Community-sourced Positioning Project
News

Community-sourced Positioning Project

The TeamSurv consortium offers sailors and powered boaters the opportunity to join a community that collects and shares depth information recorded by vessels' existing depth sounder equipment. Depth data, along with the vessel's position, are automatically logged and stored in real time, either by a software utility running on a Windows PC or using a dedicated hardware logging device.

At the end of the voyage, the logged data is uploaded to the TeamSurv website. Submitted data are combined and processed, using unique algorithms, by TeamSurv and are corrected for actual or predicted water levels and other factors so as to produce a bathymetric surface.

Members of the TeamSurv community who contribute data are eligible to view their submitted data graphically, along with the soundings collected by other boaters in the area.

The service launches in April and will focus on three trials areas in the UK, France and Lithuania for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Leisure boaters and workboat operators interested in participating are invited to visit the website to register. There is no charge to take part in the trial.

EGNOS is Europe's first activity in the field of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and is a precursor to Galileo, the first full global satellite navigation system under development in Europe. Leisure and commercial boaters could soon benefit from more accurate depth information, thanks to a research and development project awarded to a European consortium.

TeamSurv's research is being part funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (grant agreement no. 247998) and aims to demonstrate that the more accurate positioning made possible by the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) may permit community sourced depth sounder information to be used as a low cost source of survey data, with comparable quality to traditional survey techniques.

EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) is a satellite-based augmentation system providing metre level accuracy to GPS systems in Europe, and compatable with other similar systems such as the WAAS system in North America. It is a joint project of ESA (European Space Agency), the European Commission and Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. It is Europe's first activity in the field of Global Navigation Satellite Systems GNSS) and is a precursor to Galileo, the full global satellite navigation system under development in Europe.

Hydrography Newsletter

Value staying current with hydrography?

Stay on the map with our expertly curated newsletters.

We provide educational insights, industry updates, and inspiring stories from the world of hydrography to help you learn, grow, and navigate your field with confidence. Don't miss out - subscribe today and ensure you're always informed, educated, and inspired by the latest in hydrographic technology and research.

Choose your newsletter(s)