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Seen & Heard: Grizzlies, ports and autonomous trucks

December 29, 2021  - By

“Seen & Heard” is a monthly feature of GPS World magazine, traveling the world to capture interesting and unusual news stories involving the GNSS/PNT industry.


Photo: g01xm/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Photo: g01xm/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Supply Chain Snafus

GNSS technology aids in tracking cargo across the globe, but it can’t defeat a shortage of goods, and of trucks, railcars and ships to move them from ports to their destinations. Nevertheless, some touted solutions are seeking to help. One company, CallPass, is offering a 3D imaging system that claims to eliminate noise from images, providing more accurate cargo measurement accuracy. 3D imaging enables shipping companies to better optimize the space inside trailers and containers. Along with a high-precision GPS/GLONASS receiver, the Lana Vision also uses an ultrasonic-based cargo sensor.


Photo: Gregory_DUBUS/E+/Getty Images

Photo: Gregory_DUBUS/E+/Getty Images

Scouting Radioactivity

Azur Drones and AVNIR Energy have developed a drone package for detecting radioactivity, designed for environmental monitoring of nuclear sites both in France and abroad. The “drone-in-a-box” product integrates a radioactivity sensor into Azur’s Skeyetech drone, the first drone system approved in Europe for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights without a remote pilot. AVNIR’s Ionized Zone Inspection Device scintillation detector measures radioisotopes at operational nuclear sites, both routinely and during alerts.


Photo: U.S. Geological Survey

Photo: U.S. Geological Survey

Stay Safe, Mama Bear

Two yearling cubs of world-famous Grizzly 399 have been fitted with GPS-enabled tracking collars near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Grizzly 399 and her four cubs — an extraordinarily large litter — have been frequenting developed areas for food, but with the collars tracking their movements, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is better positioned to keep the unique family alive and out of trouble until they hibernate for the winter. At age 25, Grizzly 399 is the oldest known female with offspring in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.


Photo: DeepRoute.ai

Photo: DeepRoute.ai

Nighttime Special Deliveries

DeepRoute.ai has begun operating self-driving, medium-duty trucks in Shenzhen, China. The trucks drive only at night, when there is far less competing traffic. The company expects official operation to launch in 2022 after driverless regulations loosen. The company is also testing Robotaxi service in Shenzhen, to train and validate its algorithm. The current fleet of five trucks could grow to dozens as the company partners with a logistics company to deliver goods.

About the Author: Tracy Cozzens

Senior Editor Tracy Cozzens joined GPS World magazine in 2006. She also is editor of GPS World’s newsletters and the sister website Geospatial Solutions. She has worked in government, for non-profits, and in corporate communications, editing a variety of publications for audiences ranging from federal government contractors to teachers.