Project: LDA
Large Scale Demonstrator in Athens
European Mobile and Mobility Industries Alliance: Phase II Extension focusing on the
use of information from GMES, the European Earth monitoring programme, and
signal from Galileo and EGNOS, the European GNSS
42/G/ENT/CIP/12/C/N02C02
Strand 2: Large-scale demonstrators in support of GMES and GNSS based services
Report on Best Practice
Deliverable No.
Workpackage No.
D1.1
WP1
Authors
Workpackage Title
Analysis of the framework
conditions for mobile services based
on GMES and GNSS
Atlantis Consulting S.A.
Contributors
LDA Consortium
Status
Draft
File Name:
D1.1 Report on Best Practice_v1.docx
Project start date and duration
29th April 2013, 24 months
Report on Best Practice
Table of Contents
1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 3
2
OVERVIEW OF THE LDA PROJECT ............................................................................................... 4
3
OBJECTIVES OF THE BEST PRACTICE REPORT ............................................................................. 5
4
METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................... 6
4.1
4.2
4.3
5
SOURCES .................................................................................................................................... 6
SELECTION CRITERIA ..................................................................................................................... 8
DOCUMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES .............................................................................................. 8
BEST PRACTICES IDENTIFIED .................................................................................................... 10
5.1 APPLICATIONS USING COPERNICUS DATA ............................................................................................... 10
5.2 APPLICATIONS USING GNSS DATA ....................................................................................................... 20
5.3 LARGE-SCALE DEMONSTRATORS ON SERVICES BASED ON COPERNICUS AND GNSS DATA FUNDED UNDER EMMIA 44
5.4 LARGE-SCALE DEMONSTRATORS ON OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES FUNDED UNDER EMMIA ................................ 49
5.5 TESTING OF INNOVATIVE SERVICES IN A REAL-LIFE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................... 56
5.6 USES OF COPERNICUS BASED SERVICES IN REGIONS ................................................................................. 61
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Report on Best Practice
1 Introduction
The Deliverable 1.1 is a report on best practices in the use of services based on data from
Copernicus (formerly GMES) and GNSS in regions. The main aim of the Best Practice Report
is to identify and present best practices in the use of services based on data from Copernicus
(formerly GMES) and GNSS in regions. In the context of the LDA project, a “Best Practice” is a
service that is based on Copernicus or GNSS data which has already been tested (or has the
potential to be tested) in a real-life environment, and addresses societal challenges. The best
practices are collected in order to acquire knowledge about what works in specific situations
and contexts. Examples of Large-Scale Demonstration of innovative services that are not
based on Copernicus or GNSS data are also included, as they can be interesting in the aspect
of setting up and evaluating a pilot.
The sources from which best practices were collected are:







Copernicus Masters 2013 Competition
European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013
Projects funded under the European Mobile and Mobility Industries Alliance
FP7 projects
Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform
Citymart.com
GMES4Regions initiative
Best practices were selected according to the following criteria: Relevance, Societal impact,
Effectiveness / Efficiency, Potential for duplication / scalability, Sustainability, Involvement
of stakeholders / end users, Political commitment.
In order to ensure a homogeneous and concise presentation of the best practices, they are
presented according to a specific following format which has been designed.
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Report on Best Practice
2 Overview of the LDA project
The project aims at implementing on a large scale, and in a real life test bed, innovative
services based on GMES and GNSS that will address specific societal challenges and facilitate
the emergence of new industries in the Metropilitan area of Athens, Greece, through
tangible and scalable results. Athens is a region of more than 3 million inhabitants with an
extended seafront and surrounded by mountain ranges, and an area with intense activity in
mobile services.
The specific objectives of the project are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
To analyse the framework conditions for mobile services based on GMES/GNSS and
to collect good practice
To identify the available services and select the most relevant for participation in the
demonstrator
To develop an integrated platform for the large-scale demonstrator
To create a favourable ecosystem for innovative mobile services based on GMES and
GNSS by bringing together all public and private actors
To test the use of the platform in a real-life test bed involving all relevant actors
To monitor and evaluate the operation of the platform
To document the results and experience obtained and assess the potential for
scalability and transferability to other regions, and to perform mutual
transnational policy learning activities
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Report on Best Practice
3 Objectives of the best practice report
The objective of the Report on Best Practice is to identify and present best practices in the
use of services based on data from Copernicus (formerly GMES) and GNSS in regions. In the
context of the LDA project, a “Best Practice” is a service that is based on Copernicus or GNSS
data which has already been tested (or has the potential to be tested) in a real-life
environment, and addresses societal challenges. The best practices are collected in order to
acquire knowledge about what works in specific situations and contexts, which can be useful
in the following activities of the LDA project:



Definition of services: SMEs can use the best practices as an inspiration for
developing new services, and can understand better the possibilities provided by
Copernicus and GNSS data
Definition of the specifications for the Large Scale Demonstrator in Athens: The LDA
consortium can learn from successful applications and avoid duplication of effort
Synergies: Stakeholders that can be involved in the transfer of results may be
identified
Best practices are not ranked in order of importance, as the objective is not to identify those
that stand out, but to point out the elements in each one of them that have contributed to
their success. Each best practice can provide lessons in different areas, and to different
actors who are involved in the activities of the LDA project, so they are all considered to be
equally important.
Examples of Large-Scale Demonstration of innovative services that are not based on
Copernicus or GNSS data are also included, as they can be interesting in the aspect of setting
up and evaluating a pilot.
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Report on Best Practice
4 Methodology
4.1 Sources
In order to identify relevant best practices the following sources have been used:
Copernicus Masters 2013 Competition
The Copernicus Masters innovation competition was initiated by the European Space Agency
(ESA), the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and TSystems in 2011 with endorsement of the European Commission. It is also supported by
dedicated Challenges sponsored by European Space Imaging GmbH and Astrium Services. In
2013, the BMW Group Research and Technology and GEO magazine have joined the
competition as new supporting partners. In BMW's ConnectedDrive Challenge, the
Copernicus Masters was looking for ideas that would either bring a thrilling new service into
the car using Copernicus data or unleashes novel business potential using crowdsourced,
high-value Earth-monitoring data. Participants in the Copernicus Masters 2013 had the
choice from a total of nine Challenges covering topics such as environmental monitoring,
cloud computing, and mobile services, as well as the innovative use of radar and very highresolution satellite imagery.
European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013
Having started in 2004 with three partner regions, the European Satellite Navigation
Competition (ESNC) has since grown into a leading global network of innovation and
expertise in the field of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) with more than 20
regions and more than 200 industry and research experts around the world. The key to its
success lies in collaborating closely with regional, institutional, and industrial partners with
one common goal: promoting innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit along the GNSS
value chain to benefit the citizens of Europe and the rest of the world. Since its first round in
2004, the ESNC has received a total of almost 2,400 submissions from 4,263 registered
teams, resulting in a total of 204 winners. Many of these business cases have already been
implemented and successfully brought to market.
Being held for the 10th time in 2013, the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC)
was looking for services, products, and business innovations that use satellite navigation in
everyday life. The ESNC partner regions and key institutional and industry stakeholders are
awarding prizes worth around EUR 1 million - including cash prizes, business incubation,
coaching, patent consulting, prototyping and marketing support, access to customers and
user communities, and publicity in the world's leading satellite navigation network. With a
total of 130 partners involved in the competition, 25 Regional Prizes and 7 Special Prizes
were awarded at the ESNC 2013.
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Report on Best Practice
Projects funded under the European Mobile and Mobility Industries Alliance
This category includes the other projects selected under the EMMIA II call (Large-Scale
Demonstrators in support of GMES and GNSS based services), as well as the Large-Scale
Demonstrator projects of the Phase I of EMMIA (CULTWAyS, LIMES, SAFER, and Grow
Mobile).
FP7 projects
European funded projects relevant to the Large-Scale Demonstration of innovative services
in cities with a societal value.
Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform
The Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform initiated by the European Commission (http://eusmartcities.eu/) with the dual aim of i) identifying and spreading relevant information on
technology solutions and needs required by practitioners and ii) providing information for
policy support to the High Level Group and the European Commission. It is both a webbased and physical Platform open to anyone who registers on it. Backbone is the
contributions by stakeholders in a bottom-up way, owned by the stakeholders. The Platform
is one of the two governance bodies of the Smart Cities and Communities European
Innovation Partnership (EIP).
Citymart.com
Citymart.com is a market place for the most innovative solution companies and visionary
cities on the planet. In 2008, Living Labs Global was formed as a non-profit association in
Denmark with the focus on building a global marketplace for innovations in cities.
Citymart.com was launched as a technology start-up in January 2011. Since November 2012,
Citymart.com supersedes the Living Labs Global brand to be followed by the integration of
both organisations into a single legal entity by May 2013.
GMES4Regions initiative
The GMES4Regions initiative is implemented by the GRAAL (project number 263186) and
DORIS_Net (project number 262789) projects, which are funded by the European Union
under the 7th Framework Programme. Both projects have similar overall objectives and yet
very different approaches. Their synergies and mutual ambitions have resulted in this
GMES4Regions portal, a gateway to GMES for European local and regional authorities.
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Report on Best Practice
4.2 Selection criteria
The applications / projects identified were screened in order to select as best practices those
which fulfill as many as possible of the following criteria:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Relevance: The proposed practice should imply the use of innovative services
(ideally services based on Copernicus/GNSS data) in a real-life environment
Societal impact: Impact of the practice on societal challenges
Effectiveness / Efficiency: The proposed practice should produce measurable results
with a reasonable level of resources and time
Potential for duplication / scalability: The proposed practice should have the
potential to be transferred to other geographical locations or sectors, and be
scalable
Sustainability: The proposed practice should have the potential to be implemented
over a long period of time without the need for significant additional resources
Involvement of stakeholders / end users: The proposed practice should involve
satisfactory collaboration between several stakeholders / end users /
communities
Political commitment: The proposed practice should have support from the relevant
national, regional, or local authorities
The best practices selected fulfil, as a minimum requirement, the “relevance” and “societal
impact” criteria. It was not necessary to fulfil all criteria, as the objective is to use them for
applying the lessons learnt, which may apply to different areas.
4.3 Documentation of best practices
The best practices identified have been grouped in the following categories:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Applications using Copernicus data
Applications using GNSS data
Large-scale demonstrators on services based on Copernicus and GNSS data funded
under EMMIA
Large-scale demonstrators on other types of services funded under EMMIA
Testing of innovative services in a real-life environment
Uses of Copernicus based services in Regions
In order to ensure a homogeneous and concise presentation of the best practices, they are
presented according to the following format:
Title
A concise title which reflects the practice documented.
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Report on Best Practice
Short description
A short description of the practice, which gives an indication of its content.
Detailed Description
The detailed description aims to provide answers to as many as possible of the following
questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What services are being developed / tested?
What are the main activities carried out?
Are Copernicus / GNSS data used? If yes, explain in detail
When and where were the activities carried out?
Location /geographic coverage
Who are the key stakeholders involved?
Who are the beneficiaries or the target group?
Who are the users of the good practice?
What is the nature of their involvement?
What methodology has been used or experimented with? What has been the
process, and how was participation of stakeholders / end users achieved?
How many stakeholders / end users are involved?
How is the initiative funded?
What are the benefits achieved?
How is sustainability ensured?
What are the opportunities for and feasibility of up-scaling the good practice? What
would be the challenges to be aware of, and conditions to put in place, to upscale the good practice?
Has the good practice been successfully transferred in other contexts?
Success factors
Obstacles and problems encountered
What are the key messages and learning to take away from the good practice
experience?
