Final Report Summary - EGALITE (Research on EGNOS/Galileo in Aviation and Terrestrial Multi-sensors Mobility Applications for Emergency Prevention and Handling) The multidisciplinary EGALITE project (website: egalite.polsl.pl) had the goal of intersectorial transfer of knowledge and staff training between large university from Poland, Silesian University of Technology, and two SMEs: Pildo Labs. from Barcelona and LG Nexera from Vienna. There were two main project's objectives. The first was to develop Emergency Prevention and Handling System (EPHS) for e-Call services, which are able to automatically inform about the type and a place of detected emergency situation (such as road collision, or a traffic jam) based on smart sensors and satellite navigation. The research work toward achieving this objective was primarily done in a collaboration of university and a company from Vienna. The second goal was to develop modules of the experimental platform for guidance the pilot of an aircraft. The guidance is done using, the so called, Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). This goal was achieved in a collaboration between Silesian University of Technology and the SME from Barcelona. Both objectives required transfer of knowledge between partners collaborating in the field of multi-sensors mobility applications for emergency prevention and handling using European EGNOS/Galileo global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Through collaborative research programme, the partners have developed prototypes of original and innovative applications for use on ground and in the air. In order to achieve these main objectives, several low level goals have been achieved, including:- successful application of artificial neural network supplemented by mathematical models for recognising the type of emergency situation from raw sensor data,- demonstrating possibility of the use of mass-market mobile phones devices with integrated GNSS receiver in combination with accelerometers for implementation of the enhanced e-Call service concept,- increasing the precision limits in positioning techniques for single frequency low-cost GNSS receivers.Work performed EGALITE Consortium has started the project in 2012. The first secondments from Silesian University of Technology to Pildo Labs. in Barcelona occurred in May 2012. After two months, in July 2012, the staff exchange between university and industrial partner in Vienna has also started. During the periods of hosting researchers from one of the largest technical universities in Poland, both companies took advantage of the strong flow of theoretical knowledge which was brought to them by university employees and PhD students. Together with secondees, teams composed of selected personnel have performed the research according to the Description of Work of EGALITE Project. In particular, the studies on various multisensors technologies were performed. The Consortium addressed also the problem of precise point positioning techniques – mainly with global satellite navigation systems (GNSS) including EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), which ensures higher accuracy, but also with inertial positioning. In a collaboration between Silesian University of Technology and Pildo Labs., the modules of experimental platform for flight guidance were created and the guidance system in a form of Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) was integrated with professional flight simulators installed in Virtual Flying Laboratory at Silesian University of Technology. Teams from LG Nexera and Polish university, working together, have performed studies on communication systems, integrated developed earlier components of the Emergency Prevention and Handling System (EPHS) and performed laboratory and field tests, which have confirmed its operability and good quality. What is particularly relevant for the final success of EGALITE, the knowledge gathered during the project has been transferred between participants for further use after project completion. Main results achieved The implementation of the project’s scientific program resulted in innovative solutions, which have the potential to make our everyday life safer. Through collaborative research programme, the partners have developed original and innovative terrestrial and aviation applications of global navigation services. The partners have elaborated models, which might be useful in handling terrestrial emergencies, for example by automatic detection that motorists were involved in a collision or traffic jams anywhere in Europe. The field tests of the EPHS have demonstrated its potential for further commercialisation.The consortium has also integrated the experimental platform for guidance the pilot of an aircraft with professional flight simulators, which enable to verify flight parameters and pilot behaviour with significantly reduced costs. The modules of mentioned experimental platform have been developed by secondees from Polish university working in the company from Barcelona. This team has been working also on the development of the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) display design of that platform. By using the platform by the aviation industry, several profits might be achieved, such as enabling operational approval procedures and certification requirements, training procedures in Virtual Flying Laboratory, helping the Visual Navigation (GNSS aided), and improving safety in a low height flights using information from the databases. Summarising, in the EGALITE project, the Consortium has developed:1) Emergency Prevention and Handling (EPHS) system composed of mobile devices, in particular mass-market mobile phones with integrated GNSS receiver, which, in combination with accelerometers, are deployed in the enhanced e-Call services. Starting with multisensor studies and exploiting professional integrating technologies, the EGALITE partnership explored this field by implementing new functionalities to e-Call service intended to bring, through mobile devices with integrated accelerometers, as rapid as possible assistance to motorists involved in a collision or traffic jams anywhere in Europe. 2) Modules for experimental platform for the guidance pilot of an aircraft. The platform bases its operation on the connection with a certified GPS/EGNOS receiver and an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS). The platform makes use of an EFB to display the necessary information to the pilot. The main features of the platform is possibility to load a previously designed complete flight plan and computation/provision of deviations/guidance according to the reference path defined in the flight plan. It can be used for LNAV, LNAV/VNAV and LPV/LP operations based on GNSS satellite navigation. The application of this experimental platform in aviation, has been studied in Virtual Flying Laboratory equipped with professional flight simulators of airplanes and helicopters with installed GARMIN 430 GPS receivers.
