Swift Navigation launches cloud-based GNSS service

The technology firm has introduced Skylark, a cloud-based, high-precision global navigation satellite system service for autonomous vehicles.    Technology firm Swift Navigation has introduced a new service, dubbed Skylark, that offers fast, centimeter-level positioning from the cloud for autonomous vehicles.
   Skylark, which eliminates the complexity of deploying and maintaining global navigation satellite system (GNSS) networks, is designed to work seamlessly with both of Swift’s GNSS receivers, Piksi Multi and Duro, Swift said.
   In addition, Skylark delivers fast convergence times measured in seconds.
   “Legacy global high-precision solutions that offer centimeter-accuracy can require up to 30 minutes of waiting during initialization, while Skylark provides fast initialization times in seconds,” Swift said.
   Fergus Noble, co-founder and chief technical officer of Swift, told American Shipper in a phone interview that the problem with standard GNSS is that typical technology signals have to go though an onerous journey to get here. For Skylark though, he explained that Swift has taken the best elements of real-time kinematics and precise point positioning to come up with the best approach, with the service hitting all five autonomous requirements – high accuracy, availability, integrity, scalability and low cost.
   Swift has been working with beta customers for over a year and is now previewing the service to all customers in six major metropolitan markets that are hotbeds for autonomous driving innovation – the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Pittsburg and Detroit – with full contiguous U.S. and global expansion underway, the company said.
   Customers in the preview areas with Swift receivers can now sign up for Skylark and immediately begin receiving corrections.
   One of Swift’s beta users was Voyage, a company that deploys self-driving taxis, which has been utilizing the technology at The Villages, a retirement community in San Jose, Calif.
   Commenting on Skylark, Swift said, “The service maintains low bandwidth to save on data costs and is offered with a free 30-day trial and flexible pricing plans. Skylark’s pricing structure includes a monthly plan for $50 per device and an annual plan for $495 per device.”
   Headquartered in San Francisco, Swift was founded in 2012 and currently has 70 employees and over 2,500 customers in various sectors, including automotive, drone, robotics and precision agriculture.