Impact - benefits
•
•
•
What has been the expected / reached impact on the target groups?
what were the concrete results achieved in terms of outputs and outcomes?
What has been the impact on societal challenges?
Further information
•
•
Links
Contact information
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Report on Best Practice
5 Best practices identified
5.1 Applications using Copernicus data
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EyeOnMalaria
Africa-wide monitoring of environmental suitability for
malaria transmission
Environmental factors are key in affecting the transmission of malaria, which can be monitored by Earth
observation. EyeOnMalaria aims to develop an operational monitoring system to continuously assess the
environmental suitability for malaria transmission throughout the African continent based on new
European EO capacities and expert epidemiology models. The service will directly support targeted
malaria control at the necessary times and locations in Africa. The goal is to provide maps (updated
monthly) of environment’s aptitude for malaria transmission, which will directly support targeted malaria
control at the necessary times and locations while raising public awareness of the malaria season. The
service is to be provided via a web portal and mobile applications.
Climatic parameters are derived from MSG, GOES, MTSAT (via Copernicus land-monitoring services), and
MODIS. Copernicus services such as GlobCover and soil moisture information will also be used together
with Sentinel-2 data once available.
EyeOnMalaria is the winner of the Ideas Challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013 Competition.
Impact – Benefits
A huge amount of international funding is
allocated for malaria control (US$1.6 billion
per year). Using this EO service, national
malaria-control programmes will be able to
apply their malaria control activities to the
necessary times and locations, thus improving
the cost-effectiveness of interventions.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_ideas2013.html
Contact information
RSS - Remote Sensing Solutions GmbH
Dr Jonas Franke and Team
www.rssgmbh.de
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Dr Penelope Vounatsou and Team
www.swisstph.ch
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
Page 11 of 70
Report on Best Practice
CHEETAH – Taking on a billion-dollar problem in Africa
Chains of Horticultural Intelligence towards Efficiency and
Equity in the Agro-food Trade along the Trans-Africa
Highway
Cheetah amplifies the voices of relevant entities (transporters, consumers, growers, officers from public
and private agencies) by allowing them to report shortcomings in their value chain. The app also enables
these players to tap into chains of horticulture intelligence, which leads to better-informed decisions,
reduced costs/higher profits for businesses, lower market pric es for consumers, fairer prices for growers,
lower post-harvest losses, and better interventions by public/private agencies. Cheetah explores how data
collected by the human-vehicle sensor web (on border delays, for example) can be integrated with new
information obtained by Copernicus. Cheetah Food obtains crop-sourcing information from Copernicus
Sentinel-2 (and MERIS) on land cover and crop phenology products. Market price information is partly
crowd-sourced and augments existing third-party services related to crop market value.
Impact – Benefits
A full one-third of global food production is
lost post-harvest. To address the global food
security issue, Cheetah's novel approach
combines
crowdsourcing
with
Earth
observation data and a particular focus on the
production and transportation of crops in
Africa.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_esa2013.html
Contact information
Alain van Hanegem, Decos Information Solutions B.V.
Alexander Popp, Technical University of Munich
Stephen Trainor, Crookneck Consulting LLC
Valentijn Venus, University of Twente
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
Page 12 of 70
Report on Best Practice
URBAN ANALYSER
A city development tool offering high resolution
information on global urban development.
In order to avoid infrastructural and environmental problems that can result from the poorly regulated
and unplanned growth of suburban regions, timely data on the dynamics of urban development are
needed. The proposed service would offer high-resolution information on global urban development
based on Sentinel-1 data. The emphasis is on the mapping of fine temporal dynamics, which makes it
possible to ascertain changes at intervals shorter than one month. This would produce the fastest and
freshest information source on urban developments. The service would also help to extrapolate and
estimate urbanization trends with high accuracy.
Data used is: New time series for 2014: Copernicus Sentinel-1 Interferometric Wide (IW) swath (IW).
Archived time series for 1970-2013: Landsat, Envisat ASAR, and ERS SAR.
Urban Analyser is the winner of the DLR environmental challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013
Competition.
Impact – Benefits
The European Commission, environmental
agencies, and large municipalities will have
fresh and accurate information about urban
area growth, which will aid in planning
policies for environmental protection and
infrastructure development.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_dlr2013.html
Contact information
University of Tartu
Kaupo Voormansik and Team
kaupo.voormansik@ut.ee
www.ut.ee
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
Page 13 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Operational Satellite-Derived Bathymetry Service
Cloud computing methods with full mission access can
map bathymetry continuously all over the world, which is
the objective of this service.
Mapping bathymetry (water depth) on a global scale would be desirable for many applications, but is not
possible due to the limits of traditional methods. This idea focuses on a novel satellite based approach as
a solution for optical shallow-water areas. Recent developments indicate that an operational approach to
mapping bathymetry is possible with a cloud-based method that processes repeated satellite recordings.
This can also mitigate shortcomings faced in many coastal areas where changing turbidity has impeded
the few methods applied so far to derive satellite-based bathymetry.
The Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 satellite missions are most applicable to this approach due to their coverage,
repeat cycles, and spectral/spatial resolution.
EOMAP is the winner of the T-Systems Cloud Computing Challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013
Competition.
Impact – Benefits
• Requires only a fraction (10-25%) of the
usual costs
• Rapid data access, processing
• Extended areas can be mapped, even in
remote and inaccessible areas
• No field campaign management or local
infrastructure required
• Carbon-neutral
• Other seafloor information as side product
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_t-systems2013.html
Contact information
EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG
Thomas Heege and Team
heege@eomap.de
www.eomap.com
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
Page 14 of 70
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CAMEA - Certification of Agronomy for Marketing
Environmentally Friendly Agriculture
Certification service for environmentally friendly
agronomic activities that produce crops with a smaller
ecological footprint.
The CAMEA project proposes a certification service for agronomic activities that leave a smaller ecological
footprint. Currently, such activities are hindered by the lack of a quality
assurance service for agronomy, which prevents their added value from being internalised into crop
prices. The CAMEA label will thus be assigned to farmers who follow green practices. The label and the
agronomic quality it represents will be supported by Sentinel-1 and VHR remote-sensing techniques,
which will monitor 30% of CAMEA farmers every year. If an activity cannot be verified remotely, a field
visit will assess whether the farmer should retain the CAMEA label. Meanwhile, parcel maps created from
the monitoring datasets will help plan agricultural activities for the future. CAMEA will thus propagate
sustainable agronomy and support its spread with quality-based marketing tools.
CAMEA is the winner of the European Space Imaging high-res challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013
Competition.
Impact – Benefits
With the support of CAMEA, the added value
of agricultural products will be increased even
as the ecologic footprint of agricultural
production is reduced. Ideally, the market will
learn to favour CAMEA-labelled farmers.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_eusi2013.html
Contact information
Corvinus University of Budapest
Györk Fülöp
gyork.fulop@uni-corvinus.hu
www.uni-corvinus.hu
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
Page 15 of 70
Report on Best Practice
WaveCERT - Wave + Current Energy Reporting Tool
Remote modelling for the prediction, monitoring and
surveying of tidal and wave potential anywhere in the
world.
With new renewable efforts focusing on the untapped potential of our seas, wave and tidal technologies
are becoming a major source of future energy. WaveCERT extends Astrosat’s “CERT Suite” of renewable,
low-carbon measurement, verification, and reporting technologies to support this valuable source of
renewable energy. The system provides vital remote (space-based) modelling, allowing for prediction,
monitoring, and surveying of tidal and wave potential anywhere in the world. The technology and service
innovatively fuses bathymetric data from radar altimetry and near real-time or archived SAR data with
highly advanced hydro-dynamic modelling. The hydro-modelling reflects the exact topography, fluid flow,
and dynamics of the site under observation producing final reports on its potential energy in any season –
using a completely remote approach.
Data in use: SAR (Terra/Tandem SAR-X, Cosmo-Skymed, Sentinel-1), radar altimetry.
WaveCERT is the winner of the Astrium Radar Challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013 Competition.
Impact – Benefits
WaveCERT provides the new wave and tidal
energy industry with a completely novel and
remote means of surveying, monitoring, and
reporting on site potential and existing
infrastructure.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_astrium2013.html
Contact information
Stevenson Astrosat
Steve Lee
steve.lee@astrosat.biz
www.astrosat.biz
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
Page 16 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Landmark Navigation - With Radar Fix Points from
Satellites
A vehicle navigation system that utilises innovative
remote-sensing mechanisms and crowdsourcing.
The idea is for a new vehicle navigation system that works independently of Global Navigation Satellite
Systems (GNSS). It will navigate by landmarks that are easily visible from the vehicle, whose positions will
be derived precisely from radar remote-sensing satellites. Tropospheric delay correction has made it
possible to determine the coordinates of radar fix
points in the centimetre range. With space radar missions like TanDEM-X and Sentinel-1, a global fix-point
database can be set up and kept up to date. Modern cars with driver assistance systems have a variety of
sensors on board – cameras, radar, and laser scanners – which could be used to detect these fix points
and measure their distance and viewing angle from the vehicle. Using these measurements and the
precise coordinates of the fix points retrieved from the database, the exact position of the vehicle can be
derived.
Data in Use: Radar images from TerraSAR-X or Sentinel-1, as well as precise weather data to compute the
tropospheric delay that appeared during the SAR image data extraction; sensor data from the vehicle.
Landmark Navigation is the winner of the BMW Connected Drive Challenge of the Copernicus Masters
2013 Competition.
Impact – Benefits
The combination of this technique with GNSS
will lead to higher system integrity and
reliability, which is important in applications
requiring a high level of safety (e.g.
autonomous cars). It can be used in ships,
road and off-road vehicles, and planes.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_bmw2013.html
Contact information
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Hartmut Runge
hartmut.runge@dlr.de
www.dlr.de
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
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HAB Forecast - Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast
Monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms
Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) are sporadic, unpredictable, and may seriously disrupt the production plans
of fish farms. These blooms add costs not only by causing fish to die, but also through prolonged bay
closures, subsequent waste disposal of fish, and increased insurance deductibles. Since they are part of
nature, they cannot be prevented; with the right technology and know-how, however, they can be
predicted. The ASIMUTH project has taken up this forecasting challenge. It hosts a monitoring service that
provides a weekly regional alert on HAB via a web-published bulletin (www.asimuth.eu). The service is
designed to combine all of the available information from Earth (in-situ monitoring stations), space
(satellite data) and in-silico (biological and physical oceanic models) sources for the northeast Atlantic
Ocean. ASIMUTH thus provides the aquaculture industry with an overview of areas at risk of a HAB event.
Data in Use: Ocean colour and SST products retrieved from the MyOcean catalogue, and in-situ data to
forecast blooms. ESA Sentinel-3 OLCI will provide Sea Surface Chlorophyll continuity of the ENVISAT MERIS
sensor. ESA's SMOS-BEC will define important thermo-salinity fronts that influence the transport of HABs.
HAB forecast is the winner of the Best Service Challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013 Competition.
Impact – Benefits
This warning system enables shellfish farmers
to adapt their production schedules to suit
each HAB situation and finfish farmers to
install appropriate aeration systems to
combat oxygen depletion during a bloom.
Before ASIMUTH, no such options were
available to farmers.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?kat=winners.html&anzeige=winner_bsc2013.html
Contact information
Daithi O'Murchu Marine
Research Station
Julie Maguire
julie.maguire@dommrc.com
www.asimuth.eu
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
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SmartIrrigation - Satellite monitoring for agriculture
A tool for better management, optimal production across
large spans, and efficient use of water for irrigation.
