to allow the Port Authority of New South Wales to bring in more ships, more frequently and in adverse conditions.

The Chief Operating Officer of Port Authority of New South Wales and Harbour Master, Philip Holliday, said the authority was keen to ensure it is at the forefront of highly accurate positioning technology and involved as much as possible in the SBAS trial.

“Sydney is extremely busy during the cruise season; we have enormous cruise ships coming in virtually every day and intermingled into all of that is ferry and recreation traffic. It’s a busy working harbour,” he said.

In the air

Meanwhile, Airservices Australia is leading a project to guide aircraft to an accuracy of a few metres, with the aim of improving safety and efficiency in our skies.

Airservices’ CEO Jason Harfield said the technology will greatly benefit regional carriers such as REX, QantasLink and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

“This trial will test three new technologies: first-generation SBAS, second-generation SBAS and what’s known as Precise Point Positioning,” Harfield said.

“SBAS-assisted approaches are eight times safer than those which use ground-based navigation aids.

“This extraordinary new technology, which provides improved navigation and timing over GPS, will also decrease the likelihood of ‘go arounds’ and cancellations or diversions due to variable weather,” he added.

First in the world

Geoscience Australia’s SBAS Project Manager, Dr John Dawson, said while many countries already use first-generation SBAS technology, which improves positioning accuracy to within half a metre, in 2017, Australia became the first country to test second-generation SBAS with integrated Precise Point Positioning corrections.

“Standalone GPS positioning is giving you 5- to 10-metre level positioning. This is the first time we have been able to broadcast corrections at the 10-centimetre level to the entire country, in fact to the entire region, so it’s quite new.

“We’re touching all the major transport sectors. We have intelligent and automated vehicle trials going on land, we have some rail projects and, of course, the aviation sector is very interested in SBAS technology,” he added.

“We also have projects improving the navigation of pedestrians, particularly those pedestrians with visual impairments.”

The SBAS trial is being funded with $12 million from the Australian Government and a further $2 million from the New Zealand Government. It is managed by Geoscience Australia in partnership with GMV, Inmarsat and Lockheed Martin.

The Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information (CRCSI) is managing the industry projects, which will test, evaluate and report on the benefits and applications of SBAS for their particular businesses and sectors.

Ovation of the Seas image courtesy Royal Caribbean.

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