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Photos: Galileo finds new apps are magnifico-o-o-o-o-o

Sat-nav lawnmowers, flying robots and racing Schumacher for real...
By Tim Ferguson, Contributor
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1 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

Sat-nav lawnmowers, flying robots and racing Schumacher for real...

Galileo, Europe's civilian-controlled global satellite navigation system, is on track to become operational by 2014.

Two test satellites - Giove-A and Giove-B - have already been launched into orbit with two more due for launch in November this year and a further two in April 2011. The system is expected to consist of 30 satellites when it's fully operational.

Technology that will be able to make use of the Galileo system was recently shown off at the Galileo Application Day held at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels.

Shown above is a demonstration of a person overboard (POB) system, made by UK company Sci-Tech, which uses Galileo technology to locate individuals if they become separated from a vessel at sea.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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2 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

The POB system uses the European Space Agency's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (Egnos) to locate a person in the sea and so help guide the boat back to them.

This shows the equipment the crew on the ship would use to locate an individual overboard.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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3 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

Shown here is an unmanned helicopter which is part of a system developed by Close-Search, designed to support rescue operations by helping to locate people in need of assistance in remote or difficult to access areas, or when a rapid response is needed.

The helicopter uses a multisensory system to navigate, taking advantage of its own visual data as well as data from Egnos. Its thermal sensor can also help find missing people by picking up their body heat.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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4 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

Here's another flying robot, made by Cenalo, also demonstrated at the application day.

It provides users with real-time pictures and video from the air.

The device is called the Quadrocopter owing to its four rotor blades and it uses Galileo-based satellite navigation systems to determine its positioning.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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5 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

With this game from developer iOpener on show in Brussels, gamers could one day race against Formula One drivers as they slog around the streets of Monaco for real.

The system can transmit live telemetry data from the racing cars via Galileo and place them on the virtual racing track alongside the player, allowing armchair race aces to pit their skills against the likes of Button, Hamilton and Schumacher.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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6 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

Contained in this yellow box is a mobile environment monitoring system which uses Galileo data to detect pollution in urban areas.

The Galileo satellite network can send road network data to the device which can then plot levels of pollution on a map. This information can then be used to manage traffic flow to reduce concentrations of pollution.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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7 of 7 Tim Ferguson/ZDNET

This lawn mower with a difference was also on display at Galileo's apps day: it can navigate its way around the garden using satellite data.

The BigMow can apparently move with an accuracy of centimetres to stop mowing at specific points on a lawn - something that would be particularly useful for maintaining a golf course.

Picture credit: Dippelhofer/Anwendungszentrum GmbH

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