The SmartIrrigation solution measures soil moisture and plant health by taking satellite data and
integrating it with weather information and measurements from in-situ soil moisture sensors. This
provides agricultural managers and decision-makers with fundamental information that facilitates better
management, optimal production across large spans, and efficient use of water for irrigation.
Data in Use: ASAR data and in situ measurements taken by sensors for soil moisture for NDVI. MODIS and
AVHRR for NDVI. The launches of Sentinels 1 and 3 will be crucial for the provision of soil moisture and
NDVI monitoring services, respectively. Revisit times of 2-3 days for both are a great asset for service
provision.
SmartIrrigation is the 3rd place winner of the Best Service Challenge of the Copernicus Masters 2013
Competition.
Impact – Benefits
The service can help farmers achieve optimal
agricultural production with an efficient use
of water for irrigation.
Further information
Links
http://www.copernicus-masters.com/index.php?anzeige=winner_3rd-bsc2013.html
Contact information
Starlab Barcelona SL
Elizabeth Gil-Roldán
elizabeth.gil-roldan@starlab.es
www.star2earth.com/smartirrigation
Source
Copernicus Masters Competition
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5.2 Applications using GNSS data
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KINEXON: Precise Localisation and Monitoring for Sports
and Healthcare
A secure cloud-computing platform with a smart analytics
application. It transforms big sensor data into valuable
information in real time.
Many applications require tracking solutions that are precise, but at the same time affordable and small.
KINEXON’s new precision tracking solution fulfils these needs perfectly. The KINEXON CELL is a
revolutionary wearable sensor that uses the latest space technology to track the positions of individuals
and objects with centimetre accuracy. The corresponding KINEXON APP is a secure cloud-computing
platform with a smart analytics application. It transforms big sensor data into valuable information in real
time. KINEXON’s first product is a portable, cloud-based athlete monitoring system designed for all types
of sports, including football, tennis, and American football. A tablet PC provides coaches with real-time
insights into the performance, tactics, technique, and health of athletes and teams. Users access their
data from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. The system's flexible and scalable architecture ensures quick
adaptation to other use cases in the healthcare, logistics, and unmanned aerial vehicle sectors.
Kinexon is the Galileo Master and the Regional Winner for Bavaria / Germany of the European Satellite
Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Coaches can measure, analyse, and improve
athletes' performance to reach their full
potential. Meanwhile, dedicated statistics
help prevent injuries and support the
rehabilitation process.
Further information
Links
http://www.kinexon.com/
Contact information
oliver.trinchera@kinexon.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 21 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Sensovo Navipal
A New Way to Feel Directions with a Wearable Tactile
Navigation System
Sensovo is working on the world's first tactile navigation system that is both wearable and commercially
available. The preliminary operational prototype utilises a smartphone as a medium to run a navigation
application that allows the user to specify destinations based on the mobile phone's internal GPS receiver.
The app communicates via Bluetooth with the wearable accessory, a waist belt that is equipped with eight
vibration motors placed at equal distance from each other. The belt provides tactile navigation by
vibrating one or more motors in the target direction. The vibration intensity and duration changes
according to the distance to the next destination point. Through sensory substitution, the human brain
has the ability to incorporate this additional tactile information, which makes the device a "sixth sense"
for the wearer. The product is a technical intersection of geolocation (GNSS), navigation, wearable
technologies, mobile phone accessories, sensory enhancement, tactile feedback, and ubiquitous
computing.
Sensovo is the 2nd place winner and the winner of the ESA Special Prize of the European Satellite
Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Many people can benefit from this innovative
way of navigation, such as tourists,
geocachers, emergency services, cyclists,
motorcyclists, and the visually impaired.
Further information
Links
http://www.sensovo.com/
Contact information
jan.walter.schroeder@sensovo.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 22 of 70
Report on Best Practice
AlarmApp
Location-based Emergency Notification System
Most of the fire departments in Germany rely on volunteer fire fighters. In case of an emergency, these
fire fighters leave their homes or workplaces, drive to the fire department, man a fire truck, and drive to
the scene of action. Currently, alarms are transmitted via one-way communication systems. While this can
result in fire fighters receiving emergency calls in time, their emergency control centers may not have
information about the participating fire fighters. This can be a problem if too few fire fighters answer a
call. To solve this problem, we developed AlarmApp - a smartphone-based fire fighter notification system.
In the event of an emergency, the system notifies fire fighters by smartphone and asks them to explicitly
accept or reject the call. The system then transfers the information on the participating forces back to an
online alarm management server, which enables the emergency control center in question to access it.
Many other civil protection organisations (including some German Red Cross departments), security
services, and other companies are already using AlarmApp to alert their members.
AlarmApp is the Regional Winner for Hesse / Germany of the European Satellite Navigation Competition
2013.
Impact – Benefits
AlarmApp will help to better coordinate the
costly human resources involved.
Further information
Links
http://www.alarmapp.org/
Contact information
support@alarmapp.org
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 23 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Ampido
A parking application
Ampido is the first German parking lot finder that enables owners of driveways, garages, or parking lots to
rent out their spaces on a flexible short-term (instant booking) or long-term basis. Using the app (iOS) or
the responsive mobile website www.ampido.com (Android/Microsoft), users can find the next free
parking space in a few seconds and pay easily online. After the start of their closed beta in May 2013, they
were covered by many German TV channels (ARD, ZDF, WDR, RTL, Sat.1, N-TV, etc). They were also
recognised by the German government as a solution for the issues of future cities ("Land der Ideen") and
won the Vodafone Smart Solution Award. In addition to having been part of the first ProSiebensat.1
accelerator class (p7s1accelerator.com) in Q2 2013, they received EUR 100,000 in funding from Monkfish
Equity, the founders of trivago. Next, they will integrate their solution into their first car park in Cologne,
Germany, which will use ampido to optimise revenue. They are also discussing possible ampido
cooperations with the municipal authorities in Cologne and Düsseldorf in the context of their respective
Smart City projects.
Ampido is the Regional Winner for North Rhine - Westphalia / Germany of the European Satellite
Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Ampido facilitates drivers in their search of a
parking space and provides a new business
model for parking owners.
Further information
Links
http://www.ampido.com/
Contact information
contact@ampido.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 24 of 70
Report on Best Practice
JOHAN
The Digital Oracle for Field Sports, Including GNSS Player
Tracking in Real-Time
The idea is to develop a system to track players real-time during field sports by the use of the EGNOS
system and, in the future, Galileo. Existing tracking technologies are too expensive (video-based systems)
or not precise enough (GPS-based systems). By making use of the EGNOS system and Galileo, greater
precision (< 1 meter) and reliability can be achieved. The system must be affordable, portable, small, and
robust. In this way, it will be an improvement on existing technologies in terms of both precision and
costs. In the concept, every player will wear a GNSS device to track his or her movements, accelerations,
and heart rate. The data will be transferred wirelessly to coaches' laptops and processed into useful
information, such as on distances run, speed (minimum, maximum, average), collisions, and maximum
heart rate. The data can also be viewed online or on a mobile app after matches. This kind of system is
highly valued by sports teams and academic institutes.
JOHAN is the GSA Special Prize Winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
The information can be used to analyse each
player's performance and as a form of tactical
support. The development of this system will
be relatively cheap and feasible because it
only uses existing technology.
Further information
Links
http://www.johan-sports.com/
Contact information
jellereichert@gmail.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 25 of 70
Report on Best Practice
WinterVision
Winter Road Safety and Emergency Location Through
Augmented Reality (AR) and GPS
During severe winters, roads can become buried under snow to such an extent that drivers, pedestrians,
and road workers find using and maintaining them extremely difficult. Accidents and incidents of people
becoming stranded are major concerns under these conditions. Methods to mitigate these problems
would therefore be a positive step forward. Our WinterVision system is designed to offer two new service
options that will allow a safer use of road networks following occurrences of heavy snowfall.
Driven by GNSS positioning data, the primary element of the system will offer an Augmented Reality
overlay to drivers by projecting the exact edge and path of the road. This will enable users to drive even
when the road is buried and thus indistinguishable under the snow.
The secondary use of the system involves utilising the distress messaging feature present in GNSS to call
for help when a severe collision is detected. In addition, the beacon can be used by search-and-rescue
teams (and perhaps an extended version of Astrosat's Augmented Reality system) to help locate stranded
travellers or other emergencies should it become buried under snow.
WinterVision is the METAIO Special Prize Winner of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
WinterVision allows a safer use of road
networks following occurrences of heavy
snowfall and can help search-and-rescue
teams to locate emergencies.
Further information
Links
http://www.astrosat.biz/
Contact information
steve.lee@astrosat.biz
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 26 of 70
Report on Best Practice
GeoAgenda
This project offers a new agenda concept that, based on
the perception of the environment, can remind a person
what needs to be done in the right time and place.
GeoAgenda combines GNSS data and POI database information to provide reminders and warnings about
what needs to be done when and where. For instance, if you need to buy milk, how can you set a
reminder to alert you at the right moment? GeoAgenda will connect the act of purchasing milk with
supermarkets and display a corresponding reminder to the user when he or she is near a supermarket
location. GeoAgenda can also deal with meetings by, for example, alerting the participants to the delays
others may be facing. Using GNSS signals and the Google Maps API, GeoAgenda can calculate the delays of
each person (e.g. resulting from traffic jams) and allow the others to better manage their waiting time.
GeoAgenda is the University Challenge Special Prize Winner of the European Satellite Navigation
Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
GeoAgenda improves time management for
users
Further information
Links
www.outcapsa.com
Contact information
geral@outcapsa.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 27 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Physiotrack
Sport Performance, Functional Readaptation, and Training
Monitoring System
It is not easy to monitor physical activity or control recovery during a sequence of sporting exercises. The
answer: Physiotrack, a predictive monitoring system for multiple activities. Physiotrack provides realistic
predictions of physiological parameters and energy consumption during outdoor activities. It uses both
Galileo and physiological sensors to monitor the performance of the user on a track in real time.
Physiotrack: much more than a sport watch. Through the combined analysis of physiology and planned
activity, Physiotrack helps the user choose the right track and/or intensity of effort. The system provides
an estimation of duration, power, speed, energy, or water consumption. While using Physiotrack during
an activity, the user is advised in real time how to safely reach the end of the track with the best
efficiency. This is an innovation no other system can claim.
Physiotrack is the Regional Winner for Aquitaine / France of the European Satellite Navigation
Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Physiotrack makes comprehensive health
improvement possible during outdoor
activities. Convalescent, athletes who want to
respect their limits or improve their
performance, professionals looking to take
full control of their training…
Further information
Links
www.cnes.fr
Contact information
sebastien.rouquette@cnes.fr
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 28 of 70
Report on Best Practice
ENViGUARD
A system for dealing with pollution that endangers the
environment and public health.
No matter if the problem is illegal dumping of waste, oil spills or even unexploded ordinance, ENViGUARD
is the first point of contact for citizens. The primary intent of the system is to form a link between citizens
and authorities charged with keeping the environment clean and safe. Citizens can use the web app on
their smartphones to determine the location of a hazard using GNSS and a compass, classify it, and
document it by taking a photograph. The app automatically transmits the report to the authority
responsible for the case of pollution in question. In cases involving potentially hazardous waste, citizens'
reports will trigger professional intervention by the authorities responsible for disposal. The system aids
the professionals by displaying the situation and providing guidance, while the citizens interested receive
progress reports. If the pollution is not hazardous, the system encourages the citizens to deal with it by
pointing them to the next waste bin or organising a waste collection party. With ENViGUARD, we can all
be guardians of our environment.
