No. 726: World’s most accurate GPS is in practical use in 2018 (June 4, 2013)

Technology:

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and such high-tech companies as Mitsubishi Electric and NEC jointly developed a world’s most accurate location measurement technology that uses the next-generation satellites. The new technology can reduce the measurement deviation to only one centimeter that is one thousandth of the one provided by the existing GPS. The Japanese government will make necessary arrangements including satellites toward 2018, and private companies will start offering services.

Japan currently obtains positioning data from U.S. satellites, and the measurement deviation is about 10 meters. Data used for location measurement get confused under the influence of layers that reflect radio waves. Mitsubishi Electric developed equipment to compensate data using its highly advanced analysis technology. The compensated data will be dispatched from JAXA’s communication base to the quasi-zenith satellite to increase the measurement accuracy dramatically. NCE will be in charge of developing the next-generation communication technology for data exchange between the ground and satellite.

Applications of the Japanese GPS to be launched in 2018

Transportation	High-performance car navigation system. It will be possible to guide the users exactly to the entrance of a building in addition to providing guidance of back alleys.
Car	Helpful to the practical application of unmanned operation
Agriculture	Automated planting and harvesting
Sightseeing	Introduce sightseeing spots and shops in accordance with walking speed
Logistics	Detailed tracking of packages in transit
Disaster prevention	Dispatch the evacuation route in detail to mobile phones in a time of disaster

The Japanese government plans to sell the quasi-zenith satellite system to emerging countries in Asia. It is scheduled to launch three quasi-zenith satellites. Because Asian countries can utilize the Japanese quasi-zenith satellites, they can establish a highly advanced location information service with an investment of 100 billion yen in ground facilities. Currently, the space industry is 250 billion yen in Japan, merely one fifteenth of the U.S.

Believe it or not, an incumbent Japanese diet woman screamed “Why aren’t you satisfied with the second place?” in a meeting. Ironically enough, however, her screaming let the fighting sprit of Japanese scientists and researchers flare up. Let's try hard to become No. 1 under the leadership of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

Japanese GPS compensation technology is advancing.