INNOVATION AWARD FOR SATELLITE NAVIGATION RESEARCH

17 September 2009, 10:34am

INNOVATION AWARD FOR SATELLITE NAVIGATION RESEARCH

Researchers behind a pioneering navigation device which can tune into different satellite networks around the world have scooped an award for innovation.

The device, known as the Primo, was developed by researchers at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) in partnership with Nottingham Scientific Ltd (NSL).

The team triumphed in the ‘Innovation in Development’ category at the Lord Stafford Awards East Midlands, held on Thursday, at which DMU had four finalists across two categories.

Satellite navigation receivers (commonly known as ‘sat navs’) are traditionally reliant upon one network. The Primo is the first receiver that can gather information from a number of sources, including the US Global Positioning System (GPS), the European Galileo system, the Russian Glonass system and similar satellite systems currently being developed across the world.

As products built using the technology will be more adaptable than traditional GNSS receivers, they are at less risk of becoming obsolete due to advances in the satellite systems sector.

The device uses Software Defined Radio (SDR) to decode the incoming data from the satellite. Traditional GNSS receivers operate in the same way as analogue radio receivers, tuning into a specific radio channel. SDR uses software-based algorithms to enable the device to retune itself to any of the world’s different GNSS systems.

DMU and NSL were awarded £113,000 by the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and East Midlands Development Agency (emda) to take part in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) which developed the device.

NSL specialises in the commercial exploitation of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) technology.

Dr Eric Goodyer, who managed the project, runs DMU’s Telematics Teaching Lab which is sponsored by Orange Mobile Communications and Lincolnshire based Linkwave Ltd.

Dr Goodyer said: “The De Montfort engineering team were really grateful for the opportunity to help NSL with this exciting new development.

“We plan to continue with other new developments that will use ‘down stream’ services such as global navigation and satellite communications, and look forward to assisting other East Midlands Businesses to develop new products and services.”

DMU was nominated in the Innovation for Sustainability category for its work on nettle-based upholstery material with Camira Fabrics.

It also received two other nominations in the Innovation in Development category for DMU spin out company Fiteris, which has developed software that automatically inserts metadata into video footage, and for the ‘Topping Chair’, an aid for medical professionals developed by former midwife Cathy Topping with the help of DMU’s ProspectIP.

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