ENViGUARD is the Regional Winner for Austria of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Increases
citizens’
awareness
on
environmental issues, and is a useful tool for
authorities responsible for disposal.
Further information
Links
www.strauss-hollinger-geoit.com
Contact information
office@strauss-hollinger-geoit.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 29 of 70
Report on Best Practice
SaltHawk
Self-learning Swarm Intelligence for Winter Road Service
Winter road service is an important issue in the field of traffic safety. It is also a cost-intensive endeavour,
however, meaning that any optimisation is beneficial for both the environment and public expenditure.
Currently, drivers select their dispenser's settings on their own depending on their individual experience.
Road conditions, temperatures, and so on can nonetheless vary locally and be subject to sudden changes.
Since no global and centralised "boss" can be appointed to control everything, we decided to find a
different approach. This led us to investigate how ants would behave if they were given this task, and thus
was the SaltHawk swarm born. The idea behind SaltHawk involves forging a group of individual dispensers
into a swarm of computers with local intelligence using an artificial intelligence approach and
communicating over a secure and reliable network. The swarm learns from experienced drivers, weather,
and road topology; each on-board computer knows its EGNOS/GPS location and decides on its own if and
when to share information with the others.
SaltHawk is the Regional Winner for Baden-Württemberg / Germany of the European Satellite Navigation
Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Improved traffic safety.
Further information
Links
www.afusoft.com
Contact information
erich.franke@afusoft.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 30 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Mobilly
A Next-Generation Travel Planner
Mobilly is the first geolocation-based aggregator to combine hotels, private rentals, and daily deal offers
for travel and other purposes. Our mission is to give the individual traveller full control over the flow of
information on accommodation offers. We promise you'll be able to travel and never miss a deal. Mobilly
allows for more intelligent travel that will eliminate more than half of the 9.5 research sessions currently
required on average for planning. It has several innovative features, two of which can clearly distinguish it
from competitors. One is myMobilly, an algorithm that allows users to set deal alerts for a specified area
of travel. The other is the 3Check algorithm, which corrects inaccurate/missing geolocation info in deal
feeds. No service like Mobilly exists at the moment due to different data feed formats, incompatibility,
and GNSS issues (incompatible longitude/latitude data and low accuracy). The closest example is the USbased Hipmunk, which aggregates hotels and private rentals but not travel deals from providers like
Groupon and Living-Social. Mobilly will be available as a web service and through mobile applications for
Android, iOS, and Windows Phone.
Mobility is the Regional Winner for Bulgaria of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Improves travel
research time.
planning
and
reduces
Further information
Links
www.mobilly.me
Contact information
nikolay@fwdventures.net
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 31 of 70
Report on Best Practice
NAVMATE
Wearable Personal Assistant for Collaborative Navigation
Based on the integration of GNSS and wearable and wireless communication technologies, NAVMATE
implements an innovative, low-cost solution that allows a group to move safely in mountainous and other
natural scenarios, even without mobile coverage. This enables your own colleagues to make an initial
emergency intervention or rescue if necessary. Each person provided with a NAVMATE user terminal will
be able to share his or her position, receive the positions of other members, and implement specific
functionalities based on the processing of the shared information, which will facilitate faster and more
effective emergency procedures. The user terminal is a dedicated electronic unit that integrates a lowcost GNSS multi-constellation receiver (GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/EGNOS) for accessing raw GNSS data and
implements advanced relative and absolute navigation performance in combination with motion and
orientation MEMs sensors (MARG [IMU+Mag], barometric altimeter, three-axis accelerometer, giros and
magnetometers).
NAVMATE is the Regional Winner for Catalonia / Spain of the European Satellite Navigation Competition
2013.
Impact – Benefits
NAVMATE makes it possible to achieve
accurate relative navigation even in hostile
environments and conditions.
Further information
Links
www.gekonavsat.es
Contact information
rolmedo@navsat.es
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 32 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Augmented Prague
Augmented Prague is an adventurous quiz game with
elements of Augmented Reality.
Through smartphones and tablets, a new dimension of reality is being opened by this AR application. It
displays 3D objects in the real world against the background of Prague's Renaissance story in the time of
Rudolf II. GNSS navigation is utilised as a tourist guide in the city's mysterious and scenic Old Town. In the
role of alchemists, tourists can explore the area and try to discover the stone of a wise man. Instead of
being focused solely on foreign tourists with access to modern technologies, Augmented Prague caters for
schools (history gameducation) and businesses (corporate marketing and team-building). Thanks to its
multiplayer functionality, it can enable families, friends, and larger groups to play on one device. The app
also allows for more freedom in tourism by offering the chance to choose your own path - no opening
times or poor guides, just a new and exciting experience in a new city. Augmented Prague represents a
first step toward creating a universal game platform for other cities that attract a large number of tourists.
Augmented Cities will be an exciting way to discover new places.
Augmented Prague is the Regional Winner the Czech Republic of the European Satellite Navigation
Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Augmented Prague is an educational game,
and enables tourists to choose their own
path.
Further information
Links
www.beinteractive.cz
Contact information
info@beinteractive.cz
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 33 of 70
Report on Best Practice
LAISIK
A Smart Way to Optimise Children's Physical Activity
Schedules and Computer Time
This solution helps raise children by allowing them to earn computer time with physical activity. It aids to
prevent and relieve computer addiction. Rather than being based on continuous prohibition by parents,
LAISIK helps children to make their own choices. It connects two components, one of which is a child's
GPS-enabled smartphone. The corresponding app registers physical activities like cycling, walking to
school, running, or playing outside and marks it on a calendar. The computer the child uses then receives
this information and adds it to his/her account. A program calculates the activity data into minutes and
allows the amount of computer time earned. Parents can also add weekly activities like piano or
swimming lessons into their child's LAISIK schedule. Children who are not active enough but do not have a
smartphone can use the program as part of scheduled book club meetings, physical training, etc. If using a
computer every day is important to them, children will be willing to walk, run, and play outside to earn
computer minutes. Problems like nervousness, obesity, and laziness will diminish.
LAISIK is the Regional Winner for Estonia of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
LAISIK is a guide towards physical activity,
health, and calm family life.
Further information
Links
www.ttu.ee
Contact information
mari.loorman@ttu.ee
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 34 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Winnetou
An Easily Installable, Solar-Powered Tracker for Freight
Wagons
Winnetou is a new solar-powered device for tracking individual freight-railway wagons. It will
continuously:
• Capture a wagon's precise on-track position, orientation, and speed
• Register shocks and vibrations
• Record the outside temperature
• Weigh the wagon's load
It will then send all this data to a central server in a secure fashion over the GSM network, either after an
interval set by the end user or immediately in the event of an alarm condition. These can include an
intense shock or a speed limit violation. Thanks to its solar energy supply and operational storage
between -40°C and 65°C, Winnetou will be able to report back every 15 minutes, night and day, winter
through summer, all over Europe and beyond - even when standing still. Since it combines GPS, GLONASS,
Galileo, and EGNOS, Winnetou can tell exactly which track a wagon is on, even when obstacles partially
block its view of the sky or when other tracks are close. Therefore, it can be easily mounted on all types of
wagons, even low ones. It does not require a particular mounting position and can be welded or bolted.
Winnetou contains no valuable components or data, no removable SIM card, and has no visible cables.
Winnetou is the Regional Winner for Flanders / Belgium of the European Satellite Navigation Competition
2013.
Impact – Benefits
Winnetou enables efficient tracking of freightrailway wagons .
Further information
Links
www.qraqon.com
Contact information
info@qraqon.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 35 of 70
Report on Best Practice
BimOn!
A Location-Based AR Application for Visualising BIM/IFC
Models on Construction Sites
BimOn! is a location-based Augmented Reality application that makes it possible to visualise 3D
representations of buildings and their components in their exact positions on construction sites. It has
been designed to serve every stakeholder in the construction sector, including architects, engineers,
construction companies, real-estate developers, and facility managers. BimOn! is made possible by a
combination of high-precision Galileo GNSS, location-based Augmented Reality, the hardware capabilities
of current mobile devices, and a BIM (Building Information Modelling) / IFC (Industry Foundation Classes)
open data model. It is offered as a web application that takes advantage of modern browser technologies
like HTML5 and WebGL. The user just needs to upload an IFC/BIM model to a server; once he or she is on
the construction site in question, the app will display an Augmented Reality image of the building.
BimOn! is the Regional Winner for Gipuzkoka / Spain of the European Satellite Navigation Competition
2013.
Impact – Benefits
BimOn! helps to improve the construction
management process by facilitating decision
making and enabling users to detect problems
at early stages, which ultimately leads to
significant savings of time and financial
resources.
Further information
Links
www.onsitebim.com
Contact information
info@onsitebim.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 36 of 70
Report on Best Practice
CarSafari
An Interactive GNSS Guide that Entertains and Educates
Car Passengers.
Inspired by the need for alternative means of entertaining children on long car journeys, CarSafari is a
unique way for passengers - both young and old - to interact with the locations and environments they
travel through. Using a combination of current in-car entertainment and GNSS technologies, CarSafari will
encourage interactivity with local landmarks and other geographical and historical features. As the car
moves along a route, CarSafari will prompt passengers to react to points of interest determined by line-ofsight analysis and the vehicle's horizontal and vertical position, thus providing users with information
about their surroundings. CarSafari will overlay topographical base maps with geographic data that has
already been accumulated by third parties. This is primarily an open source, and includes information that
has been created by the public through a web map. With its patent currently pending, CarSafari will be
piloted in Ireland in 2014 and rolled out globally by 2015.
CarSafari is the Regional Winner for Ireland of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
CarSafari will provide visitors with personal
experiences as they drive through an area and
expose them to plenty of local information
not
currently available with in-car
entertainment or satnav technologies.
Further information
Links
www.car-safari.com
Contact information
info@geomanics.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 37 of 70
Report on Best Practice
COPPI
Cycling Observed with a Positioning Prototype of
Innovation
Professional cycling teams pay a great deal of attention to technological innovation in terms of both their
principal work instrument - the bike - and accessories, seats, helmets, and lenticular wheels. Recently,
their focus has increased on all technologies that help improve team management during races and
enable team directors to check predetermined tactics and take prompt decisions based on real-time
strategic advice. COPPI is an innovative system for real-time monitoring and tracking of cyclists during
training and competitions. Some of the key parameters are: Positioning and kinematics (speed,
acceleration, vibrations, slope), bike telemetry (cadence, power on crank, gearing), biometry (heart rate,
temperature, breathing frequency) and environmental (wind pressure and direction, barometric pressure,
humidity, external temperature). A multi-constellation (Galileo + GPS/EGNOS) receiver is used for
positioning and kinematics, and also DGPS corrections are broadcast for increased accuracy.
COPPI is the Regional Winner for Lombardy / Italy of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
COPPI addresses many potential markets,
such as athletes in training, television
(telemetry, statistics, and real-time tracking),
anti-doping monitoring, tactics and strategy,
betting, and video games.
Further information
Links
www.spaceexe.com
Contact information
info@spaceexe.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 38 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Integration of AMBER Alerts through GNSS
A protocol that broadcasts information about missing
children in order to enable society to help find them.
Missing persons represent a serious problem around the world. AMBER Alert is a protocol that broadcasts
information about missing children in order to enable society to help find them. The integration of GNSS
with the AMBER Alert protocol would function as follows: If a parent is unable to locate his/her child,
he/she will immediately open the AMBER Alert application and enter a recent photograph of the child,
his/her dress and facial features, and the location where he/she was lost. From this location, the proposed
system will disseminate the information to users with the application, social media, and police officers
who are close to the position. This information should also be disseminated to bus stations, airports, and
major road access points. Anyone who locates the child within the radius in which the alert was issued will
be able to report it via the application or alert a police officer within the warning area.
