Overview
Polaris is a software tool that will provide a link between the Galileo System design and users. Polaris analyses Navigation Performances and includes a graphing utility with an interface to an internal GIS application. Polaris is divided in five subsystems: the Graphical User Interface (GUI), a program core, the GIS subsystem, the GNSS subsystem and the user application subsystem. The GIS subsystem will provide users access to a GIS database. This database needs 3D maps. However nowadays 3D maps are very expensive and for the purpose of Polaris such realistic maps
are not necessary. In fact, this situation can be override by leaving the user create 3D maps from 2D realistic maps. Actually, the 3D Environments Tool shall be developed in order to create such 3D maps.
This SUM will help any user to effectively work with the 3D Environments Tool and to get a better knowledge of all the functionalities provided by the system.
Polaris
provides the means to demonstrate the benefits to be gained with a wide variety of combinations of systems and sensors in different user environments. Polaris has been designed to cope with different levels of user expertise. A non-expert user of the tool will be able to assess the performance of any combination of standard navigation devices in their particular operating environment. The navigation expert will also have the added advantage of being able to fine tune the individual components for a more rigorous analysis, particularly in terms of the GNSS and SBAS elements, thanks to Polaris’ advanced Graphical User Interface (GUI).
The major objective of this task is to provide models for ‘real-life’ navigation application environments. This includes trajectory modelling (assigning realistic position and velocity profiles for each application) and environment modelling (describing the impacts of signal obstruction, reflection and interference, etc). Details of these activities are documented in D4.4.2 “Characterisation of Applications”.
Funding
Results
Polaris Work Package 5 (WP5) Assessment & Analysis has the major objective of managing and co-ordinating the following activities:
1. Exploitation of the tool, to support market activities, design activities and also to collect feed back from the users of the tool to improve the tool’s design (WP5.1). 2. Promotion of the tool by translating the results of the exploitation activities into video animations, easily understood by potential users and service providers. These promotional tasks do not aim to promote only the tool but also the use of the Galileo system including the global, regional and local components (WP5.2). The deliverables for this work package are an Assessment & Analysis Executive Summary (this document) , together with Management and Progress reports to the Project Manager throughout the WP’s duration. Strong emphasis has been placed on assuring an effective way to distribute input and output data within the different tasks covered by this work package. As well as maintaining an efficient level of distribution within this work package, WP5 is expected to extend that efficient data distribution to all other level 1 work packages and in particular WP’s 3 & 4.
The Assessment & Analysis Executive Summary will contain definitions, results and conclusions drawn from the following tasks.
- A Definition of the major objectives to be achieved within the frame of WP5.
- A summary of the key outputs produced in the frame of this work package.
- Conclusions from the analysis of the results obtained
Technical Implications
The Polaris 3D Environment Tool is split in four major functionalities:
- File Functionalities
- 2D Functionalities
- 3D Functionalities
- Drawing Functionalities,
which can be directly accessed via the menu horizontal toolbar after entering the Polaris 3D Environments Tool.
Operations, from within these functionalities are then called via pop menus or shortcuts (pressing the ALT key together with the one underlined in the correspondent pop menu option). Some operations are also accessible via the iconic horizontal toolbar.
Policy implications
Galileo will constitute a common tool for all European citizens in the near future. Therefore, users must have an understanding of the Galileo system and provide requirements to the system design. The objective of this project is to provide a SW tool that will provide a link between Galileo System design and users. This SW tool will be called Polaris. This project belongs to the 4th call of the 5th Framework Programme: Competitive and Sustainable Growth, Key Action: Sustainable Mobility and Intermodality , Target Action: 2.3.3. Second Generation Satellite Navigation and Positioning System (Galileo), Task 2.3.3/10: Detailed Service Analysis (Galileo), Subtask 2: User Tools. Polaris will contribute significantly to the development of Galileo by providing a link between users and Galileo developers. Polaris will help identify new GNSS services, optimize the Galileo system from a user point of view, and optimize the Galileo Service Definition. This optimization will result in multiple social benefits, in addition to the direct commercial benefits of Galileo.