AMBER Alert is the Regional Winner for Mexico of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
With reports prompted by possible sightings
of the child and the implementation of
estimation algorithms similar to those used in
GNSS navigation, police officers will be able to
follow potential paths and track down the
missing child with this application.
Further information
Links
http://www.galileo-masters.eu/index.php?anzeige=mexico13.html
Contact information
vgaticaa1300@alumno.ipn.mx
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 39 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Anti-Spoofing GNSS Receiver
A GNSS received for encrypted communication
The idea comprises hardware and an operational concept. The hardware will contain a small module with
an antenna, flash memory, a battery, an A/D converter, and an interface that can be utilised in a covert
fashion. The operational concept involves employing this module to record periodically encrypted signals
in space using the Galileo Public Regulated Service (PRS), and over time, enabling customers or other
governmental agents to read and decrypt the data. Agents will then be able to confirm manifests by
comparing them with actual location data. The module's key features include the ability to record
encrypted PRS signals over time and decrypt them with a PRS test user receiver at an early stage, which
will ultimately be possible on-site. For purposes of verification, open signals will also be recorded.
Customers will be provided with proof that their data is authentic based on the comparison of both of the
positions in question. The form factor of this module should be approximately equivalent to a small GPS
receiver, such as the Bad Elf GPS Receiver for iPod.
Anti-Spoofing GNSS Receiver is the Regional Winner for the Netherlands of the European Satellite
Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Extensive other uses are possible, from
maritime, aviation, and road containers to
rental equipment (boats, planes, and cars),
fisheries, and electronic tagging.
Further information
Links
www.folkline.nl
Contact information
willem@folkline.nl
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 40 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Real-Time Solutions for Public Transport Passengers Based
on Bus and Smartphone Locations
Real-Time Solutions for Public Transport Passengers Based
on Bus and Smartphone Locations
Except for in very large cities - such as Paris - public transport is neglected in favour of individual cars,
resulting in painful congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in cities and their surroundings. The main
hindrance expressed by those who would otherwise make use of public transport is an ignorance of
schedules, stops, lines, and connections, which leads to a total lack of control of travel time. Cars and their
navigation systems, meanwhile, offer total comfort with guidance and time-of-arrival functions that are
becoming ever more precise. This advantage is critical in a professional context. The solution will provide:
• Real-time schedule information
• A real-time route planner offering functions similar to car navigation
• A dynamic carpooling solution
The application is the Regional Winner for Nice – Sophia Antipolis / France of the European Satellite
Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
The project aims to provide solutions that
free travellers from problems and make
public transportation more attractive by
emphasising the space and freedom available
during trips without the stress of traffic jams.
Further information
Links
www.instant-system.com
Contact information
yann.hervouet@instant-system.com
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 41 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Satellite Navigation as a Core Technology for Do-It-Yourself
Insurance Claims on Smartphones
Satellite Navigation as a Core Technology for Do-ItYourself Insurance Claims on Smartphones
Using a smartphone app, insurance clients can provide trusted and reliable loss notifications. When
integrated into claims management, this reduces processing costs, time, fraud, and ultimately the cost of
insurance. First deployed to manage traffic accidents in Thailand, this system also covers domestic claims.
The estimated annual cost of claims management is EUR 37 billion. We work with the second-largest
players in Europe and Thailand and are connected to the US market. The main requirement is trust in
claim correctness. Along with accurate time- and geo-tagging via GNSS, fast, robust communications for
interacting in real time and the ability to study regions of interest at a high level of quality (e.g. for tags
and information details) are key. The idea is based on professional disaster management and
crowdsourcing. Trusted observations are used to validate satellite images. Rapid and robust transfer
functionality was developed to facilitate working anytime and anywhere. We are now also working with
the United Nations and the World Bank to provide rapid damage estimates after major disasters. Farmers,
for example, can receive lost crop compensation quicker than they do today.
The application is the Regional Winner for Norway of the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
Insurance clients can provide trusted and
reliable loss notifications. When integrated
into claims management, this reduces
processing costs, time, fraud, and ultimately
the cost of insurance.
Further information
Links
www.ansur.no
Contact information
harald@ansur.no
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 42 of 70
Report on Best Practice
PingPal
Privacy-Protected Positioning of Friends for Any Mobile
App
Knowing where our friends and family are is a basic human need. If nothing else, the many related apps
and services available today serve as proof of this point. But positioning can also be misused. Posting
updates on social media with location tagging has become a stalkers favourite tool, and let's not forget
the never-ending debate on government agencies spying. There is clearly a need for an easy-to-use,
privacy-protected alternative.
Positioning as a dialog - a revolutionary but simple positioning technology: Positions are only shared when
requested and only between two mutually consenting pals. No constant tracking. No central storage. Just
people meeting their basic need to know where others are.
Maximum privacy - protected positioning: We only store phone numbers on our servers as user IDs.
Positions, pings, and so on are never stored unless they are needed for technical purposes. The pinged
end-user controls when and with whom his or her positions are shared.
Cross-plattform, Cross-App positioning: The PingPal API has been implemented with native modules for
iPhone, Android, and web technologies with fully transparent functionality. Any platform or PingPal-based
app can ping any other.
The application is the Regional Winner for Øresund / Denmark & Sweden of the European Satellite
Navigation Competition 2013.
Impact – Benefits
The application provides position tracking of
friends and family, respecting the privacy of
users.
Further information
Links
www.pingpal.se
Contact information
fredrik@pingpal.se
Source
European Satellite Navigation Competition
Page 43 of 70
Report on Best Practice
5.3 Large-scale demonstrators on services based on Copernicus
and GNSS data funded under EMMIA
Page 44 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Seamless Cities
Seamless Navigation Services for Urban Areas in Support
of COPERNICUS
SeamlessCities is a large-scale demonstrator of intermodal transport services that provide seamless realtime navigation and environmental information.
It aims to facilitate applications for seamless localisation and navigation services for European urban areas
and to boost the use of Earth observation data provided by the European programme Copernicus in
mobile services.
An intermodal transport service app (incl. multimodal routing and booking) will be developed as a largescale demonstrator by the consortium for the City of Nuremberg, which aims to roll out the service in
further European cities.
Meanwhile, an app developer camp will be organised and held to encourage the development of further
city app concepts co-financed by the project and support their further development in cooperation with a
European city.
SeamlessCities addresses the challenges cities face by creating a demonstrator for seamless, sustainable,
and secure transportation. A test bed for a seamless navigation infrastructure will be established in
Nuremberg based on awiloc® technology from Fraunhofer ISS. This technology enables continuous
positioning – both indoors and outdoors – by combining satellite navigation (GNSS) and Wifi-based
localisation. The infrastructure for mobile services will be enriched with further environmental data (e.g.
on traffic, weather forecasts, and noise or air quality). At the same time, the large-scale demonstrator will
focus on the infrastructure, which enables intermodal transport services to be used commercially by new
companies with further seamless navigation offers. This will be realised through:
• Development of the SeamlessCities app, an intermodal transport service for the city of Nuremberg. This
app will take into account all means of transportation, traffic routes, and traffic situations in real time;
navigate to, between, and within means of transport through combined use of satellite navigation and
Wifi-based localisation; and provide location-based environmental information using Earth observation
services.
• Generating a Wifi infrastructure (radio maps) based on awiloc® technology for a seamless city-services
demonstrator in Nuremberg and at least one additional city
• Organisation of an app developer camp for SeamlessCities apps based on GNSS, Wifi, and Copernicus
data at Fraunhofer IIS in Nuremberg. The app camp will provide developers with access to test and
development infrastructures while enhancing their understanding of the seamless navigation
infrastructure and the benefits of integrating Copernicus data into mobile services. The goal will be to
encourage the development of further related mobile services. The realisation of the best two app
concepts in cooperation with a European city will be co-financed by the project in the amount of EUR
20,000.
The consortium partners are:
• Anwendungszentrum GmbH Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits – FhG IIS
• Nürnberger Initiative für die
• Mobiliance AG
Page 45 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Impact – Benefits
In addition to end users, the project will
provide direct benefits to cities and public
transport providers. It will also result in a
series of multiplier effects and possibilities for
replication and extension of the project’s
outcomes:
1. The SeamlessCities app for Nuremberg will
be developed by the consortium partners and
tested in a Living Lab feasibility trial. It will
provide citizens and visitors with an
intermodal and seamless transport service
that
includes
real-time
traffic
and
environmental information. Transferring the
app to at least one additional city will then
demonstrate its capability for adoption by
other European cities in accordance with their
local needs.
2. A Wifi infrastructure for seamless city
services will be generated in at least one city
in addition to Nuremberg.
3. The project will support the development
of two further demo apps produced during
the app camp to provide seamless city
services.
4. The project will generate app developer
kits for use by further app developers in
creating seamless mobility services enriched
with Earth observation data.
Further information
Links
http://www.mobilise-europe.mobi/seamlesscities/
www.seamlesscities.app-camp.eu/
Contact information
SeamlessCities@anwendungszentrum.de
Source
EMMIA projects
Page 46 of 70
Report on Best Practice
myEOrganics
Combined GNSS and Copernicus
environmental agricultural systems
data
to secure
Within the project myEOrganics, a mobile application shall be developed, that uses satellite data to
support certification of organic farming. Earth observation data will allow better efficiency in certification
of organic farming and increase public awareness and quality of organic farming in Europe.
The large scale demonstrator is geared towards a working mobile application to be used by certification
bodies. myEOrganics aims at verifying the feasibility of this service and provide a blueprint for similar
applications. This shall in the long term lower risks for investors in this area and pave the way for an
innovative industry, making use of EO data and mobile technology in the agricultural sector.
Supporting organic certification contributes to the societal challenges of sustainable agriculture, food
security and consumer’s safety. myEOrganics focuses on EU’s Common Agricultural Policy: promoting a
safe, clean, environmentally friendly, competitive and sustainable agriculture in Europe
Accordingly, the key objectives of the project are to:
• Demonstrate the potential of mobile technologies and GMES in the organic food sector.
• Explore further potential for scalability and adaptation to more European regions and more globally in
the field of certification and advisory services.
• Support emerging industries with an innovative GMES and mobility-based concept.
• Address the key societal challenges of food safety and sustainable agriculture.
The aim of the project is to develop a mobile application as support for certifiers. Focus is set on organic
farming in the regions of Bavaria and Wallonia. The service shall allow certifiers to work more efficiently
myEOrganics therefore:
• Creates a prototype for a mobile certification service combining mobile internet access to regional
databanks, earth observation & GNSS data and therefore provides regional specific information to users
like certification bodies active in certifying organic farmers in the Bavarian region.
• Starts and sustains a dialogue with key stakeholders. In this context, the consortium organizes
stakeholder workshops and user forums and analyses requirements, marketing strategies and collects
user-feedback.
• Analyzes the legal & political framework in effect for the certification process of organic food, in
particular in connection to satellite data. Also already existent support structures for this industry will be
analyzed and evaluated accordingly.
• Investigate in further use and applications for services building on the basics of myEOrganics.
The challenge will be to define the interface between existing databases for farmland management and
the Copernicus dataset. It is also essential to sustain the capability to interface with typical software and
methods, certifiers and other stakeholders recently use. These requirements will drive the technical
design and the implementation of the service.
An integrative approach for mobile services using Copernicus and GNSS data is developed by analyzing
legal / political framework conditions, communicating with and involving key stakeholders in organic food,
scrutinizing regional support structures and thus facilitating transfer and scalability to new regions. For
dissemination, regional, national and European stakeholders in policies and agriculture will be addressed
via information and marketing activities, stakeholder workshops in Bavaria and Wallonia and user
application forums for demand creation in this new technology field. The bundling and coordination of
already existing (support) structures together with future oriented policy recommendations for set-up of
joint SME programs of the two regions will pave the road for this new emerging industry in Europe. For
example, the service outline might be extended to insurance companies or forest management.
The consortium partners are: bavAIRia, Vista, PCAgrar Infopole Ecocert
Page 47 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Impact – Benefits
The project will demonstrate a mobile
application using Copernicus in connection
with GNSS and allow on-site support for
certifiers during field audits. By this the
project will be able to focus on developing
mobile services and creating new, innovative
value chains.
Three countries (Germany, France, Belgium)
are involved and will demonstrate the
feasibility and usability of this kind of mobile
service in Europe. It is therefore also the aim
to analyze possibilities to scale the application
for broader use in Europe and provide a
blueprint for similar applications in
agriculture and forest management.
It is expected to address a variety of
stakeholders, like certifiers, insurances,
farmers, public agencies etc.
Further information
Links
http://www.mobilise-europe.mobi/myeorganics/
Contact information
Moritz Fontaine
bavAIRia e.V.
Fontaine@bavAIRia.net
Source
EMMIA projects
Page 48 of 70
Report on Best Practice
5.4 Large-scale demonstrators on other types of services funded
under EMMIA
Page 49 of 70
Report on Best Practice
CULTWAyS
CULtural Tourism WAys through mobile Application and
Services
CULTWAyS aims to highlight the potential of mobile technologies as a key driver of service innovation in
mobility industries and in emerging market segments, such as cultural tourism. This approach will enhance
the attractiveness, and, as a consequence, economic and social development of remote rural areas which
are not typical tourism hotspots but which have valuable cultural and natural heritage.
Accordingly, the key objectives of the project are to:
• demonstrate the potential for mobile technologies in the tourism sector
• develop the potential of the demonstrator for scalability and adaptation to any region in Europe
• address the key societal challenges of preserving and exploiting cultural heritage, addressing
environmental impacts of tourism in remote areas as well as safety issues related to travel in remote
areas
The project will develop a mobile application for tourists travelling along the European Cultural Routes of
the Via Claudia Augusta, running from northern Italy through to Bavaria in Germany, and the Way of St.
James in the north of Spain. The mobile application will provide three kinds of services:
• cultural heritage services, including a digital passport with certification of completed routes and location
specific cultural information;
• safety services with location monitoring and travel and weather information and advice;
• environmental services with information on local green initiatives such as bicycle and electric car hire
and eco-accommodation booking.
The challenge will be to develop a system that combines database, location and communication and
which is capable of updating and integrating new data from different sources which can be accessed both
on- and off-line in order for tourists to avoid roaming charges and to overcome the lack of information
due to scarce connectivity. These requirements will guide the technical design and implementation of the
service. After a market analysis of existing mobile applications and a study of innovative mobile and
location enhanced services, the project will define the data gathering template, design the mobile
application requirements, define the interface between the data platform and mobile devices, including
interoperability testing.
A wide range of stakeholders from the participating regions in Italy, Germany and Spain will be involved in
Further
information
the
data gathering
phase and throughout the project lifetime to ensure a strong and durable impact of the
CULTWAyS
mobile
service application. Main actors involved will be local government administrations,
Links
public tourism agencies, professional associations, companies and local organisations.
http://www.mobilise-europe.mobi/myeorganics/
The
project consortium is also supported in the development of the mobile application by the European
Contact information Standards Institute that will supervise the interoperability testing of the CULTWAyS
Telecommunications
Moritzservice.
Fontaine
mobile
bavAIRia
e.V.
Cultways partners:
Fontaine@bavAIRia.net
• Trentino Sviluppo S.p.A.
• ENCADRE
• INNOVA
Source
• BavAIRia
• FTS
EMMIA projects
Page 50 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Impact – Benefits
The project aims to develop a sustainable
mobile service application. In order to ensure
its continuity and ongoing updating after the
end of the project, the consortium will opt for
an open system fostering its integration with
other, already existing applications and with
heterogeneous data sources (institutional and
user-based information).
The services are being designed to meet the
needs of both people visiting and travelling
through rural and remote areas providing
safety and environmental services, and of
local stakeholders in order to better promote
and grow their businesses. An important
impact of the project will be its support for
local development by fostering tourism
related services in rural areas and providing
better access to cultural and natural sites.
Further information
Links
http://www.mobilise-europe.mobi/cultways/
Contact information
Ing. Luca Capra
Head of Enterprise and Innovation Dept. of Trentino Sviluppo
l.capra@trentinosviluppo.it
Source
EMMIA projects
Page 51 of 70
Report on Best Practice
LIMES
Sustainable tourism in ten European countries along the
Roman Limes
LIMES aims to contribute to the valorisation of mobile services for sustainable tourism in all ten European
countries along the Roman Limes (Great Britain, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Serbia,
Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania). Services for tourism and mobility are identified and developed in
these 10 states. These services are demonstrated in Germany, Austria and Bulgaria. In this process the
investigations and activities are limited to selected test regions along the Limes in Germany (Limes in
Rhineland Palatinate), Austria (Limes section between Vienna and the Hungarian border) and Bulgaria
(Limes in the Ruse region).
The main objectives of the LIMES large-scale demonstrator are:
• To develop the economic potential of cultural tourism
• To initiate inter-regional and inter-sector economic collaboration
• To make areas of tourist and business potential in the limes regions visible (“Visualization”) and making
the public conscious of them
• To create innovations by means of market-oriented and cross-over approaches
• To initiate modern, digital public relations work
• To develop an app-based information and marketing platform for the European limes in 10 countries
• To inspect infrastructure for mobile, digital services and if necessary extend it
• To educate and train parties involved
• To promote European collaboration
The Roman limes is the only European cultural heritage which connects 10 European countries: From the
North-West in the UK to the South East in Bulgaria it is a unique monument for many regions and, in part,
already a designated UNESCO world heritage. European history becomes alive following the limes.
Through the LIMES large-scale demonstrator, this former fortification of the Roman Empire will become a
beacon of future cultural tourism. In fact, only a small part of the limes is accessible at the moment as the
limes runs through rural regions which are not fully developed for tourism. While the European limes
countries, which include the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania
and Bulgaria, have numerous museums, historic routes, archaeological sites and hidden places of interest
along the limes, these single places are not yet linked. Linking them though common mobile services
offers an outstanding chance to raise the profile of, and bring more visitors to this unique heritage and, at
the same time, to support the economic development of the rural areas it runs through by supporting
new business and job creation.
A central element of the LIMES large-scale demonstrator is the implementation of a mobile information
and service application for cultural tourism around the limes in Europe. This application is developed as a
prototype for the three partner countries, Bulgaria, Austria and Germany and will form the technical base
for an extension of the information system to all limes countries in Europe.
The LIMES App will provide an innovative tool for the perceptibility of the Roman limes in Europe and, it
will create a multinational instrument for the collection and output of limes- and tourism-relevant data to
several “mobile” and also “stationary” information systems. The first version of the LIMES App will be
presented at the International Tourism Fair in March 2013 in Berlin (ITB), Germany and subsequently
tested.
To promote and disseminate the LIMES action and the App, a lot of activities have been implemented in
the three partner regions. This includes workshops with stakeholders at regional level, talks and meetings
in order to reach as many people as possible.
Page 52 of 70
Report on Best Practice
In addition to the LIMES project partners, the advisory board for the project will include representatives of
cultural institutions in the seven other countries that are part of the Roman limes (UK, Slovakia, Croatia,
Romania,
the Netherlands,
Hungary
and
Serbia).
In Germany, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economy, departments of creative industries and
tourism support the project together with the Romantischer Rhein Tourismus GmbH – Romantic Rhine
Tourism Agency, and in Austria the RÖMERLAND Carnuntum regional development organisation. In
the Bulgarian municipality of Ruse, the Regional Museum of History, the Chamber of Commerce and
Industry and the Business Support Centre for SMEs are closely associated with the project which is also
supported by Bulgarian Ministry of Culture.
Impact – Benefits
The project
will contribute to the valorisation
LIMES
partners:
of sustainable tourism in all European
countries
along the Roman limes and support
 Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft
des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz (PER)
the  mobility
in
rural
areas
through
the G.b.R
MarVis Gesellschaft für Raummarketing
development of innovative mobile services.
INI-Novation
Bulgaria
The project
will focus
on developing mobile

Municipality
of
Ruse,
Bulgaria value
services and creating new, innovative
chains. Three countries (Germany, Austria
Central
European
Technology
– CEIT, Austria
and Bulgaria)
willInstitute
take theoflead
and include
the other seven limes countries through their
existing partnerships. Transfer activities will
play an important role in order to make
mobile services for the tourism sector
available in all countries.
It is expected to address 70.000 people
interested in cultural tourism in the three
partner countries as well as 20.000 local
actors (as users of the mobile services and as
ambassadors of their regions). Other
beneficiaries will be companies, specifically
innovative start-ups, and regional developers.
At least 15 new companies will be supported
in the framework of the project and around
10 regional agencies will directly benefit from
the project outcomes. Additionally, the
project targets 650.000 € to be invested by
the tourism sector in the regions along the
limes.
Further information
Links
http://www.mobilise-europe.mobi/limes/
http://limes.per-rlp.de/?lang=en
Contact information
Dr. Franz Schafranski
Franz.Schafranski@per-rlp.de
Source
EMMIA projects
Page 53 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Grow Mobile
Implementation of innovative mobile applications
boosting the development of innovative services in the
tourism sector.
The main goal of Grow Mobile is the development of customized services (mobile applications and
integrated destination management platforms) to facilitate easy access to cultural heritage sites, provide
better information for tourists about leisure activities in a region and offer smart solutions for travelling in
rural areas in four regions in Bulgaria, Croatia and Germany.
By setting up networks of public authorities and demonstrating the potential for implementation, Europewide, of the services and business models developed in the project, Grow Mobile aims to promote a
broad uptake of innovative mobile services that help address social challenges. In this way, the project will
increase the knowledge base to facilitate large-scale service offers that are dynamic, scalable and
replicable and can be implemented and sustained through public-private partnerships.
As the first step, the Grow Mobile partners will carry out an analysis of the framework conditions of the
tourism sector in their respective regions and of good practices and experience from other European
regions. On this basis, they will define the technical and content requirements for the large-scale
demonstrators.
Then, in the regions of Leipzig (Germany) and Varna (Bulgaria), mobile applications will be developed,
while in the regions of Kyustendil (Bulgaria) and Međimurje (Croatia), integrated destination management
platforms will be set up.
During the pilot implementation of the large-scale demonstrators, training for stakeholders and operators
will be offered, based on training guidelines jointly developed by the partners.
Throughout this entire process, the so-called Grow Mobile Task Force will monitor the implementation
and effects of the established services, organise workshops to showcase the services and carry out
promotional activities.
The actors involved in the Grow Mobile project include regional administrations, service providers from
cultural industries, tourism stakeholders and entrepreneurs (especially SMEs). The Grow Mobile partners
will also engage with a wider audience of public and private stakeholders to establish a public-private
partnership.
The project partners are:
Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH
INI-Novation GmbH
REDEA – Regional Development Agency Međimurje
Regional Government Kyustendil
Municipality of Varna
Page 54 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Impact – Benefits
At the end of the project, the partners will
have obtained a thorough understanding of
the requirements, needs and potential of
their regions in terms of innovative services in
the tourism sector. A good practice catalogue
will foster the improvement of the business
support systems in the partner regions, and
specifically
developed
destination
management systems and mobile tourist
services will have positive impact on local
businesses as well as on tourists visiting the
regions.
Further information
Links
http://www.mobilise-europe.mobi/grow-mobile/
Contact information
Silvana Rückert
Director of Aufbauwerk Region Leipzig GmbH
rueckert@aufbauwerk-leipzig.com
Source
EMMIA projects
Page 55 of 70
Report on Best Practice
5.5 Testing of innovative services in a real-life environment
Page 56 of 70
Report on Best Practice
SmartSantander
SmartSantander proposes a unique in the world city-scale
experimental research facility in support of typical
applications and services for a smart city.
This unique experimental facility will be sufficiently large, open and flexible to enable horizontal and
vertical federation with other experimental facilities and stimulates development of new applications by
users of various types including experimental advanced research on IoT technologies and realistic
assessment of users’ acceptability tests. The facility will comprise of more than 20,000 sensors and will be
based on a real life IoT deployment in an urban setting. The core of the facility will be located in the city of
Santander, the capital of the region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain, and its
surroundings.
A scalable, heterogeneous and trustable large-scale real-world experimental facility will be deployed. One
of the main objectives of the project is to fuel the use of the Experimentation Facility among the scientific
community, end users and service providers in order to reduce the technical and societal barriers that
prevent the IoT concept to become an everyday reality. To attract the widest interest and demonstrate
the usefulness of the SmartSantander platform, a key aspect that will be addressed is the inclusion of a
wide set of applications. Application areas will be selected based on their high potential impact on the
citizens as well as to exhibit the diversity, dynamics and scale that are essential in advanced protocol
solutions, and will be able to be evaluated through the platform. Thus, the platform will be attractive for
all involved stakeholders: Industries, communities of users, other entities that are willing to use the
experimental facility for deploying, and assessing new services and applications, and Internet researchers
to validate their cutting-edge technologies (protocols, algorithms, radio interfaces, etc.).
Project partners:
• Telefonica I+D
• Alcatel-Lucent Italy s.p.a.
• Alcatel-Lucent Spain S.A.
• Ericsson d.o.o.
• TTI Norte
• Universidad de Cantabria
• University of Surrey
• Universität zu Lübeck
• Lancaster University
• Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique
• Computer Technology Institute
• Alexandra Instituttet A/S
• Santander Council
• Sociedad para el Desarrollo de Cantabria
• University of Melbourne
Page 57 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Impact – Benefits
In response to citizen demand and driven by
the rising importance of three main aspects of
governance, this new concept for cities is
taking hold to a) offer a better quality of life,
b) minimize environmental impacts, and c)
reduce costs.
Further information
Links
www.smartsantander.eu
Contact information
José M. Hernández-Muñoz
Telefónica I+D
Emilio Vargas 6
28043
Madrid, SPAIN
Tel: +34 91 337 4020
Fax: +34913374212
jmhm@tid.es
Source
FP7 projects
Page 58 of 70
Report on Best Practice
SmartTaxi
SmarTaxi is an application to improve the network
operation forecasting the taxi demand around the city.
One of the bigger concerns today in our cities is the air quality. The European Union has declared 2013 as
the Year of the Air Quality. The main cause of environmental pollution is caused by traffic and taxis are a
great part of the traffic. SmarTaxi is an application to improve the network operation forecasting the taxi
demand around the city. It shows with a heat-map where the demand is in real-time, the amount of
waiting time for each taxi stops and also shows a graph of the next 24h with the best hours to work in
order to allow the taxi driver to make a better schedule.
It uses the location data from the taxis, where they pick up or drop a client, where taxis are continuously
going in order to identify events around the city... Server programmed in PHP and Python with large
amounts of sent and received information on real-time (Big Data) establishing connections between the
data by no relational databases. The information of the server is treated and returned with R language. It
combines genetic algorithms to build the structure, artificial neural networks to learn comparing the real
outcome with the expected, and algorithms of local optimization to improve the learning process.
The service has been piloted in Moscow.
Impact – Benefits
It will reduce the amount of kilometers driven
looking for clients, which means a reduction
of the traffic and the resulting pollution. It will
shorten the citizens’ waiting time.
The expected reduction of emissions will be
around the 30%. For example, the kilometers
per day driven by taxis looking for clients are
around 70. In Madrid 5% of the fuel is
consumed by taxis. There are 15.708.
Applying the 30% of driving reduction all
these taxis would avoid about 329.868 km per
day with the resulting saving of 63.334 kg of
CO2.
Further information
Links
http://www.eu-smartcities.eu/content/taxi-kilometers-jams-and-co2
Contact information
Mr Federico Lopez
Talleria
Source
Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform
Page 59 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Green Light Pro
Traffic Light Priority System
Emergency vehicles must get to their destination quickly. Every second counts. Traffic and congestion can
have life-threatening consequences. The challenge is to use new technologies to give emergency vehicles
priority at traffic signals. In a bid to improve the service to those in need, the West Yorkshire Fire and
Rescue Service have investigated ways to improve the safety and response time of travelling to
emergencies. As part of this project, Vix has provided an innovative system to give green lights at Traffic
Signals ahead of an emergency vehicles approach.
Using on-vehicle GPS tracking information provided through Metro the West Yorkshire Passenger
Transport Executive’s yournextbus real-time service, the innovative pilot project uses Vix Traffic Light
Priority technology to give Fire and Rescue Service priority at configured Traffic Signals on route to the
emergency.
The pilot of this ground-breaking solution is highlighting the benefits of safely stopping traffic to give
priority to the emergency vehicle, ensuring that it arrives safely and quickly to provide assistance to those
who are in need.
Impact – Benefits
This solution can save lives and property.
Depending on the emergency, hundreds of
lives can be saved.
Further information
Links
http://bit.ly/T4a48A
http://vixtechnology.com/case-study
Contact information
http://vixtechnology.com/about/contact-us
Source
Citymart.com
Page 60 of 70
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5.6 Uses of Copernicus based services in Regions
Page 61 of 70
Report on Best Practice
GMES Urban Atlas Data
An Urban Atlas Exploration Tool
Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, and its surrounding area, is home to almost a quarter of the
country’s population and have grown rapidly in recent decades. Both city centre and surroundings have
been transformed and decision makers involved in urban planning lack accurate data enabling them to
monitor and interpret these changes and trends beyond the city limits and thus understand their causes
and implications as pre-requisite for sustainable city development.
The GMES service provides Urban Atlas data covering both city administrative area and a large area
surrounding the city and thus enables seamless assessment of the functional city area, which is not
possible with conventional data. The Urban Atlas service provides rather large and complex outputs,
therefore to unlock its potential the datasets has to be well organised within an easy data exploration
environment allowing flexible comparison and analysis for effective information gathering. An Urban Atlas
Exploration Tool was developed to provide an advanced but still intuitive interface, where different modes
of presentation (maps, tables, graphs) are interlinked and data can be easily visualised, further explored,
analysed or combined with socio economic statistics.
Impact – Benefits
The solution provided has been based on the
application of data from the GMES Urban
Atlas service. The dataset is highly relevant
for application in suburban commuter belt
where, despite experiencing the most
dynamic development in city, limited
information support is available today for
urban planners considering area outside of
the city extent. The data appears to have big
potential if consistency over space and time is
maintained. The data can be used to monitor
urban growth dynamics and to provide insight
into the land consumption & transformation
processes involved. Integration with statistical
socio-economic data allows the development
of specific indicators describing various
aspects of city development and supporting
city planning activities.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/understanding-city-context
Contact information
Jiri Ctyroky
City Devepoment Authority Praha
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
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Satellite-based monitoring service for coastal water quality
The City of Barcelona invests in cutting-edge satellite
technology to monitor water quality.
The Barcelona City Council expressed the interest to start using satellite data to help the city monitor
contamination and water quality in a revolutionary way. Barcelona’s environmental management team
need to monitor coastal water quality as part of the Integral Management Programme for the coastal
area. Starlab’s solution based on satellite data revealed to be an innovative way to do this.
The water quality service uses high resolution optical images (MERIS and MODIS, 300 meters) providing
parameters such as total suspended matter, chlorophyll and transparency. The final output are
georeferenced maps covering the coast. The process is automated and continuously tracks the database
of satellite images to provide the most up-to-date product as quickly as possible. For a correct and
continuous delivery of the products, the service chain includes an internal quality control. The products
are available through: the City Council’s website, which informs on the characteristics of the water at the
city’s beaches and a mobile phone application, available on the website, which allows citizens to view the
maps on their smartphone.
Impact – Benefits
Starlab’s solution provides an online service
presenting coastal water quality indicators
based on satellite data. The data is updated
every hour, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week
and is accessible to city experts and the
general public. Data is delivered in the form
of maps that offer qualitative information on
the relevant environmental parameters. The
service includes an alert system to warn
about
potential dangers.
Barcelona’s
environmental management team now has a
valuable resource at their disposal to
complement the other environmental
measurements they already have.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/satellite-based-monitoring-service-for-coastal-water-quality
Contact information
Francesc Soler
Head of Integrated Coastal Management Programme
Barcelona City Council
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 63 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Ocurrence and transport of pesticides in the hydrosphere
Optimisation of monitoring of surface and groundwater
pollution in the Czech Republic caused by pesticides use in
agriculture
Dealing with water pollution caused by the use of pesticides in agriculture require assessment of
contamination, prediction of pesticide loads in hydrosphere and provision of information on pesticide
behavior in soil and water environment. A comprehensive and effective pesticide monitoring programme
would allow the determination of complex pesticide contamination of hydrosphere of the Czech Republic
including providing specific vulnerability maps of surface and ground water as well as pesticide risk areas
delineation.
The GMES services provide a framework for sustainability of such downstream services offering a clear
long-term EO data access policy as well as an intermediate global biophysical products to be utilised for
crop cover products. The lack of spatial data on the use of pesticides and their distribution requires new
approaches to deal with this phenomenon. The alternative method is to produce agricultural crop maps
that could be derived from time series of satellite imagery acquired within the crop vegetation season.
Impact – Benefits
Remote sensing represents the only
monitoring tool that provides regular
information about the development of crop
cover in arable areas throughout the year.
Thanks to such a crop map, the evaluation of
soil cover impact on water flow, pesticide
transport and groundwater contamination
can be performed. Also it supports the
localisation of frequent applications of
specific pesticides that are based on
information collected by State Phytosanitary
Administration, knowledge of soil utilisation
and climatic conditions.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/ocurrence-and-transport-of-pesticides-in-the-hydrosphere
Contact information
Kodes Vit
Department Manager,
Hydrology Division
Water Quality Departmen
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI)
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 64 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Wastemon
A mapping and monitoring service to improve waste
management practices and the detection of illegal landfills
ARPA Puglia, the Apulia Agency for Environmental Safety and The Urban Planning Office of the
Conversano Municipality were interested in a support tool to aid compliance with European, Italian and
regional directives on waste management and landfill monitoring and were willing to use innovative EObased technology. Their expectation was to integrate Wastemon products in their current waste
monitoring systems. The users aimed to apply the project’s results to adopt a monitoring and prevention
strategy for illegal landfilling at the municipal level. The interest of the users is focused on the monitoring
of buried or near-surface illegal landfills, surface landfills, tyre waste and illegal industrial waste disposal.
Following an analysis of the users’ requirements and of the business opportunities for EO data in waste
management, the following four services were offered by the Wastemon project:
-Service 1A: Detection of sites with potential buried waste.
-Service 1B: Support for in-situ investigations and monitoring of sites known to have buried waste.
-Service 2: Detection of sites with potential surface waste.
-Service 3: Mapping of active landfills.
Planetek Italia has already implemented some of the above services by developing products for
Conversano, a municipality located in the Puglia Region (South Italy).
Impact – Benefits
At the end of the testing activity, the resulting
products were delivered directly to the
Apulian local user, the Urban Planning Office
of Conversano Municipality. The user showed
great interest in the results, assessed them as
a useful source of support information for its
current cartography updating and to
complete the understanding of its local land
development. The satellite-derived products
were evaluated as an effective way to
optimise the traditional monitoring activity
and a complementary instrument to address
the more frequent phenomena of illegal
exploitation of land resources. The final
results were evaluated as a very useful tool to
take operational and binding decision in a
faster, more accurate and economic way.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/monitoring-services-to-improve-waste-management-practices
Contact information
Walter Scazzetta
Urban Planning Office of Conversano Municipality
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 65 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Flood hazard early warning system
Operational snow monitoring service helps in hydrological
flood prognosis in the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic has experienced different types of floods in recent years, such as summer floods due to
the long periods of precipitation (July 1997, August 2002), flash floods (July 1998, June 2009) but also
significant floods from snow melt (March 2000, March and April 2006). The wide range of possible types
of floods creates a large and complex demand for input data and hydrological methods and models that
are both on a national scale. The service has been used recently to improve the CHMI snow cover
estimates to support flood risk alert system.
The service is based on a methodology that combines the different spatial and temporal scales of the
satellite imagery based on optical and radar technology, as well as snow occurrence probability maps
calculated from in-situ measurements at climate stations. Any missing snow information could be then
substituted by values from the snow probability maps. Map uncertainties are reduced and so-called
hybrid maps are produced. Additionally, catchments snow statistics are calculated including percentage of
snow coverage according to land cover types and altitude levels.
Impact – Benefits
The use of EO imagery as a tool to deliver
timely, spatially exhaustive and consistent
information about different parameters of
the land surface brings new possibilities for
hydrological monitoring systems used in flood
risk analysis, especially in the case of snow
melt and surface water runoff contributing to
flooding events. The information about snow
is delivered by means of EO technology in full
coverage as opposed to point measurements
available from ground station. Snow mapping
products allow the derivation of snow cover
statistics and to determine snow cover extent
for further analysis, e.g.water amount of the
snow in the landscape.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/flood-hazard-early-warning-system
Contact information
Denhelka, Jan
Director Deputy for Hydrology
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 66 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Farmers ’ Cooperative CapSeine : optimising crop yield
Set up of a crop information and consultancy service
based on satellite imagery, helping farmers optimise
fertiliser use and improve crop yield.
The CapSeine Farmers’ cooperative was established in 2000. It represents the economic interests of 3 500
farmers (livestock and grain) via 177 elected farmers’ representatives. The cooperative employs nearly
600 staff who work on mutualising and optimising procurement and retail for the benefit of their
members. It maintains its own network of local retail outlets (24 Gamm Vert shops) and in the season
2009- 2010 collected 1.6 million tons of cereal. With rising production costs and falling prices, it is
increasingly difficult to maintain a profitable business in agriculture. In addition, ecological considerations,
in particular the use of fertilisers, introduce both production constraints and marketing opportunities, as
consumers become more concerned with their choices. In this context, the cooperative sought to offer its
members innovative services and advice that would enhance their competitiveness and contribute to the
modernisation of their farming practices.
Since 2004, and in near real time, CapSeine farmers receive advice and guidance on fertiliser needs, parcel
by parcel, for every key stage of the plants’ development from the service FAR MSTAR . They can thus
adapt their treatment to the needs of each parcel. Subscribing to the service for a fee of 8-10 Euros/ha
gives them access to this information via a dedicated web platform or on paper. In providing this service
to its members the CapSeine cooperative contracts a consortium of a satellite image provider and two
agronomy research institutes, who work together in acquiring and interpreting satellite imagery according
to needs.
Impact – Benefits
This innovative information service allows
farmers to make efficient use of fertilisers in
order to optimise their crop yield and
revenues. Since its introduction, the service
has expanded from 4000 ha in 2004 to 42 000
ha in 2010, significantly contributing to the
modernisation of farming practices and to a
growing environmental awareness among
farmers.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/farmers-2019-cooperative-capseine-optimising-crop-yield
Contact information
Bruno Fourcin
ASTRIU M SERVI CES
Division GEO -Information Services, Toulouse, France
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 67 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Campania: Encouraging the sustainable use of water in the
region
A personalised information service to farmers to help
them reduce the quantity of water used without
compromising yield.
Campania is a Southern Italian region whose flourishing agro-food industry makes it one of the leading
regions in this sector in Italy, with agriculture covering 16 % of its territory. Within the Regional
Administration of Campania, the Assessorship of Agriculture is in charge of measures to improve the
economic return without compromising the environmental sustainability of agricultural production,
together with the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy and other European Directives for
this sector. Subjective and empirical assessment of irrigation practices showed that water was used in
excessive amounts, compared to the maximum needed to guarantee optimal yield. In the context of
agricultural challenges brought about by climate change, the Agriculture Department needed to take
innovative measures for informed water management as part of the Regional Irrigation Advisory Plan.
Through “IrriSat” (www.consulenzairrigua.it), the Agriculture Department provides personalised irrigation
information, based on high spatial resolution satellite data (10-20 m), on the actual irrigation needs of
each plot managed by the farmer. This information, delivered every 7-10 days, indicates to farmers how
much irrigation water to use, without compromising yield. In addition, farmers get a map of the
development of the crop, indicating non-uniform growth due to irregularities in agronomic inputs (not
only water, but also fertilisers) and soil heterogeneity. The service is available to farmers and other water
managers at all levels, who can subscribe for free, and receive the information through text messages,
MMS or on the web. In addition to providing the service, the Agriculture Department accompanies the
programme with particular communication efforts to get an ever bigger number of farmers to subscribe,
including through TV ad campaigns.
Impact – Benefits
A post-evaluation of the application of the
Regional Irrigation Advisory Plan since 2007
confirms a reduction of irrigation volumes,
which has both direct and indirect economical
and environmental benefits for farmers,
water distribution bodies and local
communities. The service was extended from
covering 400 ha in 2006 – the beginning of
the programme – to 4 200 ha in 2010, i.e. 5 %
of the total irrigable areas in Campania. As a
consequence, the cost of the service per unit
area has decreased considerably.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/campani-a-enco-uragin-g-the-sustain-able-use-of-water-in-the-re-gionn
Contact information
Amedeo D’Antonio, Campania Region
Te l: +39 817967345
e-mail: a.dantonio@regione.campania.it
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 68 of 70
Report on Best Practice
Basilicata region: Improving fire risk assessment and
prevention
The Civil Protection Office of the Italian region Basilicata
uses satellite maps to monitor fire risks and to manage
human and material resources efficiently to prevent fires.
The Basilicata region covers 10 000 km2, has 131 municipalities and a population of about 600 000
inhabitants. The Civil Protection Office of the region is in charge of risk assessment, monitoring and
prevention in the territory. In Basilicata, forests represent one third of the regional territory and are
threatened by numerous fires every year, caused by dry conditions during the summer and human
activity. Such fires do not only cause a loss of trees, biodiversity and habitats, but also increase CO2 levels
in the atmosphere and affect the landscape stability. The Civil Protection Office needed to monitor
constantly the high risk zones on a municipal level and to make a more efficient use of the resources
deployed in fire prevention. In particular, it needed satellite images with a higher resolution than those
provided by the national fire assessment system, RISIKO , in order to concentrate fire prevention activities
where the danger level is highest. In 2008, the Civil Protection Office created the permanent unified
operative room (SOUP - Sala Operativa Unificata Permanente), a special unit coordinating fire prevention,
monitoring and extinction efforts of all the local and regional entities involved in the management of fire
risk in Basilicata. Within the framework of the regional fire control plan, which foresees the development
of innovative satellite techniques to prevent fires, the National Research Council (CNR ) produces risk
assessment maps on the basis of high resolution satellite images that are used by SOUP to coordinate fire
prevention activities. Satellite images are fundamental in monitoring some key factors in the evaluation of
fire dangers, such as the humidity of the air and of the natural combustibles present in the territory, which
can change significantly in a short period of time. By combining such information with other data, such as
meteorological forecasts and fire records, daily or weekly maps are produced to assess the fire danger
level of each municipality, thus concentrating monitoring measures (for example flights and monitoring
patrols) in the areas that present a higher risk. The fire risk forecast maps are uploaded on the SOUP
unified platform and are also available on the Basilicata Civil Protection Office website.
Impact – Benefits
The Civil Protection Office benefits from more
accurate information about fire risks on a
local level. The periodic maps allow the Office
and the competent regional bodies to
optimise risk management and better
mobilise material and human resources, by
increasing land controls only in the zones that
are considered more at risk.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/basilicata-fire-risk
Contact information
Guido Loperte, Basilicata Civil Protection Office
Te l: +39 971 668532
e-mail: guido.loperte@regione.basilicata.it
web: www.protezionecivilebasilicata.it
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 69 of 70
Report on Best Practice
North Rhine -Westphalia’s environment agency:
Monitoring air quality
A satellite based solution to monitor air pollution and
improve air quality and public health in the region.
he State Agency’s Department for Air Quality, Noise, Vibrations, and Radioactivity is responsible for the
survey of the air quality, including measurements, forecasts and information to the public. It contributes
to mitigating measures (low emission zones, traffic restrictions, renewing industrial filter systems, etc.). It
also implements European Commission directives on air quality and reports on the region’s compliance
with them. The objective is to protect the health of the region’s citizens. North Rhine-Westphalia has two
distinct characteristics: it is home to Germany’s most important industrial sites as well as having a high
population density of 524 inhabitants/km2. The region accounts for 28 % of Germany’s nitrogen oxide (NO
x) emissions (e.g. caused by traffic) and 50 % of industrial fine particle (PM10) emissions (such as soot or
ash). Air pollution therefore is high and represents a major health hazard. Mitigating air pollution
efficiently depends on correctly identifying its sources. However, until recently, the Department for Air
Quality had relied on ground measurements and air quality modelling. To investigate supra-regional
pollution episodes remained a difficult task. To monitor air quality efficiently, the Department for Air
Quality obtains 3-day forecasts twice a day from the Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research (RIU ).
The information, visualised as animations similar to weather forecasts, is derived from satellite images, air
quality model forecasts and measurements on the ground. Pollution does not stop at the regional border.
Satellite imagery has the advantage of providing border-free air pollution data, thus allowing a better
overall view on the progress of pollution episodes (such as forest fires, volcanic ash, etc.).
Impact – Benefits
The Regional Air Quality Forecast provides
more comprehensive information on air
pollution and its causes, contributing to a
better adaptation of mitigating measures. The
visual quality of the forecasts makes them
easy to understand for the general public,
helping to inform citizens about air pollution
on the state agency’s website and in public
communications.
Further information
Links
http://copernicus4regions.eu/stories/air-quality-north-rhine-westphalia
Contact information
RIU / Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research
EURAD -Project
University of Cologne
Cologne, Germany
Te l: +49 221 4002220
Source
GMES4Regions initiative
Page 70 of 70